Support with prospecting

It is not possible to provide a general answer to this question, as it depends on the specific facts of the case and must therefore be analysed on a case-by-case basis in light of all the conditions set by the Walloon Government Decree. Indeed, it appears that no provision of the Walloon Government Decree in itself prohibits a company from prospecting in a country where it has a subsidiary. However, this factor must be taken into account when assessing compliance with the conditions applicable to the medium in question (common conditions and specific conditions). In this instance, it seems that specific attention must be paid to the condition that the prospecting must necessarily relate to the launch of a new product or the launch of an existing product in a new market.

The definitions set out in the Walloon Government Decree (Article 1):
12° new market: the foreign market in which the applicant generates less than 20% of its export turnover or in which it has recorded a loss of 20% of its export turnover during the year preceding the year in which the grant application was submitted; 
13° new product or service: a product or service intended for new market segments or which expands the range offered by the company through new technology or new production or marketing processes   

The presence of a subsidiary abroad may also affect other provisions of the Walloon Government Decree (benefits for the Walloon economy, etc.).

The answer is the same as that given in response to Question 1. The Walloon Government Decree contains no provision prohibiting the company from undertaking a prospecting trip from another country (this possibility is, moreover, explicitly provided for in Article 14, paragraph 3). It will therefore be necessary to verify, on a case-by-case basis, that all other conditions of the Walloon Government Decree are indeed met. The fact that the Walloon company has a subsidiary abroad and uses this subsidiary to carry out its prospecting initiative may obviously have an impact on compliance with certain conditions (benefits for the Walloon economy, etc.).

The grant amount is determined based on the number of times the company participates with a stand, during the 12 months from the date the grant application is submitted, in physical or hybrid trade fairs or exhibitions of a professional and international nature organised abroad.

The following are considered equivalent to individual participation with a stand at a trade fair or exhibition abroad:

Participation in congresses and conferences organised abroad with a fee-based registration and a speaking slot included in the event’s official programme;

Participation in an event abroad where the company has a presentation table.

Presence at a stand or presentation table, or a speaking engagement, must enable the active promotion of the company’s products or services.

If you attend a trade fair abroad, AWEX will contribute towards the cost of the admission ticket and the travel expenses (flat-rate allowance) of the delegate(s), outside the EU for companies that have been in business for more than five years, and worldwide for start-ups.

In summary:

When visiting a trade fair abroad (not participating):

The annual programme of actions must include the name, date and venue of each event, specifying whether it is in-person, virtual or hybrid, based on the information available at the time the company submits its application.

If the company does not yet have all this information, it is essential that it provides us with at least the name of the trade fair. That way, we can check the details of previous editions of the event, whether they are annual or not. This verification is crucial to ensure that the event will indeed take place within 12 months. Knowing the name of the trade fair gives us a solid basis for checking whether it is regular and credible, and for verifying whether the event is eligible for the grant.

The request for payment of the balance of the grant awarded must be submitted by the company no later than 15 months after the date of notification of the grant.

To submit your request for the balance, please log in to your member area on the Wallonia Export & Investment Agency (AWEX) website and follow these steps:

1.      Go to the ‘My Financial Incentives’ section

2.      Click on Request for payment

3.      Select the relevant file

You will then be asked to attach the statement of claim for the balance, before accessing the report to be completed, which is available online only.

The report is not available as a separate file. This report comprises three parts:

·         The results of the market research over a one-year period, including, where applicable, the names, dates, cities and countries of the trade fairs attended

·         Expenses incurred over a one-year period.

·         The impact of the grant