The Brussels-Capital Region is gradually reviewing its policy on business support. In a challenging budgetary context, several support schemes are being discontinued, while certain grants are being temporarily suspended in order to focus available resources on investments and projects considered to create value and employment.
Several employment support measures are being discontinued
As of 1 July 2026, the target-group reduction for older workers was abolished in the Brussels-Capital Region. As a result, this reduction can no longer be applied from the third quarter of 2026 onwards, including for employers who were already benefiting from it.
The activa.brussels scheme is also being gradually phased out.
Since 15 July 2026, new hires no longer give rise to a new entitlement under this scheme. Workers hired up to and including 14 July 2026 may still benefit from the transitional arrangements, at the latest until 31 December 2026. From 1 January 2027 onwards, the scheme will be definitively discontinued.
Certain business grants are also being suspended
The Region has also announced a reorientation of its business grant policy.
As of 12 August 2026, several operating grants are temporarily suspended:
Applications submitted before 12 August 2026 will, however, continue to be processed under the previous rules.
The Region explains this decision by the sharp increase in grant applications since 2023 and by its intention to preserve investment support in a difficult budgetary environment.
Investment continues to be supported
This does not mean that business support is being abolished across the board.
The Region is maintaining, among others:
Businesses can still check which support measures they may be eligible for through the tool provided by Brussels Economy and Employment. Eligibility depends, among other things, on the size of the business, its activities and its NACE codes.
A shift in the priorities of business support policy
The overall trend is therefore quite clear: Brussels is gradually moving away from a relatively broad support policy towards a more targeted approach focused on investment, digitalisation, the creation of economic activity and employment.
For Brussels-based SMEs, this shift should be taken into account when planning investments and recruitment. In many cases, an application for a grant must also be submitted before the project starts or before the relevant expenditure is incurred.
Before committing to any expenditure, it therefore remains essential to check whether regional support is available and, above all, whether the applicable conditions and application deadlines are being met.
