OPE Benefit

Beihilfe für Ein-Personen-Unternehmen (EPU)

Country	Austria , applies nationwide
Time period	Open ended, started on 01 January 2013
Context	Restructuring Support Instruments
Type	Other initiatives or policies
Category	Promoting the economic, labour market and social recovery into a green future – Active labour market policies (enhancing employability, training, subsidised job creation, etc.)
Author	Bernadette Allinger (Forba) and Eurofound
Measure added	23 June 2022 (updated 07 November 2022)

Background information

The instrument is eligible for one-person-enterprises (OPEs). The goal is to increase labour force participation and reduce unemployment. It is funded by the national government and the Public Employment Service Austria (AMS). The WKO provides information on this instrument. The instrument is available for OPEs in Vienna open ended, until the funding volume is exhausted.

Content of measure

The OPE benefit supports one-person enterprises with a funding of 25% of the gross wage of the first employee for a period of one year. In order to qualify for the funding, the employee must either have been unemployed for at least two weeks or just have finished education. Furthermore, the extent of employment must be at least 50% of the statutory or collective contract weekly hours and the employment relationship has to least two months. The funding can be applied at the regional job center office no later than six weeks of the start of the employment contract. It cannot extend one year and family members, relatives and apprentices are not eligible to benefit from the programme.

Updates

The following updates to this measure have been made after it came into effect.

06 August 2021

The instrument is available for OPEs in Vienna open ended, until the funding volume is exhausted.

Use of measure

In 2018, around 900 people received funding, with an average duration of 304 days and average costs of €2,300 per person. Accordingly, the total costs of the instrument were €2.1 million. In 2019 and 2020 the total payment amount was €4.5 and €4.7 million. In 2021 and 2022 €5.6 and €1.9 million.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Employees in standard employment Self-employed	Solo-self-employed Start-ups	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
National government Local / regional government Public employment service	National funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

Unknown
Main level of involvement: Unknown

Involvement

Unknown

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