Funding of wage costs within the framework of the "1PLUS1" initiative

As part of the growth strategy of the state of Upper Austria, the “1PLUS1” initiative supports one-person enterprises (OPEs) with a targeted wage subsidy for the initial or renewed full insurance employment of an employee after five years. Funding is provided to proprietary small businesses in the commercial sector with headquarters or a place of business in Upper Austria, which have been paying health and pension insurance contributions under the Commercial Social Insurance Act for at least three months. The employment relationship must cover at least 50% of a full-time position and begin with a person registered as unemployed or job-seeking. Kinship relationships and certain contract types are excluded, thereby directly activating labor potential at risk of poverty and creating sustainable employment relationships.

The state funding program covers up to 50% of the gross salary for a period of twelve months, limited to the ASVG maximum contribution basis of 6,060 euros. Specifically, wage costs are reimbursed during the first three months as well as in months ten to twelve of the new employment relationship. Applications are submitted exclusively via the Upper Austria Business Portal and require prior approval from the AMS Upper Austria. In addition to the online application, the AMS funding approval confirmation, proof of gross wage costs, and the signed consent declaration to the initiative are required. Funding applications can be submitted from January 1, 2024, to December 31, 2026, with the project start possible no earlier than the turn of the year 2023/24. This combination of regional funding and labor market policy measure offers OPEs an attractive opportunity to create initial jobs and realize long-term business growth in Upper Austria.