HRD Corp (formerly HRDF) will fund training for eligible Malaysian employers — but only if the grant application is submitted the right way, before training starts. Apply late, or skip a document, and even a perfectly good training programme can be disqualified from a claim. This guide walks through the eTRiS process step by step, so nothing falls through the cracks.

Before you start: check your eligibility

Three conditions must all be true at the same time:

  • Your company is registered with HRD Corp and has an active levy account.
  • You have 10 or more Malaysian employees (or otherwise fall under a gazetted sector required to register).
  • The specific course is registered and approved under a recognised scheme (SBL-Khas, SBL, or another approved category) — not just "claimable in general."

If any of the three is missing, the claim will not go through — so confirm all three before you commit to a training date. For a shortlist of categories that qualify under the common schemes, see 10 Best HRD Corp Claimable Course Categories in Malaysia.

Step 1: Get your course quotation and details

Before touching eTRiS, get the training provider's quotation and course information: course title, trainer, HRD Corp course code (if applicable), duration, delivery mode (onsite / online / e-learning) and cost. You'll need every one of these fields on the application form, so gather them first rather than mid-application.

Step 2: Submit the Grant Application on eTRiS — before training starts

Log in to the eTRiS portal (the official HRD Corp system) and submit a Grant/Programme Application for the course. This is the step most claims fail on: the grant must be approved before training, with a minimum gap HRD Corp sets. A retroactive application for training that already happened will not be approved.

  • In-house training: since 15 June 2026 the grant must be approved at least 14 calendar days before training starts (HRD Corp Claimable Courses).
  • Public (open-enrolment) training: 3 calendar days until 31 December 2026, then 14 calendar days from 1 January 2027.
  • Aim for 30 calendar days ahead. That is HRD Corp's own recommendation. An application with no queries is approved within one working day, but a query costs you days, and a queried application must be answered within 5 calendar days.
  • Attach the training provider's quotation and course outline. The course title must match the one registered with HRD Corp.
  • Note your Grant/Application ID once approved. The provider's claim is filed against it.

Step 3: Complete the training and keep your evidence

During training, the evidence you collect is what makes the claim defensible on audit:

  • Attendance threshold: each trainee must attend at least 75% of the total training hours (Allowable Cost Matrix). Sessions under 4 training hours are not claimable. A full day is at least 7 training hours, excluding registration and breaks.
  • Onsite sessions: the T3 attendance form, filled in by the provider and signed by every trainee on every training day.
  • Remote online and e-learning: the T3 form with every trainee's details (signatures not required), plus the generated attendance report from the platform. The report shows each trainee's name, date, log-in/log-out times or total duration, and is signed and stamped by both provider and employer. MegaLearn logs this automatically and enforces an 80% minimum watch, stricter than HRD Corp's 75%.
  • Assessment results and the certificate issued on completion.

Step 4: The training provider submits the claim

For HRD Corp Claimable Courses (SBL-Khas), the training provider submits the claim on eTRiS, not the employer, and it must be done within 6 months of training completion. The provider submits before any employer claim. What the provider needs from you:

  • JD/14 form: filled in by the provider, then declared by someone at manager level or above, and only after training ends. A false declaration is an offence under the PSMB Act 2001.
  • The provider's invoice is addressed to Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad and names your company, the programme title and the training dates.
  • The attendance evidence from Step 3. Once HRD Corp approves the claim, the attendance cannot be amended, so check it before you sign.

HRD Corp reviews the claim within 7 working days and emails the approval letter to the provider. If you requested allowances in the grant, you claim those yourself after the provider's claim is approved, with payment into the bank account registered on your e-Disbursement form.

Common mistakes that cause rejection

  • Applying after training started — the single biggest cause of rejected claims.
  • Missing attendance records — for onsite training, an unsigned or incomplete T3 form is treated as no evidence at all.
  • Missing the 6-month claim deadline — and any HRD Corp query on the claim must also be answered before that deadline.
  • Course not actually registered under the scheme claimed — always confirm the course's HRD Corp status with your training provider before applying.
  • Mismatched invoice details — the invoice amount, course name and dates must match what was approved in the grant application.

How Megabyte helps

Every HRD Corp claimable program on our site is delivered with the documentation your grant application needs — course outline, trainer credentials, and (for e-learning) automatic HRDC-compliant tracking. See our full HRD Corp Claim Guide for the condensed 3-step workflow, or browse all HRD Corp claimable courses to start your application with the right paperwork from day one.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for the grant after training has already started?

No. The grant must be approved before training, at least 14 calendar days ahead for in-house training (3 days for public programmes until 31 December 2026). HRD Corp recommends applying 30 calendar days ahead.

What's the difference between the Grant Application and the Claim?

The employer submits the Grant Application before training. For HRD Corp Claimable Courses, the training provider submits the Claim after training, within 6 months, with the JD/14 form, invoice and attendance evidence. HRD Corp then pays the provider from the employer's levy.

Is e-learning training accepted as evidence for a claim?

Yes. For online and e-learning training, HRD Corp accepts a generated attendance report from the platform in place of daily signatures. The report must show each trainee's name, training date and log-in/log-out times or total duration, and be signed and stamped by both provider and employer. MegaLearn produces this data automatically.