The study analyses how financial instruments, within the framework of the ESF+, can be used to strengthen investment, with a particular focus on workers’ buyouts (WBOs) – cases in which employees acquire the company they work for in order to prevent its closure and safeguard jobs, skills, and local economic activity.

While WBOs remain a relatively new and underexplored concept in the EU context, they hold strong potential for maintaining employment and supporting inclusive growth. The study, commissioned under the fi-compass platform, aims to enhance the capacity of ESF+ managing authorities to assess the use of ESF+ programme resources in support of such operations, including through financial instruments and grant combinations.

The analysis covers four case studies (Italy, France, Slovenia, and Spain) and draws on literature review, stakeholder interviews, and dedicated workshops with public and private representatives. It examines the needs, enabling conditions, and financial implications of WBOs, focusing particularly on debt financing models and the potential role of ESF+ financial instruments in facilitating them.

t33 contributed to the study as part of a consortium led by EY. The full study is available here