Independent guide · public programme of the Ministry of the Economy
SME Packages Luxembourg: up to €17,500 to digitalise, secure or automate your SME.
In brief
The SME Packages are an aid scheme of Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy that funds 70% of the eligible costs of an SME project of between €3,000 and €25,000 excl. VAT, i.e. €17,500 at most. There are five packages: Digital, AI, Cybersecurity, Service and Sustainability. The pre-analysis is mandatory and the aid is paid after completion.
This guide covers the five packages, twelve common types of project, the official steps with the Ministry and the documents to prepare. The full application is handled by Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S, licensed accountant.
Our updates on the scheme will appear first in Google's “Top stories” results.
Official frameworkMinistry of the EconomyHouse of EntrepreneurshipChamber of CommerceChamber of Skilled TradesEU Regulation 2023/2831GDPRAI ActGuichet.lu
The essentials
What are the SME Packages and how can you benefit from them?
Direct answer
In Luxembourg, the Ministry of the Economy's SME Packages scheme funds 70% of the eligible costs of an SME project carried out with a provider, for a quote of between €3,000 and €25,000 excl. VAT, i.e. up to €17,500 of grant. There are five packages: Digital, AI, Cybersecurity, Service and Sustainability. The pre-analysis is mandatory, nothing must be ordered before approval, and the aid is paid after completion and the final evaluation.
The 5 types of SME Packages
Digital: website, e-commerce, ERP and management software, CRM, digital marketing, e-invoicing.
AI: integration of existing AI solutions, such as accounting OCR, assistants and copilots, conversational agents or cash-flow forecasting (excluding R&D).
Cybersecurity: protection against cyberattacks, audits, security procedures and support towards NIS2 compliance, with a mandatory pre-analysis by the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity.
Service: individual support to build customer loyalty, across three areas: atmosphere, customer relations and products.
Sustainability: reducing energy and water consumption, waste management and carbon footprint.
How to benefit in 6 steps
Mandatory pre-analysis with the House of Entrepreneurship (Chamber of Commerce) or eHandwierk (Chamber of Skilled Trades); House of Sustainability for the Sustainability package, and additionally the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity for the Cybersecurity package.
Choice of provider and quote of between €3,000 and €25,000 excl. VAT.
Submission of the application, prepared with the chamber's adviser, before any order or signature.
Decision of the Ministry of the Economy: generally three to six weeks, as a rough guide.
Carrying out the project and payment of the provider's invoice by the company.
Evaluation meeting and payment of 70% of the eligible costs retained, up to €17,500.
SME Packages: key figures
Criterion
Rule
Aid rate
70% of eligible costs
Quote amount
€3,000 to €25,000 excl. VAT
Maximum grant
€17,500
Beneficiaries
SMEs with a business permit and a registered office in Luxembourg
Pre-analysis
Mandatory, before the application
Payment
After completion and the final evaluation; the company pre-finances
Duration of the process
4 to 6 months in general, as a rough guide
De minimis ceiling
€300,000 per single undertaking over any rolling three-year period
Which body should you contact for the pre-analysis?
Package
Pre-analysis
Guide
Digital
House of Entrepreneurship (Chamber of Commerce) or eHandwierk (Chamber of Skilled Trades)
01 · UnderstandBy the end of this section, you will know whether you are leaving money on the table
Why do many SMEs miss out on this €17,500?
The observation
In our experience, three obstacles explain why the aid goes unclaimed: nobody mentions that the aid exists at the time of purchase, the administrative process discourages already overloaded managers, and many have no structured project to present. None of the three is an eligibility problem.
The scheme is open to all eligible SMEs, but is often little known. Here is what most often gets in the way.
01
Nobody told them about it
Neither the bank, nor the web provider, nor the accounting software publisher mentions that a 70% grant exists for the project you are about to pay full price for. The scheme receives little publicity.
02
The application seems daunting
Mandatory pre-analysis, submission of the application, de minimis aid declaration, compliant quotes, final evaluation meeting. A manager who is already running a business cannot free up three weeks to understand an administrative scheme.
03
No structured project
Many know they should be doing something with AI without knowing what. Without a quantified objective, a scope and a provider's quote, no application is admissible. The aid funds a project, not an intention.
Our role is to remove these three obstacles. We identify the most profitable project for your business based on your actual figures, we prepare the complete application and we follow it through to payment. You stay focused on your company.
