Are you thinking of recruiting an apprentice? The grants paid to employers have changed several times since 2025. The most recent text, Decree No. 2026-168 of 6 March 2026, created an exceptional grant for apprenticeship contracts concluded from 8 March 2026 that start before 1 January 2027, Entreprendre Service Public points out. It coexists with the single grant reserved for companies with fewer than 250 employees, without being added to it for the same contract. Here are the amounts, the conditions and the steps to follow to receive them.
Amounts by company size and qualification
The amount depends on two criteria: the company’s headcount and the level of the diploma or qualification the apprentice is preparing.
Companies with fewer than 250 employees, according to the official factsheet:
- diploma at level 4 or below (baccalauréat or equivalent): single grant of €5,000 maximum, with no condition on the date the contract is concluded or starts;
- level 5 diploma (two years of higher education, such as a BTS): exceptional grant of €4,500 maximum;
- level 6 or 7 diploma (three to five years of higher education): exceptional grant of €2,000 maximum.
Companies with 250 or more employees: only the exceptional grant applies, with €2,000 for a diploma at level 4 or below, €1,500 for level 5 and €750 for levels 6 and 7. These companies must also reach, by 31 December 2027, an annual headcount including at least 5% of professional integration contracts (apprenticeship, professionalisation, etc.), or at least 3% of work-study students with a 10% increase compared with 31 December 2026. The Agence de services et de paiement (ASP) then sends them a sworn statement to fill in.
Apprentice with a disability: the grant can reach €6,000, whatever the size of the company.
Conditions to meet
- It must be an apprenticeship contract preparing for a diploma or qualification up to level 7.
- The employer must not already have received a grant for the same apprentice and the same certification.
- For the exceptional grant, the contract must be concluded from 8 March 2026 and its performance must begin before 1 January 2027.
- The exceptional grant cannot be combined with the €5,000 single grant.
For contracts signed between 1 January and 7 March 2026, only the single grant applies: €5,000 maximum, for companies with fewer than 250 employees and a diploma at level 4 or below.
Obtaining the grant: the steps
- Sign the apprenticeship contract, checking its date of conclusion and its start date, which determine the amount.
- Declare the hire in the déclaration sociale nominative (DSN). No specific application needs to be submitted for the grant.
- Send the contract to your skills operator (OPCO) within 6 months of its conclusion, online or by post.
- Let the Agence de services et de paiement (ASP) pay the grant: no other step is required of the employer.
- Track the payments: the grant is paid automatically each month, before the salary is paid, for the first year of the contract only and up to a limit of 12 months.
The amount is calculated pro rata to the actual duration of the contract. If it lasts less than a year or is terminated before its anniversary date, the first and last months are prorated. For any question about a payment, the ASP answers employers on 0 809 549 549 (mainland France) or at contact-sylae@asp-public.fr.
What about contracts starting in 2027?
The current exceptional grant only covers contracts started before 1 January 2027. In July 2026, the Minister of Labour, Jean-Pierre Farandou, told Les Echos that apprenticeship funding would be preserved in the 2027 budget, Éditions Tissot reports, seeing it as a sign that the grants would be kept at their 2026 level while wondering whether their conditions would be tightened again. This is an intention, not a rule: as of 12 November 2026, the date this guide was updated, no grant for contracts starting in 2027 has been voted, and the 2027 budget has not been definitively adopted. Before signing a contract that starts next year, check the updated official factsheet.
Frequently asked questions
Can I combine the single grant and the exceptional grant?
No. For the same contract, a company with fewer than 250 employees receives either the single grant (diploma at level 4 or below) or the exceptional grant (higher levels).
How much for an apprentice studying for a BTS in a company with 20 employees?
The BTS is a level 5 diploma: for a contract concluded from 8 March 2026 and started before 1 January 2027, the exceptional grant reaches €4,500 maximum, paid over the first year.
My contract is signed in December 2026 but starts in January 2027: am I entitled to the exceptional grant?
No, because its performance must begin before 1 January 2027. The single grant, which imposes no date, remains possible for a company with fewer than 250 employees if the apprentice is preparing a diploma at level 4 or below.
What happens if the contract is terminated during the first year?
The grant ends with the contract: the last month is prorated and the sums are calculated on the actual duration of performance.
Who should I contact about a specific case?
Your OPCO for filing the contract, the ASP for payments. This guide presents the general rules and does not replace advice tailored to your situation.
Sources
- Aides à l'embauche en contrat d'apprentissage — Entreprendre Service Public, 2026-07-22
- Quelle évolution pour l'aide à l'embauche des apprentis depuis le 8 mars 2026 ? — Entreprendre Service Public, 2026-03-10
- Apprentissage : les aides à l'embauche préservées pour le budget 2027 ? — Éditions Tissot, 2026-08-24