Brussels Digitalisation grant in 2026: how can your business obtain 25–70% support?

01

Is the Brussels Digitalisation grant still available in 2026?

If you want funding for a company website, CRM improvements or IT security, first identify the correct scheme. The Digitalisation grant is administered by Brussels Economy and Employment, known as BEE in French. MonBEE is the application platform. Gaspa provides digital project services and does not award public grants.

The official announcement dated 31 July 2026 keeps Digitalisation among the available schemes. Several other operating grants, including Consultance and Formation, are suspended from 12 August 2026. The word consultancy in a supplier’s proposal does not, by itself, determine which scheme applies.

This guide was checked on 25 October 2026. It combines application preparation, worked calculations and questions to ask. Review the current BEE page and form before committing: an available scheme does not reserve funding for your business or guarantee approval.

02

Which businesses can apply in the Brussels-Capital Region?

The first check concerns the business requesting support, not the agency’s office address. A billing address or customers in Brussels do not, on their own, establish the required operating site. Identify the relevant establishment unit and the activity actually carried out there.

The scheme concerns SMEs with an economic and commercial purpose, a Brussels operating establishment and an eligible activity. The official page excludes businesses receiving more than 75% public funding. It also requires compliance with annual accounts obligations and diversity conditions above fifty workers. Ask BEE about uncertain points before setting a start date.

SME size is not determined solely by the number of people in your office. Employee numbers, financial figures and relationships with other companies matter. A small local team within a larger group may require a different assessment from an autonomous business.

03

Self-employed applicants, small businesses and NACE-BEL codes

Working alone does not mean you should dismiss the scheme. The relevant question is whether the business and assignment meet its conditions. Equally, being a Belgian SME is insufficient: the operating location and activity are important to this Brussels scheme.

BEE’s sector page explains the role of VAT NACE codes and company statutes. It links to a Digitalisation-specific activity list and a conversion table between NACE-BEL 2008 and 2025. Use these references rather than a generic sector list on a supplier’s website.

If the business has several activities, explain which one will benefit from the project. A business in Liège, Namur, Antwerp or Ghent without a Brussels operating establishment should examine the schemes for its own region rather than assume these conditions apply.

04

Websites, CRM, automation and cybersecurity: which projects should you present?

The scheme identifies three areas: digitalisation of processes, production resources, products or services; IT security; and technical creation or improvement of the business website. The application should explain the problem and expected outcomes, even when the business has several digital needs.

The examples below are Gaspa’s suggestions for scoping a project, not a list of automatically funded services. Ask about individual cost items. A software name or the words artificial intelligence on a quote do not establish eligibility.

05

One-off consultancy and recurring expenditure must be separated

The scheme targets an exceptional intervention addressing a defined problem where the business lacks sufficient internal expertise. Renaming a standing outsourcing contract as a digitalisation project does not change the underlying work.

Separate assignment work, purchases, subscriptions, hosting, ongoing support and third-party services in the proposal. Do not assume the full commercial project budget will be admitted. BEE may assess a narrower expenditure base.

For a redesign, distinguish the assessment, agreed development and delivery from future operating costs. For cybersecurity, separate an assessment and remediation plan from an ongoing monitoring subscription. This makes both supplier comparison and administrative questions clearer.

06

Grant amounts: base rate, minimum award and annual ceiling

Rates apply to admitted expenditure excluding VAT. The base is 25%, with conditional increases up to 70%. Support is capped at €10,000 per beneficiary per calendar year, with no more than two subsidised assignments and a minimum intervention of €500 per application.

Read these limits together. The annual ceiling does not restart for each invoice or assignment. The €500 minimum concerns the award rather than the quote. A calculated award below that threshold does not qualify simply because the project is digital.

Keep three budget lines: total project price, potentially admitted expenditure and estimated support. Account separately for VAT, excluded items and payment timing. An expected grant is not an immediate supplier discount.

07

When can the rate increase to 50%, 55% or up to 70%?

An increase adds percentage points to the base rate. Starter status concerns a business registered with the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises less than four years ago. The applicable points also depend on business size.

Social and environmental exemplary status must be recognised and supported by the accepted evidence. General statements about values, a sustainability page or environmentally marketed hosting do not replace the required documentation. BEE’s FAQ says exemplary status generally needs to be demonstrated when applying.

The following examples assume each stated condition has been recognised. A newly established business therefore does not automatically receive 70%. Check the required evidence and any conditions affecting individual establishment units.

08

Worked calculations: what would remain to finance?

These calculations are neither Gaspa prices nor grant decisions. They assume all stated expenditure is admitted, the stated rate is justified and no earlier Digitalisation award uses the annual ceiling. Balances exclude VAT, rejected expenditure and the grant’s tax effects.

For €20,000 of admitted expenditure at 70%, the initial calculation is €14,000. With €10,000 of annual ceiling available, support cannot reach €14,000. The capped award represents 50% of this example budget despite a theoretical 70% rate.

If an earlier award has used some of the annual allowance, calculate the remaining ceiling first. Do not multiply an estimate by the number of assignments. The project should remain commercially sensible if the authority admits fewer costs or refuses the application.

09

Which consultant or agency should carry out a subsidised assignment?

Price and portfolio are not the only checks. BEE’s page requires a specialised provider, at least two years of consultancy activity, evidenced experience and independence from the beneficiary. Invoicing and the provider’s main consultancy activity are also relevant.

