First pedagogical equipment for apprentices: the flat cap now varies by qualification level

A flat €500 cap had applied since 2019 to every reimbursement claim for an apprentice’s first pedagogical equipment, whether they were training for a CAP in carpentry or a master’s degree in engineering. Decree No. 2026-679 of 27 July 2026 ends that uniformity: since 30 July 2026, the amount reimbursed by the OPCO now depends on the qualification level being prepared, with coverage removed outright for the highest levels. Here is what this change concretely means for a CFA, and how to adjust invoicing accordingly.

What the old flat rate covered

First pedagogical equipment refers to the professional material an apprentice must acquire to follow their training in a workshop, laboratory, or technical training area: individual tools, work uniform, personal protective equipment, sometimes an instrument specific to their field. This expense, distinct from the training’s pedagogical cost, had been reimbursed by the OPCO since the arrêté of 30 July 2019 up to a flat cap of €500 excl. VAT, for the full duration of the contract and regardless of the qualification targeted.

This uniform allowance did not reflect the reality on the ground. A CAP in plumbing or electrical work requires costly individual tooling from the very first year, whereas a bachelor’s or master’s-level programme most often relies on equipment shared by the institution, without a comparable personal equipment expense. The new text draws the consequences of that gap.

The new scale by qualification level

For any apprenticeship contract entered into from 30 July 2026 onward, the reimbursement cap for first pedagogical equipment varies according to the level of the qualification or certification being prepared:

Qualification level	Examples	Reimbursement cap
Level 3	CAP	€500
Level 4	Baccalauréat, vocational baccalauréat	€500
Level 5	BTS, DUT	€300
Level 6	Bachelor’s degree, professional bachelor’s	No coverage
Level 7	Master’s degree, engineering diploma	No coverage

The €500 cap is therefore kept for the levels that consume the most individual equipment, cut by 40% for level 5, and removed outright for levels 6 and 7. As under the previous regime, this amount applies to the full duration of the contract rather than per training year: a CFA cannot bill it again at the start of each academic year for the same apprentice.

What stays the same: the distinction from the NPEC and other ancillary costs

The first-equipment allowance remains a separate budget line from the level of funding coverage (NPEC), which funds the pedagogical cost set by the professional branch, as well as from the other apprenticeship ancillary costs — accommodation and meals — whose flat rates (€6 per night, €3 per meal) are unchanged by this decree. All three allowances continue to follow separate invoicing rules: mixing them on the same line remains one of the most common reasons an OPCO rejects a file.

Who needs to adjust their invoicing

This change primarily concerns CFAs training apprentices at levels 5 to 7: BTS, professional bachelor’s degrees, business schools, or engineering schools run through apprenticeship. Three practical adjustments are needed before the next intake of apprentices:

• Check the contract’s signing date. Only contracts entered into from 30 July 2026 onward move to the new scale; an earlier contract remains subject to the previous €500 cap, even if invoicing happens after that date.
• Cross-check the RNCP level of the qualification being prepared against the scale before submitting any reimbursement claim, to avoid billing an outdated amount that the OPCO will reject.
• Update training agreement templates and administrative management software that still reference a flat €500 cap, so that billing teams apply the correct amount from the moment the contract is signed.

For a CFA training only level 6 and 7 apprentices, the removal of this allowance does not exempt it from providing the equipment the training requires if needed: it simply shifts the burden of that expense, previously partly pooled through the OPCO, onto the institution’s own budget or that of the host company.

Why this tightening, in the broader budget context of apprenticeship

This reform is part of a wider push to control apprenticeship spending, alongside the revision of contract funding levels applicable since 1 September 2026. The stated goal is to refocus flat-rate allowances on the fields where the real cost of equipment weighs most heavily on the apprentice and the CFA.

Economic research confirms that the cost of individual equipment varies sharply by trade, well beyond the pedagogical cost alone. A study by Nechvoglod, Karmel and Saunders, published in 2009 for Australia’s National Centre for Vocational Education Research (NCVER), on the real cost of apprenticeship training in plumbing and electrical trades, shows that individual tooling expenses represent a significant and lasting share of the total cost borne by the apprentice in technical trades, well above what is observed in fields that consume less material. A more recent study by Aepli, Mühlemann, Pfeifer, Schweri, Wenzelmann and Wolter, published in 2024 by the IZA Institute of Labor Economics, on apprenticeship training costs in Germany and Switzerland, further notes that aligning funding schemes with the real costs of each field directly conditions employers’ and training centres’ capacity to sustain their apprenticeship offer (see the study).

Take action

This kind of regulatory adjustment, almost always announced well before administrative teams actually factor it in, illustrates the value of structured monitoring of the texts governing apprenticeship funding. The Kit Certif Complet (€297, 14-day guarantee) provides up-to-date evidence templates and administrative procedures for your training organisation or CFA. Just starting out? The ebook “Set up your training organisation in 30 days” (€67) covers the administrative basics from day one, and the full Pack (€347) bundles both resources. Browse all our blog articles to keep up with apprenticeship regulatory news as it happens.