Training subsidies in Belgium at the end of 2026: what is still open

By the end of 2026, training support has changed a great deal in all three Belgian regions. Flanders is ending the KMO-portefeuille, Wallonia has frozen new accreditations and new labels, and Brussels has suspended its training grant. For a business owner or HR manager preparing 2027, it helps to know what can still actually be used.

Flanders: the KMO-portefeuille ends on 1 January 2027

In its Septemberverklaring 2026, the Flemish Government decided to end the KMO-portefeuille. According to VLAIO, businesses can no longer use it from 1 January 2027. In 2026, applications remain possible until the annual budget runs out. Applications already submitted can be completed until 31 December 2027. Securex points out that these are policy intentions still to be formalised: the current rules apply until then.

The rules still in force in 2026

• Rate for training: 30% for a small enterprise, 20% for a medium-sized enterprise.
• Higher rate: 45% and 35% for the themes "digitalisering – cybersecurity" and "duurzaamheid – energie-efficiëntie".
• Cap: €7,500 of support per year.
• Deadline: the application must be filed no later than 14 calendar days after the training starts, on kmo-portefeuille.be.
• Provider: must be registered with the KMO-portefeuille.
• Advice: since 1 February 2026, only cybersecurity advice still qualifies. Nothing has changed for training.

If you already have training planned before the end of the year with a registered provider, do not wait: the 2026 budget may run out before 31 December.

The Flemish Government also announced that the Flemish training leave (VOV) and the opleidingscheques would be merged into a new instrument, the "Vlaams leerkrediet", aimed mainly at shortage occupations. No dates or conditions have been set yet.

Wallonia: support still exists, but access is narrowing

Training vouchers (chèques-formation)

A Walloon training voucher is worth €30 for one hour of training per worker. The company pays €15 and the rest is subsidised. It is reserved for SMEs with up to 250 workers whose main operating site is in French-speaking Wallonia, and for the self-employed. You need a company account with Le Forem, which runs the scheme. The number of vouchers is capped by company size, for example 400 vouchers a year for a company with 2 to 50 workers.

The training must be delivered by an accredited provider. However, the official page, updated on 23 July 2026, states that new accreditation requests will no longer be granted. In practice, you can only use vouchers with providers, and for modules, that are already accredited.

Chèques-Entreprises

• Labelling suspended: since 17 July 2025, new provider label applications have been suspended in several fields, including digital. Providers that already hold a label keep it.
• Digital maturity voucher: suspended since 12 July 2026 by the ministerial order of 9 June 2026. It will be folded into a new digital transformation framework in which AI is the first priority.
• Cybersecurity voucher: still available, at 75%, capped at €50,000 excl. VAT over 3 years. It funds an audit or diagnostic and then implementation support, delivered by a labelled provider.

Start IA and Tremplin IA

Suspended in 2025 and relaunched on 10 June 2026, these two schemes run by the Agence du Numérique are now reserved for SMEs based in Wallonia. The rate fell from 70% to 50%. Start IA (diagnostic) is capped at €5,000 and its call ran until 30 September 2026. Tremplin IA (proof of concept) is capped at €20,000 and its call closed on 17 July 2026. Both 2026 calls are therefore closed. Assignments go to a pool of 45 specialised providers.

Brussels: the training grant is suspended

Since 12 August 2026, Brussels Economy and Employment has suspended the Training, Consultancy (including Transition and Transfer), Recruitment and Coworking grants. The funds are being moved to investment aid. Applications submitted before 12 August are still processed under the old rules.

The Digitalisation grant remains open. Note that it funds consultancy, not training: process digitalisation, IT security and websites. The base rate is 25% and can rise to 70% with top-ups, up to €10,000 a year. The application must be filed no later than the day before the assignment starts, and the consultant must have provided consultancy as their main activity for at least two years.

Summary as of 14 October 2026

• Flanders, KMO-portefeuille: Open in 2026 while budget lasts, ends 1/1/2027
• Wallonia, Training vouchers: Open, through already accredited providers
• Wallonia, Cybersecurity voucher: Open, 75%, labelled provider
• Wallonia, Start IA / Tremplin IA: 2026 calls closed
• Brussels, Training grant: Suspended since 12/08/2026
• Brussels, Digitalisation grant: Open (consultancy only)

How to fund training anyway

Subsidies are not the only source of funding. Several levers exist independently of the regions.