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Where things stand in October 2026
Many Flemish cities pay 25 to 60 percent of the renovation of a shop building in their centre, up to amounts of 5,000 to 20,000 euros. Ghent, Wetteren and Maasmechelen no longer accept new applications. You nearly always apply before the works start, and the building must sit inside the marked retail core.
A shop front grant in Flanders is a city subsidy for work on a shop or restaurant building in the centre: a new facade, a better layout, merging two units, making the building more energy-efficient, or a separate entrance to the floors above. Cities pay it to keep their shopping streets attractive and to bring down vacancy. If you buy or rent a building in a retail core, or renew your shop, you can often cover part of the works with it. In Dutch you will see it called a *premie handelspand* or *gevelpremie*.
This guide sets side by side the grants of the cities that have one, with their status in October 2026, and says what has ended. It is written for owners and tenants who are new to Belgium, so it also covers the steps around the grant that local shopkeepers take for granted, like the planning permit. If you are opening a new business, the grants for starters are in our guide to starter grants in Flanders.
What each city pays
| City | Percentage | Maximum | For what |
|---|---|---|---|
| Roeselare | 25 percent | 7,500 to 20,000 euros, by floor area | restyling the fit-out and interior, once every six years |
| Halle | 50 percent | 5,000 shop front, 10,000 separate entrance, 15,000 merging units | the amounts can be combined |
| Genk | 50 percent | 10,000 euros per building | commercial occupancy, embellishment and upgrades, neighbourhood shops too |
| Ninove | 50 percent | 7,500 shop front, 5,000 layout, 5,000 energy | at least 1,500 euros of works per category |
| Lommel | 50 percent | 6,000 shop front, 6,000 interior of a vacant unit | the regulation runs until 31 December 2026 |
| Lokeren | 60 percent | 5,000 euros | one category: shop front, living above shops or making a unit fit for use |
| Bruges | flat rate | 10,000 euros extra | for a starter in a vacant unit on the town centre management list |
| Lier | flat rate | 8,000 euros | for anyone filling a vacant retail unit |
| Eeklo | per regulation | per regulation | shop front in zone A and B, adaptations and sustainability in zone A |
Turnhout has its own premium schemes for merging units, renovation, shop fronts and living above shops; the amounts are in the city regulation. Other cities and municipalities may have a grant that is not listed here; ask the local economy department of your municipality.
What has ended
| City | Status | What you can still do |
|---|---|---|
| Ghent | the subsidy for renovating and embellishing retail premises was scrapped on 31 December 2025 | the subsidy for retail initiatives, for joint actions with other traders |
| Wetteren | the budget is used up, no more applications | ask the municipality whether a new budget is coming |
| Maasmechelen | applications are no longer possible | ask the municipality whether a new call is coming |
Maasmechelen paid its grant with support from VLAIO, the Flemish business agency: Flanders co-funded municipal grants for embellishing and greening shop buildings. What Ghent still pays traders is in our guide to the starter grant in Ghent.
Who the grant is for
The conditions look alike from city to city:
- The building is in the retail coreas the city marks it. In Maasmechelen it even came down to a handful of streets.
- You are the owner or the operatorMost cities accept both; a tenant sometimes needs the owner's consent.
- You apply before the worksLokeren wants an approval in principle before you start; Ninove works in two steps: first the application, then the invoices after the works.
- A licensed contractor does the workLokeren and Genk ask that the works are carried out by a contractor or a qualified tradesperson.
- The shop stays openAfter the grant, the building usually has to be run as a shop for a number of years; Lommel asks for three.
What a new shop front needs online
A renovation changes how your shop looks, but Google Maps and your site often show the old front for months. A customer looking for the old photo walks right past you. Do three things as soon as the works are done:
- New photos in your Google Business Profile. Front, window, interior, in daylight. How to keep your profile up to date is in create a Google Business Profile.
- Update your site. The photos on your homepage and contact page, and your opening hours if they changed. A site you cannot update yourself is a reason to have a website built that lets you.
- Announce the reopening. A reel of the works and the result, a post with the date, an offer for your regular customers. How social media works for a shop: how to use social media for business.