Check your eligibility before committing to a project
Being an SME is not enough: the business permit, the registered office, the sector, the remaining de minimis allowance and attaching the project to the right package also count. The diagnosis takes 15 minutes and gives you an initial reading, to be confirmed in the pre-analysis.
Sources: SME Packages scheme, guichet.public.lu · SME definition, European Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC. Analysis of non-take-up: observations of Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S on its client files.
02 · UnderstandBy the end of this section, you will know which package your project targets
What are the 5 SME Packages and what exactly do they fund?
The 5 packages
The scheme has five packages: Digital, AI, Cybersecurity, Service and Sustainability. Each funds 70% of a provision of services of €3,000 to €25,000 excluding VAT, capped at €17,500 of grant. Several packages may be requested for separate projects, without double funding of the same expenses and within the limit of €300,000 of de minimis aid per single undertaking over any rolling three-year period; no combination is guaranteed in advance.
A point to watch: the scheme funds a project supported by a provider. Consulting, integration, configuration and training are potentially eligible; purchases of hardware and licences on their own are in principle not retained. The official fact sheets do not publish an exhaustive grid of expenses: each item is confirmed during the pre-analysis.
SME Package Digital
€17,500
Website, e-commerce, ERP, CRM, digital marketing, e-invoicing. The foundation of any SME digitalisation.
Provider's project and quote, expenses retained case by case
€3,000 to €25,000 excl. VAT
De minimis ceiling
De minimis aid granted by a single Member State to a single undertaking (linked undertakings included), over any rolling three-year period, subject to the cumulation rules and sector-specific provisions
≤ €300,000
Unsure which package matches your project?
The wrong package is a reason for rejection. We qualify the project and attach it to the right scheme before any submission.
Sources: official fact sheets of the SME Packages scheme on guichet.public.lu · de minimis ceiling, Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, EUR-Lex. Amounts and conditions verified as at 18 July 2026, content revised on 16 October 2026. The de minimis rule is assessed at the date each aid is granted.
Guides by packageBy the end of this section, you will know where to find the full details of your package
Five detailed guides, one per SME Package
Each package has its own official scope, typical projects, administrative process and reasons for rejection. These five guides set out the full details, package by package, with the actual budgets observed on our files.
Digital marketing, management systems and e-invoicing. The guide covers the three official strands, ERP, CRM, website and e-commerce projects, typical budgets and the quote expected by the Ministry.
Integration of existing artificial intelligence solutions into the SME's processes. The guide details the boundary between integration and R&D, the GDPR and AI Act framework, and the projects actually funded.
Protection against cyberattacks and NIS2 compliance. Note: the process differs from the other packages, as a pre-analysis by the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity is mandatory.
The 8-step process specific to the Cyber package
NIS2: essential or important entity, and what that changes
The least used package in the scheme, and the most misunderstood. Atmosphere, customer relations and fit of the offer: three official strands distinct from what the Digital and AI packages fund.
The three official strands: Atmosphere, Customer relations, Products
Customer relations: Service, Digital or AI? The choice explained
Energy, water, waste and carbon footprint. The only package whose pre-analysis goes through the House of Sustainability, with an approval committee before any start.
The same project can fall under two different packages depending on how it is framed. A redesign of customer relations goes through the Service package if the deliverable concerns the journey and the offer, through the Digital package if the deliverable is a CRM, and through the AI package if the deliverable is an automated assistant. Attaching it to the wrong package is a reason for rejection, and it is corrected before the pre-analysis, not after.
03 · ChooseBy the end of this section, you will have identified your project
Which projects can be funded at 70%?
Potentially fundable projects
Twelve types of project common in Luxembourg SMEs: accounting OCR, cash-flow forecasting, Copilot-type AI assistant, governed generative AI, Odoo ERP, AI-enhanced CRM, e-mail automation, conversational agent, Business Intelligence, document AI, e-commerce and cybersecurity. None is eligible by virtue of its name alone: the scope and expenses of each project are confirmed in the pre-analysis and are subject to the Ministry's decision.
The time savings shown are the firm's working assumptions, not measured or guaranteed results. They depend on the volume of transactions and the scope retained.
Invoice OCR and automated accounting
SME Package AI
Automatic reading of supplier invoices, assisted accounting entries, intelligent bank reconciliation. A project often relevant above a hundred or so invoices per month.
