Subsidy opportunities for your business

Subsidy opportunities for your business
There are currently a number of business-oriented subsidies available in which we can play a role for your company.
1. SME Growth subsidy
VLAIO has launched the 2nd call of 2022 for the SME growth subsidy. The SME growth subsidy is a subsidy through which the Flemish government supports SMEs in Flanders in an ambitious growth trajectory. That growth trajectory must be in line with an important social theme. Therefore, since 2021, the SME growth subsidy works with competitive thematic calls.
The second of three calls in 2022 is now active and focuses on the themes internationalisation, digitalisation, innovation or sustainable and circular entrepreneurship. Does your company want to purchase advice or recruit staff to realise an ambitious growth path that ties in with these themes? Then submit your application quickly and at the latest by 31 August 2022!
The SME growth subsidy in summary
- For SMEs with an establishment in Flanders
- Acquiring strategic advice from an external service provider or the gross salary cost of recruiting a strategic profile
- Maximum € 50,000 subsidy per year per growth trajectory
- The call for the themes digitalisation, internationalisation and circular and sustainable business is active from 12/07/2021 until 23:59 on 31/08/2021.
In the framework of an SME growth grant, Flanders Make can be the external service provider for strategic advice.
2. Baekeland mandates
Via Baekeland mandates, VLAIO supports companies in financing a doctoral project for an employee. The research that qualifies for this must have an economic purpose and - if successful - offer added value for the company concerned. It meets the usual criteria for doctoral research.
A Baekeland researcher therefore carries out a doctoral study in cooperation with a company and a university supervisor. The company is the main applicant for the project. All companies with a legal personality and a branch office in the Flemish Region can apply for a Baekeland mandate. An additional condition is that the project must build up and valorise knowledge in Flanders.
The mandate holder can be an employee of a company as well as of a university or knowledge institution. Moreover, knowledge institutions, including research institutions such as Flanders Make, can also act as a host institution for the PhD student.
the Baekeland mandate in summary
- For a consortium consisting of (at least) a Flemish company, a Flemish university and a PhD student
- Carrying out a doctoral project with added value for the company
- A subsidy of 50 to 80% of the doctoral student's personnel and operating costs
- Call active from 01/07/2022 09h00 until 06/09/2022 12h00
Flanders Make can take on the role of promoter and/or host. Would you like to know more about this type of subsidy? Be sure to read our blog about the Baekeland mandate at Siemens Industry Software NV.
3. Calls for International collaborations in R&D&I projects
Eurostars 3
Eurostars is the largest support programme for SMEs that want to cooperate in an international R&D project to develop and market innovative products, processes or services. The project leader is always an innovative SME, and the consortium also includes partners from one or more of the 37 participating countries. After a central international evaluation, each partner is supported through a support instrument in its own country or region, Flemish participants are supported according to the modalities of a VLAIO research or development project.
Deadline call: 15 September 2022 – 14h00
More information through VLAIO
Ira-SME
Ira-SME projects strengthen the competitiveness of European SMEs by focusing on cooperation between SMEs and knowledge institutions from different regions/countries. Flanders is taking part in the 30th call and is participating with the development project support instrument.
Deadline call: 28 September 2022 – 12h00
More information through VLAIO
Globalstars Brazil
The GlobalStars call is open from 26 April to 11 October 2022. This call wants to stimulate Flemish companies to carry out development projects with Brazilian partners in all technology areas with a special focus on 'sustainability' and 'health'. This joint GlobalStars call is a cooperation between funding agencies from Belgium (Flanders and Wallonia), Brazil, Finland, Portugal, Spain, Turkey and the Netherlands. The maximum amount of support for the Flemish part of the project is € 500,000.
Deadline call: 11 October 2022
More information through EUREKA
ITEA for software projects
ITEA is an industry-driven European ecosystem for collaborative R&D projects that touch upon the broad topic of software-intensive systems. Topics that can be addressed in these projects include artificial intelligence, cyber security, smart cities, Industry 4.0, smart mobility, healthcare and smart engineering.
Deadline call: 15 November 2022
More information through VLAIO
Flanders Make can act as research partner for all these international projects. Would you like to know more? Then do not hesitate to contact us.
4. Voka Digihub
In the VOKA DigiHub you can ask all your questions about digitisation and we build a bridge between the business and research world.
Voka has taken the initiative, in cooperation with EFRO, to establish a digital hub in every Flemish province. These hubs are the regional Voka offices where you, as an entrepreneur, can go with all your questions about digitisation and in particular about new data-driven digital technologies. Each regional DigiHub has its own ecosystem of knowledge institutions. As a strategic research centre for the manufacturing industry, Flanders Make is obviously a participating party. We make our expertise available in each region.
Offers within DIGIHUB
- Individual conversation to listen to your issue
- Guidance in drawing up a concrete action plan
- Access to the expertise and methodologies of knowledge institutions
- Use of test infrastructure to experiment with digital applications
- Attention to the place of digitisation within the business model
In this way, we help SMEs with their digital transformation and prepare them for the future.