To simplify the heaps of paperwork that often come hand in hand with living in Brussels, the municipality of Ixelles is taking an important step towards a more efficient and transparent administration.
From now on, all public funding applications in Ixelles will be submitted through a single digital "one-stop shop", while ensuring tailored support for residents who are less comfortable with digital tools.
"This new system significantly simplifies procedures for residents, associations and municipal departments alike," said Ixelles' Smart City councillor Valérie Libert (MR & Anders avec vous).
Approved by the Municipal Council on 18 December 2025 and followed by a testing phase and staff training in early 2026, the new municipal regulation on subsidies has now become a concrete reality in Ixelles.
"It enables clearer and more consistent processing of applications, strengthening transparency and the quality of administrative management," she said. "It was time to turn the page on administrative practices dating back several decades and fully embrace the 21st century."
One-stop shop
Access is organised through two forms, designed to better match applicants’ profiles: one for residents and informal associations without an enterprise number, and another for legal entities and self-employed individuals with an enterprise number (non-profits, etc.).
Identification can be completed in just a few clicks through verified electronic identification tools such as Itsme.
In practical terms, applications submitted via the electronic one-stop shop are centralised and forwarded daily to the relevant municipal departments through a central monitoring system.
Ixelles Ponds near the Place Eugene Flagey in Ixelles, Brussels, Friday 29 May 2020. Credit: Belga
"This reform shows that by working in a pragmatic and constructive way, it is possible to simplify public administration in concrete terms for the benefit of everyone," said Gautier Calomne, Ixelles councillor in charge of Civic Innovation and Culture.
"It is also a practical way to support citizen, community and economic initiatives in our municipality by making it easier to develop local projects, and by ensuring fair decision-making," he said.
Since the form went live on 30 January, numerous applications have already been submitted, and initial feedback has been positive, according to the municipality.
