Flanders Investment & Trade

What Flanders Investment & Trade does

Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) is a Flemish government agency founded in 1993 and headquartered in Brussels, Belgium. It operates two principal service lines: helping Flanders-based companies export and internationalize their operations, and attracting foreign companies to invest and expand in the Flanders region. FIT is fully owned and funded by the Government of Flanders through public budget allocations, and provides all services free of charge to eligible Flemish SMEs and mid-market companies. The agency is led by CEO Piet Demunter and reports to the Flemish Minister-President; key predecessors include Claire Tillekaerts (long-time CEO until May 2022) and Joy Donné (CEO 2022 until recent succession).

FIT's service portfolio combines advisory services with a digital platform and a global network of 70+ foreign offices staffed by country experts and sector specialists. The core digital product is the MyFIT client portal, where Flemish companies manage export dossiers, submit subsidy applications, and register for events. The agency administers six distinct subsidy programs: Starter's Package Internationalization (€9,000 fixed), Digital Communication (up to €4,500), International Trade Fair Participation (up to €7,500), Prospection Trips (75% refund outside EEA), Prospection Office (up to €75,000), and International Customized Projects (up to €18,750). Complementary service modules include Invest in Flanders (FDI attraction and site selection support), Source from Flanders (international sourcing showcase), Startup.Flanders (launched 2023 for startup internationalization), and Enterprise Europe Network Vlaanderes (EU partnership and funding access). Distribution combines the MyFIT self-serve portal, regional desks in Belgium, in-person Contact Days, and economic missions with Royal and ministerial presence.

FIT's recent operating performance reflects record foreign investment attraction: 285 projects, 5,870 new jobs, and €3.79 billion in announced FDI volume in 2025. Strategic activity in 2026 has been intensive, including a major economic mission to Türkiye generating 12+ partnerships, a green hydrogen import MoU with India and Port of Antwerp-Bruges, and a transatlantic life sciences task force with Oregon. Customer satisfaction stands at 86%, and the agency supports over 1,000 Flemish companies annually across 100+ country markets. Revenue model is entirely non-commercial — funded by Flemish government budget — and the agency's expansion is bounded by public-sector mandate and budget cycle rather than commercial scaling dynamics.

Name

Flanders Investment & Trade

Legal name

Flanders Investment & Trade

Website

https://flandersinvestmentandtrade.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Flanders Investment & Trade is a Flemish government agency founded in 1993 that helps Flanders-based companies export internationally and attracts foreign direct investment to the region. It operates a global network of 70+ offices, a MyFIT digital portal, and multiple subsidy programs serving 1,000+ Flemish companies annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Government Trade and Investment Promotion Services

NAICS

Miscellaneous Intermediation (52391), Miscellaneous Financial Investment Activities (523999)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Investment Advice (6282)

akta.pro primary industry

Export Promotion & Market Access Support (BPADAMAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

SME & Entrepreneurship Development (Trade-Linked) (BPADAMAE)

Keywords

• International trade promotion
• Foreign direct investment
• Export development services
• Investment attraction
• Trade facilitation services

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: Flanders Investment & Trade is a Flemish government agency funded by public resources. All services are provided free of charge to Flemish companies. Revenue comes from government budget allocations rather than commercial activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) is the official Flemish government agency for international entrepreneurship. It helps Flanders-based companies export and internationalize by providing market intelligence, tailored advisory, trade missions, and subsidies. It also attracts foreign companies to invest and expand in Flanders by providing specialized site selection, business setup, and incentive support through a global network of 70+ offices.

Product overview

Flanders Investment & Trade (FIT) operates as a unified platform combining multiple service modules for international trade support. The core offerings include MyFIT (a client portal for managing dossiers, subsidies, and expert consultations), Export Services (market intelligence, trade missions, and advisory), Invest in Flanders (investment attraction services), and Source from Flanders (for international sourcing of Flemish innovations). Supporting infrastructure includes Startup.Flanders (startup internationalization platform) and Enterprise Europe Network integration. FIT administers six distinct subsidy programs: Starter's Package Internationalization (€9,000 fixed), Digital Communication (up to €4,500), International Trade Fair Participation (up to €7,500), Prospection Trips (75% refund outside EEA), Prospection Office (up to €75,000), and International Customized Projects (up to €18,750). The organization also facilitates Economic Missions and annual Contact Days connecting companies with its global network of 70+ foreign offices.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Startup.Flanders: A platform for Flemish startups with international ambitions and for foreign startups interested in Flanders, launched in 2023.
• Flanders International Business Awards
• MyFIT
• Enterprise Europe Network Vlaanderen

Products and services

• Export Services
• Invest in Flanders
• Source from Flanders
• MyFIT Portal
• Startup.Flanders
• Starter's Package Internationalization
• Digital International Communication Subsidy
• International Trade Fair Participation Subsidy
• Prospection Trips Subsidy
• Prospection Office Subsidy
• International Customized Project Subsidy
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN) Flanders
• Economic Missions
• Contact Days

