Support for Regional Skilled Worker Alliances
The State of Lower Saxony, in cooperation with ESF+, funds projects for the training, further education, and qualification of unemployed persons and employees within Regional Skilled Worker Alliances. Grants range from 40% to 60% (up to 70% with state funds) of eligible expenses. Project durations of up to 36 months. Applications must be submitted at least 3 months before the project start date via the NBank customer portal.
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Grant criteria
Funding objective
The program supports skilled worker projects that strengthen Regional Skilled Worker Alliances in Lower Saxony. Funding is provided for structural projects aimed at developing and testing measures for securing skilled workers, projects for the qualification, stabilization, and support of unemployed and job-seeking individuals (including international skilled workers), as well as vocational training projects to impart inter-company competencies. The goal is to improve the regional skilled worker situation in the context of digital transformation and demographic structural change.
Eligible expenses
- Personnel expenses
- Flat-rate residual costs
- Flat-rate expenses for participants
- Course and examination fees
Non-eligible expenses
- Individually oriented training projects
- Company-specific training
- Training on own products
- Company-specific coaching and business consulting
- Projects already funded by ESF+ from other programs
Eligible to apply
- Public Institutions
- Educational Institutions
- Companies
Funding requirements
- Legal entities under public and private law or partnerships with a place of business in Lower Saxony
- Proof of professional and administrative competence for project implementation
- Statement from the responsible Regional Skilled Workers Alliance (for structural and unemployment projects)
- Residence or project location within the respective program area
- Proof of overall project financing
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Documents required for application
- Statement from the Regional Skilled Workers Alliance
- Project Description
- De-minimis Declaration
- Declaration on Electronic Document Archiving
Evaluation criteria
- Scoring model for determining eligibility for funding
Description
With the program Support for Regional Skilled Labor Alliances, the state of Lower Saxony, together with the European Social Fund Plus (ESF+), specifically strengthens regional cooperations for securing skilled labor. It funds structural projects for the development and testing of new measures, qualification and support services for the unemployed and international skilled workers, as well as vocational further training measures to impart cross-company competencies. The grants are awarded as non-repayable subsidies and cover between 40% and 60% of eligible expenses depending on the funding area – in many cases, the funding rate can be increased to up to 70% with state funds. The project duration is up to 36 months, and applications must be submitted electronically via the NBank customer portal at least three months before the project start.
Eligible for funding are legal entities under public and private law as well as partnerships with a place of business in Lower Saxony, including municipalities, educational providers, and companies that demonstrate their professional and administrative competence. A positive statement from the responsible Regional Skilled Labor Alliance, proof of overall financing, and fulfillment of quality criteria according to a scoring model are prerequisites. Eligible costs include personnel expenses, a residual cost flat rate of 40%, standardized participant costs, as well as course and examination fees. Individual company training, company-specific coaching and consulting services, as well as projects already co-financed by other ESF+ programs are not funded. The program provides a reliable framework to effectively support regional skilled labor initiatives and actively shape the digital and demographic transformation.
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