Funding

OFPPT CSF: how to get your staff training funded in Morocco

By Codevista InnovationsPublished 12 October 2026Updated 15 October 20268 min read

Special Training Contracts (Contrats Spéciaux de Formation, or CSF) are an OFPPT scheme that lets companies liable for the vocational training levy recover part of what they spend training their employees. The logic comes down to four moves: plan the training, file the application before it takes place, have it delivered by a provider that meets the scheme's conditions, then claim the refund with supporting documents. Rates, caps and deadlines are set by the procedures in force: check them with the OFPPT before you budget.

What are OFPPT Special Training Contracts (CSF)?

Special Training Contracts are the mechanism through which the OFPPT (Office de la Formation Professionnelle et de la Promotion du Travail, Morocco's national vocational training and employment promotion agency) supports in-company continuing education. Companies help fund vocational training through the vocational training levy (taxe de formation professionnelle, TFP); CSF lets them recover part of what they spend on upskilling their employees.

It is not a grant paid up front: the company pays for its training, then receives a partial refund once the course has been delivered and documented. The scheme therefore rewards planned training: training that was decided, declared and documented before anyone walked into the room.

The exact framework — which courses qualify, refund rates, caps, filing deadlines and required documents — is defined by the procedures in force, and those change. Before any budget decision, check the official OFPPT website rather than relying on a figure you heard from a peer.

Which companies can claim an OFPPT training refund?

The scheme is aimed at companies liable for the vocational training levy. The compliance conditions required (returns, levy payments, administrative documents) are spelled out in the procedure. This is the first thing to check, because an application that is administratively incomplete can be blocked, however good the plan is.

Appoint one person to own the application from the start, often in HR or in administration. In an SME, that is what stops the process being dropped halfway through for lack of time.

The training concerned is linked to the company's business and to the development of its employees' skills: project management, ways of working, technical or management skills. The precise scope is set by the procedures, which is why it pays to ask the question early.

How does a CSF application work, step by step?

Forms, submission channels and deadlines vary with the type of training and with the procedures in force. The overall logic stays the same:

1. Analyse the needs. Start from the company's objectives and the skills gaps observed in the teams, not from a catalogue.
2. Build the training plan. List the selected courses, the groups of staff involved, the intended objectives and the provisional schedule.
3. File the application before the training. The request is submitted in the manner and within the deadlines set by the OFPPT, before the courses begin.
4. Deliver the training with a qualified provider. The provider must meet the scheme's requirements; check this before you sign.
5. Gather the supporting documents. Signed attendance sheets, invoices, certificates and any other document the procedure asks for.
6. Claim the refund. The reimbursement claim is filed after delivery, on the basis of the supporting documents.

Why filing first changes everything

The scheme refunds training that was announced, not an invoice discovered after the fact. A course delivered without prior filing is very likely not to be covered. The right habit: check where the CSF application stands before fixing session dates, not the other way round.

What role do GIACs play in training needs analysis?

Before the plan comes the training needs analysis: working out what the company really needs, for which teams and in what order. GIACs (Groupements Interprofessionnels d'Aide au Conseil, inter-professional advisory groups), usually organised by industry, can support companies through this study and plan-building phase.

This step makes the CSF application stronger, because every course in it is tied to a documented need. It also avoids the training plan that simply adds up individual requests with no link to senior management's priorities.

A few questions to frame the analysis:

• Which projects or changes is the company taking on over the period the plan covers?
• Which skills are missing to deliver them: project management, agile methods, management, technical skills?
• After the training, how will you measure that the skill is actually being used?

A plan that answers these questions clearly is easier to defend, before the OFPPT and before the executive committee alike.

Common mistakes that cost you the refund

A plan that is sound on substance can still lose its refund on timing or paperwork. The pitfalls to watch:

• Filing late. The training is organised in a rush and the application arrives afterwards, or never.
• An unchecked provider. The organisation does not meet the scheme's conditions, or does not supply the expected documents.
• Missing or incomplete attendance sheets. Half a day without signatures, a participant missing from the list: the evidence no longer covers the declared training.
• A plan disconnected from strategy. Courses picked as requests come in, with no visible link to the company's objectives.
• A gap between planned and delivered. Dates, participants or content changed without updating the application as the procedure requires.

The fix: a single owner for the application, who collects documents as they go and checks compliance before each session rather than at the end.

How to choose a CSF-eligible training course

The choice must first answer the identified need, then be checked against the scheme.

• A direct link to a business objective. Experienced project managers running cross-functional projects might aim for PMP® certification preparation, whose eligibility requirements are set by PMI.
• Written learning objectives, which make the plan easier to draft and the training easier to justify.
• A provider that meets the scheme's conditions and supplies compliant documents: attendance sign-offs, certificates, invoices.
• A format that fits the business and the procedure. In person, hybrid or remote: check that the chosen format is accepted and how attendance is evidenced.
• Case-by-case confirmation of eligibility, to request from the provider and verify with the OFPPT.

For teams adopting agile, Scrum training structures work into sprints, while Kanban training is a better fit for continuous flow (support, maintenance); our Scrum vs Kanban comparison helps you decide before signing anyone up. When several teams need to move together, SAFe training and our article on scaling agile with SAFe set out the framework. For leadership teams and non-IT functions, the Agile Leadership programme extends the approach described in agility beyond IT. And if PMP® certification is the goal, read our guide on preparing for the PMP® exam.

Codevista Innovations' qualification application with the OFPPT is in progress: until it is granted, its programmes — Scrum, SAFe, PMP®, Kanban and Agile Leadership — cannot be funded through OFPPT Special Training Contracts. They can be taken in person anywhere in Morocco, in hybrid format or remotely, and tailored programmes begin with a skills audit of your teams, which feeds straight into the needs analysis for your plan. To discuss it, contact our team in Casablanca.

Frequently asked questions

What percentage of training costs does the OFPPT refund under CSF?

There is no reliable answer without checking. Refund rates, caps and any differences by type of training are set by the Special Training Contracts procedures in force, which can change. Before budgeting, consult the official OFPPT website and base your calculations on the rules that apply on the date you file.

Can you claim a CSF refund for training that has already taken place?

Do not count on it. Special Training Contracts rely on filing the application before the training is delivered, within the deadlines set by the procedure. Training declared after the fact is very likely not to be covered. Build the CSF process into your schedule as soon as the decision to train is made, before you fix the dates.

What role does a GIAC play in a training funding application?

GIACs, Groupements Interprofessionnels d'Aide au Conseil (inter-professional advisory groups), are usually organised by industry and can support companies with training needs analysis: identifying needs, studying skills gaps and building the training plan. This upstream work makes the CSF application more coherent, since every course rests on a documented need. Check the terms of this support with the GIAC your company falls under.

Which supporting documents should you keep to obtain the OFPPT refund?

The exact list is in the procedure in force. It usually includes signed attendance sheets for every session, the provider's invoices, training certificates and anything that shows the training delivered matches the training declared. The safest approach is to appoint someone to collect these documents session by session rather than gathering them at the end.