Quantifiable outcome

• 86% client satisfaction rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Oregon Life SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partnership in Oregon Life Sciences Competitiveness Task Force to accelerate growth of life sciences and biotech sector in Oregon, with focus on talent, innovation, infrastructure and international competitiveness
• Oregon Business CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Partnership in public-private task force with Oregon Life Sciences to strengthen Oregon's position as biotech hub and investment location
• Van Moer GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Partnership with Turkish partner MTS Lojistik ve Taşımacılık A.Ş. for joint logistics flows between Turkey and Europe and end-to-end service offering for international supply chains
• Barsan Global Logistics BEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Strategic partnership with CRN Group for logistics corridor between Turkey and Belgium, including transport and customs handling for NATO-related operations
• PitchTechConceptminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Partnership with Integral Group for development of sports and football infrastructure for Turkish and international projects
• Group JansenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Distribution of modular cleanroom and controlled environment solutions in Turkey, focusing on pharma and healthcare
• Limburgse Reconversie MaatschappijminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Partnership with Tübitak for connecting innovation ecosystems and strengthening knowledge, talent and investment exchange between Limburg and Istanbul
• Ride on TrackminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Deepening cooperation around railway communications and operational telecommunications systems with YAPI MERKEZİ İDİS MÜHENDİSLİK SANAYİ VE TİCARET A.Ş.
• GB Foods BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Distribution agreement for export and commercialization of Devos Lemmens sauces in Turkey with Migros Turkey
• Intersoft ElectronicsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 12 May 2026Renewal and expansion of commercial agency agreement for the Turkish market with IMCA Elektronik
• Universiteit AntwerpenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Joint doctorate (cotutelle) agreement in media and communication sciences with Galatasaray University
• UnizominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026MoU with Türkonfed to strengthen cooperation supporting SMEs in Belgium and Türkiye
• VokaminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 May 2026Cooperation on trade and economic relations with Istanbul Chamber of Commerce (ITO), focusing on digitalization, technology and services
• Green H2 IndiacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026MoU with Port of Antwerp-Bruges and Belgian Hydrogen Council to facilitate project-oriented cooperation including technology partnerships, port infrastructure collaboration, and workforce development with Indian stakeholders for green hydrogen imports
• Belgian Hydrogen CouncilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 February 2026MoU with Green H2 India and Port of Antwerp-Bruges for green hydrogen import infrastructure cooperation
• Enterprise Europe Network (EEN)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Commission initiative supporting SMEs with international partners, innovative technologies, EU regulation and EU funding - FIT participates as part of EEN Flanders

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Netherlands Foreign Investment Agency (NFIA): Direct peer: the Dutch national investment promotion agency operating a similar model of attracting foreign companies, providing site selection, and supporting internationalization through a global office network — competes head-to-head with FIT for Benelux-located FDI.
• Germany Trade & Invest (GTAI): Direct peer: Germany's federal economic development agency, providing FDI attraction, market intelligence, and export support services to German companies — comparable mandate, comparable scale of global office network.
• Business France: Direct peer: French national agency for international business development, combining export promotion for French SMEs with FDI attraction — same dual-mandate structure as FIT.
• Invest in Wallonia: Direct peer: the Walloon region's investment promotion agency in Belgium — operates the same sub-national trade and investment mandate as FIT but for the French-speaking southern region, often competing for the same Belgian FDI footprint.
• Enterprise Ireland: Direct peer: Irish state enterprise agency supporting Irish companies to internationalize and attract foreign investment — comparable mandate, comparable subsidy programs, comparable global office footprint.
• Brussels Invest & Export: Direct peer: Brussels-Capital Region's trade and investment agency — same Belgian context, same dual export/FDI mandate, although focused on the capital region rather than Flanders.
• CzechInvest: Direct peer: Czech Republic's investment and business development agency — comparable government-funded agency with FDI attraction, SME internationalization support, and a global network of representative offices.
• Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE): Direct peer: Switzerland's official trade and investment promotion organization — combines export promotion for Swiss SMEs with FDI attraction through a global presence.

Broad incumbents

• European Commission's Enterprise Europe Network: Broad incumbent: pan-European Commission initiative of which FIT is itself a participant (EEN Flanders) — sets the framework and co-funds the cross-border SME support that FIT and its peer agencies deliver at national/regional level.

Others

• Port of Antwerp-Bruges: Adjacent ecosystem partner: while not a peer agency, Port of Antwerp-Bruges is a co-investor alongside FIT in FDI missions (e.g., India green hydrogen MoU) and a key beneficiary/anchor of the logistics FDI wins FIT facilitates.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/investflanders
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/FITagency
• Facebookfacebook.com/flandersinvestmentandtrade
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/20796
• Instagraminstagram.com/flandersinvestmenttrade

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Flanders Investment & Trade