Human Resources Program 2021-2027

THE EMPLOYMENT PROGRAM IS OPEN NOW AND YOU CAN APPLY TO HIRE EMPLOYEES UNTIL 05.03.2025

DEAR EMPLOYERS, YOU CAN HIRE UP TO 10 EMPLOYEES FOR 6, 12 OR 48 MONTHS AND RECEIVE FREE ASSISTANCE FOR THEIR SALARIES AND INSURANCE. FOR CONSULTATIONS: 0879821052

Eligible employers: all enterprises with the exception of the following:

a) enterprises active in the primary production of fishery and aquaculture products;

b) enterprises active in the processing and marketing of fishery and aquaculture products, when the amount of the aid is determined based on the price or quantity of the products purchased or placed on the market;

(d) undertakings active in the processing and marketing of agricultural products, in one of the following cases:

i) where the amount of the aid is determined on the basis of the price or quantity of those products purchased from primary producers or marketed by the undertakings concerned;

(ii) where the aid is subject to the obligation to be passed on in whole or in part to primary producers;

(e) activities linked to exports to third countries or Member States, in particular aid directly linked to the quantities exported, to the establishment and operation of a distribution network or to other current costs linked to exports;

Requirements for persons to be included in the project:

1. Registered in the Directorates of the Bulgarian Labour Office (BLO) – applicable only to unemployed persons;

2. It is not permissible to hire persons who have been employed by the same employer or the enterprises with which the employer forms the “same enterprise” within the meaning of Art. 2, par. 2 of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2831 during the last 12 months from the date of submission of the application by the employer;

3. Persons from the target group may only be included once in subsidized employment with an employer or the enterprises with which the employer forms the “same enterprise” within the meaning of Art. 2, par. 2 of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2831;

4. Up to 4 weeks before inclusion in the project, the persons should meet the same requirements and conditions specified in the definition of “inactive”, “unemployed persons”, and it is permissible for the persons to be 4 or more weeks cumulatively with the status of inactive and unemployed persons (For example: 1 week with the status “inactive” and 3 weeks with the status “unemployed”

IMPORTANT: In order to complement the support for young people up to 29 years of age, including under the “Youth Employment +” procedure under the HRD Programme, this project will include only young people who already have experience and internship, who have had their first job.

A “first job” is considered if the young people are also self-employed and have performed work for pay in an employment or service relationship for more than 30 consecutive calendar days.

The following definitions should be taken into account:

The group of inactive persons includes persons aged 16 to 65 who are not insured under Art. 4 and 4a and are not insured under Art. 5 of the Social Security Code, are not registered as job seekers under the Employment Act and are not in formal education or training. Up to 4 weeks before inclusion in the project, persons should meet the same requirements and conditions specified in the definition of “inactive”.

According to the Employment Promotion Act, unemployed persons are those who, upon registration with the Labour Market Service, are not working, are looking for work and are ready to start work within 14 days of being notified by the Labour Market Service (Supplementary Provisions §1.1).

For the purposes of the project, disadvantaged persons will be considered to be people in: a vulnerable socio-economic situation, including people experiencing or at risk of poverty, social exclusion or discrimination in its multiple dimensions (according to Regulation 2021/1057). This group also includes disadvantaged people from the following subgroups:

• Groups disadvantaged in the labor market according to Supplementary Provisions § 1., item 4a. of the Disability Act;[1]

• Persons with disabilities who have a physical, mental, intellectual and sensory impairment which, in interaction with their environment, could hinder their full and effective participation in public life with a reduced working capacity of no less than 30% /PDA/;

• Migrants, including third-country nationals;

• Minorities, including marginalized communities such as the Roma.

The main objective of the project is to provide measures aimed at the integration of inactive and unemployed persons into the labor market, with an emphasis on disadvantaged persons, by including persons from the target groups in employment with an employer through the application of an individual approach.

The budget is BGN 347,500,000.00 million, with the implementation period until the end of 2027.

The project envisages the inclusion of a total of 14,400 persons in employment, of which 10,800 will have a job upon leaving the operation, including as self-employed persons.

The target groups under the project are divided into non-priority and priority target groups, as follows:

Non-priority target group: inactive and unemployed persons;

Priority target groups:

-inactive and unemployed persons in disadvantaged situations;

-inactive and unemployed persons with permanent disabilities (with an established degree of reduced working capacity/type and degree of disability of 75% and over 75%).

