How to Apply for Multiple Belgian Grants Simultaneously

Yes. There is no Belgian law or regulation that prevents a company from applying for multiple grants simultaneously. In fact, the Belgian grant system is explicitly designed to allow companies to combine different types of support — as long as the cumulation rules are respected.

Regional agencies like VLAIO, Innoviris, and SPW each manage their own programs independently, and a company can hold active grants from multiple agencies at the same time. The same applies to EU programs: you can hold an EIC Accelerator grant alongside a VLAIO R&D subsidy, provided you are not double-funding the same costs.

The key constraint is not about the number of applications, but about the total amount of public aid received. EU state aid rules, particularly the de minimis regulation, set ceilings on how much public support a single company can receive within a given period. Understanding these rules is essential for any company planning to apply for multiple grants.

The de minimis regulation is the most important rule to understand when applying for multiple grants. Under this regulation, a single undertaking can receive up to €300,000 in de minimis aid over any rolling three-year period (the threshold was raised from €200,000 in the 2024 revision).

Not all Belgian grants fall under de minimis. Many regional innovation grants, R&D subsidies, and EU programs use the General Block Exemption Regulation (GBER) instead, which has different — and often higher — cumulation limits. The distinction matters because GBER-based grants do not count against your de minimis ceiling.

Before applying for multiple grants, check whether each program uses de minimis or GBER aid. This information is typically stated in the grant program's terms and conditions. If you are unsure, the BelGrant assistant can help you classify your grants.

Companies that have received any de minimis aid in the past three years must declare this in new applications. Forgetting to declare past aid is one of the most common mistakes — and it can result in having to repay the excess aid.

Most Belgian grant applications include a section where you must declare any other public aid you have received or applied for. This is not optional — it is a legal requirement under EU state aid rules.

When filling out this section, list all grants you have received in the past three years, all grants you have been approved for but not yet received, and all pending applications. Include the program name, the granting agency, the amount, and whether it is de minimis or GBER aid.

Being transparent about parallel applications does not hurt your chances. Grant agencies expect companies to use multiple sources of support. What they need to verify is that the total aid for any single project or cost item does not exceed the allowed maximum intensity.

If you are applying for grants that cover the same project costs (for example, two R&D grants for the same research project), you must ensure that the combined public funding does not exceed the maximum co-financing rate — typically 50-80% of eligible costs depending on company size and aid type.

Some grant combinations are straightforward and commonly used. For example, combining a VLAIO R&D subsidy with federal R&D tax incentives is standard practice — these target different cost categories and use different aid mechanisms. Similarly, a regional innovation grant can typically be combined with an EU Horizon Europe grant if they fund different work packages or project phases.

Commonly approved combinations include: a regional innovation grant plus federal R&D tax credits, a KMO Groeisubsidie plus a separate sectoral support program, an Innoviris grant plus EU funding for a different project phase, and training subsidies alongside technology investment grants.

Potentially incompatible combinations typically involve two grants from the same agency covering the same costs, two de minimis grants that together exceed the €300,000 ceiling, or combining regional aid with EU aid that already covers 100% of eligible costs for the same work package.

The safest approach is to ensure each grant covers a distinct set of costs or project activities. If two grants overlap on the same costs, verify that their combined intensity stays within the allowed limits.

A grant portfolio strategy means planning your applications as a coordinated set rather than submitting them one at a time in isolation. This approach maximises your total funding while staying compliant with cumulation rules.

Start by mapping your company's activities into distinct project categories: R&D, commercialisation, hiring, training, sustainability investments, and international expansion. Each category can typically be funded by different grant programs without overlap.

Then match each category to the strongest-fit grants. For example: VLAIO O&O for research, KMO Portefeuille for consulting, a hiring subsidy for new employees, the Ecologiepremie+ for green equipment, and a Brussels Invest & Export grant for international market entry.

Track your de minimis balance, your GBER aid per project, and your application deadlines in a single overview. The BelGrant application guide can help you structure this process. Companies that plan their grant portfolio proactively typically secure 2-3x more public funding than those that apply reactively.

Finally, consider timing. Some programs have fixed deadlines while others accept applications year-round. Aligning your applications so that decisions arrive in a useful sequence — for example, securing a feasibility study grant before applying for a larger R&D subsidy — can strengthen each subsequent application.

Example 1: A Flemish software startup applies for a VLAIO feasibility study (€50,000 de minimis) while simultaneously using KMO Portefeuille for business consulting (€7,500 de minimis). Total de minimis: €57,500 — well within the €300,000 ceiling. Both are approved without issue.

Example 2: A Brussels biotech company holds an Innoviris R&D grant (GBER, €200,000) and applies for an EIC Accelerator grant (€2.5M). The EIC grant covers a different project phase (scale-up) than the Innoviris grant (research). No overlap, no cumulation issue. Both proceed.

Example 3: A Walloon manufacturer has a SPW investment grant covering 20% of new equipment costs and applies for a federal investment deduction on the same equipment. The combined aid intensity is 35%, within the 40% GBER ceiling for SMEs in the region. Approved.

Example 4: A company applies for two de minimis grants totalling €310,000 within three years. The second grant agency flags that this exceeds the ceiling. The company must either reduce the second grant amount or withdraw one application. This is exactly the situation proactive portfolio planning prevents.

Use the BelGrant eligibility checker to verify your grant combinations before submitting applications.