Financing a company
You have analysed your ability to finance your business from your own capital but these resources are insufficient. You therefore need to consider other sources of possible funding for your business: external resources.
You can get various types of short or long term credit.
The types of finance in highest demand are:
- finance for fixed assets;
- finance for operating capital;
- finance for guarantees.
Aid
In general, the banks will offer finance for your projects on the basis of a properly drawn-up Business plan.
The Participation Fund, a public credit institution, grants funding to the self-employed, people in the professions, managers of SMEs, start-ups and, in a limited number of cases, to jobseekers.
Some Chambers of Commerce will also finance innovative projects or put you in contact with potential partners.
In Brussels
- The Brussels Enterprise Agency is tasked with keeping Brussels enterprises informed about aid available to them at every level: municipal, regional, federal and European.
- The ABE-BAO also runs a search engine - EcoSubsibru - on its website. This module gives access via a 3-step process to various sources of funding for your enterprise.
- The Fonds bruxellois de Garantie (in French) and Brussels Waarborgsfonds (in Dutch) provide guarantees to SMEs and the self-employed.
- The Société régionale d'Investissement de Bruxelles (in French) and Gewestelijke Investeringsmaatschappij voor Brussel (in Dutch) provide current or future entrepreneurs with a range of products to help them finance their activities.
In Wallonia
- The Société wallonne de Financement et de Garantie des petites et moyennes Entreprises (Sowalfin) (in French) has a "Financial one-stop shop". There, Walloon SMEs can get aid for co-financing or co-financing to top up bank loans.
- The site of the Region of Wallonia also carries information on the various financial and support measures in Wallonia (in French).
In Flanders
- The ParticipatieMaatschappij Vlaanderen (in Dutch) is a Flemish government body which provides various financial so SMEs that wish to invest in Flanders. This is primarily public funding.
- Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) is another body which plays an important role in the socio-economic development of Flanders by making available various tools to enterprises wishing to develop on an international scale.