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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

The core objective of the BEL-COO program is to strengthen the competitive capacity of Belgian enterprises by fostering interregional collaboration in research and development (R&D) projects.
This grant targets enterprises of any size, including non-profit organizations with economic activity.
It is a SECTOR-AGNOSTIC grant, focusing on innovation across various fields, including projects with military finality.
The geographic scope is limited to Belgium, specifically involving companies from at least two of the three Belgian regions: Flanders, Wallonia, and Brussels.
Key filtering criteria for initial screening are the requirement for a consortium of companies from different Belgian regions and the focus on innovative R&D projects with significant technical risk and market potential.
This is a recurring grant program with continuous submission.

Financial Structure

Funding for BEL-COO projects is granted at a regional level; each participating funding agency covers the costs for partners from its own region.
For Flemish companies, support is provided via VLAIO's Ontwikkelingsproject (Development Project) or Onderzoeksproject (Research Project) instruments.
For Ontwikkelingsprojecten, the subsidy covers 25% to 50% of the project budget, with a minimum subsidy of €25,000 and a maximum of €3,000,000.
For Onderzoeksprojecten, the subsidy covers 25% to 60% of the project budget, with a minimum project budget equivalent to a subsidy of €100,000 and a maximum subsidy of €3,000,000.
The subsidy for Walloon partners cannot exceed €500,000 per project.
For each Walloon company, at least 40% of its budget must be allocated to its own services.
Brussels funding rates range between 25% and 80%.
Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs) are funded indirectly; their costs are covered by the corresponding company's grant, at the same subsidy percentage. The non-subsidized portion of RTO costs must be paid by the company.
While no explicit matching fund percentages are stated, the funding rates imply a co-financing obligation for the non-subsidized portion of the project costs by the participating companies.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type

Companies (ondernemingen) from at least two different Belgian regions are eligible.
Non-profit organizations (vzw's met economische activiteit) can participate for the Flemish part if they conduct economic activity and meet relevant conditions.
Research and Technology Organizations (RTOs), such as universities or research institutes, can participate as subcontractors or research partners of the participating companies. They cannot act as direct beneficiaries of the funding.

Consortium Requirements

The project consortium must consist of at least two companies from two different Belgian regions (Flanders, Wallonia, and/or Brussels).
No single participating company can have a budget that exceeds 70% of the total project budget, ensuring balanced participation.
Each participating company must perform R&D tasks that involve a clear technical risk.
Each participating company must participate in the economic results of the project; a subcontractor relationship for core partners is not allowed.
Companies from other countries or partners from participating regions who cannot be funded by their respective regional programs may be part of the consortium if their contribution is essential, but they will not receive funding through BEL-COO.

Geographic Location

Eligible organizations must be based in Flanders, Wallonia, and/or Brussels.

Project Requirements

Projects must be innovative.
Projects must aim to develop new or significantly improved products, processes, or technical services that exceed the existing state of the art.
Projects must have significant technical risks.
The outcome of the project must be concrete and demonstrate real market potential (for research projects, this can be on the longer term).
The project duration must be between 12 and 36 months.

Financial Status

Companies must not be in difficulty according to EU regulations.
For Flemish companies: if classified as 'in difficulty' at the time of VLAIO application, a remediation plan must be submitted. Proof of successful remediation is required before any funding decision is made.

Application Process

Application Submission

Consortia can submit projects continuously in the BEL-COO program; there are no fixed application deadlines.
The Flemish part of a BEL-COO application is submitted via VLAIO's e-portal, selecting either the Development Project or Research Project application path.
When submitting via the VLAIO e-portal, applicants must explicitly indicate that it is a 'BEL-COO project' to access the correct templates.
Non-Flemish co-applicants are not required to register or apply through the VLAIO e-portal; they apply to their respective regional funding agencies.
The complete project proposal, including regional-specific forms, must be submitted to each involved regional funding agency.

