Applying for an investment allowance co-financed by the ERDF 2014-2020

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.

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 this allowance, you must satisfy all the following criteria as a minimum:

• have or create a business unit (site, place of business, branch, etc.) in Wallonia;
• plan to make eligible investments in a development zone;
• perform an activity in one of the permissible sectors;
• present an admissible investment programme representing at least €1,000,000;
• 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.

It should be noted that a portion of the allowance is limited based on the number of jobs created: €75,000 per job created, or €100,000 per job created if qualitative criteria are taken into account.

Eligible sectors of activity include business services, biotechnology, the chemical and pharmaceutical industry, the production or establishment of new materials, information and communication technologies, such as smart IT, multimedia, telecommunications, as well as reception and transmission, aeronautics and space, the production of machines and equipment, the production of medical equipment, scientific instruments, optics and procedure control, plastics, environmental protection, renewable energies, rational energy use, agri-food, logistical support (with the exception of handling using cranes), call centres or distribution centres, research and development and tourism.