Brexit Adjustment Reserve - BAR - for Enterprises

BAR for Enterprises closed on 31 March 2023, 17:00 CEST. You can no longer apply.

Two programmes

You could have applied for BAR to help cover incurred and future costs. BAR consisted of the following programmes:

1. Reimbursement for incurred costs (Tegemoetkoming gemaakte kosten)
   Applying was possible from 1 November 2022, 9:00 CET, until 31 March 2023, 17:00 CEST.
2. Reimbursement for future costs (Tegemoetkoming nog te maken kosten)
   Applying was possible from 1 November 2022, 9:00 CET, until 13 January 2023, 17:00 CET.

European legislation permitted the Dutch government to assist companies facing extra costs due to Brexit. The budget available was €218 million. Applications were reviewed on a first-come, first-served basis.

Who could apply for BAR?

To apply to BAR for Enterprises, your business had to:

• prove that you incurred these costs or would incur these costs due to Brexit;
• provide a complete account of the costs you incurred or would incur;
• be based in the Netherlands and registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce before 1 January 2021;
• be operational and not in suspension of payments on or after 1 January 2021;
• not have reached or exceeded the maximum amount for government support;
• have at least €5,000 of your total turnover come from trading activities with the United Kingdom (UK) or trading activities with other countries that involved transport in or through the UK (transit);
• meet one of the following customs specifications:
  • You now have to file a customs declaration for goods imported into or exported from countries outside of the EU due to Brexit but did not have to do this between 2015 and the end of 2020 or;
  • Your total number of customs declarations for trade outside the EU has increased by 25%, or your total turnover from activities with countries outside the EU has increased by 25%.

What costs did BAR cover?

BAR covers costs you have incurred or would incur for: 

• educational campaigns;
• training to understand new customs procedures;
• adjustments to IT systems, such as new customs software;
• the cost of external consultancy and costs for customs;
• temporary costs for extra transport material(s) (for transport businesses).

Requirements

The main conditions were:

• you were able to show that the activities stated in your funding application came about as a result of Brexit;
• you were listed in the Dutch Chamber of Commerce Trade Register on 1 January 2021;
• your company had not gone into bankruptcy on or after 1 January 2021;
• your company was not in financial trouble before 1 January 2021;
• your company was not granted a moratorium (suspension of payments) at the time you applied, and no request for a moratorium has been made;
• you were not applying for more than the maximum in state aid;
• you met all the relevant customs requirements;
  • You have to make customs declarations for the import of goods from or the export of goods to a country outside the European Union due to Brexit since 1 January 2021, but you did not have to do this from 2015 until the end of 2020.
  • If you did have to make customs declarations for the import of goods from or the export of goods to a country outside the European Union between 2015 and 2020, you would only be eligible for this subsidy on the condition that, as a result of Brexit:
    • your total turnover from trading activities with countries outside the European Union had increased by at least 25%; or
    • your total number of customs declarations had increased by at least 25%;
  • at least €5,000 of your total turnover in the year 2020 came from:
    • trading activities with countries in the European Union which required transport in or through the UK (transit);
    • trading activities with the United Kingdom; or
    • you have kept records of the costs that you incurred and can provide us with these records on request;
    • only costs incurred and paid from 1 January 2018 to 31 October 2022 will count towards the subsidy.

More information

Our website in Dutch provides more information on BAR:

• Reimbursement for incurred costs (in Dutch)
• Reimbursement for future costs (in Dutch)

If you have any questions, feel free to contact us.

The Netherlands Enterprise Agency carries out BAR on behalf of the Ministry of Economic Affairs and Climate Policy. The Dutch government expects enterprises to conduct business responsibly, respecting people, the environment and society, following international OECD guidelines and human rights treaties.