Background information

Due to the COVID-19 epidemic and accompanying lockdown measures, approximately one in four businesses needs additional capital or credit. The situation is even more difficult within the hotel and catering industry, where even half of the businesses needs additional capital. Hospitality operators have to buy raw materials to be able to start up. Another example is the fashion sector? For which the situation has become very difficult due to the weak. Thirdly, caterers or entrepreneurs in the event sector have no stocks left due to the long standstill.

Now that all these sectors are gradually being allowed to reopen, companies need to stock up on (fresh) products in order to be able to restart or buy new collections. Suppliers are less inclined to grant payment extensions and banks are also cautious.

To aid in this matter, the Flemish government has decided to create a restart loan possible for companies in all sectors. The restart loan is a loan at a limited interest rate of 1% with a term of 24 or 36 months. Repayment starts from the 12th month in instalments per quarter.

Content of measure

The loan is applicable to all sectors in need and has a fixed interest rate of 1%. Depending on the amount that was borrowed the repayment term can vary from 2 to 3 years and starts from the 12th month onwards.

The loan has a minimum of €10,000. For loans up to €50,000, the amount to be borrowed can be up to 80% of the purchases for restarting and the term is 24 months for loans of more than €50,000, the amount to be borrowed can be up to half of the purchases for restarting and the term is 36 months.

There are still a number of conditions attached, for example, only companies that were intrinsically healthy before the crisis are eligible.

Use of measure

The measure has just launched so no data available.

Target groups

Workers	Businesses	Citizens
Does not apply to workers	Applies to all businesses	Does not apply to citizens

Actors and funding

Actors	Funding
Local / regional government	Regional funds

Social partners

Social partners' role in designing the measure and form of involvement:

	Trade unions	Employers' organisations
Role	Unknown	Unknown
Form	Not applicable	Not applicable

Social partners' role in the implementation, monitoring and assessment phase:

• Unknown
• Main level of involvement: N/A

Involvement

No information available on social partner involvement.

Views and reactions

No public statements of social partners on the specific measure but EO's like UNIZO and Horeca Vlaanderen promote and inform their members on it.

Sources

• 11 June 2021: Vlaio: heropstartlening (www.vlaio.be)