SME portfolio

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Name of the instrument - Local language
KMO-portefeuille
Name of the instrument - English translation
SME portfolio
Scheme ID
22
Country
Belgium
Reporting year
2020
Type of instrument
Grant for companies
Sub-type of instrument
Support for direct costs
Type of entry
Single instrument
Short description

SMEs and self-employed persons located in Flanders, who are active in particular sectors/occupations selected by the Flemish Government (BvR) can apply for contributions to their training costs. The Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency (VLAIO) is the main entity responsible for the management of this instrument. The eligible education and training activities have to improve the current and future performance of the core functions of the enterprise. Small enterprises are entitled to a subsidy of up to 30% via SME portfolio (with a maximum of support of EUR 7 500 per year) and medium-sized enterprises are entitled to a subsidy of up to 20% via SME portfolio (with a maximum of support of EUR 7 500 per year). Eligible costs include tuition fees, travel costs of trainer and catering (up to EUR 25 per day). No preferential treatment is applied for any eligible groups. The scheme can be used once in each calendar year.

Not applicable
Level of operation
Regional
Name of a part of the country
Not applicable
Name of the region (for regional instruments)
Flanders
Name of the sector (for sectoral instruments)
Not applicable
Relevance
Key instrument
Decision of the Flemish Government (BvR) from 19 December 2008 granting support to small and medium-sized enterprises for the implementation of services (activities) directed at improving entrepreneurial skills
Objective(s) and target(s)
To enable SMEs to get the training and advice they need to become/remain innovative and internationalised
Year of implementation
2009
Year of latest amendment
2019
Operation/management
VLAIO: Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency) is the main entity responsible for the management of this instrument. Thanks to this instrument, SMEs and self-employed persons active in particular sectors/occupations selected by the Flemish Government (BvR) can apply for contributions to their training costs. The payment to the training insitution is made via the online SME portfolio portal. This is the procedure for the funding transfer: 1. Register for training;2. Apply for subsiy; 3. Pay own contribution on SME-wallet account; 4. VLAIO pays its contribution on SME-wallet account; 5. Training; 6. Pay invoice usign SME-wallet account
Eligible group(s)
SMEs and self-employed with one of the main activities specified in the Decision of the Flemish Government (BvR) from 19 December 2008
Group(s) with preferential treatment
No preferential treatment
Education and training eligible
The eligible education and training activities have to improve the current and future performance of core functions of the enterprise
Source of financing and collection mechanism
VLAIO: Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency) is the main source of funding of this instrument (public funding, with funding coming from Government of Flanders).The remaining costs are covered by the company.
Financing formula and allocation mechanisms
Small enterprises are entitled to a subsidy of up to 30% via SME portfolio (with a maximum of a support of 7500 EUR/year) and medium sized enterprises are entitled to a subsidy of up to 20% via SME portfolio (with a maximum of a support of 7500 EUR/year).The payment to the training insitution is made via the online SME portfolio portal.This grant can be used once in each calendar year. Support differs according to firm size.
Eligible costs
Eligible costs include: tuition fees, travel costs of trainer and catering (up to 25 euro per day).
Volumes of funding
Education and training is one of the two pillars of the SMEs portfolio: 1. Education and training; 2. Advise and coaching.These 2 pillars make it difficult to disentangle funding and beneficiaries for the 2 pillars: the annual report provides statistics on the aggregate (i.e. training + advice), further breakdowns are not available for the separate pillars.Available budget for SME portfolio as a whole (i.e. training+advice pillar, without breakdown for 2 pillars separately): 2017: EUR 53 000 000 2018: EUR 63 100 000 2019: EUR 75 000 000 Actual allocated funding for training (actual amount that was consumed/distributed): 2017: EUR 40 901 909 (78% of total SME portfolio spending) 2018: EUR 46 954 471 (76% of total SME portfolio spending) 2019: EUR 56 813 023 (77% of total SME portfolio spending).
Beneficiaries/take up
The number of supported training projects is as follows: 2017: 125 267 (96% of total SME portfolio projects) 2018: 144 505 (96% of total SME portfolio projects) 2019: 173 053 (96% of total SME portfolio projects)
Organisation responsible for monitoring/evaluation
VLAIO: Vlaams Agentschap Innoveren en Ondernemen (Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship Agency)
Most relevant webpage - in English
Not available
Most relevant webpage - local language
https://www.vlaio.be/nl/subsidies-financiering/kmo-portefeuille
Recent changes

2019. From December 1, 2019: terms and conditions have been changed: Small enterprises are entitled to a subsidy of up to 30% via SME portfolio (with a maximum of a support of 7500 euro/year) and medium sized enterprises are entitled to a subsidy of up to 20% via SME portfolio (with a maximum of a support of 7500 euro/year).

Recent changes in response to COVID-19

No changes

Sources
https://www.vlaio.be/nl/subsidies-financiering/kmo-portefeuille
Annual reports of VLAIO https://www.vlaio.be/nl/over-ons/jaarverslagen
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