How Does PDI Sponsorship Work?

Sponsorship becomes possible once you've passed the ADI Part 2 test, and it's what allows you to legally start charging for lessons while you finish training.

Officially, this is a trainee licence, often called the "pink badge". To apply, you need to have passed Part 2 and completed at least 40 hours of training with a qualified ADI. It costs £140 to apply, and the licence itself is valid for 6 months. You must have a sponsoring ADI, the training establishment named on your licence, and you give instruction from there rather than independently. Full detail and the application itself is on DVSA's site: Apply for a trainee driving instructor licence (GOV.UK)

That's the legal mechanics. In practice, sponsorship with Instruct IQ is a genuine two-way training relationship, not just a signature on a form. You'll observe real lessons being delivered, and your sponsor observes yours in return, so you're getting proper feedback while you're still building experience, not just left to work it out alone.

Beyond the in-car side, support runs wider: ongoing training, online support through The PDI School, business support, help with diary management, and pupil leads where possible. The aim is that by the time you're ready for Part 3, you've had real, structured backing the whole way through, not just enough to scrape past a licence application.

Enquire and we'll talk through what sponsorship would actually look like for you.