The measure

South working, incentives starting in Sicily

Irfis notice published: contributions of up to EUR 30,000 for companies that hire or stabilise Sicilian workers to be employed in agile mode on the island for at least five years

by Nino Amadore

15 April 2026

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

2' min read

Translated by AI

Versione italiana

The measure on so-called South working, designed to encourage Sicilian workers hired by companies based in the rest of Italy or abroad to return to or remain on the island, is now operational in Sicily. In fact, the notice for the granting of the incentives envisaged by Regional Law 1 of last January, strongly supported by the Sicilian regional government led by Renato Schifani, has been published on the Irfis-FinSicilia website.

To whom the measure is addressed

The measure aims to utilise the opportunities offered by agile work to counteract the skills drain and offer professionals and young workers the possibility of living in Sicily while maintaining a working relationship with companies operating outside the island, even in non-EU countries. The measure will be managed by Irfis-FinSicilia, which will be responsible for processing the applications, disbursing the benefits, and checking the truthfulness of the declarations contained in the applications.

"We want to take advantage of the possibilities offered by new information and digital technologies,'' says the President of the Region, Renato Schifani, who also holds the interim of Labour, 'to ensure that many young Sicilian resources, who have gone abroad to pursue their professional vocation, can come back and work here, but also to prevent others from leaving for the same reason. We allow them to work in Sicily while maintaining the relationship with their company based outside the island or abroad'.

When to apply

Applications can be submitted from 12 noon on 30 June via the dedicated IT platform, accessible from the Irfis portal, and will be accepted until the available resources are exhausted. Companies with production units located in the European Union or in a non-EU country are eligible, provided they meet the requirements set out in the notice.

The planned contribution is EUR 30,000 for each worker, distributed over five years in annual instalments of EUR 6,000. The companies, with production units outside Sicily, must have recruited after 9 January 2026 new permanent Sicilian workers or converted fixed-term contracts into stable relationships. At the date of the grant, the worker must be resident in Sicily.

Agile working for five years

One of the cornerstones of the measure concerns precisely the manner in which the service is performed: the employment relationship will have to involve activity performed in Sicily in predominantly agile mode for at least five years, with presence on company premises not exceeding 20 per cent of annual working days. The overall budget amounts to EUR 18 million per year until 2028.

'This is a unique measure,' Schifani added, 'to counter the brain drain, a far-sighted use of the resources at our disposal because it aims to keep the best professional energies that can contribute to the growth of our region here. Sicily, by exploiting the possibilities offered by new information and communication technologies, can reverse a destiny of geographical and economic marginality and return to centre stage, becoming a platform capable of attracting workers thanks to all that it can offer, including in terms of quality of life'.

The notice can be consulted on the Irfis-FinSicilia portal, where operating procedures, requirements and deadlines for submitting applications are given.