What grants and support measures are available for my starter business?

If you’re working on an innovative project where you’re playing a genuine pioneering role in a market or sector and your business is less than two years old, you are – thanks to innovative start-up support – eligible for a 50 000 grant, combined with external expert guidance and business case advice.

If you’re a salaried employee and have embarked on the journey of self-employment, you could receive a subsidy of up to 650 euros twice thanks to the ‘jobbonusPLUS’ facility. Whether you qualify for this depends on how much you earned when you were in paid employment.

If you’ve a solid business plan but need a helping hand to convince the bank for a loan, you could be eligible for a guarantee of up to 2.25 million euros via Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen (PMV), meaning you can still apply for a business loan. In return, you pay a one-off premium that’s adjusted to take account of the amount and duration of your guarantee. Should things go wrong and you’re unable to repay your loan, the bank can cancel it and PMV will pay its share of the outstanding balance to the guarantor.

If you need starting capital or funding for additional investments, PMV's co-financing facility or start loan enables you to borrow up to 350 000 euros and 100 000 euros, respectively, at a preferential interest rate for a term of up to 10 years. You have to be able to put in some of your own money, but this can also come through a win-win loan provided by friends or family (see below).

If you’re looking to raise starting capital from people in your immediate circle, look no further than the win-win loan. It enables you to borrow from family or friends who then qualify for tax relief. You can borrow up to 300 000 euros, with each lender allowed to put in up to 75 000 euros. If the loan cannot be repaid, your family and friends can approach the government to recover a portion of the money they had lent.

If you’re not eligible for a regular loan because, for example, you don’t have any money to put in or you’re still very young, your starter business or prospective company can apply for a micro loan known as a ‘impulskrediet’, even if you don't have a company number. You can borrow up to 25 000 euros over a five-year term. And to increase the chances of your venture succeeding, you also get to benefit from two years’ expert guidance for free.

BAN Flanders matches promising start-ups and scale-ups with business angels, i.e. anonymous investors who possess relevant business knowledge. They put up venture capital averaging between 50 000 euros and 185 000 euros, but have also been known to invest as much as 1 million euros. They also share their years of experience and expertise (wise money). Business angels often have valuable contacts, making it easier to convince customers and suppliers to work with you.

PMV can also provide venture capital of up to 20 million euros to promising companies (both start-ups and growth companies), provided social benefit is added.

If your starter business has a VAT credit due to the many investments you’ve made, but your sales are low, you can recover this credit more quickly in the first two years after starting your business, thanks to the accelerated refund of VAT credits for start-ups.

If you become self-employed in a main occupation or set up a company, you can request an exemption from tax pre-payments in the first three years. If you get the green light, the tax authorities will not impose a tax surcharge. 

If your start-up company is less than four years old, you can raise up to 500 000 euros thanks to the Tax Shelter for starter businesses. This takes the form of an equity participation by individuals, who in return receive a reduction in personal income tax of 30% to 45%.

When you’re starting out as self-employed, you have to pay social security contributions every quarter in order to accrue social security entitlements. Fortunately, when you’re newly self-employed, you can apply for a starter discount for the first four quarters, which greatly eases the financial burden.

If you have a start-up company, you can get a temporary exemption from your annual company contributions during the first three years after incorporation.

Start it @KBC is the leading startup accelerator in Belgium, focusing on innovative start-up businesses. During this one-year programme, everything will be done to accelerate your growth. You will receive expert guidance on helping you resolve any early-stage issues, come into contact with business partners and investors, have access to an inspiring workspace and even get the chance to expand your market abroad.

If you’re currently unemployed and thinking about starting a business, the springboard to self-employment ensures you can keep your unemployment benefit for one year while rolling out your secondary activity as a self-employed person. It’s an attractive financial safety net to help you get your business off the ground at your own pace.

If you’re wondering about the grants you’re entitled to, the experts at Subsidia have the answer. They’ll help you through the entire process of applying for your grants in Brussels. It couldn’t be easier!

If you’re struggling to get a loan because you can't provide enough security, the Brussels Guarantee Fund and ‘Waarborg Plus’ facilitate your access to bank loans by providing additional guarantees.

Looking to carry out a capital increase with new shareholders? finance&invest.brussels (FIB) can invest between 100 000 euros and 5 million euros in your starter or growing business by participating in its capital.

Prefer a subordinated loan? Here, too, you can turn to FIB for mezzanine financing that ranges from 100 000 euros right up to 5 million euros.

Considered borrowing from family or friends? You can thanks to the proxy loan: in return for granting you a loan, people in your personal circle get to benefit from a tidy tax break.

Only need a micro loan? CREDAL is there to help you.

If you don't have access to funding from the traditional banking sector, microStart can provide you with a micro loan and personalised expert guidance.

KBC has an EIB line of credit that is used to promote lending to (starter) companies. Through our agreement with the EIB, we can grant an interest rebate* of 0.25% for six years for certain investments.