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Subsidies

Research Project

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What follows after the subsidy is granted?

The payment of the Research Project subsidy occurs in parts.

The exact amount of the different payments is determined at the moment of decision.

You will receive the first part of the subsidy after you have confirmed the start of the project (and have agreed with any special conditions), the last part is paid after the successful termination of the project.

Each business partner will be paid directly and individually by VLAIO. Research partners and subcontractors must be paid by the business partners.

The subsidy will only be granted if the business partners execute the Research Project in the way that was agreed upon and if they perform both their duty to report unanticipated changes to the project execution and their duty to report on their progress.   

At the end of the project, a final verification of the real costs is made. Based on the approved costs and the applied support percentage, the remaining last part of the subsidy is determined and paid. 

What are the steps for payment of the final instalment for projects after 1 July 2021?

  • 1

    Preparation of the final financial report by the main applicant and any business partners

    The main applicant and any business partners each prepare the final financial report (Excel cost template) separately. The final financial report (Excel cost template) to be uploaded includes the project costs that were approved with the application. Only these actual project costs are eligible and are added by cost category.

  • 2

    Substantiation of the costs by the main applicant and any business partners

    The actual costs included in the final financial report are substantiated by means of supporting documents. These actual costs could be: the staff costs, operating costs, costs of external services and investment costs.

    The supporting documents for these costs consist of:

    • Staff costs: individual accounts and/or pay slips.
    • Operating costs, if the ceiling was breached in both the approved budget and the final financial report:
      • a detailed statement (Excel) listing the costs recording the invoice date, invoice number, supplier, description, amount excl. VAT, amount incl. VAT, and (structured) notification where applicable;
      • the corresponding invoices with corresponding payment receipts bundled by supplier, provider and item;
      • and any other supporting documents.
    • Costs of external services: 
      • a detailed statement (Excel) listing the costs recording the invoice date, invoice number, supplier, description, amount excl. VAT, amount incl. VAT, and (structured) notification where applicable;
      • the corresponding invoices with corresponding payment receipts bundled by supplier and provider.
    • investment costs: depreciation tables and the statement of balance sheet accounts (class 2).
  • 3

    Contact an accountant or auditor

    The main applicant and any business partners each instruct an accountant or auditor. Only an (internal) (certified) (tax) accountant or an auditor can perform the Engagement (the certification). The in-house accountant can perform the Engagement (the certification) if they are an internal (certified) (tax) accountant with an ITAA membership number.

    You can consult the public register of accountants and auditors at  www.itaa.be and www.ibr-ire.be to check who is a member.

  • 4

    Provide the necessary information

    Your accountant or auditor needs information to perform the Engagement (the certification). You therefore provide them with the following:

    • the final financial report (Excel cost template)
    • the supporting documents for the actual costs included in the final financial report
    • the URL to the 'Financial report with certification' requirement where the accountant or auditor performs the Engagement (the certification) (see Download frequently asked questions - 'Where can I find the URL to the 'Financial report with certification’ requirement where the accountant or auditor performs the Engagement?')
  • 5

    Have the Engagement performed by your accountant or auditor

    The accountant or auditor can request the approved budget by sending an email to verificatie@vlaio.be. The accountant or auditor must thereby specify the dossier number and his/her membership number.

    The accountant or auditor then carries out the Engagement based on the following received information:

    • the final financial report (Excel cost template)
    • the supporting documents for the actual costs included in the final financial report
    • the URL to the 'Financial report with certification’ requirement
    • the approved budget

    The engagement involves performing agreed-upon procedures regarding financial information and any factual findings based on the final financial report (Excel cost template) incl. supporting documents and the approved budget.

  • 6

    View the summary of the submitted engagement

    After submission, you can find the summary under the same URL that you as the main applicant and any business partners provided to the accountant or auditor.

Exception!

In certain cases, you do not have to use an accountant or auditor, but the legal representative may submit the 'Financial report with certification'.

This applies to:

  • Companies and knowledge institutions that have previously reached agreements with VLAIO around the use of gross wages for staff categories.
  • Organisations that use government pay scales. 
  • In case interim financial statements have to be uploaded.
  • Companies that submitted the project application before 1 July 2021.

In these cases, you can submit the (final) financial report (Excel cost template) together with any supporting documents for the cost categories operating costs, costs of external services and investment costs  by selecting the 'legal representative’ option. 

The (final) financial report (Excel cost template)  to be uploaded will include the project costs that were approved with the application. Only these actual project costs are eligible and are added here by cost category.

Further information

Contact

Address
VLAIO

Koning Albert II-laan 35 box 12
1030 Brussel
Belgium

Telephone
T0800 20 555
Mail
bedrijfsinnovatiesteun@vlaio.be