HRD Corp and claimable training events
Employers ask if your seminar or conference is HRD Corp claimable, and you want a clear answer.
The short answer
HRD Corp's Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM) guidebook treats seminars and conferences as their own category, with published rules on length, participant numbers and speakers. Whether a particular employer can claim is decided by HRD Corp on that employer's own application, so an organiser's job is to plan the event to fit the published rules and give employers what they need to apply.
Below is what the January 2026 ACM guidebook states, so you can design the programme and the paperwork around it.
What the guidebook says about seminars and conferences
| Topic | What HRD Corp publishes | What to plan |
|---|---|---|
| Definitions | A seminar is an educational event focused on interaction, where people with common interests gather to discuss, learn and share ideas. A conference features keynote presentations to all attendees with multiple concurrent sessions | Describe your event in these terms in the programme and invitation |
| Session length | At least four hours | Make each claimable session or programme at least four hours |
| Participants, in-house | At least 51 participants per group | Check headcount against this figure |
| Participants, public | At least one participant per employer and 51 participants per training provider | Check the total headcount and per-employer numbers |
| Exceptions | A deviation can be requested by the employer or the training provider and may be considered on justification | Prepare the justification early if you expect fewer participants |
| Speakers | At least one speaker for a half-day conference and two for a full-day seminar or conference | Confirm your speaker line-up meets the minimum |
| Overseas events | Financial assistance for seminars or conferences held overseas is 50% of total training costs | Tell employers if your event is outside Malaysia |
| SST | Service tax is claimable up to the maximum claimable amount | Show tax separately on the invoice. See SST and service charge on quotes |
Who applies and when
The guidebook explains that HRD Corp Claimable Courses (HCC) is open to HRD Corp registered employers who have paid levy, and that employers must submit grant applications at least one day before training starts. Employers apply through their own HRD Corp account, so give them the event details early enough to do so.
Training providers register programmes with HRD Corp in e-TRiS under the HCC scheme, with no registration fee, and providers claim the training fee only after the training has been conducted. If your organisation is a training provider, that registration is made by the provider. The guidebook also states that the accreditation requirement for trainers does not apply to conferences and seminars delivered by speakers.
Planning an event that employers may claim
- Decide whether the event is a seminar or a conference as HRD Corp defines them, and write the programme to match.
- Check the length, headcount and speaker minimums against your plan, using the conference programme planner.
- Prepare the documents employers usually need: a clear agenda, speaker details, the fee and an invoice that shows tax separately.
- Tell employers early, and ask them to confirm with HRD Corp that the event suits their application.
- Keep attendance records and certificates, and keep them separate from any professional accreditation. See attendance certificates and professional accreditation.
Where this fits with CPD and learning events
Many professional-learning events serve two purposes: continuing professional development for members and training that employers fund. The CPD and professional learning events page covers the learning side, and event support for HR and learning teams covers the employer side.
Confirm before you advertise
HRD Corp updates the guidebook and its circulars, and each claim is decided on the employer's application. Confirm the current rules with HRD Corp or your adviser before you describe an event as claimable.
Worked example · Fictional example
A fictional leadership seminar
Fictional organisation and figures, for illustration only.
The Persatuan Fiktif Pengurus Sumber Manusia plans a one-day public seminar for members and their employers. The planner checks the guidebook figures: a full-day seminar needs at least four hours and two speakers, and a public seminar needs at least one participant per employer and 51 across the programme.
| Check | Plan | Status |
|---|---|---|
| Session length | Six hours of content | Meets the four-hour minimum |
| Speakers | Three speakers | Meets the two-speaker minimum for a full day |
| Headcount | Registration target set above 51 | Review weekly; prepare a justification if short |
| Employer pack | Agenda, speaker list, fee and invoice with tax shown | Sent two weeks before the event |
Use this yourself
Claimable event planning checklist
Use this to design the programme and the paperwork. Tick each item and keep the evidence in your project file.
- The event is described as a seminar or a conference, using HRD Corp's definitions.
- Each session or programme runs at least four hours.
- Planned headcount meets the in-house or public minimum, or a justification is ready.
- Speaker count meets the half-day or full-day minimum.
- Agenda, speaker details and fee are written and ready to share with employers.
- The invoice shows tax separately and is addressed as each employer requires.
- Employers are told the event date early enough to apply at least one day before.
- Attendance records are planned, and certificates are kept separate from professional accreditation.
- Current rules are confirmed with HRD Corp or your adviser, and the answer is saved.
Handle it in-house, or bring in help?
Your team can usually handle this when
- You run a recurring seminar and can match it to the published figures.
- Your employers already know their HRD Corp process.
- Your team can prepare the agenda and invoice pack.
Outside planning help earns its fee when
- The programme needs reshaping to meet length, speaker and headcount figures.
- You are juggling CPD requirements and employer claims in one event.
- You need the schedule, speakers and registration set up so employers get their documents on time.
Want the programme shaped around the figures?
A project lead can shape your programme, speaker plan, registration and employer document pack around the guidebook figures, and manage the timeline until the event. Send us your draft programme and headcount, and we will reply with the level of support that fits and what it would cover.
Questions organisers ask
Is my seminar automatically claimable?
No event is claimable by default. HRD Corp decides on each employer's application, so plan to the published rules and ask employers to confirm with HRD Corp.
What is the difference between a seminar and a conference?
HRD Corp describes a seminar as an educational event focused on interaction, and a conference as keynote presentations to all attendees with multiple concurrent sessions.
How long must the event run?
The guidebook states at least four hours.
Can service tax be claimed?
The guidebook states service tax is claimable up to the maximum claimable amount. Show tax separately on the invoice.
Related resources
Sources and check dates
- Guidebook Allowable Cost Matrix (ACM), January 2026 version, HRD Corp (Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad) (checked 2026-10-10). Defines a seminar and a conference; sets at least four hours per session, 51 participants for in-house and one participant per employer with 51 per training provider for public seminars and conferences, one speaker for a half-day and two for a full day, with deviations considered on justification; overseas seminars and conferences at 50% assistance; SST claimable up to the maximum claimable amount; HRD Corp Claimable Courses open to registered employers who have paid levy, with grant applications at least one day before training.
- HRD Corp Claimable Courses: programme registration, HRD Corp (Pembangunan Sumber Manusia Berhad) (checked 2026-10-10). Training providers register programmes in e-TRiS under the HRD Corp Claimable Course Scheme; no registration fee; trainer requirements including TTT certificates; providers claim the training fee only after training is conducted.
Content record: Written by the EventConsultant team to our editorial rules. Sources are listed on pages that rely on them.