The term of subsidized employment of the persons employed under the project is determined based on their affiliation with the respective target group:

– unemployed and inactive persons – for a period of up to 6 months;

– unemployed and inactive persons in a disadvantaged position – for a period of up to 12 months;

– unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities (with an established degree of reduced working capacity/type and degree of disability of 75% and over 75%) – for a period of up to 24 months.

The costs that will be reimbursed to employers are in the form of unit costs (standard table for unit costs). The standard unit cost table covers the quarterly labor cost of an employer per employee in an economic sector (the economic activity of the enterprise in which the person is employed, according to the Classification of Economic Activities, with a minimum of 85% of days worked for the period, including the days on which the person is on paid annual leave.

To implement the project objectives, employers approved for inclusion in the project activities undertake a sustainability commitment, which includes maintaining employment in the jobs of persons from the target group for a certain period after the end of the subsidized employment period, as follows:

1. Employers should maintain employment in at least 50% of the jobs of employees from the target group (unemployed and inactive persons and unemployed and inactive persons in disadvantaged situations) who received support under the procedure, for a period of 50% of the period of subsidized employment after its end;

2. Employers should maintain employment in at least 50% of the jobs of employees from the target group (persons with permanent disabilities) who have received support under the procedure, for a period of not less than 3 months after the end of the subsidized employment.

Also, employers who have retained the employment of a person hired by them, after the expiry of the relevant period of sustainable employment, are provided with additional one-time incentives in the form of a standard table per unit of expenditure. A standard table per unit of expenditure covers a one-time incentive cost covering the amount of the social security contributions due at the expense of an employer (for a period of three months after the expiry of the specified period of sustainability), according to the Social Security Act and the Labor Code, with at least 75% of the working days worked for the period.

Applications for securing vacant jobs under the project can be submitted by employers from the real sector, municipalities and municipal enterprises under Art. 52 of the Employment Act.

In order to achieve the main objective of the project to the maximum extent, additional conditions have been set that the candidate employers must meet in order to be approved for participation.

The project will apply thresholds for the maximum number of job vacancies that an employer can declare depending on the percentage of registered unemployment in the municipality in whose territory the jobs are being created.

When submitting an application by an employer, including a municipality and a municipal enterprise, for inclusion in the project “Starting Work – Component 3 Employment”, the maximum number of job vacancies (CV) will be limited depending on the unemployment rate for 2024 in the respective municipality in whose territory the employer will create the jobs, as follows:

With unemployment levels in the range of 0.01% – 5.99%, the employer has the right to create up to 4 CVs, with half of the jobs being for unemployed and inactive persons in disadvantaged situations and/or for unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities;

At unemployment levels in the range of 6.00%– 14.99%, the employer has the right to open up to 6 SPMs, with half of the jobs being for unemployed and inactive persons in disadvantaged situations and/or for unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities;

At unemployment levels in the range of 15.00%– 29.99%, the employer has the right to open up to 8 SPMs, with half of the jobs being for unemployed and inactive persons in disadvantaged situations and/or for unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities;

**In the case of hiring an odd number of persons, priority should be given to representatives of one of the two priority groups. For example: If an employer submits an application for opening 3 jobs, then in order to meet the conditions and have his application approved, at least two of the jobs must be for unemployed and inactive persons in a disadvantaged situation and/or for unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities.

If the applicant is a newly registered legal entity (after 01.01.2025), then he has the right to submit 1 application and open up to 2 jobs, regardless of the territory of which municipality they will be opened, and half of the jobs should be for unemployed and inactive persons in a disadvantaged situation and/or for unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities.

If the applicant is a legal entity with an average number of staff for the month preceding the application submission of at least 250 persons, and operates in the “Human Health” or “Education” sector, it has the right to create up to 20 jobs, regardless of the territory of which municipality they will be created, with half of the jobs being for unemployed and inactive persons in a disadvantaged position and/or for unemployed and inactive persons with permanent disabilities

It is not permissible to hire persons who have been employed by the same employer or the enterprises with which the employer forms “the same undertaking” within the meaning of Art. 2, par. 2 of Regulation (EU) No 2023/2831 during the last 12 months from the date of submission of the application by the employer.

Persons from the target group may be included within the project only once in subsidized employment with an employer or the enterprises with which the employer forms “the same enterprise” within the meaning of Art. 2, par. 2 of Regulation (EU) No. 2023/2831.

When the appointment does not represent an increase in the number of personnel in the relevant enterprise compared to the number of personnel 1 month before the application was submitted by the specific employer, the position must have been unoccupied, vacant due to the acquisition of the right to a pension for insurance length of service and age or lawful dismissal due to a violation, and not as a result of staff reduction.