Procedure

VLAIO evaluates the admissible application based on the project description and project budget, and if necessary seeks advice from VITO.

Assessment criteria

There are ten assessment criteria, grouped below under three general criteria:

Technology

• Clear description of the technology and its technical feasibility.
• Positioning of the technology in relation to a standard technology in the sector and, where relevant, the Best Available Technique (BAT) for the sector.
• Economic feasibility and added value of the support: if the payback period of the additional ecological cost is less than two years, no support is granted. Investments that lead to very large cost savings (e.g. energy costs, use of raw materials) or large revenues in relation to their additional ecological cost are not supported, because they are already sufficiently profitable without support.
• Process-integrated nature of the investment.

Ecological impact of the investment

• Cost-effectiveness of the environmental benefits of the investments.
• Level of ambition of the environmental objectives and quantification of the environmental impact.
• Compliance with environmental legislation.

Strategic nature of the investment

• Vision and historical efforts of the enterprise in the field of sustainability.
• Strategic nature of the investment (the project) for the enterprise.
• Strategic nature of the investment (the project) for Flanders and Europe.

These assessment criteria are evaluated using a scoring grid with score categories of ‘critical’, ‘moderate’ and ‘good’.

A project is evaluated negatively if:

• at least one criterion is rated as ‘critical’;
• the project is scored ‘moderate’ for three or more evaluation criteria.

For projects with a support amount of EUR 500,000 or less, VLAIO formulates a decision proposal to the Flemish Minister responsible for economic affairs. For projects with a support amount of more than EUR 500,000, VLAIO formulates a decision proposal for the Flemish Government. The applicant is informed of the decision by email and via eBox Enterprise, your company’s secure electronic mailbox.

After assessment of the project

VLAIO aims to provide the applicant with a decision via mail within 4 months of the submission date.

To ensure the incentive nature of the subsidy, the company must not have started investing yet. 

A project may start from the first day of the month following the month in which the subsidy application was submitted. The start date is set as the earliest date either of the first invoice, deed upon acquisition of real estate, or lease contract. 

For example: you submit the subsidy application on 15 April 2023. In that case, the earliest the investment may start is 1 May 2023. If you submit on 8 May, the earliest the investment may begin is 1 June. This is independent of any subsidy approval.

The project must start within 12 months of subsidy approval and must be implemented no later than three years from the decision date. The investment must be operated for at least five years after completion of the investment.

Disbursement 

Basic conditions of disbursement

The basic conditions for disbursement are:

• proper implementation of the approved application;
• the timely and correct submission of supporting documents;
• compliance with applicable legal provisions.

Instalments 

The conditionally granted support is paid out in three instalments.

VLAIO evaluates the supporting documents and may request additional information upon completion of the instalment. 

Application for the first and/or second instalment, each for 30% of the support

The applicant may request payment of the first instalment as soon as at least 30% of the eligible costs have been incurred. Payment of the second instalment may be requested as soon as at least 60% of the eligible costs have been incurred. The applicant must attach the following supporting documents:

• the invoices for the purchases and, where applicable, the signed financial leasing agreements;
• proof of capitalization on the company’s balance sheet including the depreciation schedules and an extract from the general ledger accounts.

Application for the final instalment for 40% of the support

The applicant must request payment of the third instalment no later than twelve months after completion of the supported investment project and must attach the following supporting documents:

• the invoices for the purchases and, where applicable, the signed financial leasing agreements;
• proof of capitalization on the company’s balance sheet including the depreciation schedules and an extract from the general ledger accounts.

The ‘date of completion’ is the date:

• of the last invoice;
• or of the signature date of the final or only financial leasing agreement.

If, after completion of the project, the investments are lower than originally estimated, the support will be calculated pro rata in proportion to the effectively incurred eligible costs. If the investments are higher than originally estimated, the granted support amount cannot be exceeded.

The support is only definitively acquired after approval of the reported costs. The support may be revised if irregularities are detected during the inspection of the grant application. 

How to apply for payment?

Log in via e-loketondernemers.be. The e-loket for entrepreneurs is a central digital platform where you can find, in one place, an overview of the products you have applied for across different agencies, cities and municipalities. You can log in safely and easily using eID/Itsme. You can find the strategic ecological support file under ‘Ongoing applications’. Click ‘View your file’ to request the payment.