AI grants for your business: what exists in Belgium and the Netherlands?

Search for AI grants for a business and you mostly find vendors selling their own training or consulting. This article lists the official programs in Belgium and the Netherlands instead: what is still open in October 2026, what is ending and where to start. We only link to government offices and public programs, so you can check the current conditions yourself.

One caveat up front: this is an overview, not grant advice. Programs change often, sometimes from one month to the next. Whether your project qualifies is decided by the office that runs the program.

Dark abstract image of a business block in the center, with blue bridges leading from two public buildings — Public support is usually a first step, not full funding.

In short: in October 2026, Flanders still offers the kmo-portefeuille for AI training until January 1, 2027, plus Start AI and development projects from VLAIO. Brussels has Innoviris, with GENAI and innovation vouchers. In the Netherlands, the MIT tender on AI (2026 round closed), the WBSO and the SLIM grant cover development and training. Most programs pay for learning or development, not for tool subscriptions.

Most of these programs target small and midsize businesses, and that is where AI use lags. According to Eurostat, 17 percent of small EU businesses used AI in 2025, against 55 percent of large ones. The figures cover businesses with 10 or more employees.

What is changing in Flanders?

In Flanders, the kmo-portefeuille (SME wallet) still pays part of AI training in 2026, but new applications stop on January 1, 2027. VLAIO, the Flemish agency for innovation and entrepreneurship, runs the program.

The wallet refunds part of the cost of training or consulting. Since February 1, 2026, consulting only qualifies when it is about cybersecurity. Training is still eligible within eight themes, including digitalization. A small business gets 30 percent support, a midsize business 20 percent. For cybersecurity, that is 45 and 35 percent. The cap is € 7,500 per year.

The Flemish government decided to end the program. According to a VLAIO news release from October 1, 2026, you can no longer apply for new support from January 1, 2027. In 2026 you still can, as long as the annual budget lasts. Planning AI training for your team this year? Check now whether it meets the conditions.

If you want to go beyond training, look at Start AI, a program within the Flemish Industry Partnership. An AI and data expert spends three days with your business on your processes and data and identifies realistic first steps. Thanks to European funding, you can join on favorable terms. For training, the Flemish AI Academy (VAIA) brings together courses from universities, colleges and employer organizations. An overview of Flemish support for AI, with links to VLAIO and its partners, is on the Flemish government’s AI site, which is in Dutch.

Do you develop something new yourself, such as your own AI model or software? Then VLAIO also has development projects. According to its overview of AI grants, they cover 25 to 50 percent of the accepted costs, with a minimum of € 25,000 in support. Research projects get 25 to 60 percent, with a minimum of € 100,000. Both are for real development or research work, not for putting an existing tool to use.

What about Brussels and Wallonia?

In Brussels, Innoviris funds AI projects and hub.brussels offers guidance. In Wallonia, the chèques-entreprises include a voucher for digital maturity.

Innoviris, the Brussels agency for research and innovation, has a program for generative AI called GENAI. It supports a feasibility study and a proof of concept, with a maximum budget of € 80,000 per project. A Brussels SME can also get innovation vouchers of up to € 10,000 to have an idea tested by a research center. For broader support, including digital transformation, there is hub.brussels. In Wallonia, you start with the chèques-entreprises. Conditions and amounts differ per region, so start with the office of the region where your business is based.

Which AI grants exist in the Netherlands?

In the Netherlands, the main AI grant is the MIT tender for joint AI development by small and midsize businesses. The 2026 round is closed.

RVO, the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, runs most national programs, including the MIT program for R&D collaboration projects on AI. It is meant for small and midsize businesses that develop a new product, process or service with AI together with other companies. In 2026 the application window ran from April 7 to May 26, with a total budget of € 3,550,000. Buying an existing AI tool or having an agent set up does not qualify. It is about real development work.

The same goes for the WBSO, a tax incentive for research and development. It helps when you develop new software or technology yourself, not when you start using existing software. The WBSO covers part of the wage costs of that work: 36 percent in the first bracket, or 50 percent for startups. Applications for 2026 closed on September 30. According to RVO, the rates stay the same in 2027. For employee training and development there is the SLIM grant. The SLIM grant for small and midsize businesses closed on September 7, 2026. The SLIM training grant for practical courses in sectors such as engineering and IT remains open to employers until December 31, 2026. For a full overview, including provincial and European programs, use the Ondernemersplein grant finder.

