Structures to help companies facing difficulties or problems
Is your company facing difficulties? Are you losing your footing as an entrepreneur? Many organisations can help you free of charge, whether for legal, psychological, accounting, energy or credit repayment issues, etc.
All contacts at a glance
In this vademecum you'll find all the solutions available to help you when your business is facing difficulties.
Centre for enterprises in difficulty
The Brussels Enterprises Commerce and Industry (BECI) has a Centre for Enterprises in Difficulty (CED), which employs experts dedicated to this problem.
TARGET PUBLIC
The CED is there to assist any struggling business and is ready to listen, offer advice, and respond to inquiries from entrepreneurs regarding their business's operations and surrounding conditions.
Condition: the contractor's headquarters must be located in the Brussels-Capital Region.
PROGRAMME
Depend on needs, the CED offers two types of free assistance :
- Weekly group workshops at the BECI on Tuesdays from 2 to 4 p.m., with a cap of 10 participants.
- Accounting, tax, and legal counsel regarding the steps to be followed to guarantee the company's survival.
- Individual workshops are scheduled every Thursday from 7.30 to 9.30 am
- A multidisciplinary team of experts (lawyer, accountant, crisis manager).
CONTACT
To participate: a call centre listens to and guides companies. Can be contacted on 02/533.40.90 (24/7) or at ced@beci.be
Reload Yourself
The Brussels Region supports the entrepreneurial takeover cooperative Reload Yourself. Owing to its proficiency, it offers tailored assistance to business owners in their endeavours to acquire enterprises or revive struggling ones.
TARGET PUBLIC
Reload Yourself supports anyone who wants to relaunch a business that experiences difficulties, whether it is an SME, a local business or a self-employed activity.
One condition: One condition: you must be a resident of the Brussels-Capital Region or a business starter whose head office/business premises are in the region.
Programme
Reload Yourself offers a tailor-made framework to get you out of difficulty step by step. By your side, you will have the legal, strategic, financial and human expertise you need over the long term (max. 24 months).
Through individual interviews, Reload Yourself will help you to
- establish a health check of your company
- evaluate the possibilities for recovery
- analyse possible protective measures in case of debt
- define ways to restore profitability
- identify possibilities for improvement in business management (supply, governance, costs, etc.)
- possibly execute your recovery in more specific aspects (prospecting, marketing/sales, financial management...)
Contact
Register via the Registration form and a staff member will get back to you shortly.
More info: www.reloadyourself.be
Oasis
The OASIS programme (Réseau Entreprendre de Bruxelles) provides support to entrepreneurs who find themselves in a crisis situation. It is aimed at larger companies.
TARGET PUBLIC
The programme is open exclusively to companies with more than five workers (FTE). Companies must also be in a crisis situation (complex and global difficulties).
PROGRAMME
The programme focuses on three components:
- human support for entrepreneurs whose objective is to unload and "zoom out" from the situation, for a period of three months;
- provision of technical experts when needed;
- search for pragmatic solutions (ways to improve, reflect, rebound or stop the activity smoothly).
CONTACT
Emilie Saey - esaey@reseau-entreprendre.org - 0498/20.67.58
Energy Pack
In the context of the energy crisis, the "Union des Classes Moyennes" has set up "Energy Support" to help companies reduce their energy consumption. An "Energy Pack" has been specially developed in Brussels.
TARGET PUBLIC
For all self-employed persons, VSEs and SMEs in the commercial sector in the Brussels-Capital Region.
PROGRAMME
The - free - pack includes a visit from a UCM advisor to perform an energy pre-check. The objective is to identify energy items that can be improved.
Based on the report, the UCM puts the company in contact with a recognised professional to implement improvement measures (renovation).
The UCM advisor helps find "energy" financial aid and supports the company in the creation of the application file (to obtain the premium, the subsidy, etc.).
CONTACT
Bank credit mediation
Hub.brussels has set up a support service to help entrepreneurs facing difficulties in the repayment/negotiation of their loans.
TARGET PUBLIC
Any entrepreneur who encounters a problem with their professional credits, credit provider or bank.
Condition: you must be a resident of the Brussels-Capital Region and have your headquarters in the region as well.
PROGRAMME
hub.brussels offers free, confidential support so you can relaunch the dialogue and aim for an amicable agreement between the parties. This includes, if necessary, making contact with the various parties to encourage dialogue.
More info in this article
CONTACT
Fabrice Dury - fdury@hub.brussels
Business mediation
Business mediation is recommended when the company in difficulty is faced with a "simple" problem, with one or two main creditors (suppliers or institutions).
TARGET PUBLIC
Business mediation is available to companies facing payment problems with one or two creditors.
Under certain conditions, the company can receive financial aid from the Brussels-Capital Region of up to €1,850 (incl. VAT) as part of a partnership between the CED and bMediation.
PROGRAMME
Business mediation is a procedure for:
- Amicable agreement, not judicial;
- ensures that the debtor can enter into agreements with their creditors without any publicity;
- Led by a mediator. The mediator's fresh, neutral viewpoint helps restore confidence with creditors, including institutional creditors (with which settlement plans can be concluded);
- Free choice of the creditors taking part in the mediation. However, there is no protection against potential creditor claims;
- No procedural constraints (no time limit).
