Cycle to work scheme

Switch to a greener commute with our new Cycle to Work employee benefit

Regular cycling is a great way to boost your physical and mental health and wellbeing while doing your bit for the planet. Check out our Cycle to Work Scheme employee benefit via Vivup and discover savings of up to 37% (terms and conditions apply) on bikes, safety accessories and clothing for your commute to and from work! The limit for the Cycle to Work Scheme is £3,000 subject to affordability.

How the scheme works

You choose a bike and any accessories via our provider Vivup. You loan these for an agreed length of time and exchange a set amount of your salary each month during the loan period. Reductions are made to your gross salary, so you can make savings on Income Tax and National Insurance contributions, where applicable. When your Hire Agreement and salary exchange ends, you can keep your package by making a small additional payment (sometimes known as a Disposal Fee) back to Vivup.

Choosing your bike or safety equipment

Acess Vivup via the app or web at to vivup.co.uk and register with your University or personal email address. More details on accessing Vivup are here.

Go to the cycle to work section and you can choose a bike by:

Browsing the online bikes for home delivery - a huge range of electric, hybrid, mountain
Finding a specific shop - you can simply choose a bike from retailers covering Decathlon, Cycle Solutions, Evans and local independents. Ordering this way means collecting from your local store.

You can find step by step guides below:

Eligibility

A maximum of one order per year subject to affordability.
The scheme limit is £3,000 subject to affordability. Dispensations may be available for mobility or cargo bikes only. Please email people.reward@manchester.ac.uk for further information.
Your hourly rate after Cycle to Work Scheme deductions cannot take you below the National Minimum Wage (£11.44 per hour from April 2024)

Download and share the latest cycle to work poster.

Important information for applicants and users of the Cycle to Work scheme

HMRC rules of usage

The Cycle to Work Scheme is solely for bikes that are intended to be used primarily for cycling to work, in accordance with HMRC requirements.

To ensure HMRC compliance and benefit from Income Tax and National Insurance savings on the value of your bike, at least 50% of your bike’s use must be for cycling to and from work in the 12 month hire period. This includes any combination of journeys between home, station and office, as well as cycling between offices or to visit clients.

You do not need to keep a detailed record of the time or number of miles you cycle. However, please be mindful if you are working from home as, if less than half of your bike’s use is for cycling to and from work, then it could become subject to income tax in the normal way. It is your responsibility to ensure you comply.

Cycle insurance

If your bicycle is stolen during the ‘hire period’ of the scheme, you are still liable for the remainder of your payments. This means if your bicycle is stolen on day one or month two, you will still be liable for all the subsequent payments. It is essential that you consider insuring your bicycle from the day you collect you bike or have you bike delivered, as per the advice of Vivup.