The schemes follow on from one another. The Fit 4 Digital diagnosis establishes a current-state review and a costed action plan, which the company remains free to follow or not. Implementation then falls under the SME Packages: the Digital package for a generic digital tool, the AI package for a specific artificial intelligence project. These packages do not exclude one another: each funds a separate project, and the same SME can use the Digital package for its website or its campaigns, then the AI package for an artificial intelligence tool, within the de minimis aid ceiling of €300,000 over three financial years set by Regulation (EU) 2023/2831, the legal basis of the scheme. Upskilling the teams, for its part, relies on training co-funding.
Three timing rules avoid unpleasant surprises. The Fit 4 Digital application is filed before signing any quote at all. The SME Packages require a pre-analysis by the House of Entrepreneurship or eHandwierk before any filing, and the grant application must be validated by the Ministry of the Economy before the project starts: these grants are designed as an incentive, and a cost already incurred is not reimbursed retroactively (Luxinnovation FAQ); the 70% reimbursement itself is paid once the project has been completed. Training co-funding is applied for afterwards, within the 5 months following the end of the financial year, by 31 May at the latest.
Eligibility requires, in every case, a business permit, a registered office in Luxembourg and compliance with the SME criteria on headcount, turnover and balance sheet. For the detail of the schemes and how they fit together, read also our analysis of Fit 4 Digital and the SME Packages.