Boletín Oficial del Principado de Asturias · 26 Aug 2026 · 8 vistas
Asturias approves subsidies to hire young people in SMEs
Por FactBox Admin
The Department of Science, Industry, and Employment of the Principality of Asturias has approved the regulatory bases for subsidies aimed at the indefinite hiring of unemployed young people in SMEs within the Asturian territory. The regulation, signed on August 13, 2026, by Councilor Borja Sánchez García, is published in the Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias (BOPA) number 165, dated August 26, 2026, under code 2026-06933, and enters into force the day following its publication.
The program is part of the employment activation policy provided for in Law 3/2023, of February 28, on Employment, which considers young people under 30 years of age as a priority target group, and in the Spanish Strategy for Active Employment Support 2025-2028. The grants may be co-financed by the Just Transition Fund (JTF), with a maximum co-financing rate of 70%, and are coordinated through the Public Employment Service of the Principality of Asturias (SEPEPA).
Beneficiaries and hired persons
Beneficiaries may be natural or legal persons considered SMEs according to Regulation (EU) 651/2014, with a registered social and tax address in Spain and whose workplace is located in Asturias. Special employment centers, integration enterprises, and entities linked to the Administration are excluded.
Hired persons must meet the following requirements:
- Be at least 16 years old and under 30 on the date the contract is formalized.
- Be registered as job seekers with SEPEPA.
- The contract must be indefinite, full-time or part-time, and result in a net increase in staff.
Amount and financing
The aid will be calculated as 50% of the minimum interprofessional wage in force on the date of the call for applications, multiplied by the 18 months of employment maintenance obligation, rounded down to the nearest multiple of 100. The program is subject to the de minimis regime of Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, with a limit of 300,000 euros per company over three years.
Procedure and evaluation criteria
The granting of aid will be processed under a competitive bidding system through an open call, with a application submission period of at least 10 business days from the publication of the summary in the BOPA. The resolution must be issued within a maximum of six months.
The evaluation prioritizes the following criteria:
- Location in Just Transition Zones (JTZ): absolute priority.
- 10 points for each contract signed.
- 2 additional points for hiring a person with a disability equal to or greater than 33%.
- 2 additional points for hiring a woman.
Beneficiaries must maintain the subsidized employment for a minimum of 18 months, and the subsidy will be paid in a single installment following the express acceptance of the aid.
The measure represents a direct incentive for youth employment in a territory marked by the transition toward a climate-neutral economy, and affects both Asturian SMEs and the thousands of young job seekers in the region, who will find it easier to achieve stable labor insertion in sectors linked to the Just Transition.
Source: Official Gazette of the Principality of Asturias, no. 165 of August 26, 2026, I. Principality of Asturias, Other Provisions, page 1 (official reference: 2026-06933).