Business owners in Murcia can claim up to €10k for hiring staff under new grant scheme

Taking on a first employee or expanding a team is one of the most daunting steps for a small business. To ease this financial burden, the Regional Government of Murcia has introduced a new funding initiative designed to help business owners and self-employed individuals, or autónomos, as they are known in Spain, obtain permanent staffing.

Financial support for hiring permanent staff

A new regional scheme, Subsidies to Promote Permanent Employment in the Region of Murcia, offers direct financial incentives to local businesses, sole traders, and legal entities taking on workers on open-ended contracts.

Tailored grant payouts and bonus incentives

The grant amounts are based on contract hours and the specific background of the individual being hired. For instance, offering a full-time permanent contract to a long-term unemployed individual yields a baseline grant of €6,000. This payout increases to €8,000 if the new hire is over the age of 52, while hiring a female victim of gender-based violence attracts a grant of up to €9,350.

To promote inclusivity and economic growth in rural areas, the initiative also incentivises hiring individuals under the age of 30, individuals receiving the Minimum Living Income, people at risk of social exclusion, and workers in municipalities with fewer than 10,000 residents. In most categories, recruiting a female employee adds an automatic 10 per cent bonus to the grant.

Extra funding for first-time employers

Furthermore, sole traders taking the plunge to hire their very first employee, or those making their first hire after a full year without staff, can claim an extra incentive of up to €2,000. Combined with the grants, total funding per business can reach up to €10,000.

Business owners, act fast: How to apply before funds run out

In order to benefit from these grants, business owners must act quickly following recruitment of the new hires. Applications must be sent electronically through the Region of Murcia’s official website, sede.carm.es, using a digital certificate within one month of registering the employee with Social Security or finalising their permanent contract.

Because grants are distributed on a strict first-come, first-served basis rather than a competitive points system, eligible business owners across Murcia are encouraged to apply promptly before the budget is exhausted. This scheme will make it significantly easier for small businesses and self-employed people to obtain stable and permanent local talent.