Is My Training
HRD Corp Claimable?
A clear, step-by-step answer for Malaysian HR teams, finance managers, and SME owners. Five criteria, common scenarios, and the application path — without the jargon.
In short: Your training is HRD Corp claimable if it is delivered by a registered HRD Corp training provider, falls under an approved scheme (most commonly SBL-Khas), meets the minimum training hours, uses certified trainers, and produces the required deliverable artefacts. Most structured corporate training in Malaysia — including soft skills, leadership, team building, and technical upskilling — qualifies when scoped correctly.
The 5 Criteria That Determine HRD Corp Claimability
If you can tick all five boxes, your training is almost certainly claimable. Miss one, and you will need to restructure the program or use a different funding scheme.
Registered HRD Corp Training Provider
The training must be delivered by a provider registered with HRD Corp. This is the single most common failure point — using an unregistered consultant disqualifies the entire program.
Check: search HRD Corp eTRiS for the provider registration number.
Approved Scheme Category
The program must fall under an approved HRD Corp scheme — most often SBL-Khas. Some schemes target specific groups (apprentices, fresh graduates) or specific formats (industrial training).
Most corporate training defaults to SBL-Khas.
Minimum Training Hours
Training must meet the minimum hours required by the scheme — typically 4 to 8 hours for SBL-Khas depending on format. Half-day "awareness sessions" usually do not qualify.
Plan minimum 1 full training day or 2 half-days.
Certified Trainers
Trainers must be HRD Corp certified or hold equivalent certifications recognised by HRD Corp. Senior practitioners without certification disqualify the claim.
Ask your provider for trainer Train-the-Trainer (TTT) certificate.
Deliverable Artefacts
Required artefacts include attendance records, training materials, certificates of completion, and a post-training assessment or report. Missing artefacts trigger claim rejection.
Confirm artefact bundle is included before signing.
Common Scenarios: Claimable or Not?
The fastest way to answer "is this claimable" is to compare your program to known scenarios. Here are the patterns we see most often from Malaysian SMEs and mid-market employers.
Leadership development for 20 managers over 6 months
Structured program, registered provider, certified trainers, blended delivery with monthly coaching, full artefact bundle. Standard SBL-Khas approval, full claim.
Two-day team building with a communication workshop
Team building combined with explicit communication learning outcomes, facilitated by certified trainers, full attendance and assessment documentation. Claimable under SBL-Khas.
One-day soft skills workshop for entire HR team
Eight-hour session, registered provider, certified trainer, materials and certificates issued. Standard claim, processed within 2 weeks of completion.
Virtual leadership program delivered via Zoom
Live virtual sessions count the same as in-person under current SBL-Khas rules, provided attendance is tracked and assessments are submitted.
Pure recreational team-day with no learning structure
Outbound activity without explicit learning outcomes, no trainer-led facilitation, no assessment. HRD Corp will reject this as recreation, not training.
Two-hour lunch-and-learn session
Below the minimum training hour threshold. Stack two such sessions into a structured half-day with assessment to make it claimable.
Internal training delivered by a non-certified manager
In-house training is claimable only when the internal trainer holds HRD Corp TTT certification. Otherwise it falls outside the scheme.
Training conducted before grant pre-approval
HRD Corp requires pre-approval via eTRiS before training begins. Retrospective claims are rejected even if all other criteria are met.
Which HRD Corp Scheme Should You Use?
HRD Corp runs several schemes. Most Malaysian employers default to SBL-Khas because it is the most flexible and covers the broadest range of corporate training. The table below clarifies when each scheme applies.
Skim Bantuan Latihan Khas
Default scheme for most corporate training — soft skills, leadership, team building, technical upskilling. Maximum flexibility on format and provider.
Use 90% of the time
Skim Bantuan Latihan
Older scheme for specific industry training programs and certifications. Used less commonly than SBL-Khas for corporate clients.
Niche programs only
Program Latihan Usahawan
Entrepreneur and SME owner training. Applies if the recipient is a business owner upgrading their own management capability.
Owner-operators
How to Apply: The 3-Step Path
Once eligibility is confirmed, the application itself is administrative — typically 5 to 10 working days. The path below assumes you are working with a registered HRD Corp training provider; if not, step 1 expands significantly.
Scope with a registered provider
Work with the training provider to scope the program against an approved HRD Corp scheme — defining duration, deliverables, trainers, and price. The provider drafts the grant application.
Submit grant application via eTRiS
The application is submitted via the HRD Corp eTRiS portal at least 2 weeks before the training start date. Pre-approval typically returns within 5 to 10 working days.
Deliver training, submit claim
Run the training on the approved date, collect attendance and artefacts, and submit the claim via eTRiS within the required window (usually 60 days of training completion). Claim is reimbursed to the employer.
How Much HRD Corp Levy Are You Sitting On?
The HRD levy is 1% of total monthly wages for employers with 10 or more Malaysian employees. Most Malaysian companies under-utilise this — leaving six figures unused annually. Quick reference:
Monthly average payroll/head:
RM 3,500
Annual Levy Pool
Monthly average payroll/head:
RM 4,000
Annual Levy Pool
Monthly average payroll/head:
RM 5,500
Annual Levy Pool
Unused levy does not roll forward indefinitely and contributes to nothing on your P&L. The rational move is to plan a 12-month training calendar that consumes at least 80% of the annual pool.
Not Sure if Your Program Qualifies?
Redefine Learning Asia is a registered HRD Corp training provider with 25+ years of experience helping Malaysian companies maximise SBL-Khas utilisation. Send us your training need and we will return a claimable scope within 48 hours — no obligation.