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Hiring aids
Recruitment of an apprentice: what changes
Publié le 31 décembre 2025 - Mise à jour le 01 juin 2026 - Entreprendre Public Service / Directorate of Legal and Administrative Information (Prime Minister)
The maximum amount of assistance for hiring an apprentice has been changed for contracts concluded as of March 8, 2026. Undertake Public Service presents the available aids according to the date of conclusion of the apprenticeship contract.
What are the new amounts of assistance for hiring an apprentice?
The decree of 6 March 2026 states that new amounts for apprenticeship contracts concluded from 8 March 2026 and starting before 1 January 2027.
What aid for contracts concluded previously?
Contracts concluded between 1er January 2026 and March 7, 2026
For apprenticeship contracts concluded from 1er January 2026, the contracted aid will be:
- €5,000 for the companies with less than 250 employees ;
- €6,000 for the recruitment of apprentices with disabilities (aid cumulated with other aid for disabled workers).
This aid is paid only for the first year of contract performance and relates only to the hiring of an apprentice preparing a diploma at or below the baccalaureate level (level 4).
Contracts concluded between 24 February 2025 and 31 December 2025
For apprenticeship contracts concluded from 24 february 2025 (the day after the date of publication of the decree), themaximum aid awarded by contract is fixed at:
- €5,000 for the companies with less than 250 employees ;
- €2,000 for the companies with 250 or more employees ;
- €6,000 for the recruitment of apprentices with disabilities (aid cumulated with other aid for disabled workers).
This aid is paid only for the first year of contract performance. It is levied pro rata to the duration of the contract when it is less than one year.
Reminder
The Decree of 22 February 2025 introduced two new conditions for receiving this aid:
- the transmission of the contract by the employer to theSkills operator (OPCO) must take place no later than 6 months after its conclusion and the deposit of it by the operator with the Minister responsible for vocational training;
- not having received assistance in hiring an apprentice for the first time. This provision shall apply to apprenticeship contracts concluded between a same employer and one same apprentice for a same professional certification.
Contracts concluded between 1 January and 23 February 2025
For contracts concluded during this period, the maximum aid shall be €6,000 by contract for companies with less than 250 employees.
The other companies do not benefit from this aid.
FYI
For more information, please see corresponding sheet.
How is the aid paid?
No particular steps are necessary to benefit from the aid, it is sufficient for the company to declare the hiring of an apprentice.
The aid is paid automatically by the Payment and Services Agency (ASP) every month during the first year of the apprenticeship or professionalization contract, before the salary is paid. The company receives a payment notice that can be consulted on the SYLAé platform.
Summary of Apprenticeship Aids
Headcount | Diploma (or title) prepared | Maximum amount of aid |
|---|---|---|
All companies | Diploma or professional qualification equivalent to level 3 (BEP or CAP) and, at most, level 7 (Master) of the national professional qualifications framework | €6,000 (if the contract is concluded with a person recognized as a disabled worker) |
Less than 250 employees | Diploma or professional qualification equivalent to level 5 (Bac+2) of the national professional qualifications framework | €4,500 |
Less than 250 employees | Diploma or professional qualification equivalent to at least level 6 (Bac+3 or +4) and, at most, level 7 (Master) of the national professional qualifications framework | €2,000 |
250 employees and more | Diploma or professional qualification at least at level 3 (BEP or CAP) and at most at level 4 (Bachelor's degree or Professional certificate) of the national professional qualifications framework | |
250 employees and more | Diploma or professional qualification equivalent to level 5 (Bac+2) of the national professional qualifications framework | €1,500 |
250 employees and more | Diploma or professional qualification equivalent to at least level 6 (Bac+3 or +4) and, at most, level 7 (Master) of the national professional qualifications framework | €750 |
Apprenticeship contracts concluded between 1er January 2026 and March 7, 2026 (preparing for any diploma or professional title at or below the bachelor's degree (level 4)) | Apprenticeship contracts concluded between 24 February 2025 and 31 December 2025 (preparing for any diploma or professional title up to the master level: bac +5 (level 7)) | Apprenticeship contracts concluded between 1er January and February 23, 2025 (preparing for any degree or diploma professional level less than or equal to the bachelor's degree (level 4) or bac +2 in the Outer-mer) | Apprenticeship contracts concluded before 1er january 2025 (preparing for everything diploma or a professional title up to the master level: bac +5 (level 7)) | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Maximum amount of aid for companies with less than 250 employees | €5,000 | €5,000 | €6,000 | €6,000 |
Maximum amount of aid for companies with 250 or more employees | x | €2,000 | x | €6,000 |
Maximum amount of aid for the recruitment of apprentices with disabilities | €6,000 | €6,000 | €6,000 | €6,000 |