Grants for Healthcare and Medical Companies in Belgium

Belgium has one of Europe's strongest life sciences ecosystems. With world-class research universities, a dense biotech cluster, and progressive health policy, the country attracts significant public and private investment in healthcare innovation. For healthcare and medical companies — from digital health startups to established medtech manufacturers — this translates into a rich grant landscape.

The funding sources span multiple levels: regional innovation agencies (VLAIO in Flanders, Innoviris in Brussels, SPW in Wallonia), federal tax incentives for R&D, and EU programmes like Horizon Europe. Each targets different stages of the innovation pipeline, from basic research to clinical validation and market entry.

Many healthcare companies underutilise these funding sources because the ecosystem is fragmented and the application processes differ significantly between programmes. This guide maps the key opportunities and shows how to navigate them efficiently.

Innoviris is the Brussels-Capital Region's innovation funding agency. It operates several programmes directly relevant to healthcare companies. The Industrial Research Programme supports applied research with commercial potential, covering up to 50 % of eligible costs for SMEs.

Innoviris also runs thematic calls specifically for health and life sciences, including digital health, personalised medicine, and health data analytics. These calls often align with Brussels' strategic priorities around health innovation and can provide grants of €100,000 to €500,000 or more.

For a broader view of innovation funding, see our innovation grants overview. Brussels-based health startups should also explore the Proof of Business and Proof of Concept programmes, which fund early-stage validation work.

VLAIO supports Flemish medtech companies through several programmes. The Onderzoeksproject (research project) grant covers fundamental and industrial research, while the Ontwikkelingsproject (development project) supports activities closer to market — prototyping, clinical testing, regulatory preparation, and process optimisation.

For medtech companies, VLAIO's development project grant is particularly relevant. It can cover 25–50 % of eligible costs depending on company size and project type. Activities like CE marking preparation, biocompatibility testing, and usability studies typically qualify.

VLAIO also provides innovation cluster support. Flanders has active health innovation clusters that connect companies with research institutions and hospitals, facilitating collaborative grant applications and knowledge transfer.

Belgium's federal R&D tax incentives are among the most generous in Europe. The partial wage tax exemption for R&D personnel allows companies to retain up to 80 % of the professional withholding tax paid on salaries of qualifying researchers. For healthcare companies with significant R&D teams, this can represent substantial savings.

The innovation income deduction provides an 85 % deduction on income derived from qualifying intellectual property — patents, supplementary protection certificates, orphan drug designations, and certain software copyrights. For medtech and pharma companies with patent portfolios, this reduces the effective tax rate on innovation income to approximately 3.75 %.

These federal incentives can be combined with regional grants. A Flemish medtech company could receive a VLAIO development project grant while simultaneously benefiting from the wage tax exemption and innovation income deduction — stacking incentives legally and significantly reducing the net cost of R&D.

Horizon Europe is the EU's flagship research and innovation programme with a budget of €95.5 billion for 2021–2027. The Health Cluster (Cluster 1) funds research across six areas: staying healthy in a rapidly changing society, living and working in a health-promoting environment, tackling diseases, ensuring access to innovative health solutions, unlocking the full potential of new tools and digital health, and maintaining a sustainable healthcare system.

Belgian healthcare companies can participate in collaborative projects (typically requiring partners from at least three EU countries) or apply for EIC Accelerator grants for breakthrough innovations. The EIC Accelerator provides up to €2.5 million in grants plus optional equity investment for high-potential companies.

For all grant types, BelGrant's AI assistant can help evaluate which programmes match your company's profile, development stage, and innovation focus. Explore available grants filtered by your sector and region.