Through the following funds and programs, we help entrepreneurs with advice and financing. But with this we can also strengthen the sectors in Limburg. Would you like to know more? Give us a call. We will gladly help you.
LIOF is the regional development company of the Province of Limburg. We ensure the strengthening of the economic structure and thus the growth of Limburg.
70 committed LIOF colleagues help your company grow with advice, a solid network and financing, to strive for a smarter, more durable and healthy Limburg.
Doing business abroad
With more than 350 km of borders with Belgium and Germany, Limburg is a pre-eminent province for international trade. Fortunately, Limburg companies already know how to find partners on the other side of the border. There are also economic opportunities outside the border region. LIOF International Trade Development helps Limburg entrepreneurs identify, develop and capitalize on these opportunities.
The ITD program is funded by the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The funds are made available under the ongoing OPZuid 2014-2020 program.
In addition to its euregional location, Limburg has good accessibility, which makes doing business across the border even easier. The main cargo airports of Cologne, Liege and Brussels are just a stone's throw away. From the terminal in Venlo you have a direct connection to the railroad network to China and through this terminal foreign companies can reach our national seaport Rotterdam in no time.
But Limburg itself is also an important trading partner for companies across the border. Our Limburg top sectors of agro-food, industry and logistics are an essential link in this.
Export Promotion
Opportunities across borders
Trading across borders brings numerous challenges. Laws and regulations, local culture and business customs are often different from those in your own country. And what about finding reliable (foreign) partners? LIOF is happy to lend a helping hand.
LIOF knows the way to find export-promoting schemes that your company can use. These regional or national schemes make the realization of your export plans - via, for example, vouchers for participation in trade missions - a lot easier.
Facts and figures: the Limburg Export Monitor
Based on data from CBS, we have developed the Limburg Export Monitor. This monitor gives you an overview of the export figures of the Limburg top sectors over the past five years. It is an interactive monitor and you can play with the graphs and select the sectors you are interested in.
Getting in touch with the right international contacts is an important first step in doing international business. These can be contacts for direct trade, but also for setting up joint programs or cooperation. For matchmaking LIOF uses its own extensive network of entrepreneurs and partners.
We work with organizations such as the Chambers of Commerce, Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO), Brightlands Campuses and the province of Limburg. In addition, we work with, among others, Dutch embassies and consulates, the trade promotion network of regional development agencies (TINL), the Netherlands Business Support Offices (NBSO) , NL in Business, NL Works and the innovation and agriculture attachés abroad.
Since 2022, LIOF has also been a partner of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). This network helps entrepreneurs, research institutes, universities, technology centers and business and innovation development institutions find partners worldwide free of charge. The Enterprise Europe Network consists of more than 600 organizations in over 68 countries. Click below for more information.
Every year dozens of trade missions take place. Both incoming delegations that visit our country and our province as well as outgoing missions to regions and countries that offer interesting opportunities and contacts to present your company or to tap into new sales markets.
LIOF is involved in missions that are in line with the spearheads of agro-food, industry and logistics and relevant themes for the province such as energy, circularity, health and digitization.
You are looking for information on laws and regulations that apply to doing international business. A guide to key topics is indispensable. The Chamber of Commerce (CoC) offers such a guide. As a partner of the Chamber of Commerce we are pleased to offer you access to this information.
You want to do business in Germany, for example, and you are going to orient yourself. Then a clear overview of the most important facts & figures is very useful. The RVO offers such an overview. As a partner of the RVO we are pleased to offer you access to this information.
We have listed the country information of the eight major trading partners of Limburg.
Limburg has much to offer and a strong distinctive character. The social and economic trends that have affected the province in recent decades have led to a process of change and renewal. As a result, Limburg has transformed its peripheral location into a highly globalized regional nexus. With proven success in the manufacturing, agrifood and logistics sectors (the so-called 'big three').
That is why an important part of our work is also to attract foreign companies to do business in and with Limburg. For this we have developed a special campaign: Food for Thought.
