Brussels-Capital Region: aid from Zeus for certain employers

From 15 May 2019 the Brussels-Capital Region will introduce a new recruitment aid: Zeus.

Zeus is the abbreviation for ‘Zones van Economische Uitbouw in de Stad’ in Dutch or ‘Zones d’Economie Urbaine Stimulée’ in French. In English this is ‘Zones for Economic Development in the City’.

This aid, which consists of a subsidy, is only accessible to employers who carry out their activity in certain streets of Brussels and who recruit job-seekers who are domiciled in certain areas of Brussels.

 Who is entitled to Zeus?

The employer must have an establishment unit in a Zone for Economic Development in the City in the Brussels-Capital Region.

The list of streets and areas can be consulted here. They are located in the municipalities of Anderlecht, Brussels, Forêt and Molenbeek-Saint-Jean.

Certain sectors of activity are excluded on the basis of their NACE code (2008).

Who can open the right to Zeus?

The employer must hire a person who is domiciled in a Zone of Economic Development in the City. These are the same streets as those in which the employer's establishment unit must be located (cf. above). The place of residence and the establishment unit must not necessarily be located in the same Zone of Economic Development Zone in the City.

At the time of his recruitment the person must be domiciled at his place of residence for at least 6 months.

What are the conditions to benefit from Zeus?

The employee must be recruited on a full-time basis with an indefinite contract or a fixed-term contract of at least 2 years. 

The employer must keep him in service for at least two years. 

The employer must inform Brussels Economy and Employment of the employee's departure and of any reduction of his working hours within a month after the situation changed.

• In the event of a departure, the employer must replace the employee within a period of 6 months. If the worker is not replaced, the aid will be reduced in proportion to the duration of his employment. 
• In the event of a reduction in working time, the amount of the aid will be reduced in proportion to the reduction as from the modification. If the job is reduced to less than half-time, the aid may be lost completely.  

What is the amount of Zeus?

The aid consists of a fixed sum of 3,000 euro for the 1st year and 6,000 euro for the 2nd year.

The employer is entitled to:

• maximum 3 aids per calendar year
• 1 aid per employee
• 1 aid per case (in case of replacement)

The arrangements for settling the aid are specified in the granting decision. The aid is paid out in two instalments. The 1st instalment will be settled at the end of the 1st year of employment. The 2nd instalment will be settled at the end of the 2nd year of employment.

How can an employer obtain Zeus?

Employers must submit an application for recruitment aid to the Brussels Economy and Employment section of the Brussels Regional Public Service. An application form will be published on its website in the coming days.

Brussels Economy and Employment notifies to the employer its decision to grant (or refuse) the aid within 3 months after the receipt of the application.

Sources:

• Decision of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region of 31 January 2019 on recruitment aid in the Zones of Economic Development in the City, Belgian Official Gazette of 08.02.2019;
• Decision of the Government of the Brussels-Capital Region of 11 October 2018 on the determination of the Zones of Economic Development in the City, Belgian Official Gazette of 24.10.2018.