Are you a jobseeker or are you working? The Employment Service can help you start a business.
Following the call for applications launched by the Employment Service, applications can now be submitted only via the e-Government Gateway administrative/public services portal.
The funds provided by the Recovery and Resilience Facility will be used for business support. Funding will only be available to the projects that contribute to the green and digital transition objectives, promote a circular economy.
The amount of the subsidy per single job (employee) cannot exceed the sum of 31 monthly minimum wages approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania.
The applicant must have completed courses on business creation available on the Business e-Guide platform https://versloegidas.inovacijuagentura.lt/ of the public institution Innovation Agency, and must provide the relevant certificate. Want to learn more about entrepreneurship? Here you can learn more about all services available at the Innovation Agency.
Interested to learn more?
For general enquiries call +370 5 250 0883 or email info@uzt.lt or visit any of our customer service units.
Forms
- Application form for support for starting a business.
- Form of the checklist for the applicant’s compliance with the de minimis aid rules for subsidising the adaptation of workplaces / local employment initiative projects / support for starting a business.
- Form of the Annual Report on the implementation of the measure for support for starting a business.
- Form for assessing the compliance of applications for support for starting a business with the requirements of the Description of Employment Support Measures.
- Form for the assessment of the defence of applications for support for starting a business in accordance with established criteria.
- Form for assessing the quality of the Application for Support for Starting a Business in accordance with established criteria.
- Standard terms and conditions for the contract for support for starting a business.
- Business Financial Report form.
Following the call for applications for support to start a business launched by the Employment Service, applications can now be submitted only via the e-Government Gateway administrative/public services portal.
Applications for support to start a business using the funds of the Recovery and Resilience Facility (once the selection process is launched) can only be submitted to the Employment Service under the Ministry of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania (hereafter – Employment Service) by the individuals registered as employed and unemployed who meet the priorities (hereinafter – priorities) approved by Order No A1-252/4-184/D1-108 “On setting the priorities for support to start a business (job creation) in 2024” of 3 April 2024 of the Minister of Social Security and Labour of the Republic of Lithuania, the Minister of Economy and Innovation of the Republic of Lithuania, the Minister of the Environment of the Republic of Lithuania (hereinafter –Order on Priorities).
An employed person applying for support to start a business must meet all the following conditions:
- The applicant must have completed courses on business creation available on the Business e-Guide platform https://versloegidas.inovacijuagentura.lt/ of the public institution Innovation Agency, and must have the relevant certificate;
- On the date of submission of the application, the applicant must be registered with the Employment Service as an employed person (must have a self-employment [individual activities] certificate) according to the Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 2), approved by Order No. DĮ-226 “On the approval of the Classification of Economic Activities” of 31 October 2007 of the Director General of the State Data Agency of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania, or must be employed under an employment contract);
- By creating a job(s), the applicant plans to carry out other activity than that they currently carry out under a self-employment certificate according to the Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 2), approved by Order No. DĮ-226 “On the approval of the Classification of Economic Activities” of 31 October 2007 of the Director General of the State Data Agency of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania (the change of the activity according to the Classification of Economic Activities will be evaluated);
- Prior to the award of the contract for support for starting a business, the applicant must terminate the activity(ies) carried out under a self-employment [individual activities] certificate;
- If the applicant is employed under an employment contract, prior to the award of the contract for support for starting a business, the applicant must terminate the employment contract.
An unemployed person applying for support to start a business must meet all the following conditions:
- The applicant must have completed courses on business creation available on the Business e-Guide platform https://versloegidas.inovacijuagentura.lt/ of the public institution Innovation Agency, and must have the relevant certificate;
- Must be registered as unemployed with the Employment Service on the date of submission of the application;
- Prior to the submission of the application, the applicant must have terminated the following at least once:
- an employment contract
or
- an activity under a self-employment certificate and by creating a job(s), the applicant plans to carry out other activity according to the Classification of Economic Activities (NACE Rev. 2), approved by Order No. DĮ-226 “On the approval of the Classification of Economic Activities” of 31 October 2007 of the Director General of the State Data Agency of the Government of the Republic of Lithuania than that they have terminated (the change of the activity according to the Classification of Economic Activities will be evaluated).
In addition, individuals registered with the Employment Service who meet the above conditions must:
- create a job for themselves or for both themselves and an unemployed person(s) referred to by the Employment Service in micro-enterprises as they are defined in the Law on Small and Medium-Sized Business Development of the Republic of Lithuania, to be established not later than within 3 months after the date on which their application is included in the list of projects to be funded under support for starting a business;
- create a job(s) that meets the priorities of the 2024 calendar year for support for starting a business (creating jobs) set out in the Order on Priorities.
The created job(s) must meet at least one of the priorities for support for starting a business (creating jobs) set out in Paragraphs 1.1 or 1.2.1–1.2.4 of the Order on Priorities.
It is very important that the applicants and their applications for support to start a business meet not only the priorities but also the critical and non-critical eligibility criteria set out in the Description of Employment Support Measures for applications for support to start a business. An application which meets the requirements set out in the Description of Employment Support Measures will be assessed according to the quality criteria for assessing the applications for support to start a business. Applications that will score 35 or more points during the quality assessment will have to be defended by the applicants in accordance with the criteria for assessment of applications for support to start a business. Applications that will score 15 or more points during the defence will be awarded the final score. The final evaluation of applications will take into account both the scores obtained during the quality assessment and the defence of the application.
Applications must be submitted via the e-Government Gateway administrative/public services portal. One applicant may only submit one application for support to start a business. An application submitted by any other means or in accordance with another form than that approved by the Director of Employment Service will not be considered. The estimated costs specified in the application must include value added tax and must be limited to the purchase of the work equipment necessary only for the direct job functions in the created job; the funds must be used within the period provided for in the contract for support to start a business, but not exceeding the period specified in Article 44(9)(4) of the Law on Employment. The amount of the subsidy per single job cannot exceed the sum of 31 monthly minimum wages approved by the Government of the Republic of Lithuania on the date of submission of the application. Subsidies will not be granted for temporary and seasonal jobs. A single job cannot be created to accommodate different professions. If several employees share the same job at different times, it shall be deemed to be a single job. State support will be granted for the purchase of new work equipment (non-current tangible assets) required for the performance of the direct job functions or for the fitting out/renovation of the premises necessary for the creation of the job and to be held for at least 36 months from the date of the intended creation of the job, provided that the estimated cost for fitting out/renovation does not exceed 50% of the total subsidy for the new job(s), for which the premises will be renovated.
Applications for support to start a business will be assessed with strong emphasis on the applicant’s professional training or the adequacy of work experience in connection with newly created job, the amount of the subsidy and the target group of the applicant. The territory where the job will be created will be equally important.
Support for starting a business is governed by:
Articles 35 (4)(1), (2) and (5), 44 and 47 of the Law on Employment of the Republic of Lithuania;
