Coronavirus: Brussels’ aid for hotels and aparthotels

The Brussels-Capital Region grants financial aid to hotels and aparthotels established on its territory, provided that certain conditions are complied with.

Who can benefit from it?

In order to benefit from this aid, you must meet the following conditions:

• Be the operator of at least one hotel or aparthotel in the Brussels-Capital Region;
• On 7 July 2020, have an active, non-suspended registration number and valid urban development and fire safety certificates for the hotels and aparthotels for which you are requesting aid;
• Fulfil your obligations to publish the annual accounts with the National Bank of Belgium;
• Fulfil at least 2 of the following 3 financial health conditions:
  • own funds (accounting codes 10 / 15, including 101) are higher than half of the subscribed capital plus the non-capital contribution (code 100 / 2 + codes 110 and 111).

This does not apply if the company has adequately reconstituted its own funds since the closing of the last fiscal year.

• • the turnover (code 70) in 2019 is higher than in 2018.

This condition does not apply if, in accordance with applicable regulations, you have published your annual accounts only once or if you have never published them.

• • the result of the profit for the year before taxes (code 9903) is positive.
• At the time of the application for aid, have no social and tax debts, unless they are the subject of an instalment plan concluded with the competent authorities and duly complied with;
• Not having been in difficulty (EU regulation n°651/2014) on 31 December 2019. If you are a micro or small company, this condition must not be complied with, provided that you have not been subject to collective insolvency proceedings and that you have not received rescue or restructuring aid;
• Not having received, as a company, including this aid, more than € 800,000 of aid under point 22 of the temporary framework for state aid measures;
• Not having carried out and not carrying out, between 23 March 2020 and 31 December 2020, a collective redundancy scheme

What is the amount of the aid?

If the basic capacity of your hotel or aparthotel is more than 18 accommodation units, the amount of financial aid is € 1,100 per accommodation unit, i.e. a hotel room or any tourist accommodation room in which one or more tourists can stay, of any hotel or aparthotel located in the Brussels Capital Region.

If the basic capacity of your hotel or aparthotel is 18 units or less, the aid is a flat-rate premium of € 200,000.

The number of accommodation units is determined on the basis of the basic capacity indicated in your prior declaration form to Brussels Economy Employment (Bruxelles Economie Emploi) in the context of your registration as a hotel or aparthotel.

The aid is maximum:

• € 200,000 per hotel or aparthotel
• And € 800,000 per beneficiary

How to benefit from it?

You must submit your aid application online via IRISBOX by 13 November 2020 at the latest.

The Brussels website werk-economie-emploi details the different steps to follow to connect to Irisbox as well as the appendices to include with your aid application.

Source: Decree of the Government of the Brussels Capital Region of 26 October 2020 on aid to hotels and aparthotels in the context of the COVID-19 health crisis, Belgian Official Gazette of 26.10.2020