Applying for an investment allowance (SME)

You will find the various steps to take to validate your case file below:

• You must submit an approval request form to begin an investment programme via My Space. When you are validating the request, you receive acknowledgement of receipt by email with a reference number.

The date on which the application is sent to the administration is important: this is the date from which the works corresponding to the programme may start. The start of the works is defined as the start of the construction works linked to the investment, that is, the first legally binding order for equipment, or any other commitment that makes the investment irreversible, depending on which event occurs first.

• You must submit an application for a "Company passport" before completing the intervention application form.

Your application for a ‘"Company passport" must be completed via an online form available via My Space. When you are validating the request, you receive acknowledgement of receipt by email with a reference number.

• You must complete the investment assistance application form no later than six months from the authorisation date to begin. You indicate the reference number or the decision number of the "Company passport" on it.
   
• Your application is analysed by the relevant department. On the basis of this analysis, you shall receive the decision by mail.
   
• You may submit an application for the payment of the allowance. A guide, which is available in the "Explanatory documents" section of this procedure, details the process to be followed.

The supporting documents to be provided by the user are mentioned on the intervention application form and the explanatory notes (which can be downloaded in the "Useful documents" section of this procedure).

Appeal procedures are always provided if the assistance is refused. There are no costs associated with applying for the assistance.

Every effort is made to process applications within a reasonable period, which may vary depending on the potential complexity of the case file, requests for additional information and, where necessary, requests for the opinions required to assess the allowance and the available budget of the assistance scheme.

You may contact the Administration directly for help with your administrative processes.

All applications for assistance must be completed in French or German.

To receive traditional investment allowances, you must satisfy all the following criteria as a minimum:

• have or create a business unit (site, place of business, branch, etc.) in Wallonia;
• perform an activity in one of the permissible sectors;
• present an admissible investment programme that satisfies the established thresholds: these thresholds vary depending on the category of the company and the composition of your share capital;
• submit its application before making any firm commitments regarding the investments (purchase orders, etc.) and indicate the amount of assistance required by the project;
• not be a company experiencing financial difficulty. 

The programme must be equal to, or greater than, the average depreciation for the past three accounting years before you submit your application.

Additional investments in the investment programme, or an amendment to the investment programme, shall only be authorised up to 20% of the amount of the investments presented in the initial application (application form for authorisation to begin an investment programme).

Assistance pertaining to the creation of jobs is limited based on the number of jobs created, that is, €300,000 (basis for calculating the percentage of the allowance) per job created and the relative increase of at least 5% (at least one job for very small and medium-sized companies and at least three jobs for medium-sized companies).