Assumption: up to 8 h per week
AI cash-flow forecasting
SME Package AI
Predictive cash model at 30, 60 and 90 days, fed by the accounts and outstanding customer balances, with automatic alerts when pressure is anticipated.
Decisions anticipated, overdrafts avoided
Copilot-type AI assistant
SME Package AI
Integration of an existing AI assistant, for example Microsoft Copilot in Word, Excel, Outlook and Teams: scoping of uses, configuration, training. Training and integration are potentially eligible; licences on their own are in principle not retained.
Assumption: up to 5 h per week per employee
Governed generative AI
SME Package AI
Integration of a secure generative AI environment (for example ChatGPT Enterprise) for your teams: sales copywriting, translation between French, English and German, with a usage policy taking account of the GDPR and the AI Act.
Productivity gain to be measured on your volumes
Odoo and Odoo AI, complete ERP
SME Package Digital
Quotes, invoicing, stock, CRM and connected accounting in a single tool. Odoo's AI modules automate data entry and reminders. We ensure the accounting consistency of the configuration. Odoo grant: modules, licences, calculation (in French).
One tool instead of five
AI-enhanced CRM
SME Package AI
Automatic lead scoring, meeting preparation, call summaries, follow-up suggestions at the right time. Compatible with HubSpot, Salesforce and Odoo CRM.
Assumption: up to 4 h per week per salesperson
Automation of e-mails and reminders
SME Package AI
Intelligent inbox sorting, replies prepared by AI, automatic reminders on unpaid invoices with a tone adapted to the customer's payment history.
Assumption: up to 6 h per week
Conversational agent and customer service
SME Package AI
An assistant available around the clock on your website and channels: frequently asked questions, appointment booking, order tracking, handover to a human with the full context. Multilingual.
Assumption: a large share of simple requests handled
Business Intelligence and dashboards
SME Package AI
Dashboards linked to your accounting and invoicing: margin per customer, profitability per activity, management indicators updated without manual intervention.
Monthly reporting in one click
Document AI and intelligent document management
SME Package AI
Automatic filing of documents, natural-language search in contracts and archives, extraction of key clauses and deadlines. Suited to regulated professions.
Faster document search, gain to be measured
Website, e-commerce and e-invoicing
SME Package Digital
Creation or redesign of a professional website or online shop, local search optimisation for Luxembourg, and preparation for e-invoicing: already mandatory for the public contracts concerned (B2G), and planned for B2B by bill No. 8815, not yet adopted.
Visibility and sales around the clock
Cybersecurity, backup and NIS2 compliance
SME Package Cybersecurity
Vulnerability audit, ransomware protection, tested backup plan, phishing awareness, NIS2 compliance roadmap. GDPR measures are retained when they concern data security and fall within the cyber scope validated in the pre-analysis.
An incident avoided protects your operations
Hesitating between several of these projects?
We start from your actual figures to identify the one that frees up the most time and pays back fastest. Then we turn it into a fundable application.
Sources: strands described in the SME Packages Digital and AI fact sheets, guichet.public.lu · AI framework, Regulation (EU) 2024/1689, known as the AI Act, EUR-Lex. Time savings: internal assumptions of Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S, with no published study, not contractual. Product names are cited as examples: they do not prejudge eligibility.
04 · EstimateBy the end of this section, you will know what the project earns you
How much can automation really save you?
Return on investment
Indicative simulation, not guaranteed: for an SME of 10 to 30 people, our working assumption is up to 26 hours per week of administrative tasks that can be automated. Valuing only 10 hours, the simulated saving is around €15,000 per year. On a project at the ceiling, the simulated payback period on the net cost is around 6 months. These figures are assumptions to be recalculated on your actual volumes.
The grant is not the main point. It reduces the entry cost of a project that must pay for itself.
Assumed administrative time that can be automated each week (simulation)
Automated function
Time saved
Accounting: OCR, entries, reconciliation
8 h
Invoicing and collections
5 h
Customer reminders, automated
4 h
E-mails: sorting, replies, follow-up
6 h
Reporting and dashboards
3 h
Simulated total
26 h
Methodological note
These values are the firm's working assumptions, not the results of a published study: they are not based on a documented sample or observation period. Calculation: 10 hours per week × 47 weeks worked × around €32 hourly employer cost of an administrative position ≈ €15,000 per year. Payback period: net cost of the project at the ceiling (€25,000 − €17,500 = €7,500) ÷ simulated monthly saving (≈ €1,250) ≈ 6 months, excluding recurring licence costs and excluding pre-financing. The actual gain depends on the volume of transactions, the automated scope and the quality of the data. These figures constitute neither guaranteed gains nor a contractual commitment.
