Regional Inclusive Businesses: Around 70 Companies Promoting Disability Integration - Businesses accommodating disabilities: Approximately 70 inclusion businesses nationwide
Expansion in Support for Inclusion Enterprises in Rhineland-Palatinate
The Integration Office in Rhineland-Palatinate has increased its financial support for inclusion enterprises over the past five years, with expenditure rising from €7.63 million in 2019 to an estimated €13.5 million in 2024, according to a response from the state’s Ministry of Labour.
This growth can be partly attributed to the rising wage level. The Ministry emphasized that the Integration Office has reinforced its funding for inclusion enterprises in recent years, largely due to the challenges posed by the COVID-19 pandemic, energy crisis, and inflation.
Inclusion enterprises are businesses that employ at least 30% people with disabilities, contributing to the normal economic life.
As of last year, there were 69 such enterprises in Rhineland-Palatinate, employing a total of 1,071 individuals with severe disabilities. This number has remained relatively steady over the past few years, with 67 enterprises reported in 2019 and 70 in 2023.
The Integration Office encourages interested parties to set up inclusion enterprises and provides subsidies for investment costs, ongoing personnel costs, and a monthly flat rate of €350 per employed person with disabilities.
In Mainz, the Ministry of Labour and Social Affairs spearheads efforts to promote inclusive employment. This includes offering guidance for prospective entrepreneurs, facilitating partnerships between businesses, and supporting vocational training and workplace integration for individuals with disabilities.
While the Ministry did not provide specific details about recent initiatives, Rhineland-Palatinate has a history of participation in interregional cooperation and digitalization projects that aim to address social inclusion issues.
The Integration Office also collaborates with the Federal Employment Agency and receives funding from European Structural Funds, such as Interreg Europe. However, the most current and detailed information on funding programs and Ministry initiatives can be found on official government websites.
- The Integration Office in Rhineland-Palatinate, emphasizing its commitment to lifestyle inclusivity, is providing substantial support for vocational training programs to empower individuals with disabilities in the fashion-and-beauty and home-and-garden sectors.
- As part of the Community policy initiatives, the Ministry of Labour in Mainz is developing a series of vocational training programs to facilitate the integration of people with disabilities into inclusion enterprises, fostering a more inclusive economic lifestyle within Rhineland-Palatinate.
