SME Wallet
A programme of subsidies to support strategic design in small businessesSME Wallet
- Country
- Belgium
- Funder
- Enterprise Flanders
- Investment
- €39m total | €300,000 design
- Time
- 5 years (ongoing)
- Design support
- Design Flanders
Background
The SME Wallet programme enables companies based in Flanders to access subsidies of up to €25,000 for business support.
The scheme is run by Enterprise Flanders, a government-funded agency, with a remit to support businesses and entrepreneurs in the region. One of the principal ways they are doing this is by encouraging companies to incorporate design into their operations, through programmes like SME Wallet. A dedicated team within the agency called Design Flanders was given responsibility for promoting and implementing the design aspect of the programme.
SME Wallet launched in the form of an interactive web application in 2002. It enabled small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in Flanders to obtain subsidies of between €100 and €25,000 in training, advice, technological insight, advice on internationalisation, coaching and strategic advice. From 2009 companies became able to claim subsidies for design projects under the programme. Between 2009 and 2014 more than 228 design projects were funded, receiving a total of €504,236 in subsidies.
How design helped
The application process involved a series of steps. First, companies needed to register through the website, including registering as trustee of the enterprise by means of an electronic identity card. They could then search for suppliers and make an agreement with them.
The service provider then confirmed the application and determined whether the service was eligible for subsidy. When the application was confirmed by the service provider, the enterprise paid its contribution in full directly into the electronic wallet.
The SME Wallet programme helped SMEs deal with suppliers directly without going through intermediaries. It focussed on helping SMEs obtain support in six key areas:
Training
Training programmes for
managers and employees, with
the aim of improving the
current or future operation
of the enterprise.
Example project: Skills or
language training.
Advice
Bespoke analysis by a
consultant of a specific
challenge, including written
recommendations and an
implementation plan. 34
designers were approved as
recognised service suppliers
in this field.
Example project: A market
research study or design
proposal.
Technological insight
A study providing an answer
to a specific
technological problem
relating to a product,
process
or service provided by the
businesses.
Example project: Lab tests
or complex modelling.
Advice on internationalisation
Written, specific, efficient,
studies, plans and
recommendations with regard
to internationalisation.
e.g. Studies of
international markets or
advice on
setting up outlets abroad.
Coaching
Improving the personal
effectiveness of the coached
entrepreneur in his business
processes.
e.g. Business transfer,
international growth
Strategic advice
Advice related to the
transformation of the entire
company. The advice provide
a long term solution that
affects the whole
organization.
e.g. A re-launch plan for an
enterprise in
difficulties or a design
management plan.
Outcome
Manufacturer Linum is good example of a firm that benefitted from the programme. They are a family-owned business with headquarters in Flanders and offices in the Netherlands, Northern France and Germany. Through the SME Wallet programme Linum received a grant of €5,000 to work with award-winning design agency Pilipili to create folding table legs that would complement the countertops they sold to industrial kitchens. The result was not just a new product line, but an innovative new folding mechanism patented by Linum.
Working with Pilipili helped expand our product range and bring out the innovative spirit in our company.
Later that same year, Pilipili returned to give strategic advice to Linum, for which a subsidy of €24,570 was given. This allowed the company to further expand its product range. New high-end products aimed at commercial bakeries, were successfully prototyped and then put into production. This expanded product range is already selling well, and has contributed to the overall growth of the firm.
The programme helped us develop a new high-end offering for bakeries. It now accounts for 30% of our sales in this category.
Following the success of the SME Wallet design projects, design management was increasingly recognised by policymakers as a valuable strategic tool for companies’ growth. As a result, in 2013, design management became an eligible cost in the area of strategic advice. This meant that companies could access up to €25,000 for design management advice through the programme.
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