Simulated annual saving assumption of 10 h per week€15,000
Maximum theoretical grant 70% of €25,000 excl. VAT, if granted€17,500
Simulated payback period on the net cost of €7,500≈ 6 months
Get your own calculation, not an average
We take your volume of invoices, your payment terms and your organisation to quantify your actual gain and compare it with the cost of the project.
Sources: internal assumptions of Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S, calculation method detailed above. The savings and payback periods presented are indicative simulations based on assumptions about productivity, salary costs and tool usage; they do not constitute guaranteed gains. The final amount of the aid depends exclusively on the eligible costs retained and the decision to grant the aid. The grant rate and ceiling come from guichet.public.lu.
05 · EstimateBy the end of this section, you will have your project and your amount
Which project for your company and what grant?
Simulator
Answer four questions to get, in a few seconds, a project suggestion suited to your profile, a typical budget, the theoretical grant, the time freed up and the payback period, all simulated. No contact details are requested at this stage.
Sources: 70% rate and limits of €3,000 to €25,000 excl. VAT, guichet.public.lu. Typical budgets, time saved and payback periods: internal assumptions of Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S, with no guarantee of results. The eligibility of expenses is confirmed in the pre-analysis. This simulation is indicative and does not constitute a decision to grant aid.
06 · ApplyBy the end of this section, you will know the steps and the indicative timeframes
How do you obtain the SME Packages grant, step by step?
The process
The official steps are: mandatory pre-analysis with an adviser from the House of Entrepreneurship or the Chamber of Skilled Trades, who supports the preparation of the application, submission of the application to the Ministry of the Economy, decision, completion of the project, then the evaluation meeting and payment. Our support adds an upstream diagnosis and follow-up of each step. Indicative duration observed: 4 to 6 months, with no timeframe guaranteed by the administration. Nothing must start before the Ministry's approval.
Week 0 48 hours
1
Eligibility diagnosis
Check of SME status, the business permit and the de minimis ceiling already used. Identification of the package and scoping of the project: objective, scope, target budget. Summary note delivered within 48 hours.
Handled by Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S
Weeks 1 to 2
2
Mandatory pre-analysis
Meeting with the House of Entrepreneurship of the Chamber of Commerce, or with the eHandwierk service of the Chamber of Skilled Trades for craft businesses. Without this pre-analysis, the application cannot be submitted. The chamber's adviser then supports the preparation of the application. We prepare the meeting and accompany you to it.
Mandatory official step
Weeks 2 to 4
3
Structuring the project and quote
Selection of the provider, scoping and drawing up of a detailed quote of between €3,000 and €25,000 excluding VAT. We check the accounting compliance of the quote and set apart the items whose eligibility must be confirmed in the pre-analysis.
Quote structured by our team
Week 4
4
Submitting the application
The application is submitted to the Ministry of the Economy following the procedure described on guichet.public.lu, with the support of the chamber's adviser: requested documents, de minimis aid declaration and project description. An incomplete file delays the review. We check the completeness and consistency of each document before submission; the decision to grant the aid rests exclusively with the Ministry of the Economy.
File prepared and followed up by us
Weeks 5 to 10
5
Review and ministerial approval
The Ministry reviews the application. Indicative timeframe observed on our files: 3 to 6 weeks, with no guarantee from the administration. We answer any requests for additional information.
Absolute rule: the project must not start before the notification of approval. Any earlier order or payment exposes the expense to exclusion from funding. This is a frequent cause of refusal.
Months 3 to 5
6
Carrying out the project
The provider deploys the solution, configures the tool and trains the staff. We monitor progress, the compliance of invoices and consistency with the approved application.
Ongoing compliance monitoring
Months 5 to 6
7
Evaluation meeting and supporting documents
The official process concludes with an evaluation meeting. The company submits the requested proof of completion and payment. We prepare these documents and the project report.
Documents prepared by our firm
Month 6
Payment of the grant, up to €17,500
The Ministry of the Economy pays 70% of the eligible costs retained into the company's account, up to €17,500. The final amount depends on the expenses actually retained.
