Planning Excel training for your staff and wondering whether your company can use its HRD Corp levy? In many cases, yes. Eligible Malaysian employers can apply for support for structured Excel training, including public classes and in-house sessions. The important part is checking the course, provider and grant requirements before the training starts.

Is Excel training HRD Corp claimable in Malaysia?

Yes, Excel training can be HRD Corp claimable when the employer and training meet HRD Corp's requirements. For example, a finance team learning advanced reporting or an operations team improving how it handles spreadsheets may be able to attend a suitable registered Excel course using the employer's available levy.

However, the words “HRD Corp claimable” do not mean automatic approval. Your company needs to be eligible, the training must meet the relevant scheme requirements, and grant approval must be in place before the session takes place. HRD Corp decides the approved amount and eligible costs.

Which Excel courses can qualify?

There is no need to choose an advanced course simply because it sounds more impressive. The right Excel training should match what your staff actually do at work. Common options include:

• Intermediate Excel: for staff who use spreadsheets regularly and want to improve formulas, data organisation and reporting.
• Advanced Excel: for employees working with larger datasets, more complex formulas, Power Query or dashboards.
• Advanced Excel with AI: for experienced Excel users exploring practical AI-assisted analysis and reporting workflows with tools like Microsoft Copilot and Claude.ai.

The course title alone does not make it claimable. HRD Corp looks at the registered course and provider, training content, participants and grant application. You can compare the learning levels on our Excel training in Malaysia page.

Public or in-house Excel training: which should you choose?

Public training works well when you need to send one or a few employees to a scheduled session. Your team joins participants from other companies, so there is no need to organise a full company class. We run public sessions in Kuala Lumpur, with selected sessions in Sabah and Sarawak. See our public training schedule.

In-house training is useful when several colleagues need the same skills or when you want examples based on your team's work. It can be arranged around your organisation's needs and delivered at your office anywhere in Malaysia. Learn more about in-house training.

Both formats can fall under SBL-Khas when the relevant requirements are met. Confirm the registered course details, participant limits and grant eligibility before booking.

What should your HR team prepare?

Before submitting an Excel training grant application, ask the provider for the course details and check that your company has the necessary information ready. The usual starting documents are:

• Quotation or invoice showing the proposed training fee.
• Course outline and schedule explaining what participants will learn and when the training will take place.
• Trainer profile for the grant application.
• Employer and participant details needed to complete the application in eTRiS.

After the session, attendance records and other supporting documents are needed for the claim. The registered training provider normally submits its claim for the approved course fee; employers submit separate claims for eligible additional expenses, where applicable. HRD Corp may request further documents.

When should you apply for the grant?

Apply and obtain approval before training starts. Do not assume that a course can be claimed after it has already taken place.

Under HRD Corp's rules effective 15 June 2026, in-house training may be conducted 14 days after grant approval. Public training has a temporary shorter window of three days after grant approval for 15 June to 31 December 2026, after which (from 1 January 2027) public training returns to the 14-day rule. These are post-approval lead times, not a promise that HRD Corp will approve an application within three or 14 days. Submit your application earlier to allow time for review or queries.

Claims generally need to be submitted within six months after training completion. For the detailed eTRiS steps, refer to our existing guide to claiming your HRD Corp levy rather than repeating the full process here. You can also read what happens when levy funds remain unused.

Common questions about Excel training claims

Can we claim Excel training for just one employee?

Potentially, yes. Public training under SBL-Khas can cover individual participants, subject to the registered course, scheme limits and employer eligibility.

Does Excel training with AI also qualify?

It may. Adding AI to an Excel course does not automatically make it claimable or ineligible. What matters is whether the specific course is registered and meets the grant requirements. Our Advanced Excel with AI course in Kuala Lumpur is a registered, HRD Corp claimable program that combines advanced Excel with Microsoft Copilot and Claude.ai.

Do we need to pay the full course fee first?

Under the HRD Corp Claimable Courses (SBL-Khas) arrangement, the approved course fee is generally claimed by the registered training provider rather than paid upfront in full by the employer. Confirm the approved amount and any non-claimable charges with the provider.

Can GOFLEX help us choose the right Excel course?

Yes. Tell us how your staff currently use Excel, how many people need training and whether you prefer a public or in-house session. We can recommend a suitable course and provide the supporting training documents for your HR team to review.