Short-time Work / Qualification Subsidy
Support for companies experiencing temporary work stoppages due to short-time work and qualification measures. Valid from 01.10.2023 until further notice. Applications can be submitted at any time.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
Employment is to be secured in the event of unforeseeable and temporary economic difficulties. A temporary bottleneck is bridged – for example, due to a temporary loss of orders, supplies, or operating resources. At the same time, employees can be trained and further educated during downtime within the framework of qualification assistance to improve their chances of sustainable employment.
Eligible expenses
- Expenditures for unemployment insurance (unemployment benefit daily rate)
- Contributions to health, pension, and accident insurance
- Costs for inter-company qualification measures
Non-eligible expenses
- Qualification measures outside of downtime hours
- Use of apprentices
Eligible to apply
- Companies
Funding requirements
- Mandatory consultation before the start of short-time work and submission of the consultation protocol
- Plausibility of economic difficulties with precise numerical justification
- No avoidance of short-time work through alternative measures possible
- Submission of a legally valid social partner agreement on scope, duration, and loss of working hours
- Company location in Austria (excluding public bodies)
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Documents required for application
- Consultation protocol of the AMS
- Social partner agreement
- Annual financial statements of the last two fiscal years
- Balance lists of the last 12 months
- Forecast of sales development during short-time work
- Short-time work training concept
Evaluation criteria
- Plausibility of the economic difficulties
- Outcome of the mandatory consultation
- Scope and quality of the qualification concept
Description
Companies with an operational site in Austria can bridge unforeseeable and temporary economic bottlenecks with the short-time work/qualification subsidy without jeopardizing employment levels. This funding applies when orders, supplies, or operating resources fail and a reduction in normal working hours becomes necessary. During the period of work stoppage, there is simultaneously the opportunity to further train affected employees through a qualification measure of at least 16 hours. The program grants a subsidy for contributions to unemployment, health, pension, and accident insurance as well as for the costs of inter-company training. The subsidy duration is initially six months and can be extended up to 24 months in case of ongoing difficulties, with the reduction in hours ranging between 10% and 90% of normal working hours. Applications have been possible at any time since October 1, 2023, and are valid indefinitely.
A prerequisite for approval is mandatory consultation with the Public Employment Service, including submission of the consultation protocol, as well as a plausibility check of the economic difficulties in figures. A legally valid social partner agreement on scope, duration, and hours lost must be submitted, along with annual financial statements for the last two fiscal years, balance lists for the last twelve months, a revenue forecast during short-time work, and the short-time work training concept. Apprentices and public bodies are excluded. The decision is based on the plausibility of the documents, the outcome of the consultation, and the quality of the qualification concept. Funds are available for companies of all sizes to avoid unemployment, maintain operational flexibility, and sustainably strengthen the workforce’s professional competence.