Research relating to the Apprentice Rate of the minimum wage

The Low Pay Commission (LPC) invites tenders for research relating to the Apprentice Rate of the minimum wage. This call for research is for projects that would deliver their final results by September 2026 (with a final report after this).

Researchers with projects that require a longer timeframe may wish to consider bidding on LPC 2026/07 The Low Pay Commission is a non-departmental public body that advises the Government about the National Minimum Wage (NMW), including the National Living Wage (NLW) and the minimum wage rates for young workers and apprentices. You can view our most recent published remit for 2025 here.

We are responsible for evaluating the effects of the NMW and NLW and making recommendations on future rates. To carry out these functions, our work involves: • carrying out extensive research and consultation with employers, workers and their representatives and taking written and oral evidence from a wide range of organisations; • analysing relevant data to understand the state of the economy and labour market and the impact of the minimum wage; • commissioning research projects into these questions.

The current government has an ambition to move to a single adult minimum wage rate for all workers aged 18 and above. Our most recent remit asked the LPC to balance this ambition with the Government's concern about current levels of youth unemployment when making our recommendations on the 18-20 Year Old Rate.

We have previously noted the importance of the interactions between the youth and apprentice rates of the minimum wage (see, for example, the LPC's Beyond 2024 Report) and are considering the full range of options for the future of the Apprentice Rate. We have also recommended considerable increases to the Apprentice Rate in recent years, but the data available to evaluate these increases are limited.

This research will support our understanding of the impacts of the Apprentice Rate of the minimum wage on employer and/or worker decisions and outcomes. It will complement the LPC's own analysis of apprenticeship starts, vacancies and pay (including later salaries of those have completed apprenticeships).

The estimated maximum value for the contract is £40,000 (excluding VAT; £48,000 including VAT). However we welcome proposals for smaller projects and anticipate bids in the range £20,000 to £40,000 exclusive of VAT. The project will deliver findings for September 2026.