SME Package IA, website grant in Luxembourg, support for SME digitalisation

You’re no doubt familiar with that project we keep putting off year after year. The website that really needs a revamp. The online shop we’ll launch «when we have time». Or that idea of using AI to save a few hours a week, which just sits gathering dust in a corner of the desk.

If it’s the budget that’s holding you back, this project might be worth dusting off. In this guide, we’ll focus on the two SME Packages which directly affect your online presence and your tools: the Digital and the’AI.

SME Packages in a nutshell

SME Packages are grants from the Ministry of the Economy aimed at Luxembourg SMEs. The rule is the same for all packages: for a project costing between Between €3,000 and €25,000 excluding VAT, the aid may amount to 70% of eligible costs, up to a maximum of €17,500.

There are five: Digital, AI, Cybersecurity, Service and Sustainability. If you’d like the full overview and to find out which ones we can deliver with you, you’ll find everything on our dedicated page for SME Packages in Luxembourg. Here, we get down to the nitty-gritty.

SME Digital Package: your website, your online shop, your tools

The Digital package is designed to help you communicate more effectively with your customers online and manage your business more effectively. According to the official listing on Guichet.lu, it covers three areas:

• Digital marketing : a website that makes people want to get in touch with you, or a online shop which sells whilst you’re asleep.
• Company management : an ERP system like Odoo to centralise quotes, stock and customers, rather than juggling five Excel spreadsheets.
• Electronic invoicing : No more manually rewriting invoices or forgetting to send reminders.

SME AI Package: put artificial intelligence to work for you

AI – everyone’s talking about it. But there’s a world of difference between a passing fad and something that actually saves you time. The AI package has been designed precisely for this purpose: to help you carry out your first steps with simple, practical solutions that can be quickly implemented within your processes.

Here are a few examples of what we’re implementing for our clients:

• An assistant on your website which answers your visitors’ frequently asked questions, even on a Sunday evening.
• Automatic sorting of your emails and enquiries, so that every message goes straight to the right person.
• Assisted writing product sheets, customer enquiries or initial draft quotations.
• Smart automation which link your tools together and free you from repetitive tasks.

How much could you receive? Here are a few examples

To give you an idea, here are some typical projects and the corresponding funding. The budgets are indicative: each project is costed according to your actual needs, and only the eligible costs included in the application are subsidised.

What if your project involves both digital technology and AI? It is possible to combine several packages, subject to certain conditions. This is typically the sort of question we sort out together during our initial discussion.

The cash flow update we’d rather tell you about straight away

A grant is a refund, not a deposit. Let’s take the online shop priced at €15,000 excluding VAT:

It’s nothing insurmountable, but it’s best to plan ahead. In terms of the timetable, you should generally allow 6 to 8 weeks to receive the Ministry’s decision, followed by a maximum of 6 months to carry out and complete the project.

The 5 mistakes that could cost you the grant

You see them passing by regularly. You might as well avoid them:

1. Signing the quote too soon. The application must be submitted before any signing of contracts and the commencement of works. This is the most common mistake, and unfortunately there is no going back.
2. Start «just a little bit». A mock-up, a deposit… Even the early stages of a project can cause problems. Please be patient until official approval is given.
3. Underestimating the time required. Six months to complete and wrap up the project – that goes by quickly. A realistic schedule right from the start is essential.
4. Being too vague. A vague quotation or items not included in the package may reduce the amount awarded. A clearly defined project makes for a strong application.
5. Skip the first step. It all starts with getting in touch with the House of Entrepreneurship from the Chamber of Commerce, or via the eHandwierk service run by the Chamber of Trades if you are a craft business.

How are things going with us?

Dealing with administrative procedures isn’t your job. That’s why our SME Support Packages follows you from start to finish:

1. Let’s check your eligibility together, free of charge and with no obligation.
2. We’ll help you get your project off the ground : your goals, your priorities, the right package.
3. We’ll help you put together your application, before signing anything.
4. We are carrying out the project once agreement has been reached.
5. We’ll support you right through to completion, to ensure that the grant is paid into your account.

They placed their trust in us

This year, several Luxembourg-based companies have taken the plunge with us:

• City Relocation : a new website to support foreign workers settling in Luxembourg.
• Freylinger Armoury : a modernised image for a well-established gun shop, complete with an integrated online shop.
• BR Consulting : a WordPress website designed to connect technical talent with businesses in Luxembourg.

Your questions, our answers

I’ve never used AI before. Is the AI package right for me?

Exactly! It’s been designed to support SMEs as they take their first steps. You don’t need to be an expert: we start with your day-to-day work and look at where AI can really make your life easier.

Can I get funding for the redesign of my current website?

A website redesign can certainly fall within the scope of digital marketing, provided that the project genuinely improves your online communication and meets the programme’s criteria. The exact scope is confirmed when the application is put together.

My business is a craft business: is it any different?

The principle remains the same. The only thing that changes is your first point of contact: this will be the eHandwierk service at the Chamber of Trades.

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