In addition to the Fit 4 Digital programme, a programme to support the digital transition has been specifically developed for very small enterprises (très petites entreprises - TPE) and small and medium-sized enterprises (SME).

This programme, called Fit 4 Digital Packages, consists in:

• personalised assistance provided by a neutral body via the House of Entrepreneurship, an agency of the Chamber of Commerce;
• personalised assistance provided by a neutral body, i.e. the expertise of the service providers approved by Luxinnovation; and
  
• financial support from the General Directorate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises at the Ministry of the Economy.

Who is concerned

Each company:

• with a business permit;
• with a headcount of less than 50 employees;
• having their registered office in Luxembourg;
• that does not carry out an activity excluded from state aid.

Furthermore, Fit 4 Digital Packages is particularly aimed at businesses that:

• wish to:
  • increase their visibility and reputation online; or
    
  • facilitate their prospecting and customer retention, as well as increase their sales; or
    
  • facilitate their day-to-day work and optimise their internal performance; or
• be present on Letzshop and wish to improve their inventory management.

Preliminary steps

Businesses interested in the Fit 4 Digital Packages programme must first contact the House of Entrepreneurship.

A digital maturity assessment will then be carried out. This pre-analysis, known as the 'Digital Checkup', is based on a personalised questionnaire from the House of Entrepreneurship.

Once these steps have been completed, a consultant from the House of Entrepreneurship will visit/consult with the company (in person or via video conference) and discuss the project.

The company also receives a list of Luxinnovation approved service providers.

Costs

To benefit from the Fit 4 Digital Packages programme, the company must pay a minimum package price of EUR 6,650 excluding VAT. However, it is entitled to a one-off reimbursement of EUR 5,000.

How to proceed

Submitting the application

The company must apply online on the Luxinnovation website with the help of the House of Entrepreneurship's consultant.

During this step, the company can choose the package adapted to their project and their needs, such as:

• digital marketing;
• customer management;
• organisational management.

The company must also choose a Luxinnovation approved expert for the implementation of the project.

However, the application will then first have to be validated. In the event of approval, the company:

• will receive confirmation of eligibility from Luxinnovation; and
• must return the grant application form to the General Directorate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises (Direction générale des Classes moyennes) at the Ministry of the Economy.

In order to submit the application online, it is necessary to have the following documents at hand:

• a copy of the business permit;
• the company's bank account identification document;
• the balance sheets for the last 3 years;
• a certificate from the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS) providing the number of employees;
• for startups that have not yet made any sales, it is mandatory to provide a business plan.

Implementation

Once the project has been validated by Luxinnovation, the subsidy application is sent to the General Directorate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises at the Ministry of the Economy along with the acknowledgement of receipt. The latter sends an acknowledgement of receipt to the company to notify it that the application has been received.

At this stage, the approved expert chosen by the company can implement the digital solutions selected as part of the package.

Amount of aid

The amount of financial aid granted by the General Directorate for Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises of the Ministry of the Economy for the implementation of the selected digital tool is a single amount of EUR 5,000 excluding VAT.

In practice, the company contacts Luxinnovation and the House of Entrepreneurship again after the implementation of the package for an assessment. After the assessment, an implementation report is issued by Luxinnovation and sent, along with the invoice, to the Ministry of the Economy.

The company is therefore reimbursed after the package has been implemented.

Assessment of the programme

At the end of the implementation of the project, the company must assess its experience with the programme. This step is carried out in close collaboration with Luxinnovation and the House of Entrepreneurship.

Appeal

A negative decision in response to an application for financial aid is an administrative decision against which the usual means of appeal (non-contentious appeal, judicial appeal) may be pursued, provided the legal deadlines are complied with.

It is also possible to turn to the Ombudsman.

Who to contact