Financing the purchase of a business: what incentives are available?
Selling or taking over a business can be expensive in terms of expert fees. Depending on the situation, the seller/buyer will require a lawyer, a valuation expert, a negotiation expert, etc. As a buyer or seller of a business, you can apply for regional subsidies to cover part of these costs.
Brussels Economy & Employment has introduced two financial aids to help offset these costs. These aids are generally available for a one-time issue, i.e., for an expert's exceptional intervention.
It should be noted that this aid will never subsidise the purchase of shares or the acquisition of company assets.
Lastly, applicants must always submit the application form for each grant before incurring the expense.
1. Business launch grant
For whom?
The buyer must meet the following conditions:
- Not have a company number;
- Not have been self-employed in the last 3 years;
- Have a concrete acquisition project
- To have signed a minimum 6-month support agreement with one of the following: hub.brussels, a local economy office, Job Yourself, Baticrea.
For what?
Expenses related to a consultancy assignment as part of a business takeover, i.e. :
- Legal, fiscal, economic, and organizational preparation of the acquisition
- Company diagnosis aimed at valuing the company to be acquired
How much?
The assignment is reimbursed at a rate of 60%, with a net premium of between €300 (so the assignment must be worth more than €500) and €7,500.
2. Grant Transfer/Acquisition
For whom?
This aid targets micro, small, or medium-sized enterprises operating in specific eligible sectors established in the Brussels-Capital Region (where the acquiring company has its operational headquarters).
This aid is therefore available to both the seller and the buyer who already have a company number.
For what?
The consultancy grant is intended for situations where the entrepreneur has exceptional recourse to an expert. More specifically, the following tasks are covered:
- legal, tax, economic and organisational preparation for the sale of the business or the takeover of a third-party business.
- a diagnosis of the business, in the context of the sale of the business or the takeover of a third-party business, which may in particular aim to increase the value of the business to be sold or taken over.
For example, the drafting of the sale agreement falls within the scope of this grant.
How much?
The assignment is reimbursed at a rate of 60%, and the net premium is between €1,000 (so the assignment must be worth more than €1,667) and €7,500.
Who can help me ?