70% of retained costs paid
Does the timetable seem long? It is mostly long when you just put up with it
We lock in each deadline and avoid the back-and-forth that lengthens the review. You deal with a single contact.
Sources: official procedure described on guichet.public.lu · pre-analysis, House of Entrepreneurship and Chamber of Skilled Trades, eHandwierk service. The diagnosis, the week-by-week timetable and the follow-up are part of the internal support process of Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S; timeframes are indicative, observed on our files and not guaranteed by the administration.
07 · ApplyBy the end of this section, you will know which documents to prepare
Which documents need to be prepared for the SME Packages application file?
The file
Our preparation checklist has ten documents in two blocks: the company's documents (business permit, RCS extract, evidence of SME status, bank details, LuxTrust or eID access) and the project documents (pre-analysis elements, detailed quote, project description, de minimis declaration, proof of payment). It is not a ministerial list: the documents required are those requested in the official procedure and by the chamber's adviser.
A missing document delays the review. Here is the internal checklist we put together for each client, to be adapted to the official request.
Company documents
Valid business permit, with its number
Recent RCS extract, dated less than three months ago
Evidence of SME status: headcount, turnover or balance sheet total
Bank details of the company for payment of the grant
Means of authentication (LuxTrust or eID) if an online procedure is required
Project documents
Elements from the pre-analysis with the House of Entrepreneurship or eHandwierk
Provider's detailed quote: scope, deliverables, amount of €3,000 to €25,000 excl. VAT
De minimis declaration: de minimis aid granted to the single undertaking, linked undertakings included, over the rolling three-year period
Proof of completion and payment for the final payment request
Receive our model application file on request
Working template, checklist of the ten documents, model de minimis declaration and an anonymised example of a project description. The material we use on our own files.
08 · ActBy the end of this section, you will know how a typical application is calculated
What does a successful SME Packages application look like?
Practical cases
Here are three illustrative typical cases, built on the official parameters of the scheme and on projects frequently encountered in SMEs. They do not describe identifiable client files: the amounts illustrate how the grant is calculated, not a guarantee of award.
Industry · 52 employees
Industrial SME, South region
SituationMore than 400 supplier invoices per month entered manually, cash visibility limited to the present moment.
ProjectAccounting OCR with automatic coding and a 90-day cash-flow forecasting module, via the SME Package AI.
GrantProject of €22,000 excl. VAT, theoretical grant of €15,400.
ProjectAI-enhanced CRM, automatic reminders on unpaid invoices and intelligent e-mail sorting, via the SME Package AI.
GrantProject of €14,000 excl. VAT, theoretical grant of €9,800.
€9,800
Grant
9 h
Assumption / week
≈ 6 months
Simulated payback
Retail · 8 employees
Specialist shop, Esch-sur-Alzette
SituationManagement split between the till, a spreadsheet and invoicing software, no online sales.
ProjectOdoo deployment: e-commerce, stock, e-invoicing and connected accounting, via the SME Package Digital.
GrantProject of €18,000 excl. VAT, theoretical grant of €12,600.
€12,600
Grant
10 h
Assumption / week
≈ 4 months
Simulated payback
Preparing the application alone or with a licensed accountant
Step
Alone
With Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S
Understanding the scheme
Several days of reading
Clear summary in one meeting
Choosing the right project
Intuition, with no roadmap
Project aligned with your figures and your sector
Mandatory pre-analysis
To be organised and prepared alone
Meeting prepared, support on site
Putting the file together
Risk of missing documents
Complete checklist, completeness check before submission
Risk of refusal
High if the project starts too early
Reduced by checking the timetable, with no guarantee of award
Contacts
Provider, chamber, ministry
A single point of contact
Final report and payment
Drafting and follow-up at your own expense
Report drafted and payment followed up by us
Mickaël LOC
Licensed accountant · Managing Director
Seventeen years of experience in Luxembourg fiduciary work, from SME accounting to holding structures and group consolidation. He heads Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S, a firm located at 142 Boulevard de la Pétrusse in Luxembourg, and personally manages the SME Packages applications: project qualification, quote compliance, de minimis declaration and follow-up through to payment.
