What?

BEL-COO is a financing programme focused on Belgian enterprises aiming to execute a joint R&D project with enterprises from other Belgian regions. The duration of a BEL-COO project must be between 12 and 36 months.

Composition of the consortium

• BEL-COO is an initiative of Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship (Flanders), SPW Recherche (Wallonia) and Innoviris (Brussels). Enterprises that want to participate in a BEL-COO project submit their part of the project in the existing financing instruments from their own region.
• Flanders Innovation & Entrepreneurship participates with the following programmes: development projects and research projects. The Flemish part of the BEL-COO projects has to follow -in general- the modalities of 1 of these programs. The deviations are mentioned on this page.
• The regional financing agencies (VLAIO, SPW and Innoviris) organise a central meeting to dicuss the financing of the projects, but each financing agency is responsible for the financing of the enterprises from the own region.

Target audience

The target group are Flemish enterprises that want to develop a joint R&D project with enterprises from Wallonia and/or Brussels.

Additional requirements for the project consortium:

• The project consortium consists of at least two enterprises from two different Belgian regions.
• None of the participating enterprises has a budget that is larger than 70% of the total project budget.
• Each participating enterprise executes R&D tasks with a clear technical risk and participates in the economic results of the project (no subcontractor role).
• Research institutes can participate as subcontractor or research partner of the participating enterprises. They can however not participate as a direct contractor.
• The participating companies are not undertakings in difficulty. Specifically for the Flemish company(ies): if the Flemish company is an undertaking in difficulty at the time of the VLAIO application, a remediation plan must be added to the Flemish application, which substantiates how the status of undertaking in difficulty will be remediated in a timely manner. Proof of the remediation must be provided before the VLAIO decision regarding support of the project.

Status?

Projects can be submitted continuously and will also be evaluated on a continuous basis. The agencies strive for a maximum evaluation period of 4 months.

More information?

• BEL-COO Guidelines for applicants
• For specific questions: patricia.menten@vlaio.be, T +32 2 432 43 29
• Access to the pages of the regional programmes from Wallonia (SPW Recherche) and Brussels (Innoviris):
  • SPW Recherche
  • Innoviris

Documents for submission

The Flemish part of a BEL-COO application should be submitted through the e-portal of the programme of interest: development projects when the Flemish part consists only of development activities; research projects when the Flemish part consists of only research activities or a combination of research and development activities.

It is important to indicate in the e-portal that the application falls within the framework of BEL-COO. You will then be referred to the correct application templates. 

The non-Flemish co-applicants of the BEL-COO project do NOT have to register via the VLAIO e-portal.

The following documents need to be uploaded:

• BEL-COO proposal application form: the interregional BEL-COO application template
• Application form R&D projects: annex international and interregional projects (impact/business case): to be submitted by each Flemish enterprise that participates as an applicant in the project consortium.
• Draft consortium agreement (does not need to be signed yet).
• Budget application
• Size of the enterprise

In addition, some companies have to upload the following documents:

• Undertakings in difficulty must add a remediation plan.
• Start-ups (sme’s < 3 year) and undertakings in difficulty must add a Cash flow forecast.
• Large enterprises and energy intensive sme’s must add an Outline of the climate plan.