There is good news for SMEs that are planning to implement a digitalization soon and rely on an experienced external service provider to do so.
The Flemish Agency for Innovation and Enterprise (VLAIO) launches a call for digital transformation projects whereby half of the project costs are subsidized up to a maximum of €50,000.
The call is open from September 1 and project proposals will be processed in order of submission until the 2.5 million euro grant budget is exhausted.
1. For whom.
The Flemish Government wants to encourage SMEs to jump on the digitalization train and further prepare themselves for the future. In addition, that Flemish SME must not have received an SME growth subsidy in the past 12 months, among other things.
2. For which projects?
It must be a project that increases the digital maturity of the enterprise, with the smart use and management of data playing a central role.
When evaluating a project on the transition to a digital data-driven enterprise, the following issues are also important:
- It can focus on either products, services or processes of the company;
- The project should contribute to the realization of the company strategy and/or is related to critical processes in the company;
- A project is always customized and is ambitious enough so that the company can distinguish itself from its competitors in the future. The mere implementation of standard software to "keep up" with the market is therefore insufficient.
- One or more experienced external service providers should be used. Their services must start at the earliest on the first day of the month following the month in which the application for support was submitted. The support can therefore not be requested for ongoing projects.
Moreover, digitalization can apply to all facets of business operations, such as HR, sales, quality, marketing...
3. How much is the subsidy ?
The support rate is 50% of the accepted costs. To be eligible for a grant, the project budget must be at least €20,000.
The grant is always up to 50,000 € and is divided into two parts :
- Up to €25,000 for support of one or more external service provider(s) (mandatory). The service provider is a private player and may not be affiliated with the applicant company
- Up to € 25,000 for the company's own costs (optional). This includes, for example, personnel costs for employees directly involved in the project.
The part of own costs should not be greater than the part of external services.
4. Are you eligible?
You have digital ambitions and you want to know if your project is eligible or you want guidance in submitting your application? Please do not hesitate to contact us and together we will see if your project can benefit from support.
Applications can be submitted from September 1, 2020 through October 31, 2020 (unless resources would have been exhausted earlier). They are also treated on a first come first serve basis. So being quick is the message!
If you would like more information about this, please contact us at 051 26 82 68 or via email at info@titeca.be.
