Unlock strategic market access in Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg through a tailored scale-up program designed for high-growth Atlantic Canadian companies.
Program Information Webinar: November 27, 2025 – Click here to register.
The term ‘Benelux’ references three neighbouring states in Western Europe: Belgium, the Netherlands, and Luxembourg. These three nations are involved in a politico-economic union, alliance, and formal international intergovernmental cooperation – making the region ideal for concurrent engagement. 
The EU is one of the most progressive regions in the world’s fight against climate change, dedicating significant financial resources and implementing a wide variety of regulations related to carbon emissions, renewable energy, and sustainability. As one of Europe’s top five industrial hubs by GDP, Benelux has a high density of carbon emissions concentrated in large industrial clusters that are located near major ports. This makes the region crucial to achieving the European Union’s reduction targets, and the level of climate investment in the region is driving economic activity across the cleantech spectrum.
Billions of Euros are being invested into the region’s energy and clean technology infrastructure – creating significant opportunities in areas that align with the cleantech capabilities of export-ready SMEs in Atlantic Canada like: onshore and offshore wind, carbon capture utilization and storage, clean fuels (i.e., hydrogen and its derivatives, renewable diesel) production and use, energy storage, environmental characterization and monitoring (i.e., sensors), SaaS, circular economy, digital and remote operations, smart cities and infrastructure, electrification, and many other net zero enablers.
The Benelux region is home to innovation hubs which will provide Atlantic Canadian SMEs the opportunity to integrate themselves within ecosystems and act as a launchpad from which to pursue the broader EU opportunities in the long term.
This program will help small to medium-sized businesses (SMEs) throughout Atlantic Canada unlock new partnerships, gain market access, and position themselves for long-term growth across the European Union (EU), using the Benelux region as their launchpad for market expansion and trade diversification.
The program supports will include:
The specifics of these supports will be defined following the selection of program cohort participants based on their unique needs. Note that travel expenses to be paid for by program participants with potential access to financial support through Provincial and Federal programs.
Click here to download the application guidelines which outline eligibility in detail. This program will be open to a cohort of up to 15 SMEs based in Atlantic Canada who provide exportable technologies and/or services related to:
Participating companies will be required to have the proven capacity to engage in long-term international business development, including the capacity to travel multiple times to Europe for the program and dedicate time on a continuous basis throughout the program timeframe. SMEs must have a commercialized technology/service that has generated revenue or have a new innovative technology/service that is ready for export. Preference will be given to companies with existing sales and experience in the European market.
Participating businesses will be expected to contribute $1,750 + HST to access the program and its services. In return, businesses will receive $10,000 in consulting services in addition to in-market and logistical supports – plus insights from program partners, their networks, and Trade Commissioners within the region. Applications for the Scale-up Hub Benelux program must be received by 3:00 p.m. (NDT) on December 19, 2025.
Click here to download the application guidelines. Return to this website for more information on Scale-Up Hub Benelux.
Program partners hosted a webinar on November 27, 2025 to present information on the initiative and answer questions from interested SMEs. A recording of the webinar is below.
econext is leading the Program in collaboration with the Government of Canada, the governments of Nova Scotia, New Brunswick, Prince Edward Island, and Newfoundland and Labrador, and tech NL.
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