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Home Processes Applying for an investment allowance (SME)

Applying for an investment allowance (SME)

Summary

  • You are a small or medium-sized company (SME) (either a natural person or a legal entity, including non-profit organisations carrying out economic activities);
  • AND your company has, or will create, an establishment unit in Wallonia.

Wallonia may grant you an investment grant, the amount of which will depend on the following criteria:

  • the size of the company;
  • the location of the investment;
  • the assessment criteria met.

If your company does not meet the SME criteria, your application for standard investment aid will be assessed under the aid scheme applicable to large 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 initial commitments related to the investments (purchase orders, contracts, etc.).

In detail

Target audience – details

Small and medium-sized enterprises (SME)

Conditions

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

  • 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;
  • Have or create an establishment unit (operating site, business premises, branch office, etc.) in Wallonia;
  • Carry out an activity in one of the eligible sectors;
  • Present an eligible investment programme of at least EUR 100,000, the amount of which must exceed the average depreciation recorded during the last three financial years preceding the submission of your application;
  • Your investment programme must meet several assessment criteria from at least two different categories and achieve a minimum score of 30 out of 100 points in order to qualify for aid;
  • Ensure at least 25% of the financing of the investment programme through your own resources or external financing that does not benefit from public support;
  • Not be a company in financial difficulty.
Benefits

If your project meets all the requirements, you may be eligible for investment aid ranging from 4% to 18% of the amount invested. The aid rate granted depends on the type of investment, the objectives pursued, and the location of the project.

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:

  1. 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.

  2. 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.

  3. 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".

  4. Your application will then be examined by the Administration. Once the assessment has been completed, you will receive the decision by post.

  5. 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.

Coût

The submission of aid applications is free of charge.

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.

Documents à fournir

The supporting documents to be provided by the applicant are specified in the aid application form and in the explanatory notes (which can be downloaded from the "Useful Documents" section of this procedure).

Legal references
  • Decree of 11 March 2004 concerning regional incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises
  • Decree of 6 May 2004 concerning the execution of the Decree of 11 March concerning regional incentives for small and medium-sized enterprises and subsequent amendments
  • Commission Regulation (EU) No 651/2014 of 17 June 2014 declaring certain categories of aid compatible with the internal market in application of Articles 107 and 108 of the Treaty Text with EEA relevance
  • Annex 1 therein concerning the definition of an SME
Voies de recours

If you disagree with the decision you have received, several options are available to you:

1. Contact the administration

Within 30 calendar days, you may contact the department that issued the decision to obtain further explanations, provide additional information, or present your arguments.

Please note: this step does not suspend the time limits for lodging an appeal.

2. Appeal to the Council of State

You may request the annulment of the decision by lodging an appeal with the Council of State within 60 calendar days of being notified of the decision.

In certain urgent situations, you may also request the suspension of the decision.

For more information: Council of State

3. Submit a complaint to the Ombudsman of Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation

You may submit a complaint free of charge to the Ombudsman if you encounter difficulties in your dealings with the administration.

Please note: mediation is not an appeal procedure, does not suspend the implementation of the contested decision, and the Ombudsman's recommendations are not binding on the administration.

For more information: The Ombudsman (only available in French or German)

Forms

Online

  • Application for authorisation to begin an investment programme (available only in French) Formulaire qui requiert l'utilisation de la carte d'identité (eID).
  • Company Passport (available only in French) Formulaire qui requiert l'utilisation de la carte d'identité (eID).
  • Application for investment aid (only for start-up authorizations submitted in 2025) -available only in French Formulaire qui requiert l'utilisation de la carte d'identité (eID).

    This form applies only to companies applying for authorization to start up on or after 01/01/2025. 

  • Application for investment assistance (available only in French) Formulaire qui requiert l'utilisation de la carte d'identité (eID).

To download

  • List of expenses (only for payment requests for investment allowances that fall outside the ERDF programme and EAFRD supplements) - available only in French

Useful documents

  • Explanatory Notice (for applications for authorisation to commence submitted before 01/07/2025) - Only available in French

    This explanatory notice applies exclusively to companies that have submitted their application for authorisation to commence before 1 July 2025

  • Explanatory Notice (for applications for authorisation to commence submitted from 01/07/2025 onwards) - Only available in French

    This explanatory notice applies exclusively to companies that have submitted their application for authorisation to commence from 1 July 2025 onwards

  • How do I access Mon Espace? - Company WITH Belgian company number (only available in French)
  • How do I access Mon Espace? - Agent (only available in French)
  • User guide for the payment of the allowance (only available in French)
  • Map of development zones (only available in French)

Useful links

  • 1890.be – One-stop shop for Walloon entrepreneurs
  • The MIDAS database (public assistance in the Walloon region)
  • Wallonia – Economy Portal

Contacts

Services

Department for small and medium-sized enterprises
Phone hotline from 9 am to 12 pm: 081/33.42.00

Administration

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Updated on 14/07/2026
Process n° : 2679
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