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Grant Analysis

Purpose & Target

Grant Purpose and Target

Core objective: To support small, young enterprises in developing innovative projects that establish a pioneering role within their market or sector.
Target recipient type: Small enterprises (KO) with legal personality.
Target recipient size: Early-stage companies, typically startups.
Designation: SECTOR-AGNOSTIC
Geographic scope: Flemish Region, Belgium.
Key filtering criteria: Innovation with a pioneering role, company age (under 2 years), financial capacity, strong team, and potential for economic/societal impact.
Grant frequency: Continuous application with fixed evaluation periods throughout the year.

Financial Structure

Fixed grant amount: €50,000.
Estimated project costs: Projects should demonstrate estimated costs of at least €70,000. Internal personnel efforts can be calculated at €70,000 per person-year.
Disbursement schedule:
- First installment: €25,000 paid upon the grant decision (or upon the effective establishment of the company).
- Second installment: €25,000 paid upon project completion.
No explicit co-financing percentage is stated, but the grant covers €50,000 of an estimated €70,000 project, implying the remaining €20,000 is covered by the applicant.
The grant is exempt from corporate income tax (vennootschapsbelasting).
The grant is not subject to de minimis regulations.

Eligibility Requirements

Organizational Type & Age

Must be a kleine onderneming (small enterprise) based on the European definition. This means: Less than 50 employees, AND annual turnover or balance sheet total maximum €10 million (in one of the two preceding financial years).
Must possess rechtspersoonlijkheid (legal personality). Non-profit organizations (vzw's) engaged in economic activity are also eligible.
Must be less than 2 years old at the time of application submission to VLAIO.
Ondernemingen in oprichting (companies in formation) are eligible, but the subsidy award is contingent on effective incorporation.
One-person businesses (eenmanszaak) can apply as a 'company in formation' if they intend to establish a legal entity.
The company's age calculation considers the oldest verbonden ondernemingsnummer (connected enterprise number) where there's more than 50% shareholding or voting rights, including economic activities of natural persons (e.g., side activities).
Must be a non-listed small enterprise that has not yet distributed profits.
Must not have taken over the activity of another company (unless the turnover of the acquired activity in the year before acquisition was less than 10% of the applicant's turnover).
Must not have arisen from a merger or acquisition (unless specific turnover conditions related to the merger/acquisition are met).

Geographic Location

Must have an exploitatiezetel (operational base) in Flanders, Belgium.

Financial Requirements

Must have minimum equity (eigen vermogen) plus subordinated loans (achtergestelde leningen) of €5,000.
Equity can be demonstrated via the latest filed annual accounts, provisional accounting figures declared true by a certified accountant, or a notarial deed.
Subordinated loans must be evidenced by signed loan agreements.
If this financial condition is not met at application, it must be fulfilled within 4 months after approval to receive the subsidy.

Exclusion Criteria (Cumulation & Previous Applications)

Cannot receive other VLAIO subsidies for the same costs during the project's execution period. This includes: ontwikkelingsproject, onderzoeksproject, O&O haalbaarheidsstudie, ICON-project, Baekeland mandaten, Innovatiemandaten fase 2, kmo-groeisubsidie, or VLAIO support for European cooperation projects.
Receiving previous VLAIO subsidies of the types mentioned above before applying for Innovatieve starterssteun might lead to a negative evaluation if the project is deemed too advanced or lacking sufficient uncertainties.
Each company can receive Innovatieve starterssteun only once.
Each company can apply for Innovatieve starterssteun a maximum of two times.

Application Process

Application Process Steps

Initial Contact with VLAIO Partner: Applicants must first contact one of the selected VLAIO partners (e.g., Agoria, Sirris, Imec.istart, Voka, UNIZO, Start-it @KBC, Birdhouse, Flanders’ Space, Flanders DC, Flanders’ FOOD, LRM - Limburg Startup, or VLAIO business advisors).
Partner Selection: The VLAIO partner will assess the initial application and select a limited number of candidates to proceed.
Application Preparation: The selected VLAIO partner will guide the applicant in preparing a clear subsidy application.
Online Submission: Selected applicants will receive access to an online submission portal via email to formally submit their application.
Applicant Responsibility: The applicant is ultimately responsible for submitting the grant application, though partner support is available.