CONTACT
Not sure whether to go for business mediation or PRJ? Complete the BECI questionnaire to find the best solution for your situation.
For support applying for business mediation, contact the Centre for Enterprises in Difficulty using the following form. The CED processes the application, verifies the award criteria and refers the file, as needed, to bMediation or to a lawyer for the introduction of a PRJ.
Judicial reorganisation procedure (PRJ)
The PRJ is intended for companies in complex financial situations (larger debts with several creditors, risk of imminent action, etc.). For the PRJ to be accepted by the court, the continuity of the company must be threatened in the short or medium term.
TARGET PUBLIC
The PRJ is available to companies facing a complex financial situation and whose business continuity is threatened in the short term.
Under certain conditions, the company can receive financial aid from the Brussels-Capital Region of up to €5,333.33 (incl. VAT) as part of a partnership between the CED and bMediation.
PROGRAMME
PRJ is a procedure that:
- is judicial, conducted under the supervision of a judge;
- includes the participation of all the creditors. The judge summons them to a hearing and the agreement is submitted to them for approval;
- this protects the debtor. The debtor is protected against all creditor actions during the proceedings and for a period of reprieve (no risk of bankruptcy). This period allows for the negotiation of an amicable/collective agreement (and/or the transfer of part of the business);
- the introduction of the PRJ is published in the Belgian Official Gazette;
- fast (introduction within 15 days of filing and judgment within eight days).
CONTACT
Not sure whether to go for business mediation or PRJ? Complete the BECI questionnaire to find the best solution for your situation.
For support launching business mediation, contact the Centre for Enterprises in Difficulty using the following form. The CED processes the application, verifies the award criteria and refers the file, as needed, to bMediation or to a lawyer for the introduction of a PRJ.
Preparatory agreement
Since 26 March 2021, there has been a new procedure in the Code of Economic Law, the "prepack" procedure (short for "prepackaged bankruptcy").
TARGET PUBLIC
The procedure is available to companies facing financial difficulties and whose business continuity is threatened in the short or long term.
PROGRAMME
The Preparatory Agreement is a procedure that:
- aims to reach an amicable, collective or judicial agreement approved by the President of the court;
- ensures that the debtor can enter into agreements with their creditors without any publicity;
- is conducted by a legal representative. The representative is responsible for finding an agreement to spread out the payments. The intervention of the judicial representative - who is neutral with regard to the debtor - will reassure the creditors;
- free choice of the creditors participating in the agreement (however, the choice must be subject to the discretion of the representative). This implies that there is no general protection against possible recourse by creditors who did not participate in the agreement (those who did participate in the agreement are obliged to respect it). However, the President may grant protection on a case-by-case basis.
CONTACT
A petition must be filed by the debtor to appoint a representative (which the debtor may propose) on RegSol. They must describe the events that show that the continuity of the company is threatened, provide their email address and attach the last two annual accounts (or declarations for natural persons).
There is a fee for this procedure (€315).
Un pass dans l’impasse
Un pass dans l'impasse aims to prevent suicide and improve mental health. Since 2020, it has offered psychological support for self-employed workers in distress via a hotline and an alert system.
TARGET PUBLIC
The programme is aimed at people at high risk of psychological distress or even suicide. It targets entrepreneurs who have been forced to close their business, even though it represented their entire income.
PROGRAMME
Psychological care sessions, held remotely, entirely free of charge, with a psychologist or a certified clinical resource specialist for a maximum of four sessions
CONTACT
To take part: the programme can be started in two ways:
- either by the self-employed person who contacts the NPO's hotline (0800/300.25) on their own initiative;
- or by the "sentinels" (people in contact with self-employed people and able to detect situations of psychological distress), who inform the NPO via an online form.
7 jours santé
A programme focused on the health and well-being of the entrepreneur, the 7 Jours Santé project offers a global and preventive approach by providing practical guidance on key factors.
TARGET PUBLIC
The programme is aimed at all self-employed people and managers of very small enterprises in Brussels.
PROGRAMME
The objective is to encourage entrepreneurs to consider their health as a resource in its own right to promote the development and sustainability of their company. Via:
- the organisation of workshops (several per year) on specific themes (physical activities, nutrition, time management, self-confidence, sleep, etc.);
- the provision of resources and tools (brochures, books, good addresses, testimonials, etc.).
CONTACT
Revival
Revival is a programme for entrepreneurs who have had to close their business due to bankruptcy or liquidation or who have had to sell their business at a loss.
TARGET PUBLIC
Non-salaried managers of a company that has ceased trading (bankruptcy, liquidation or resale) within 24 months, in any sector.
PROGRAMME
The objectives are to get out of isolation, redefine a professional objective (as an entrepreneur or employee), develop specific knowledge and talk to peers.
The programme consists of eight professional coaching sessions, a mentor and group sessions.
There is no cost (free programme, financed by the Pulse Foundation, a group of large Belgian families that support entrepreneurship in Belgium).
CONTACT
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