Licensed accountantBusiness permit 10077274RCS Luxembourg B213987142 bd de la Pétrusse, L-2330 Luxembourg
Method: illustrative typical cases. The theoretical grant corresponds to 70% of the cost excluding VAT, up to €17,500. Time saved and payback periods are calculation assumptions, to be validated on your own volumes during the diagnosis. Each application remains subject to the decision of the Ministry of the Economy.
09 · ActLeave with the working documents, even without us
Receive the model application file and the brochures by type of project
Free resources
Four documents sent free of charge on request, by e-mail: our model application file, built from the information published on guichet.public.lu, with the preparation checklist for the ten documents, then a brochure per project family (AI and automation, Digital and ERP, Cybersecurity). Each brochure presents our reading of the scope, typical budgets and the quote, to be confirmed in the pre-analysis.
These are the documents we use on our own files. You can use them on your own.
The key document PDF sent on request
SME Packages model application file
Our working template: structure of the application, wording of the objectives, scoping and documents to prepare.
Preparation checklist for the 10 documents
Model de minimis declaration ready to complete
Anonymised example of a project description
Template for a provider's quote broken down by item
Indicative timetable with the sticking points flagged
Seven potentially fundable artificial intelligence projects, each with our reading of the scope, a typical budget, an assumption of time freed up and the wording to submit in the pre-analysis.
Accounting OCR, cash-flow forecasting, AI assistants and agents
Potentially eligible items and items in principle not retained
GDPR and AI Act framework to be documented in the application
Sources: documents produced by Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S on the basis of the requirements published on guichet.public.lu and its experience of applications. These models are working aids: only the Ministry of the Economy's approval binds the administration.
What about the accounting side? Accounting and tax treatment of the grant, pre-financing the project, tracking your de minimis ceiling: the firm behind this guide covers the accounting angle of the SME Packages.
Where can you check this information against official sources?
Sources
All the data on this page come from verifiable public sources. Here are the direct links to the Ministry of the Economy, guichet.public.lu, the professional chambers and the applicable European texts. Consult them: a private page never replaces the source.
Make smepackages.lu a preferred source on Google to see our regulatory updates on the SME Packages first.
Links verified as at 18 July 2026. The conditions of the SME Packages scheme may change: in the event of any discrepancy between this page and guichet.public.lu, the official source prevails.
Your project deserves to be funded at 70%
Free diagnosis within 48 hours: eligibility, appropriate package, recommended project and grant estimate. Prepared by a licensed accountant, not by a software vendor.
SME Packages Luxembourg: answers to the key questions
What are the SME Packages in Luxembourg?
The SME Packages are an aid scheme of Luxembourg's Ministry of the Economy intended for SMEs. They fund 70% of the eligible costs of a project carried out with a provider, of between €3,000 and €25,000 excl. VAT, i.e. €17,500 at most, in five areas: Digital, AI, Cybersecurity, Service and Sustainability. A pre-analysis with a professional chamber is mandatory, the project only starts after approval and the aid is paid after completion. The scheme falls under de minimis aid (Regulation (EU) 2023/2831).
How much is the SME Packages grant in Luxembourg?
The SME Packages grant covers 70% of the eligible costs of a project of between €3,000 and €25,000 excluding VAT, i.e. a maximum of €17,500. It is paid by the Ministry of the Economy after the project has been completed, the evaluation meeting held and proof of payment submitted. The award depends on the eligibility of the company, the project, the expenses retained and the decision of the competent authority. The SME Packages grant simulator gives you your estimate in two minutes.
What are the eligibility conditions for the SME Packages?
To benefit from an SME Package, the company must meet three cumulative conditions: a valid business permit, SME status within the European meaning (fewer than 250 employees and turnover ≤ €50m or balance sheet total ≤ €43m) and a registered office in the Grand Duchy of Luxembourg. Details are given in the table of conditions common to the five packages.
What are the five SME Packages available?
The SME Packages scheme has five packages: Digital (website, ERP, digital marketing, e-invoicing), AI (artificial intelligence, OCR, copilots, agents), Cybersecurity (protection against cyberattacks, NIS2, backup), Service (customer experience) and Sustainability (sustainable transition). Each funds 70% of the project up to €17,500. See the details of the five SME Packages.
Is the pre-analysis with the House of Entrepreneurship mandatory?