Across Europe, including Belgium and the Netherlands, there are also the European Digital Innovation Hubs. These regional centers help businesses with advice, training and a free digital maturity assessment. This is what the landscape looks like in October 2026:

Program	Region	What it covers	Status October 2026
Kmo-portefeuille (VLAIO)	Flanders	Training; consulting on cybersecurity only	Applications until the annual budget runs out; ends January 1, 2027
Start AI	Flanders	Three days of guidance from an AI and data expert	Running
VAIA	Flanders	AI training for working professionals	Ongoing
VLAIO development project	Flanders	Your own development work: 25 to 50 percent of accepted costs, minimum € 25,000	Available; conditions per project
hub.brussels	Brussels	Support, including digital transformation	Running
Innoviris (GENAI, innovation vouchers)	Brussels	Generative AI feasibility study and proof of concept (up to € 80,000 per project); innovation vouchers up to € 10,000	Available; conditions per program
Chèques-entreprises	Wallonia	Including a voucher for digital maturity	Running; conditions per voucher
MIT R&D collaboration AI (RVO)	Netherlands	Joint AI development work by small and midsize businesses	2026 tender closed (April 7 to May 26)
WBSO (RVO)	Netherlands	Tax incentive for your own development work	Applications for 2026 closed (September 30); continues in 2027 at the same rates
SLIM grant	Netherlands	Employee training and development	SME grant 2026 closed (September 7); training grant open until December 31
European Digital Innovation Hubs	EU, including Belgium and the Netherlands	Advice, training and a free digital assessment	Ongoing

What usually does not qualify for a grant?

Most programs pay for learning, research or development. They rarely pay for the day-to-day use of a tool. Licenses, subscriptions and support for an AI agent that is already running are usually not covered. So do not build your pilot budget around a grant: if one comes through, treat it as a first step. Our article on what an AI agent costs explains what an agent costs in practice.

Belgium has one exception, and it is a tax benefit, not a grant. According to VLAIO, a small business can apply the investment deduction to a license for AI software. It then deducts 10 percent of that investment from its taxable profit, or 20 percent for certain digital investments. Only businesses that meet the tax definition of a small business qualify, so check it with your accountant.

How do you prepare an application?

Start with the work, not the program. Pick one process you want to improve and write down what it costs today in time and errors. That lets you explain to any office what you want to learn or build. Our article on how to start with one frustrating workflow helps you pick that process. AI automation for your business shows which processes often come first.

Then check three things:

Do you need to apply before the project starts?
Does the provider need to be registered or accredited?
Can you combine the program with other support?

With the kmo-portefeuille, for example, you apply within 14 calendar days after the training starts, with a registered provider.

Whether a project qualifies is decided by the program, not by the provider. Want to know how a first pilot with an AI agent works, regardless of grants? Read our approach or the overview of AI automation for businesses. A pilot usually takes 2 to 4 weeks, from the first conversation to the evaluation.

How current is this overview?

Programs open, close and change their conditions. We check this article against the official sources every quarter and update it when something changes. Last checked: October 15, 2026. When in doubt, the text on the office’s own website always applies.

Frequently asked questions

01Is there a grant specifically for AI agents?

Not as far as we could verify with the official offices in Belgium and the Netherlands (October 2026). There are programs for AI development work, such as the MIT tender on AI in the Netherlands. Putting an agent to work usually falls under broader programs for training, consulting or guidance, such as Start AI in Flanders.

02Can I still use the kmo-portefeuille for AI training?

In 2026 you can, as long as the annual budget lasts and the training is with a registered provider within one of the themes, such as digitalization. You apply within 14 calendar days after the training starts. From January 1, 2027, you can no longer apply for new support. Ongoing applications can be completed through December 31, 2027.

03Can I get a grant for an AI tool or subscription?

Usually not. Most programs support training, consulting, research or your own development work, not the license or subscription of a tool you start using. In Belgium, a small business can sometimes apply the investment deduction to a license for AI software. That is a tax benefit, not a grant, so check it with your accountant.

04Where should a business in the Netherlands start?

With the Ondernemersplein grant finder, which brings together national, provincial and European programs. For innovation and development projects, RVO is the office to contact. For feasibility projects under the MIT program, RVO refers you to your region. For staff training, look at the SLIM training grant, which is open to employers until December 31, 2026. For a free digital scan of your business, go to a European Digital Innovation Hub.

05How often is this overview updated?

Every quarter. We then check each program against its official source and update status, dates and amounts. The date of the last check is at the bottom of the article. Between checks, the office’s own website always applies, because a program can close early when its budget runs out.

Which workflow do you want to tackle first?

Discuss your pilot