Flemish defense plan allows support for military projects - Call Defense 2025. Regular development projects can be submitted permanently.
How to apply for the Development Project subsidy
Call Defence 2025
On 4 April 2025, the Flemish government approved the Flemish defence plan. This plan provides support for projects aimed at defence and civil applications with dual use. That means they can also be used for defence. In anticipation of an impulse programme for innovation in the security and defence industry sector, we are launching a call for defence projects. You can submit a project until 4 November.
The Defence 2025 call was launched on 28 May 2025 and closes at noon on 4 November 2025. You can find all the information around the call here. The information is in Dutch.
Selectivity 2026
The selectivity for projects submitted as of January 1, 2026 was determined at the FIO decision committee meeting on 11 December 2025. It will be applied as follows:
Based on the scores ‘CRITICAL=exclusion, REASONABLE=-1, GOOD=0, VERY GOOD=+1’, a project is eligible for funding provided that:
• No CRITICAL score has been assigned.
• on each individual axis is ≥ -2.
This corresponds to a maximum of two uncompensated points of interest (=reasonable score) per axis. The selection criteria for research and development projects are set out in Annex 1 of the explanatory document.
With these adjustments, we aim to encourage companies to thoroughly develop their ambitious project proposals. This means: clearly describing challenges, mapping out risks, and convincingly demonstrating the impact the project will have. Our business advisors are also happy to help you clarify challenges and impact.
Depending on the available budget, the FIO Decision Committee reserves the right to adjust selectivity during the year. If this happens, it will be communicated in good time on the website.
Application process
Each enterprise must submit an application, which Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship will subsequently assess on eligibility.
Each enterprise must submit an application document consisting of different components. This document can be submitted at any time and will be individually dealt with. Normally, the assessment will happen within the legal 18 weeks term, but this depends on factors such as the number of applications dealt with at the time of submission. There is, however, one thing you can do to speed up the process: prepare your application in such a way that it is clear and answers all the questions asked.
You can assume that your application will be read by someone with basic knowledge of your industry.
If necessary, the information you provide can be relayed to third-party experts. If you wish to submit detailed information that should not be relayed to third-party experts, please upload a separate file along with your digital submission.
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1Preparation
If you would like to apply for the Development Project subsidy, you must fill in the supplied templates and provide VLAIO with some specific financial information. Each business partner must provide this information.
The two templates that must be filled in are the template concerning the project description of the development project and the template concerning the budget. More information about determining the budget can be found in the guide to the cost model.
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2Submit the application
If you have gathered all this information and filled in the templates, you can submit your application. This must happen electronically; step-by-step instructions can be found at the bottom of this page. In order to secure the personal data to a maximum extent, you must register by means of a federal token or an electronic identity card.
After correct submission of your application, you will receive a confirmation. If not, assume that your application has not been submitted and contact us (bedrijfsinnovatiesteun@vlaio.be) if necessary.
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3After submission - 3 steps to evaluation
After you have submitted your application, the following three steps will be taken in chronological order:
- Step 1: VLAIO will assess your application on eligibility. No news is good news. VLAIO will contact you within two weeks (depending on the number of current applications) to schedule a meeting between you and a VLAIO project advisor. An expert might possibly also join this conversation.
- Step 2: During your meeting with the VLAIO project advisor, you will discuss the information submitted in your application in greater detail. You may also be asked to answer more specific questions, e.g. about your business case, your revenue/ expenses, the implementation of the project or your approach. Some possible questions can be found under ‘Requirements’.
- Step 3: If VLAIO has all the information it needs, a decision is made on whether or not to (partly) approve your application (possibly, some extra conditions will be set). After a decision has been made, you will be notified in writing with a substantive justification. In the event of a positive decision, the contract is established.
- Step 1: VLAIO will assess your application on eligibility. No news is good news. VLAIO will contact you within two weeks (depending on the number of current applications) to schedule a meeting between you and a VLAIO project advisor. An expert might possibly also join this conversation.