Yes, the pre-analysis is mandatory for any SME Package application. The pre-analysis with the House of Entrepreneurship (Chamber of Commerce) or the eHandwierk service (Chamber of Skilled Trades) takes place before the application is submitted; the adviser then supports its preparation. There is one special case: for the SME Package Cybersecurity, the company must also go through a mandatory pre-analysis by the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity, and the final evaluation meeting is held with it. Details are given on the page dedicated to the SME Package Cybersecurity.
Which body should be contacted for the pre-analysis of an SME Package?
The pre-analysis of an SME Package is carried out with the House of Entrepreneurship of the Chamber of Commerce, or with the eHandwierk service of the Chamber of Skilled Trades for craft businesses. Two special cases: the Sustainability package goes through the House of Sustainability (or eHandwierk), and the Cybersecurity package additionally requires a pre-analysis by the Luxembourg House of Cybersecurity. See the table of bodies by package.
Which SME Package should I choose for my sector?
The right SME Package depends on the project's deliverable, not on the sector alone. In practice, retail often uses Digital and Service, Horeca Service and Sustainability, B2B services and liberal professions AI, Cybersecurity and Digital, and industry Digital, AI and Sustainability. The choice of package is confirmed during the pre-analysis. See the suggestions by sector.
Which documents make up the SME Packages application file?
An SME Packages application file is prepared with ten documents, according to our preparation checklist (not issued by the Ministry): business permit, recent RCS extract, evidence of SME status, pre-analysis elements, detailed quote, project description, de minimis declaration, bank details, then proof of completion and payment. The documents required remain those requested in the official procedure. Consult the preparation checklist or request the model application file.
Can the project start before the Ministry's approval?
No, an SME Packages project must not start before the notification of approval from the Ministry of the Economy. Any order or payment made before the notification of approval exposes the expense to exclusion from funding. This is a frequent cause of refusal. This sticking point is flagged at step 5 of the official process with the Ministry.
How long between the application and the payment of the grant?
Allow, as a rough guide, 4 to 6 months in general between the pre-analysis and payment: the administration does not publish a guaranteed timeframe. On our files, we generally observe 3 to 6 weeks of review, 1 to 3 months to carry out the project, then 4 to 8 weeks for the evaluation meeting and payment. Details are given in the timeline of the SME Packages procedure.
Is an Odoo, Microsoft Copilot or generative AI project eligible?
An Odoo, Microsoft Copilot or generative AI project can be eligible for an SME Package if its scope is validated in the pre-analysis and accepted by the Ministry of the Economy. Deploying an Odoo ERP falls under the SME Package Digital (details of the Odoo grant (in French)); integrating a Microsoft Copilot-type assistant or a generative AI environment falls under the SME Package AI. The administration does not publish any list of named eligible products: it targets the integration of existing AI solutions adapted to the SME's needs. A product name (Copilot, ChatGPT, OCR…) does not guarantee eligibility: it is the integration project and the expenses retained that are examined. Consulting, integration, configuration and training are potentially eligible; licences and subscriptions on their own are in principle not retained. See the 12 projects fundable at 70%.
Can several SME Packages or other public aid be combined?
Yes, several SME Packages may be requested, but combining them is never automatic. Several packages may be requested for separate projects, subject to three conditions: no expense funded twice, each application approved before the project concerned starts, and total aid below the ceiling of the de minimis Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, i.e. €300,000 of de minimis aid per single undertaking (linked undertakings included), per Member State, over any rolling three-year period. The official fact sheets do not set out any combination rule specific to the scheme: we audit your past aid and the separation of scopes before any submission. The text can be consulted in the official resources section.
Do you have to pre-finance the project before receiving the grant?
Yes, the company must pre-finance its project. The grant is paid after the project has been completed and the provider's final invoice paid. The company therefore first pays out the full expense, VAT included, then receives 70% of the eligible costs excluding VAT. On a fully retained project of €20,000 excl. VAT, plan for €23,400 incl. VAT at 17% VAT before receiving €14,000. VAT is in principle recoverable for a taxable company with a right of deduction, depending on its situation. This cash requirement, which generally lasts several months, is quantified from the diagnosis stage.
Why entrust the application to a fiduciary rather than to the IT provider?
Because the IT provider sells its solution and takes no responsibility for the compliance of the application, the de minimis declaration or the payment timetable. As a licensed accountant, Financial Services Luxembourg SARL-S structures the application in the light of the published criteria and defends your interests as a business; the decision remains the Ministry's. The comparison between going it alone and being supported details each step.
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