The government opened applications on Friday for a €4 million grant scheme designed to incentivise employers to hire inactive women through flexible employment arrangements.
The Ministry of Labour and Social Insurance announced the scheme aims to encourage employers to recruit inactive women whilst contributing to government efforts to combat poverty and social exclusion through active integration of vulnerable population groups into the labour market.
The programme forms part of active employment policies promoted by the government and utilises simplified cost calculation methods for grant distribution.
Grant provides €48 daily subsidy for 10-month employment period
The scheme establishes a cost unit of €48 per working day, representing the grant amount each beneficiary receives for every working day completed by the employee, regardless of actual salary costs incurred by the employer.
“The grant will be provided for the first ten months of employment with an obligation for the employer to maintain employment of the worker for two additional months without subsidy,” the ministry stated. Based on the cost unit, maximum possible subsidy for the 12-month Public Funding Contract period reaches €8,600.
Employers must submit applications within one month of hiring the employee and within timeframes specified in the call announcement through the Labour Department’s electronic Grant Scheme Management platform.
Applications open until funding exhausted or scheme closure
Applications began acceptance on 5 September 2025 and continue until funding exhaustion or announced scheme closure, according to ministry officials.
The total amount allocated for this call reaches €4 million, targeting employers seeking to recruit women currently outside the labour force through flexible working arrangements.
Interested parties can access additional information through the Labour Department website and the General Directorate of Development website under the Ministry of Finance.