Who is the PSO Performance Ladder for?

The PSO Performance Ladder (PSO-Prestatieladder) is for every organisation that provides employment to people with a distance from the labour market, from two FTE upwards. For a level (Basic level up to and including level 3), the main applicant must have existed for at least one year on the application date, according to the Chamber of Commerce (Kamer van Koophandel, KvK). Aspirant status does not have that requirement. This is set out in section 1.5.3 of the PSO manual 2.6 from TNO . You can check whether you can apply with the calculation tool from PSO-Nederland , which is free.

The two-FTE requirement applies to the reference year, not to the moment you apply. A company that was not yet at that size in the reference year does not qualify for that year, even if it is larger now. For how the reference year works, see reference year and reference date.

Requirements for applicants

Requirement	Applies to	What it means
At least two FTE of working people in the reference year	All recognitions	For the size, employees, temporary agency and secondment staff, and payroll staff count, plus target group employees on an internship or work experience placement
Working employees for at least one year	All recognitions	The manual mentions this alongside the two FTE, without further explanation. If in doubt, check with PSO-Nederland
At least two people working on the application date	All recognitions	At the moment you apply, you must have at least two people who work for you
At least one year in existence according to the KvK	Level (Basic level up to and including level 3)	Not for Aspirant status

Two FTE in the reference year and two working people on the application date are two separate tests. A sole trader who works alone does not qualify, even if the owner works and there is also a self-employed contractor. Self-employed contractors who are hired directly do not count in company size. See company size in the PSO.

Who qualifies and who does not

The following are illustrations of how the requirements work out for different organisations. They are fictional examples to show the principle, not decisions by PSO-Nederland.

Organisation	Reference year	Application date	Can apply for a level?	Can apply for Aspirant status?
Installation company with 12 FTE, registered with the KvK for 3 years	12 FTE	Two people active	Yes	Yes
Start-up hospitality organisation, registered with the KvK for 14 months, 1.5 FTE in the reference year	1.5 FTE	Two people active	No, too few FTE	No, too few FTE
Business registered with the KvK for 8 months, with 4 FTE in the reference year	4 FTE	Two people active	No, not yet a year with the KvK	Yes
Sole trader without staff	1 person	One person	No	No

The last row shows that an organisation without staff is outside the scope: there are too few FTE and too few working people. For who the main applicant is and which entities count, see subsidiary entities in the PSO.

Subsidiary entities and group structure

A main applicant can bring subsidiaries, operating companies or franchise organisations under one application. The manual calls these subsidiary entities. Together they form the applying organisation. For the company size test, the main applicant always counts in full, and the entities count on top of that. The conditions for this are set out in annex 2A of the manual.

For a group (concern), the question “who is it for” therefore comes down to: who is the main applicant, and which subsidiaries fall under it. A subsidiary only comes along if the main applicant owns at least 50% of it, directly or indirectly, and if there is central control. A subsidiary can also be a main applicant itself, but it cannot then also fall under the certificate of the main applicant at the same time. The certificate only applies to the legal entities it was issued for and does not transfer to third parties.

Common misconceptions

“My company is too small, but I count the self-employed contractors.” Directly hired self-employed contractors do not count in company size. They do not increase the denominator.
“I am applying for a level, because I have been working on this for a year.” The year counts according to the KvK, not according to how it feels. Check the registration.
“Aspirant status is only for large companies.” Small organisations can also apply for Aspirant status, as long as they pass the two-FTE test. See the Aspirant plan of action.

Steps to check whether you qualify

Before you start a calculation tool in MijnPSO, go through these questions. They follow the order of the tests in the manual.

What is your reference year? See reference year and reference date.
Did you have an average of at least two FTE of working people in that year? Count employees, temporary agency and secondment staff, and target group interns.
Did you have working employees for at least one year during the reference year?
On the day you apply, do you have at least two people who work for you?
Do you want a level or only Aspirant status? For a level, the KvK registration must be at least one year old.
Do you have subsidiary entities that you want to include? See subsidiary entities.

If one of the answers is no, a level is not yet achievable. Then Aspirant status is often the better route, provided you can write a plan of action. See the Aspirant plan of action.

What the rules do not say

The manual sets the tests, not whether certification is a sensible choice. Meeting the tests does not mean you will reach a level. An organisation with two FTE and one target group employee can apply, but does not automatically meet the standard. So make a provisional calculation first, and only then consider the costs and the audit. Read applying for a PSO certificate and costs before you decide.