Required Documentation

The overarching interregional 'BEL-COO proposal application form' is mandatory.
A regional application form is required for each participating company, tailored to the specific guidelines of their regional funding agency (e.g., VLAIO for Flemish companies).
A draft consortium agreement is mandatory at the submission stage, though it does not need to be signed at this point.
A detailed 'Project budget' template must be submitted.
Documentation determining the 'Company size' is required.
For Flemish companies identified as 'in difficulty', a mandatory remediation plan must be included in the application. Proof of completed remediation is required before a funding decision.
For starters (SMEs less than 3 years old) and companies in difficulty, a mandatory cash flow plan must be provided.

Evaluation and Timeline

The evaluation process for BEL-COO projects is continuous.
The goal is to achieve an evaluation period of a maximum of four months.
A project will only receive funding if all involved regional funding agencies provide a positive evaluation.

Project Implementation and Reporting

Projects must have a duration between 12 and 36 months.
Project reporting and monitoring will adhere to the specific rules and requirements of each respective region.
Both technical and financial reporting, as per regional guidelines, will be mandatory throughout the project lifecycle.

Evaluation Criteria

Project Quality and Innovation

Innovation Level: The project must be innovative and aim to develop new or significantly improved products, processes, or technical services that surpass the current state of the art.
Technical Risk: The presence of significant technical risks within the research and/or development tasks is a key factor.
Market Potential: The project's outcome must be concrete and demonstrate clear potential for market exploitation. For research projects, this potential may be assessed over a longer term.

Consortium Collaboration and Structure

Balanced Participation: The consortium's budget distribution is evaluated; no single partner's budget should exceed 70% of the total project budget.
Defined Roles: Each participant must have a clearly defined role and subproject, with their tasks being essential for the overall project's success.
Economic Participation: All participating companies must demonstrate clear involvement in the economic results and valorization of the project.

Regional Impact (Brussels-Capital Region Specific)

Projects involving Brussels partners are evaluated on their potential for a favorable impact on the economy, employment, environment, and/or sustainable development of the Brussels-Capital Region.
Demonstration of valorization and exploitation potential within Brussels is required for Brussels-based applicants.

Overall Assessment and Funder Alignment

Proposals are evaluated by the respective regional funding agencies (VLAIO for Flanders, SPW Recherche for Wallonia, Innoviris for Brussels) based on their regional criteria, in addition to the joint BEL-COO requirements.
Funding is contingent on a positive evaluation result from all involved funding agencies.

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

As of April 4, 2025, projects with military finality are eligible for support under the BEL-COO program.
Projects of predominantly military nature will be subject to a binding advice from the Ethical and Strategic Advisory Committee (ESAC), unless they are already subject to ethical guidelines within European or federal military programs.
Research on weapon systems that are in conflict with international law remains explicitly excluded from funding.
Participating companies must comply with Flemish export obligations, managed by the Strategic Goods Control Service. Applicants will be sensitized to these obligations during the application process.

Intellectual Property (IP) Policies

The mandatory Consortium Agreement must clearly regulate IPR ownership, IPR use, and the exploitation of project results among all partners.

Consortium Agreement Requirements

A Consortium Agreement among all project partners is mandatory.
A draft agreement must be submitted with the application, but the signed Consortium Agreement is a prerequisite for funding once a positive funding decision has been communicated.
The Consortium Agreement must cover key aspects such as: identity of partners, IPR policies, subcontracting to third parties, contributions of each partner, confidentiality clauses, publication policies, and the duty for every partner to participate in a final overall project report signed by all consortium members.

Risk Management

Projects must demonstrate significant technical risks as part of their innovation scope.

Other Unique Aspects

The program's structure involves decentralized funding, meaning each regional funding agency is responsible for funding the companies within its own region, despite a joint interregional application and evaluation process.
The project's success is contingent on unanimous approval from all involved regional funding agencies.

Grant Details