Develop my company's growth with an expert - "Business growth and development" voucher

You can receive this voucher if:

• you are self-employed or an SME* (legal entity or individual).
• you are not a non-profit association, as they are not eligible for business vouchers. 
• your main place of business is in Wallonia.
• Your key activity is not in a sector excluded pursuant to the de minimis regulation (fishing, aquaculture, the primary production of agricultural products).

*By definition, an SME is a company that employs fewer than 250 people and has an annual turnover under 50 million euros or a total balance sheet that does not exceed 43 million euros.

Wallonia covers 50% of the costs (excl. VAT) of the expert's services. The costs not covered by the voucher (travel expenses, production costs, etc.) and VAT are your responsibility. 

For example, if you receive support from an expert and the invoice is €1,000 excluding VAT:

• Wallonia will cover €500 of the invoice
• You have to pay €710: the remaining €500 (your share) and the VAT (€210).

Ceilings fix the total amounts to which you are entitled (see Conditions). 

Registration on the platform

If you have not yet done so, create a "citizen" account on the business vouchers platform, or validate the account created by your service provider.

Registration/activation is via strong authentication only.

Submitting the application

• Is this your first application? If so, ask your service provider to submit it for you on the platform. 
• Is it not your first application? You can submit the voucher application yourself, but your service provider can also submit it for you.

All applications are submitted via the business vouchers platform. It will be processed electronically.

You need four documents to submit your application: 

• The service agreement between you and your service provider
• The application for a business voucher
• The SME test 
• The declaration of de minimis aid

The platform provides you with these documents. 

Examination of the application

We have 5 working days to check that your application is complete and in compliance with current regulations. If this is not the case, we will ask you for further information. 

Payment of your share

Once your application has been approved, you will be requested to pay the 50% of the service which falls to you (your share). This sum will remain in our account until the application is completed. If the service was successful, it will be paid to your service provider at the end of the assignment, and we will cover 50%. 

Service

The service can start once payment of your share has been received. You and your service provider will receive an e-mail informing you of this. The assignment must be performed within 6 months of notification of approval. 

Completion of the application and payment for the service:

• At the end of the assignment, the service provider adds their invoice and a report of the services to the application.
• You have 15 days to validate the invoice and the report. After this period, the documents are automatically validated and the application is sent to us.
• We have 15 working days to verify it. 
• If the application is approved, we pay the full invoice, i.e. your share plus the contribution of the Walloon government.
• You pay VAT and any non-eligible costs directly to the service provider.

Supervision

Your application may subsequently be inspected via sampling.

The consultant/expert

The expert you work with must be a certified service provider, i.e. a company or individual who has been authorised to provide services for this scheme. We check both the economic viability and the areas of expertise of our service providers. Find the list of certified service providers on the Business Vouchers (Chèques-entreprises) portal (link:

The services

You can use the "Growth Support" voucher to fine-tune an action plan to develop your business and/or receive support in implementing it. This action plan may concern your company's organisational and commercial performance. Please note that the services covered by this voucher are limited to consulting.

Organisational performance covers the following areas:

• financial management
• production and logistics flow management
• quality management
• safety standards management
• environmental management (excluding impact studies and sustainable development strategy)
• internal management (human resources, skills development, governance, internal organisation and communication)
• industrial policy (investment and production)
• setting up of an Industry 4.0 process (including its human and organisational elements)
• legal advice on commercial matters (distribution and licensing agreements)
• legal and financial advice in the context of technology transfers

Commercial performance covers the following areas:

• marketing policy, e-marketing and business development (market research, sales and communications strategy, business model, business plan)
• commercial differentiation of products or services (development of new business models)
• development or improvement of the external communication policy (excluding implementation costs)
• design (new products, redesign of existing products, service design, packaging, textiles, etc.)
• innovation management consultancy and support (specific innovation management methods, production of a minimum viable product)

Ceilings

1. You must not have reached the ceiling of the business voucher scheme:
   1. The "Growth and Business Development" voucher is capped at €50,000 excluding VAT per beneficiary over a three-year period. 
   2. Cheques for the "Growth" theme (diagnosis and support) are capped at €70,000 excluding VAT over a three-year period. 
   3. The cap for business vouchers, for all themes, is €100,000 excluding VAT per calendar year.
2. You must not have reached the de minimis ceiling:
   • these regulations set a maximum ceiling on state aid of €200,000 over a three-year period.
   • This ceiling is reduced to €100,000 for companies in the road transport of people and goods sector.

Deadline

The service must be performed within 12 months of notification of approval of your application.