The Brexit resilience grant is a grant instrument through which the Flemish government supports SMEs in Flanders that have been directly or indirectly affected by the Brexit to strategically reorient their business model. Up to 50,000 euros of support can be obtained for acquiring knowledge from an external private service provider and for own personnel costs.
1. Which projects are eligible?
The following elements must be present in the project :
- the applicant company has been directly or indirectly affected by the Brexit
- the project prompts a strategic transformation of the company's business model
- the project has a substantial impact on the business processes of the entire company;
- the new strategy is difficult to reverse
Some examples of strategic realignments:
- tap into new foreign markets
- Compensate for lost UK market share by offering a new product or service in an existing market and/or offering an existing product or service in a new market
- Increase the competitiveness of the company by implementing a new business model
To carry out this project, the company must work with an external private service provider.
2. Evaluation Criteria
Projects are evaluated based on 4 evaluation criteria:
1. Ambition level of the strategic reorientation.
This criterion assesses whether the applicant has a concrete ambition to strategically reorient by transforming (new product-market combination), innovating or internationalizing. The growth trajectory must lead to sustainable economic growth (in turnover, FTE and/or investments) of the company.
2. Transformation - Impact on the business.
This criterion assesses whether the applicant can demonstrate that the pathway will have a substantial impact on current business operations.
3. Substantiated approach
This criterion assesses whether the applicant can demonstrate that the company has a well thought out roadmap to achieve and perpetuate the proposed strategic realignment in the company.
4. Need for knowledge & expertise.
This criterion assesses whether the applicant can demonstrate that the company cannot successfully implement the project without the acquisition of certain external knowledge and that the service provider in question has the missing knowledge and expertise. The criterion also assesses whether the company's own staff who may be deployed play a key role in the design and implementation of the reorientation project.
There are two possible scores for each criterion, exclusion or sufficient. A project that scores "exclusion" for a criterion cannot receive a grant.
3. How much is the support ?
An SME can receive up to €50,000 grant within this call for projects. The grant amounts to a maximum of €25,000 for the support of one or more external service provider(s) and a maximum of €25,000 for the company's own costs within the framework of the project. The support for own costs is never higher than the support for the external service provider(s).
The contribution of costs for external services is mandatory. The contribution of own costs is optional.
The aid rate is 50% of the accepted project budget. To be eligible, the project budget must be at least €20,000.
4. How to apply ?
Starting February 1, 2021, project applications can be submitted on VLAIO's online platform. The deadline for submission is December 31, 2021 at noon.
Project applications will be decided in order of submission and until the available funds (€14 million) are exhausted. If funds are exhausted earlier than December 31, 2021, VLAIO may close the call earlier.
If you would like more information, please contact our subsidy expert on 051 26 82 68 or by e-mail at info@titeca.be.