Required Documentation & Materials

Completed aanmeldingstemplate (registration template).
Completed template innovatieve starterssteun – deel aandeelhouderschap en leeftijd starter (template for shareholding and age of starter).
A block diagram illustrating the company's shareholders.
A PowerPoint presentation for the pitch, to be sent via email to [email protected] at least one day before the pitch.

Evaluation Process

Selection is made through a pitch (5 to 15 minutes) followed by a question-and-answer session (30 minutes) with a jury. The total duration is a maximum of 45 minutes.
Pitches take place physically in Brussels, VAC Ghent, or VAC Leuven.

Key Timelines & Deadlines

Continuous Submission: Applications can be submitted at any time.
Fixed Evaluation Periods (Pitch Weeks, based on submission date):
- Week of February 10-14, 2025 (for submissions by January 31, 2025)
- Week of March 31 - April 4, 2025 (for submissions by March 14, 2025)
- Week of June 2-6, 2025 (for submissions by May 16, 2025)
- Week of September 23-29, 2025 (for submissions by September 5, 2025)
- Week of December 1-5, 2025 (for submissions by November 14, 2025)
If an evaluation period is full, the application will be automatically moved to the next available period.

Project Implementation Timeline

Project duration: Between 6 and 12 months.
Project start date: Earliest is the first day of the month following the subsidy application submission and the establishment of the company.

Post-Award Requirements

Public acknowledgement of VLAIO's support in all communications regarding the realized plans.

Evaluation Criteria

Ranking and Selection

Projects that meet the general eligibility criteria are ranked based on a total score derived from the criteria below.
In case of budget oversubscription, only the highest-ranked applications will receive support.

Core Assessment Criteria

Pioneering Role (Pioniersrol):
- Does the starter push the boundaries of what is common practice within their market?
- Is there an innovative idea that effectively solves a problem for a clearly defined target group?
- This includes the development of products, services, or production processes new to the market; the first application of a technology or scientific insight in the market; or the first application of a new business model within the market.
Uncertainties and Approach (Onzekerheden en aanpak):
- Is the idea challenging to translate into a viable business?
- Does the project work towards a proof of business and/or proof of concept? (Note: A proof of concept alone is not sufficient if a proof of business is not yet established).
- Does the project require an effort equivalent to at least one person-year or project costs of €70,000?
- The project must involve research and development, not merely the combination of existing solutions or techniques.
Team and Network (Team en netwerk):
- Is the team and its associated network capable of carrying out the entrepreneurial project effectively?
Own Risk (Eigen risico / Skin in the game):
- Do the partners (founders/shareholders) take sufficient personal risk within the project?
Impact and Potential (Impact en potentieel):
- Is there a projection of at least 5 Full-Time Equivalent (FTE) jobs created by year 5 after the project's completion?
- Can the project lead to significant economic growth?
- Does the project have a positive societal impact?

Compliance & Special Requirements

Regulatory Compliance

The grant is awarded under Article 22 of the General Block Exemption Regulation (Algemene Groepsvrijstellingsverordening - AGVV).
It operates under the framework of the Flemish Government Decree on business aid for Research and Innovation (BVR bedrijfssteun voor O&I in Vlaanderen - 12 mei 2017).

Data Protection & Confidentiality

VLAIO ensures confidential treatment of all applications.
However, certain public information may be used for publication purposes, including: company name, municipality of registered office/operational base, enterprise number, SME status, project number, support program, year of decision, subsidy amount, project title, and the public summary provided in the application.

Risk Management Expectations

Projects must demonstrate a clear element of onzekerheden (uncertainties) that necessitate significant effort and development.
Applicants are expected to show eigen risico ('skin in the game'), indicating that partners assume sufficient personal risk.

Project Deliverables

Expected deliverables include achieving a proof of business and/or a proof of concept.

Strategic Considerations

Mandatory pre-application engagement with a VLAIO partner is a unique and critical step in the application process.
The continuous submission model with fixed pitch evaluation periods provides flexibility for applicants to choose their timing within the year.

Grant Details