Applying for an investment allowance co-financed by the ERDF 2021-2027

Summary In detail Forms Contact

Summary

You are a company (either a natural person or a legal entity with the size of an SME);
Your company has, or will create, an establishment unit in Wallonia;
You carry out a manufacturing activity in an eligible sector covered by the ERDF/JTF programme;
You plan to make investments in a development area;
Your project meets at least one of the five qualitative eligibility criteria of the ERDF/JTF Programme 2021–2027 – Measure 4 of the Programme Complement – Investment Aid;
You create at least 4 jobs (for small enterprises) or at least 6 jobs (for medium-sized enterprises).

Under certain conditions, you may also benefit from an exemption from property tax.

Does your project meet the requirements?

By taking a short test, you can obtain an initial indication of whether your project is eligible for investment aid in Wallonia. → Check my project's eligibility (only available in French)

Key points

You must submit an application form requesting authorisation to start an investment programme before entering into any binding commitments related to the investment (purchase orders, contracts, etc.).

The deadline for completing and paying for the investments is 31 December 2029.

In detail

Target audience - details

Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (SME)

Benefits

If your project meets all the requirements, you may be eligible for investment aid ranging from 15% to 35% of the amount invested. The aid rate granted depends on the type of investment, the objectives pursued, and the location of the project.

Please note that the aid is capped at EUR 100,000 per job created.

Under certain conditions, you may also benefit from an exemption from property tax.

Procedure

Below are the different steps required to ensure that your application is valid:

Submit an application form requesting authorisation to start an investment programme via "Mon Espace".
The date on which the application is submitted to the Administration is important, as it determines the date from which work related to the investment programme may begin.
You must first apply for a "Company Passport" before completing the investment aid application form.
Your "Company Passport" application must be completed using the online form available on "Mon Espace". Once your application has been validated, you will receive an acknowledgment of receipt by email, including a reference number.
Complete the investment aid application form no later than six months after receiving authorisation to start the investment programme.You must indicate the reference number or decision relating to your "Company Passport".
Your application will then be examined by the Administration. Once the assessment has been completed, you will receive the decision by post.
You may then submit a request for payment of the grant using the documents enclosed with the decision.

To assist you with your administrative procedures, you may contact the Administration's departments directly.

All applications for aid may be submitted in French or German.

Délais

Every effort is made to process applications within a reasonable timeframe. This timeframe may vary depending on the complexity of the application, any requests for additional information, any required opinions or assessments, and the budget available under the aid scheme.

There is no mandatory deadline for submitting an investment aid application.

The deadlines provided are guidance deadlines (see procedure), meaning they are intended to enable the administration to process applications efficiently. Failure to comply with these deadlines does not automatically render the application inadmissible or result in the loss of eligibility for the aid.

Nevertheless, applicants are encouraged to respect these deadlines in order to facilitate the assessment of their application and avoid delays in processing.

Conditions

To be eligible for this aid, you must meet at least all of the following conditions:

Be a company (either a natural person or a legal entity qualifying as an SME);
Have or create an establishment unit (operating site, place of business, branch office, etc.) in Wallonia;
Carry out a manufacturing activity in an eligible sector covered by the ERDF/JTF programme;
Plan to carry out eligible investments in a development area;
Implement an investment programme that:
- falls within one of the strategic intervention areas of the S3 (Smart Specialisation Strategy); or
- is primarily aimed at bringing an innovative product to market; or
- is primarily aimed at the digital transformation of production; or
- is primarily aimed at the circularity of products or services at different stages of their life cycle (extraction, manufacturing, packaging, distribution, use, lifespan, repair, recycling and end-of-life management), including optimised material flow management, extending product life, integrating end-of-life management, sustainable sourcing of resources or the use of short supply chains; or
- is primarily aimed at reducing the carbon footprint through more efficient energy use or at reducing the environmental impact of production through the use of the best available environmental techniques.
Create at least 4 jobs (for small enterprises) or at least 6 jobs (for medium-sized enterprises);
Present an eligible investment programme of at least EUR 125,000 for small enterprises or EUR 250,000 for medium-sized enterprises;
Not be a company in financial difficulty;
Submit your application before entering into any binding commitments related to the investment (purchase orders, contracts, etc.), indicating the amount of aid required for the project.

In addition, you will be required to comply with specific obligations regarding information and publicity measures, competitive procurement procedures for the purchase of equipment, and the maintenance of separate accounting records or appropriate accounting codes for transactions relating to the subsidised investments.

Legal references

Forms

Online