Ask who will actually work on the assignment, which references relate to the problem and which documents can accompany the proposal. For a multidisciplinary team, distinguish discovery, implementation and responsibility for the final report.

A first discussion with Gaspa can define the assignment, stages and deliverables to price: a website, business tool or security project. Provider references and documentation still need to be examined in the application. Neither Gaspa’s acceptance nor project eligibility is presented as already established.

10

Prepare a detailed proposal and supporting documents

Start with the business problem, current situation, intended effect and limits. Replace a vague request to redo the website with a concrete objective such as simplifying enquiries and connecting forms to sales follow-up.

The proposal should identify tasks, deliverables, duration, people, price and exclusions. Separate options from agreed scope. A quote combining several suppliers, one-off work and subscriptions without a breakdown makes review harder.

The official page lists an offer valid when applying, CV information, registration documents, bank details, a mandate and exemplary-status evidence. Required attachments depend on the applicant and current form. Prepare applicable documents rather than treat this guide as an exhaustive list required from everyone.

11

Apply through MonBEE step by step

Prepare a working folder before starting the form: final proposal, short description, timetable and supporting documents. Nominate someone to monitor messages. Submitting through an account nobody checks can create a deadline problem.

Select the scheme corresponding to the assignment, complete the business details and attach the requested documents. Compare the description, amounts and dates with the proposal. If someone applies on your behalf, check representation and mandate requirements.

After sending, keep the acknowledgement, application reference and the documents actually submitted. BEE explains that its acknowledgement confirms receipt rather than eligibility or approval. If the acknowledgement is missing, clarify the status before assuming the application was received.

12

When should you apply, start work and provide final evidence?

Submit before work starts. BEE’s page requires receipt no later than the day before the assignment begins, with work starting no earlier than the following day. Starting beforehand creates an application eligibility problem.

Starting after submission but before an award remains a commercial decision without guaranteed support. Agree how the project would proceed after an unfavourable decision. Permission under the timetable to begin is not implicit approval of the budget.

For final supporting documents, the BEE page checked for this guide states twelve months after the award notification. Verify the applicable deadline in your decision and ask BEE to clarify any discrepancy with another document. Organise evidence collection from the outset.

13

Payment, VAT and cash flow: plan more than a percentage

A grant is not a discount from the agency. Plan supplier payments under the contract and the subsequent grant payment process. Keep invoices, payment evidence and the documents required by the award decision.

After reviewing evidence, BEE communicates the eligible amount and requests a declaration of claim before a single payment. Its page also states that the grant forms part of the business’s taxable income. The illustrative balances in this guide do not calculate your final tax cost.

Make sure the business can finance the project until payment arrives. Ask your accountant about VAT, accounting and tax treatment. Avoid ordering a larger project only because a presentation mentions the maximum support rate.

14

De minimis aid and obligations after the award

The grant falls under de minimis rules. The EU regulation sets a €300,000 ceiling over a rolling three-year period, per Member State and single undertaking. Linked companies can be included, so the check is not limited to the bank account receiving payment.

Gather earlier award decisions and disclose relevant aid in the requested fields. If another scheme supports the same costs, check cumulation rules. Adding percentages from separate programmes is not a sufficient calculation.

BEE’s obligations page also provides for maintaining activity in Brussels for at least three years after an award for grants other than the investment categories it distinguishes. Inspections and repayment may follow a failure to meet conditions. Discuss a planned move or reorganisation with the authority.

15

Responsible digital technology: useful, accessible and maintainable

The scheme requires a commitment to responsible digital principles. This concerns how a project is designed and used, not simply environmentally themed branding or a hosting supplier.

Turn the commitment into practical brief questions: does the website work on ordinary phones and slower connections? Does the tool collect only necessary information? Can the team maintain it? Do the journeys consider users with disabilities?

Gaspa can address useful functionality, performance, accessibility and handover during discovery and design. Agree the criteria and checks rather than treat a responsible digital label in a proposal as sufficient evidence.

16

Application mistakes to avoid

A coherent application connects the need, assignment, proposal and dates. A copied project description or a collection of technical terms may make the request less understandable.

Ask BEE precise questions about your establishment, activity, a cost item, supporting evidence or a deadline. An answer about one condition should not be presented as approval of the entire application.

17

Prepare a digitalisation project with Gaspa in Brussels

Tell us about your activity, the priority problem, existing tools and intended timetable. Mention your interest in the grant. An initial message can be short: it prepares a discussion and identifies missing information.

For websites, we can define journeys, content integration and connections. For CRM and automation, we start with business steps and data. For security work, we distinguish assessment, remediation and verification. The proposal should make these choices understandable.

Gaspa can provide technical and presentation material concerning its proposal. The application belongs to your business, and any representation must be agreed. We do not guarantee the rate, consultant eligibility, admitted costs or BEE’s decision. The goal is a useful project and a coherent file.

18

Official sources and the right contact for your application

Administrative information was checked against the official sources below on 25 October 2026. Project tables, preparation advice and calculations are Gaspa explanations. They do not replace the current form or the decision applicable to your file.

For confirmation about eligibility, contact the Business Support department of Brussels Economy and Employment, including on 02 800 34 00, or use its contact form. Contact Gaspa about the technical project scope and our proposal.