Prospecting Trip Outside the EEA (Prospectiereis Buiten EER)

Prospecting Trip Outside the EEA (Prospectiereis Buiten EER)

Supports Flemish prospecting missions for market exploration beyond the European Economic Area.

The Prospectiereis Buiten EER subsidy from Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) reimburses Flemish SMEs and qualifying business organizations for the travel and accommodation costs of market-development prospecting trips to destinations outside the European Economic Area — defined as outside the EU plus Iceland, Liechtenstein, and Norway. Reimbursement is calculated on FIT's published forfait rate tables for travel and accommodation: standard applicants receive 50% of forfait amounts, while first-time or infrequent applicants (fewer than four approved FIT applications since 1 September 2005) receive 75%. Two reductions apply: multi-country trips incur a 40% reduction per additional destination beyond the first, and trips where lodging documentation is missing see a 60% reduction on the accommodation allowance. Only one company representative per trip is supported — typically a manager, employee, or export contractor holding a contract of at least one year; occasional student participation is also noted. The subsidy is intended for companies with minimal or no existing market presence at the target destination; it does not reimburse established export market activity. Applicants must have operations in Flanders, comply with EU SME criteria, not receive other government funding for the same trip, and be clear of competing social and tax obligations. Applications are submitted on a rolling basis via the MyFIT portal at least 7 days before departure, with FIT aiming to decide within 60 days of a complete submission. Post-approval, recipients have 3 months to submit travel reports and cost documentation to trigger payment. Prospective applicants should contact FIT's SubsidieDesk at SubsidieDesk@fitagency.be to obtain current forfait rate tables before budgeting a trip, as rates are maintained by FIT internally and not published on the program page.