Obtain or renew "Social Economy Initiative" recognition

Cooperative societies recognised as social enterprises (ES), ASBLs and public centres for social welfare or groupings of public centres for social welfare that have a project with a social purpose by putting low-skilled workers to work.

You can obtain recognition as a "Social Economy Initiative" if:

• Your organisation is a legal entity
• Whose main place of business is in Wallonia
• Incorporated in one of the following forms:
• Cooperative recognised as a social enterprise (ES) in accordance with Article 8:5 of the Companies and Associations Code (CSA) More information
• Non-profit association
• Public centre for social welfare (PCSW) or a grouping of public centres for social welfare

• Your organisation must respect the principles of the social economy, namely:
• the purpose of the service to the community or members other than profit;
• management autonomy;
• democratic decision-making processes;
• the primacy of people and labour over capital in the distribution of income.

• Your organisation is involved in the production of goods or provision of services, and supports an economic project with a social purpose, in particular through the socio-professional insertion of low-skilled workers.
• A low-skilled worker who, at the time of hiring, does not have a higher secondary education diploma and is registered as a job seeker.

• You offer appropriate technical, training and social support to these low-skilled workers

• Your organisation cannot be in breach of any legal or regulatory provisions pertaining to the running of the activity

• Your organisation cannot have any debts to the State, the French Community, the Region, FOREM, the Arbeitsamt der D.G., the Société wallonne d'économie sociale marchande (SOWECSOM), the National Social Security Office, a security fund for subsistence

• Your organisation must have an accounting function relating to the project or an accounting system that complies with the minimum standard chart of accounts

The persons entitled to work with the recognised social economy initiative cannot:

• Be legally prohibited from holding such positions
• Be held liable for the commitments or debts of a company that has gone bankrupt in the five years preceding the application for recognition or renewal
• Be deprived of their civil and political rights
• Have been convicted in the five years preceding the application for recognition or renewal for any offence committed in the fiscal or social domain, or in the field of legal or regulatory provisions relating to the running of the social economy initiative

When an organisation no longer meets any of the above conditions for recognition, recognition may be suspended or withdrawn.

Recognition as a "Social Economy Initiative" means that you can hire SINE workers and receive the increased subsidy provided under Art. 60§7.

Submit your application

You can apply for recognition or the renewal of recognition as a social economy initiative via the online form in "My Space". Click on the link at the bottom of this page and follow the instructions. 

Your application for renewal of recognition must be submitted between eight months (240 days) and six months (180 days) before the expiry of the current recognition.

Processing your application

Once we receive your application, we have 15 calendar days to check that it is complete. 

• If it is, we will send you an acknowledgement of receipt.
• If it is not, we will send you a notice stating the missing documents. You have 15 calendar days from receipt of this notice to send us any additional information. This period may be extended once by a maximum of 30 days. If the application is incomplete after this period, it will be closed without further action.

Once your file is complete, we analyse its admissibility.

The Minister or their delegate will make a decision within 30 days. The decision specifies whether recognition is granted or refused. We will send you the decision within 15 days of receiving it.

Processing your file

Within two and a half months of receiving the complete application, you will receive the decision of the Minister by registered mail.

Validity of recognition

Recognition as a "Social Economy Initiative" is granted for a period of 2 years. It can be renewed for a period of 4 years before being renewed for an indefinite period.

• CVs of the company manager and supervisory staff
• Extracts from the criminal record dated less than six months ago for all directors, managers, agents or other persons authorised to bind the company

• The Decree of 20 November 2008 concerning the social economy
• The Decree of 20 October 2016 concerning the approval of social economy initiatives and the approval and subsidisation of integration companies
• The Decree from the Walloon Government of 24 May 2017 concerning the execution of the Decree of 20 October 2016 concerning the approval of social economy initiatives and the approval and subsidisation of integration companies

Under the Council of State Act of 12 January 1973, "a petition for the annulment (and possibly the ineligibility) of the decision may be lodged with the Council of State within 60 days of notification or knowledge by the petitioner of the contested act. This appeal is made by a dated and signed request sent by registered mail to the clerk's office of the Council of State, rue de la Science 33, 1040 Brussels.

Where appropriate, a complaint may be lodged with the joint mediation service of the French Community and the Walloon Region in accordance with Article 12 of the cooperation agreement concluded on 3 February 2011 between the French Community and the Walloon Region establishing a joint mediation service of the French Community and the Walloon Region, which was recognised by Flemish Parliament Act on 31 March 2011. 

This complaint can be made in writing to the following address: 

The Ombudsman of Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation

Rue Lucien Namèche, 54 

B-5000 Namur