AI grants in Wallonia: Start IA, Tremplin IA and chèques-entreprises
In short
In Wallonia, two calls run by the Agence du Numérique fund AI in SMBs: Start IA (50% of a scoping assignment, up to €5,000 in aid) and Tremplin IA (50% of a proof of concept, up to €20,000). Their 2026 calls are closed. Among the chèques-entreprises, the digital maturity voucher has been suspended since 12 July 2026, but the cybersecurity voucher (75%) is still available.
Key takeaways
- Start IA funds identifying and prioritizing your AI projects.
- Tremplin IA funds a proof of concept with an AI provider of your choice.
- Both 2026 calls are closed (17 July and 30 September 2026).
- The digital maturity voucher is on hold: a new framework centered on AI has been announced.
- Verified on 21/10/2026 on digitalwallonia.be and cheques-entreprises.be.
Which grants can fund an AI project in Wallonia?
In Wallonia, AI in SMBs is funded by two calls from the Agence du Numérique, Start IA and Tremplin IA, and indirectly by some of the Walloon government's chèques-entreprises (business vouchers). The former are specific to AI, the latter cover digital projects more broadly.
Information verified on 21/10/2026 on digitalwallonia.be and cheques-entreprises.be. Both websites are in French.
| Scheme | What it funds | Support | Status on 21/10/2026 |
|---|---|---|---|
| Start IA | Audit, use cases, AI action plan | 50%, up to €5,000 | 2026 call closed on 30/09/2026 |
| Tremplin IA | Proof of concept for an AI project | 50%, up to €20,000 | 2026 call closed on 17/07/2026 |
| Chèque Maturité numérique | Digital transformation | 50%, up to €50,000 over 3 years | Suspended since 12/07/2026 |
| Chèque Cybersécurité | Cybersecurity audit and implementation | 75%, up to €50,000 over 3 years | Available |
Start IA: scoping your AI project
Start IA funds 50% of a support assignment that identifies and prioritizes your AI projects, with up to €5,000 in public aid. You come away with a list of use cases ranked by feasibility and impact.
What to know:
- Duration: up to 4 months, including 5 mandatory days for the audit and action plan. An extension of up to 5 days is possible for deeper work (data analysis, flow optimization, building an AI agent).
- Expert: chosen by the company from the eligible providers in Digital Wallonia's AI expert pool.
- 2026 call budget: €500,000, for more than 100 projects.
- 2026 calendar: 10 June to 30 September 2026, one application per company.
- How to apply: information document, online form and a signed de minimis declaration.
Tremplin IA: testing your project with a proof of concept
Tremplin IA covers up to 50% of an AI provider's fees to build a proof of concept, capped at €20,000. It lets you check, on your own data, that the project delivers before investing more.
The company chooses its provider and writes the application with them, at least 7 pages long. Digital Wallonia's AI committee advises during the project. The 2026 call had a €1 million budget for more than 50 projects and closed on 17 July 2026.
A typical proof of concept: an AI chatbot trained on the company's documentation, or an AI agent that processes a stream of documents. For a precise definition, see proof of concept in our glossary.
Chèques-entreprises: what is still open
The chèques-entreprises reimburse part of consulting or support services delivered by an accredited provider, and some can serve a digital project. The official site mentions rates of up to 90% depending on the voucher.
For digital projects:
- Chèque Maturité numérique (50%, €50,000 excl. VAT over 3 years): suspended since 12 July 2026 by a ministerial order of 9 June 2026. Digital support is being regrouped into a new framework built around business needs and critical technologies, with AI first. No timeline had been published as of 21 October 2026.
- Chèque Cybersécurité (75%, €50,000 excl. VAT over 3 years): still available, for an audit or diagnosis and then implementation of the recommendations. Useful when an AI project touches sensitive data.
- Growth diagnosis and support vouchers (50%, up to €20,000 and €50,000 over 3 years): not specific to AI, but they fund strategic work in which AI can play a part.
Vouchers go through a beneficiary account on the platform and an accredited provider. New provider accreditation requests have been suspended since 22 July 2025.
How do you get ready for the next call?
Prepare your use case, data and indicators now: a ready application can be filed within days once a call opens. The 2026 Start IA and Tremplin IA calls were published on 10 June 2026; no 2027 call had been announced as of 21 October 2026.
- List the repetitive tasks that cost your teams the most time.
- Gather the useful data: documents, request history, exports from your software.
- Set two or three simple indicators, such as processing time or number of requests.
- Check the de minimis aid you received over the last three years.
- Find a provider that meets the scheme's conditions.
You can also try AI on your own website for free with our AI demos. For an overview of all three regions: Funding an AI project in Belgium.
Official sources
Verified on 21/10/2026 (in French):
- Start IA — Digital Wallonia
- Tremplin IA — Digital Wallonia
- Artificial intelligence — Digital Wallonia
- Chèques-entreprises catalogue
- Suspension of the digital maturity voucher
Need help scoping your project?
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FAQ — AI grants in Wallonia
Who is eligible for Start IA and Tremplin IA?
SMBs under the EU definition (fewer than 250 staff, turnover of up to €50 million or a balance sheet of up to €43 million) that carry out an economic activity, have a company number and a registered office or operating site in Wallonia. They must stay within the EU de minimis ceiling and accept that their project may be promoted through Digital Wallonia.
What is the difference between Start IA and Tremplin IA?
Start IA comes first: an expert helps you identify the most useful AI use cases, assess their feasibility and draw up an action plan. Tremplin IA comes next, to test a specific project with a proof of concept. Start IA is capped at €5,000 in aid, Tremplin IA at €20,000.
Can a company based in Brussels or Flanders get Walloon AI grants?
Only if it also has an operating site in Wallonia: the Walloon AI calls require a registered office or operating site in the region. Otherwise, the relevant schemes are those of Brussels Economy and Employment or VLAIO in Flanders.
Is Ozapp an approved Start IA or chèques-entreprises provider?
This guide is neutral and does not present any provider as approved. To check whether a provider can take part in a scheme, see the list of eligible providers on digitalwallonia.be or the list of accredited providers on cheques-entreprises.be. Either way, Ozapp can help you scope your project.