If your customers include expats or tourists, update the English text on your profile and site as well; a renovated shop is a good moment to add a second language.
The maximum per city
What a city pays towards your shop front or building
Roeselarerestyling, 25 percent, above 400 m²20,000
Hallemerging units, 50 percent15,000
Genkoccupancy and embellishment, 50 percent10,000
Brugesextra for a vacant unit on the list10,000
Ninoveshop front, 50 percent7,500
Lommelshop front, 50 percent, until end 20266,000
Lokerenrenovation in the retail core, 60 percent5,000
Ghentended on 31 December 20250
Wetterenbudget used up0
Euros, maximum per kind of work
Ghent scrapped its retail premises subsidy; Wetteren and Maasmechelen no longer accept applications.
Worked example: a new shop front in Ninove
A clothes shop in the centre of Ninove renews its shop front for 12,000 euros and has the layout changed for 6,000 euros, both excluding VAT.
| Work | Cost excl. VAT | 50 percent | Maximum | Grant |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Shop front renovation | 12,000 | 6,000 | 7,500 | 6,000 |
| Better layout | 6,000 | 3,000 | 5,000 | 3,000 |
| Total | 18,000 | 9,000 |
The same works in Lokeren would earn 60 percent, but at most 5,000 euros and for one category; in Roeselare it is 25 percent of a restyling, up to 7,500 euros for a shop under 200 m², and only if the shop has been in the core shopping area for six years.
Your application in six steps
- Check that your building is in the retail core. Every city has a map in the annex to its regulation.
- Get quotes from a licensed contractor, per kind of work: shop front, layout, energy. Cities count per category, with a minimum and a maximum.
- Apply for the permit you need. A new shop front, a shop sign or a change of use often needs an environmental permit (*omgevingsvergunning*), the Flemish planning permit.
- File your grant application before the works start, with the quotes, photos of the current state and proof that you own or run the shop.
- Carry out the works after approval. Keep invoices and proof of payment, excluding VAT and split per category.
- Request payment with the invoices and photos of the result. Some cities only pay while budget remains; do not count the grant in your financing.
What counts as works, and what does not
| Usually counts | Usually does not count |
|---|---|
| painting, rendering or renewing the shop front, exterior joinery, ambient lighting | stock, till, furniture you take with you |
| a better layout, merging units, a separate entrance to the upper floors | DIY work without an invoice from a tradesperson |
| insulation, glazing, a heat pump or ventilation | works that started before approval |
| fitting out a vacant unit, in Lommel | advertising, a website, promotion |
Who to call first
Every city has an economy or local economy department, sometimes with a town centre manager, who can tell you beforehand whether your building is in the zone and which works qualify. Call or email that department before you ask for quotes: it saves you an application that gets turned down. If you do not speak Dutch, write in English and ask for a short call; the regulation itself will be in Dutch, so have your contractor or accountant read it with you.
Five mistakes with a shop front grant
- Starting before approvalWorks that have already started do not qualify in most cities.
- Not checking the zoneA building just outside the retail core gets nothing.
- Forgetting a permitA shop front, a sign or a change of use often needs an environmental permit; apply for it before the grant.
- Doing the work yourselfCities that ask for a licensed contractor do not pay for DIY.
- Not keeping the invoicesThe grant is calculated on invoices excluding VAT, with proof of payment. What is missing does not count.
To find out whether your investment also brings a tax benefit, for example through the investment deduction, ask your accountant; the Flemish side is in digitalisation grants in Flanders.
Questions about grants for shop buildings
Can I get a shop front grant as a tenant?
In most cities, yes, as the operator of the shop. For work on the building itself, some cities ask for the owner's consent.
Can I combine a shop front grant with a starter grant?
That depends on the city. Halle and Lommel allow combinations within their regulation; Genk does not allow a combination with other city subsidies for the same purpose.
Does a shop front grant also pay for my website or advertising?
No. These grants go to work on the building. For marketing, a few separate starter grants exist, as in Waregem and Deinze.
Is there still a grant for shop buildings in Ghent?
No. The City of Ghent scrapped its subsidy for renovating and embellishing retail premises on 31 December 2025. The subsidy for joint retail initiatives still runs.