Kmo-portefeuille 2026: which software is still subsidised?
Updated on 29 June 2026
The short answer: software development is not eligible under the kmo-portefeuille, the Flemish subsidy scheme for small and medium-sized enterprises, and that was already true before the reform of 1 February 2026. What does work: training for your team (30% or 20% support, up to €7,500 a year) and cybersecurity advice or training (45% or 35%). Below are the current rules, verified against vlaio.be.
What is the kmo-portefeuille?
The kmo-portefeuille is a Flemish subsidy scheme through which small and medium-sized enterprises get support for training delivered by registered service providers. You apply online and end up paying only part of the invoice yourself. Since February 2026, advice is eligible only when it is about cybersecurity.
What changed on 1 February 2026?
On 1 February 2026 the "advice" service disappeared from the kmo-portefeuille, with one exception: advisory work on cybersecurity. Strategic advice, marketing advice and digitisation advice can therefore no longer be subsidised. Training remains fully eligible. The current percentages:
| Service | Small enterprise | Medium-sized enterprise |
|---|---|---|
| Training | 30% | 20% |
| Cybersecurity (advice and training) | 45% | 35% |
The maximum amount of support is €7,500 a year. Many pages on the web, some of them from service providers, still show the old rules. When in doubt, always check the official VLAIO page.
Is custom software eligible for the kmo-portefeuille?
No. VLAIO excludes IT development, helpdesk costs and maintenance contracts, along with IT implementation that was not preceded by written advice. Having a web application, a custom internal tool or a custom solution that replaces your Excel built with kmo-portefeuille support is therefore out of the question. Providers who dress up their development work as "advice" or "training" to make it eligible anyway are putting you, the applicant, in trouble: on inspection, VLAIO reclaims the support.
What can you get subsidised when you digitise?
Split your project in two: you fund the development yourself and you subsidise the people around it. Training that teaches your team to work with new software, digital tools or AI falls under the kmo-portefeuille (30% or 20% support). In practice that means:
- You simply fund the development yourself. Keep the first step small, for example an MVP or first working version rather than an all-in-one platform. That keeps the investment manageable and lets it prove itself before you build further.
- You subsidise the people. Training that teaches your team to work with new software, digital tools or AI falls under the kmo-portefeuille (30% or 20% support). If you want to get started with AI automation on no budget, VLAIO and the Flemish AI Academy (VAIA) offer free starter information and training programmes.
If your work touches cybersecurity, which it certainly does once company data moves out of Excel into a real application, the support percentages go up to 45% (small) and 35% (medium-sized).
Does the kmo-groeisubsidie still exist?
No. The kmo-groeisubsidie, the Flemish SME growth subsidy, has been discontinued: no new applications have been possible since 25 September 2025 and no new calls are coming. Startups and scale-ups that were counting on it for a strategic growth step will have to revisit their funding plan.
What support exists for genuinely innovative software?
For products with a real R&D component, separate support does still exist. VLAIO's development project grant covers 25 to 50% of project costs, with a minimum of €25,000 in support. The bar is high: it has to be something new to the market, with technological uncertainty. An average webshop or booking app does not qualify; a product with a genuine research component might. If you are unsure, check with the VLAIO team before you start the project: retroactive support is ruled out.
What should you remember about software and the kmo-portefeuille?
In short: you budget software development entirely yourself, training your team does earn support, and cybersecurity scores highest. For a genuinely innovative product with R&D there is separate support outside the kmo-portefeuille.
- Having software built? Not eligible. Budget for it in full yourself and start small.
- Training your team in the new tool, digital skills or AI? 30% or 20% support through the kmo-portefeuille, up to €7,500 a year.
- Cybersecurity advice or training? 45% or 35% support.
- Innovative product with R&D? Look at the VLAIO development project grant (25 to 50% support) before the project starts.
Written on 10 June 2026; vlaio.be always carries the most recent version of the rules.
Planning a digitisation project and want to know what is realistic budget-wise, subsidies aside? Send us your plans and you get a concrete calculation back.
Frequently asked questions
- Can I have custom software built with the kmo-portefeuille?
- No. Software development, IT implementation without prior written advice, helpdesk costs and maintenance contracts are all excluded. Having an app or web application built is therefore entirely on your own budget. If a provider dresses up development work as advice or training to make it eligible anyway, you risk VLAIO reclaiming the support on inspection.
- What changed in the kmo-portefeuille on 1 February 2026?
- The advice service disappeared, with advisory work on cybersecurity as the only exception. Getting strategic, marketing or digitisation advice subsidised is therefore no longer possible. Training remains eligible, at 30% for a small enterprise or 20% for a medium-sized one, up to €7,500 a year.
- What can I get subsidised when I digitise?
- The training around it. If you have your team taught to work with the new software, with digital tools or with AI through a registered service provider, that falls under the kmo-portefeuille at 30% or 20% support. For cybersecurity advice or training the percentages are higher, at 45% and 35%.
- Does the kmo-groeisubsidie still exist?
- No. No new applications have been possible since 25 September 2025 and no new calls are coming. If you were counting on that growth subsidy for a strategic leap, it is worth revisiting your funding plan. For a genuinely innovative product with R&D, the VLAIO development project grant does still exist.