Subsidised Contract Workers: the weakened pillar of Brussels non-profit employment

What is the ACS scheme?

Agents Contractuels Subventionnés (ACS, Subsidised Contract Workers) are the main employment support mechanism for the Brussels non-profit sector. The scheme works through a dual lever: a regional premium (indexed to civil service pay scales) and a reduction in employer social security contributions to 0.56%. Positions are intended for jobseekers registered with Actiris, with eligibility conditions linked to unemployment duration, age, or disability.

By end 2017, approximately 10,000 positions were subsidised across 1,312 employers: over 7,000 in non-profits and administrations ("Programme Law" positions) and approximately 2,500 in local authorities. In 2024, the number of active positions is estimated at approximately 6,700 — the difference is explained by positions not filled within the mandatory 6-month deadline imposed since 2015.

History and competence transfer

The ACS scheme has existed since 1987, originally created to combat Brussels unemployment. The 6th State Reform (2014) transferred employment competence — including ACS — from the federal to the regional level, giving the Brussels-Capital Region full responsibility.

Unlike Flanders (which transformed APE/ACS into a "Vlaamse Ondersteuningspremie" system) and Wallonia (APE reform completed in 2022), Brussels has not yet completed its reform. The scheme has since operated under a transitional regime.

The 2015 reform: shift towards activation

In March 2015, the Brussels government launched a major reform through Actiris. Key measures:

• Elimination of 100% ministerial exemptions for subsidies
• 6-month deadline to fill vacant positions (non-extendable, position lost thereafter)
• Elimination of advance payments for new hires after 1 March 2015
• Systematic evaluation of all positions: 351 non-profits classified as "high risk"
• Restriction of diploma derogations: upward derogations (allowing overqualified candidates) progressively abolished to refocus on low-skilled target groups

This shift marks a philosophical change: ACS moves from structural support for the social sector to an activation policy for the unemployed, where the position should serve as a stepping stone to sustainable employment. The non-profit sector criticises this shift: ACS positions often fulfil permanent and essential functions (home care, childcare, social cohesion) incompatible with a "stepping stone" logic.

The ACS differential: structural underfunding

The core problem identified by BRUXEO (non-profit employers' federation) is the "ACS differential": employers must offer ACS workers the same salaries and conditions as regular staff, but the regional premium does not cover the full cost.

Three factors widen this gap:

1. Non-profit agreements (COCOF/COCOM) provide higher salary scales than those recognised by the ACS premium
2. The premium only accounts for ACS seniority, not prior sector experience
3. New benefits (additional leave days, bonuses) apply to ACS workers without supplementary budget

Employers therefore absorb the difference, which weakens the smallest and most subsidy-dependent organisations.

Non-profit mobilisation (February 2026)

On 3 February 2026, hundreds of non-profit sector workers demonstrated outside 16 rue de la Loi in Brussels, demanding a sectoral social agreement and immediate investment. The unions (CNE, CGSLB, FGTB) denounce:

• The deterioration of working conditions in essential sectors (care, social work, childcare)
• The freeze on subsidised employment for nearly 20 years (no new ACS positions since 2007)
• The announced postponement of a social agreement to 2028, deemed unacceptable

A national demonstration is planned for 12 March 2026 in Brussels (gathering at Gare du Nord, 10 AM). Organised by the joint union front (FGTB, CSC, CGSLB), it extends beyond the non-profit sector: demands cover pensions ("Jambon malus"), unemployment/sickness sanctions, the "light" index skip, and disinvestment in public services. A strike notice covers SNCB (8-11 March) and STIB (12 March).

Elimination of ACS insertion positions (December 2023)

In December 2023, the outgoing Brussels government eliminated the 550 ACS insertion positions — a programme from the previous legislature targeting young people under 26 with low qualifications in the non-profit sector. Minister Clerfayt's office cited an evaluation by the Federal Planning Bureau and IBSA concluding that the programme was not meeting its objectives. The sector denounced the lack of prior consultation and the abrupt termination without transitional measures.

Compensation subsidy for local authorities

The ACS reform in communes and CPAS was compensated by an annual regional subsidy. The decree of 5 December 2024 sets this subsidy at EUR 43.8 million for fiscal year 2024, covering communes, CPAS and Les Cuisines bruxelloises. The amount is calculated based on 2018 reference costs, indexed at 2% per year for the social security contribution share. In return, employers must systematically transmit all job vacancies to Actiris.

RPD 2026: what prospects?

The Regional Policy Declaration of 13 February 2026 mentions the "continuation of ACS reform". The dossier is linked to other employment commitments (70% employment rate target, enhanced activation, bilingualism). The split of Employment/Training competences between two different ministers at COCOF (Hublet for Employment, Dilliès for Training) complicates coordination.

Actiris 2026 budget adjusted (April 2026)

On 26 March 2026, the Actiris Management Committee rejected an initial version of the 2026 budget during a meeting described as "extremely tense": employer representatives (Beci, UCM) and social partners (unions, non-profit sector) could not agree on the €40 million savings imposed on employment policies by the new Brussels government. Director-General Cristina Amboldi, feeling unsupported, walked out of the meeting and then submitted her resignation on 30 March 2026. Her deputy Caroline Mancel ended her mandate on 31 March. The Management Committee handles day-to-day operations during the recruitment of new leadership.

On Thursday 16 April 2026, the Brussels government reached an agreement on an adjusted Actiris 2026 budget. According to Employment Minister Laurent Hublet (Les Engagés), the initial €40M savings effort is reduced to ~€28M in 2026 (−€12M). Main concessions regarding ACS and the non-profit sector:

• Article 20 preserved: no suppression of the derogation mechanism
• 95% harmonisation dropped: differentiated subsidy rates maintained
• Actiris partnerships policy: integral ambitions maintained, €67M preserved
• Consolidated ACS budget: €276M in 2026
• First Employment Agreements (CPE): significant share maintained in Brussels administrations

The Activa.brussels premium is confirmed abolished, replaced by a new scheme in 2027. The government cites a study showing its beneficiaries were mostly non-Brussels residents. Florence Lepoivre (FGTB Brussels) describes the Activa reform as "perhaps the least problematic measure", while recalling broader concerns about regional budget constraints.

The adjusted budget still needs to be presented to the Actiris Management Committee and translated into a regional budget adjustment voted by the Brussels Parliament.

Issues to watch

• Non-profit social agreement: will an agreement be reached before 2028, as unions demand?
• ACS differential: will the Region increase premiums to bridge the salary gap?
• Position creation: will the freeze in place since 2007 be lifted to meet growing needs (home care, childcare, social cohesion)?
• Employment/Training coordination: will the COCOF split between Hublet and Dilliès allow coherent management of Actiris and Bruxelles Formation?
• Unemployment reform impact: the expected 42,000 exclusions will increase pressure on the non-profit sector (CPAS, social services), which already lacks resources. In February 2026, 20,792 CPAS registrants were among jobseekers (+17.5% year-on-year) — an early warning sign of the wave expected from July 2026 (source: DH / Actiris, 5 March 2026)