2024-09-30T18:19:00
Portugal
support for internships and open-ended contracts for unemployed individuals and qualified young people
Employment promotion measures
September 30, 2024

On September 23, 2024, the government approved a set of measures to promote employment. These include financial support for internships and open-ended contracts for unemployed individuals and qualified young people.

I. START Internships

Measure
  • Support for holding professional internships lasting 6 months—which cannot be extended—or 12 months for people with disabilities
Eligible entities 
  • Natural persons or non-governmental legal persons with or without profit motives that meet the legal requirements, such as having their tax and social security affairs in order, and not having been convicted of a serious or very serious labor infringement in the past two years
  • Companies undergoing recovery (insolvency or pre-insolvency) can also aply
Elegible interns
  • Young people (= 35 years) and other unemployed individuals registered with the Employment and Professional Training Institute (Instituto do Emprego e Formação Profissional, “IEFP”), holding a level 4 or 5 qualification according to the National Qualifications Framework ("NQF")
Intern benefits
  • Monthly internship grant (up to 1.8 times the Social Support Index ("IAS); in 2024: €916.67)
  • Meal or food allowance
  • Occupational accident insurance
  • Transportation for individuals with disabilities
Financial support
  • 65% internship copayment (80% in certain situations)
  • Meal or food allowance
  • Occupational accident insurance
  • Transportation
Financial support payment
  • In two installments (three for individuals with disabilities)
Application
  • IEFP to announce annual application period
  • Applications are open from October 3, 2024, until 6:00 p.m. on April 28, 2025

II. +Employment Measure

Measure 
  • Financial support for entering full-time, open-ended employment contracts
Eligible entities 
  • Natural persons or non-governmental legal persons with or without profit motives that meet the legal requirements, such as having their tax and social security affairs in order, and not having been convicted of a serious or very serious labor infringement in the past two years
  • Companies undergoing recovery (insolvency or pre-insolvency) can also apply
Eligible employees 
  • Unemployed individuals registered with the IEFP for at least three months
Conditions
  • Having a job listing on the IEFP portal, indicating application for this measure
  • Not having any collective redundancies or redundancies due to elimination of the work post or to non-adaptation in the three months before submitting the application
  • Having net job creation
  • Maintaining the employment level achieved through the support for at least 24 months from the first month of the supported contract
  • Providing professional training during the support period
Financial support
  • 12 times the IAS (in 2024: €6,111.12)
  • Possible 5% increase in certain situations
  • Up to four cumulative increases

Financial support payment

  • In three installments
Application
  • IEFP to establish and announce application periods

III. +Talent Program

This program is aimed at promoting qualified employment and attracting talent, especially among young people. The program includes two measures:

A. +Talent Internships

Measure 
  • Support for professional internships lasting 6 months—which cannot be extended—or 12 months for individuals with disabilities
Eligible entities
  • Natural persons or non-governmental legal persons with or without profit motives that meet the legal requirements, such as having their tax and social security affairs in order, and not having been convicted of a serious or very serious labor infringement in the past two years
  • Companies undergoing recovery (insolvency or pre-insolvency) can also apply
Eligible interns
  • Young unemployed individuals registered with the IEFP or who have permanently emigrated for at least 12 months, aged = 35 years, with a level 6 or higher qualification according to the NQF (bachelor’s degree)
Intern benefits
  • Monthly internship grant (up to 2.6 times the IAS; in 2024: €1,324.08)
  • Meal or food allowance
  • Occupational accident insurance
  • Transportation
Financial support
  • 65% internship copayment (80% in certain situations)
  • Meal or food allowance
  • Occupational accident insurance
  • Transportation
Financial support payment
  • In two installments (three for individuals with disabilities)
Application
  • IEFP to announce annual application period
  • Applications are open from October 3, 2024, until 6:00 p.m. on April 28, 2025

B. +Talent Employment

Measure 
  • Support for full-time, open-ended contracts, with an entry salary not lower than that of a graduate in the general career of senior technician in the Public Administration (in 2024: €1,385.98)
Eligible entities
  • Natural persons or non-governmental legal persons with or without profit motives that meet the legal requirements, such as having their tax and social security affairs in order, and not having been convicted of a serious or very serious labor infringement in the past two years
  • Companies under recovery (insolvency or pre-insolvency) can also apply
Eligible employees 
  • Young unemployed individuals registered with the IEFP or who have permanently emigrated for at least 12 months, aged = 35 years, with a level 6, 7 or 8 qualification according to the NQF (bachelor’s, master’s or doctorate)
Conditions
  • Having a job listing on the IEFP portal, indicating application for this measure
  • Not having collective redundancies or redundancies due to elimination of the work post or to non-adaptation in the three months before submitting the application
  • Having net job creation
  • Maintaining the employment level achieved through the support for at least 24 months from the first month of the supported contract
  • Providing professional training during the support period
Financial support
  • 18 times the IAS (in 2024: €9,166.68)
  • Possible 35% increase in certain situations
  • Up to four cumulative increases
Financial support payment
  • In three installments
Application
  • IEFP to establish and announce the application periods


We recommend that companies map their activity to see the extent to which they could benefit from any of the above measures.

September 30, 2024