Export aid to cover promotion and exhibition costs
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The Office du Ducroire (ODL) grants financial aid to support Luxembourg exporting companies in their international prospecting efforts, through a partial participation in export promotion costs.
Within the ODL, the Committee for the Promotion of Luxembourg Exports (COPEL) is the competent authority for granting financial support.
Who is concerned
Eligible businesses
Financially sound Luxembourg exporting companies, which represent an added value for the Luxembourg economy.
Non-eligible businesses and activities
Companies in the financial, insurance, tourism and real estate development sector are, in principle, not eligible for financial support.
Activities linked to the production, processing or marketing of agricultural products listed in Annex 1 of the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union (Pdf, 957 Kb) are not eligible.
Examples of eligible costs
Financial support can be requested for all types of external costs, relating to the supply of goods or services, incurred by the exporting company to promote its products and services abroad, such as:
- the design of promotional materials (brochures, videos, etc.);
- translation of promotional material;
- exhibiting at trade fairs, exhibitions, seminars and conferences, or setting up a pop-up store abroad that targets a professional clientele for a maximum period of 6 months;
- traditional advertising costs;
- digital marketing costs in the context of an international marketing campaign;
- consultancy services (legal, tax) and market surveys necessary for the launch of a product or service on a new market;
- the costs of registering trademarks or patents, and applications for the certifications required for the marketing of a product abroad, including translation;
- opening a prospecting entity outside the European Union (EU) and the European Economic Area (EEA);
- participation in international tenders in non-EU and non-EEA countries.
Current expenditures are not eligible (e.g.: internal costs, accommodation costs, travel costs, catering costs, printing costs, training costs, membership fees, costs of designing websites and promotional gadgets, or participation costs in already subsidised fairs).
Invoices relating to eligible expenses must be issued in the name of the company receiving support from specialised external service providers.
One and the same project cannot cumulate different state aids to cover the same costs.
Prerequisites
To benefit from export aid, the business must:
- be a Luxembourg exporting company;
- be in possession of all the valid authorisations required to carry out their activities;
- be financially sound; and
- represent a substantial added value for the Luxembourg economy.
Deadlines
Applications must necessarily be submitted before incurring any costs, i.e.:
- before signing the offer / the order confirmation; and
- before the projects commences.
Exception: in the case of participation in a trade fair/seminar/conference abroad, the application must be submitted before the start date of the event at the latest, even if certain costs have already been incurred.
How to proceed
Filing an application
You must send a request to participate to the Office du Ducroire (ODL) via MyGuichet.lu.
This is a procedure with authentication that requires a LuxTrust product, an electronic identity card (eID) or an eIDAS product.
Supporting documents
You must also enclose with your application:
- the last 2 annual financial statements in their entirety, or in absence thereof, a detailed business plan;
- a detailed organisation chart;
- a certificate of affiliation from the Joint Social Security Centre (CCSS) stating the current number of employees;
- a bank account identification document (RIB);
- a copy from the Register of Beneficial Owners (RBE);
- a copy of the detailed cost estimate or registration form for the trade fair.
Processing the application
The Committee for the Promotion of Luxembourg Exports (COPEL) examines the applications it receives on a monthly basis.
If the application is accepted, the COPEL will send a letter of commitment with a validity of 6 months to the applicant.
A 6-month extension may be granted on request.
Incomplete applications are automatically closed after 90 days.
Amount of aid
The financial aid granted may vary between 10 % and 50 % of the costs incurred for the project, without exceeding:
- the various ceilings set by the Committee for the Promotion of Luxembourg Exports (Comité pour la promotion des exportations luxembourgeoises - COPEL); and
- the ceiling of EUR 300,000 over a 3-year period, set by the EU Regulation on de minimis aid in force.
A young business or a micro-enterprise can apply for financial aid of up to EUR 10,000 per year (all aid combined).
Reimbursements are made exclusively on the basis of invoices accompanied by proof of payment to be sent to the Office du Ducroire (ODL) by email or post during the period of validity of the letter of commitment.
If all the criteria are met, the eligible amount (determined on the basis of invoices and proofs of payment) is reimbursed to a Luxembourg bank account of the company.
A letter of award is then sent by email to confirm payment.
Non-accumulation rules and repayment
Export aid is governed by law and complies with EU Regulations on state aid for exports, in particular the EU Regulation on de minimis aid (currently capped at EUR 300,000 per company over a 3-year period).
According to this Regulation, all entities controlled (in law or in fact) by the same entity or natural person are to be considered as a single enterprise.
The company must keep a summary of the aids received under the EU Regulation on de minimis aid and record the dates on which they were granted and the amount received.
Online services and forms
Online services
Who to contact
-
Office du Ducroire (ODL)
- Address:
- 65, rue d'Eich L-1461 Luxembourg Luxembourg
- Phone:
- (+352) 28 85 54 21
- Email address:
- odl@odl.lu
- Website:
- http://www.odl.lu/en/homepage/
Related procedures and links
Procedures
Links
Legal references
-
Règlement (UE) 2023/2831 de la Commission du 13 décembre 2023
relatif à l’application des articles 107 et 108 du traité sur le fonctionnement de l’Union européenne aux aides de minimis
-
Loi du 4 décembre 2019
relative à l'Office du Ducroire Luxembourg
