Employment policy project support

Employment policy project support is a discretionary government grant that a TE Office can grant to an association, foundation, municipality or a joint municipal authority for project activities.

The content of the projects granted support may vary but promoting the employment of unemployed jobseekers must be the main purpose. The activities provided with support may involve job opportunities for unemployed jobseekers that are combined with employment support measures.

The supported activities involve the use of public employment services (such as pay subsidy), which fall under the Act on Public Employment and Business Service. For example, the application for a pay subsidy must be submitted separately and the subsidy is also provided separately even though it is part of the overall employment policy project.

Discretionary grant

Employment policy project support is a discretionary grant. The support can be provided for a maximum of three years so that a TE Office makes a decision on the amount of the support for one calendar year at a time.

At each application round, the TE Office may determine the activities eligible for the support or the target groups whose job opportunities should be promoted with the grant. The TE Office will issue a public notification when applications for employment policy project support can be submitted.

The support may not be granted for business operations.

The Act on the Organisation of Employment Services (380/2023), which will enter into force on 1 January 2025, does not lay down provisions on employment policy project support. The regulation will replace the current Act on Public Employment and Business Service (916/2012), which contains provisions on employment policy project support. The Ministry of Finance’s draft budget for 2024 proposes that the appropriation budgeted for employment policy project support be used until 30 September 2024. The activities funded with the support are intended to end by the date mentioned above.
 

Further information: Nina Lehtimäki, nina.lehtimaki(at)gov.fi