Belgian Grants by Sector — Which Startup Gets What

Belgium's grant landscape is shaped by sector priorities set at regional, federal, and EU levels. Each funding agency — VLAIO, Innoviris, SPW — allocates budgets based on strategic themes that directly favour certain sectors over others.

Understanding this structure lets you skip hundreds of irrelevant programs and focus on the handful that genuinely target your type of startup. For personalised recommendations, try Lucas, BelGrant's AI assistant.

This guide covers four major sectors: technology, green and cleantech, health and biotech, and creative industries. For each, we outline the key Belgian programs, typical subsidy rates, and practical tips for startup founders.

Tech startups access the widest range of programs. VLAIO SME innovation grants cover up to 45% of innovation project costs with maxima around €250,000. Innoviris Explore grants fund feasibility studies up to €50,000, and Prove grants fund prototyping up to €200,000.

Wallonia's Digital Wallonia and DGO6 R&D programs support software, AI, and digital transformation projects. Federal R&D wage tax exemptions reduce payroll costs by up to 80% of withheld tax for qualifying researchers, regardless of region.

At EU level, the European Innovation Council (EIC Accelerator) and Horizon Europe offer grants up to several million euros for high-impact tech ventures with cross-border ambitions.

Green startups benefit from VLAIO's Ecology Premium Plus (15–55%), Brussels Climate Fund, and Wallonia's green investment premiums. Horizon Europe Cluster 5 targets climate and energy innovation with substantial collaborative funding.

Health startups can access VLAIO R&D grants at rates up to 60%, Innoviris Health programme funding, and Wallonia's BioWin cluster. Federal incentives include the innovation income deduction (up to 85% exemption on patent income) and the R&D wage tax exemption.

Creative startups have the VAF in Flanders (up to €300,000 for film, gaming, and interactive media), Screen.brussels, and Wallimage in Wallonia. Many creative tech projects also qualify for standard innovation grants.

Start with your sector and region, then filter by company size, stage, and project type. This eliminates most noise and surfaces the 5 to 10 programs where you have the strongest fit.

Remember that many programs have rolling deadlines while others have fixed call windows. Timing your application to align with these cycles is as important as eligibility. Use Lucas to stay current on deadlines and new opportunities.