Entering North America costs money long before it pays: travel, trade shows, hiring, product adaptation, legal advice. Public schemes exist to fund part of it or reduce the risk. They are often little known, or applied for too late, after the spending has already happened.

France: Bpifrance Assurance prospection

This is the main tool for French companies. According to the CCI Paris Île-de-France fact sheet (updated June 2026) and Team France Export:

  • eligibility: micro, small, mid-sized and intermediate companies with up to €500 million in revenue and at least one 12-month balance sheet;
  • minimum prospecting budget of €30,000;
  • cash advance of 50% of the guaranteed budget paid on signing;
  • coverage of the risk of failure at 50%, or 65% for industrial companies or those engaged in a green transition;
  • covered costs: travel, hiring an export team, studies, legal advice, marketing, trade shows, running costs of an office or subsidiary abroad;
  • repayment indexed on export revenue achieved, with a minimum in case of failure.

Costs related to a V.I.E (international corporate volunteer) are eligible, making it an effective combination for a first presence on the ground.

Belgium: regional incentives

In Belgium, export support is regional:

  • Wallonia: AWEX (Wallonia Export-Investment Agency), which reports 1,438 prospecting actions and 6,405 files handled by its advisers abroad in 2025;
  • Brussels: hub.brussels;
  • Flanders: Flanders Investment & Trade.

Each offers financial incentives (prospecting, trade shows, presence abroad) with their own conditions and caps, to be checked directly with your regional agency.

Switzerland: advice and cover

Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE) supports Swiss companies with export and expansion projects, and the Swiss Export Risk Insurance (SERV) covers part of the financial risks of export transactions.

On the US and Canadian side: inbound support

  • SelectUSA, a US Department of Commerce program, connects foreign investors with states and their economic development agencies.
  • US states offer incentives (tax credits, training and hiring grants) that are negotiated before choosing a site, not after.
  • In Canada, Investissement Québec International supports foreign companies setting up in Quebec.

What funders look for

  1. A detailed, realistic budget over 2–3 years, line by line.
  2. A prospecting plan: targets, channels, timeline, resources.
  3. Justified revenue assumptions, not wishful projections.
  4. A legal structure and hiring plan consistent with the project.
  5. An application filed before committing the costs to be covered.
Key takeaway

Support schemes don’t replace a solid project: they fund it. An application built on a serious assessment (market, budget, structure) is more likely to be accepted, and then serves as the roadmap for execution.

Frequently asked questions

What is Bpifrance Assurance prospection?

A scheme that advances 50% of the guaranteed prospecting budget on signing and covers part of the risk of failure (50% or 65%). Repayment depends on the export revenue achieved.

Can a Belgian company get support to expand into the US?

Yes, through its regional agency: AWEX in Wallonia, hub.brussels in Brussels, Flanders Investment & Trade in Flanders. Conditions vary by agency.

Should I apply before committing costs?

Generally yes. The schemes fund future prospecting costs. Costs already committed may not be covered.

Sources

External links checked on October 24, 2026.

Scheme conditions change: check them with each organization before applying.

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