Gand is home to one of the most dynamic industrial economies in Flanders, with leading players in the automotive sector, green steelmaking and high technology. Financial translation in Gand meets concrete needs: filing of annual reports in Dutch with the NBB, translation of IFRS documentation for Scandinavian or Asian groups, and linguistic support for the fundraising of UGent spin-offs.
Gand, Flemish industrial capital with bilingual and multilingual financial needs
Volvo Cars Gand, the only European production site of the Swedish group, generates large volumes of bilingual financial documentation in Swedish-English or Dutch-English: site performance reports, investment budgets submitted to the Gothenburg headquarters, joint-venture contracts with Asian partners for the development of electric vehicles, and financing plans for the EX90 production lines. The transformation towards electric involves innovative financial structures (green bonds, sustainability-linked bonds) that the Gand site must document in several languages for its international stakeholders.
ArcelorMittal Gand is pursuing an ambitious decarbonisation programme with the Steelanol project (steelmaking bioethanol) and investments in green hydrogen. These projects are financed by high yield bonds issued on the European markets, European subsidies and loans from the European Investment Bank. The associated documentation (prospectuses, project progress reports, subsidy files) must be translated into English, French and sometimes Luxembourgish for the financing bodies. In parallel, Bekaert, Barco and Recticel, all listed on Euronext, file bilingual NL/EN annual reports and IFRS financial statements audited by international auditors.
The Gand innovation ecosystem, structured around UGent and its technology transfer office (UGent LRD), generates a continuous flow of patent licensing contracts, co-development contracts and non-disclosure agreements (NDA) concluded with pharmaceutical or technological multinationals. The spin-offs originating from UGent call on PMV (Participatiemaatschappij Vlaanderen) and on the Gigarant guarantee fund to structure their first funding rounds, involving financial documents in Dutch and English.
Most frequently translated financial documents in Gand
- NL/EN annual reports for NBB filings and investors: unlisted companies file their accounts in Dutch with the National Bank of Belgium, but the versions intended for foreign shareholders or for financial analysts must be available in English.
- High yield bond prospectuses: issued by ArcelorMittal Gand to finance the green transition, these voluminous documents (150-300 pages) are produced in English in line with the standards of the European bond market (Euronext Dublin, London Stock Exchange).
- Inter-site budgets and performance reports: documents addressed by Volvo Cars Gand to the Gothenburg headquarters, or by the Belgian subsidiaries of international groups to their parent companies, in Swedish, English or Dutch depending on the direction of communication.
- Patent licensing contracts and co-development agreements: produced by UGent LRD for partnerships with global pharma players, generally in English, sometimes accompanied by financial annexes in Dutch.
- PMV and Gigarant files: applications for participation or guarantee with the Flemish funds, with EN/FR translation for the Walloon or foreign co-investors involved in the funding round.
- M&A due diligence for Flemish acquisitions: packages of financial, legal and tax documents prepared during disposals of Gand industrial companies, translated into English or German for foreign acquirers.
TranslateBE
Financial translation in Gand: NL, EN, FR and more
NBB reports, high yield prospectuses, PMV files or UGent licensing contracts: our specialised translators know the Gand financial ecosystem.
Regulatory requirements and financial standards in Gand
In Belgium, all companies are required to file their annual accounts with the National Bank of Belgium (NBB) in the language of their region: for companies whose registered office is in the Flemish Region, the filing must be made in Dutch. This legal obligation admits no exception, and an Antwerp or Gand company whose shareholders or creditors are French-speaking or foreign must systematically provide a translation of its accounts if it wishes to communicate them to these stakeholders. Companies listed on Euronext Brussels have, in addition, transparency obligations under the Prospectus Regulation and the Transparency Directive, which may require the documents to be made available in French, Dutch and English.
For projects financed by the European Union, notably in the framework of the Flemish industrial transition plan (Vlaams Energie- en Klimaatplan) or the Just Transition Fund funds for steelmaking, the financial reports intended for Brussels must comply with standardised formats and terminology in English. The auditors mandated by the Commission verify the consistency between the expenditure supporting documents (often in Dutch) and the consolidated reports (in English), which requires translators able to navigate between the two registers with precision.
Turnaround times and rates
| Type of document | Standard turnaround | Indicative rate |
|---|---|---|
| Annual report NL to EN (NBB filing) | 3-5 working days | from 0.13 EUR/word |
| High yield prospectus / green bond | 7-15 working days | on quote (volume) |
| Patent licensing contract | 48-72 h | from 220 EUR |
| PMV / Gigarant file | 2-3 working days | from 180 EUR |
| M&A due diligence package | 5-10 working days | on quote (volume) |
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Your Gand financial documents translated with accuracy
From the ArcelorMittal high yield bond to the PMV file of a UGent start-up, TranslateBE covers all your financial translation needs in East Flanders.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Does the filing of annual accounts with the NBB require an official translation into Dutch?
For companies whose registered office is in the Flemish Region, the filing with the National Bank of Belgium must be made in Dutch. If your accounting or your internal financial statements are kept in English or French, a professional translation into Dutch is necessary for the filing. This translation does not need to be sworn for the NBB filing, but must be faithful and terminologically correct.
Can you manage the translation of a voluminous high yield prospectus with several batches?
Yes. For large prospectuses (150 pages and more), we set up a dedicated project manager, a financial glossary validated upstream and a team of several translators working in parallel on separate batches. A lead translator then ensures the terminological harmonisation of the whole before delivery. We respect your scheduling constraints linked to the issue windows on the markets.
Are your translators familiar with the specificities of the PMV and Gigarant funds in Flanders?
Yes. Our Flemish translators specialised in corporate finance master the instruments offered by PMV, Gigarant and the Flemish intercommunales. They are familiar with the specific terms used in the subordinated loan agreements, the co-investment agreements and the shareholders' agreements concluded in this framework, in Dutch and English.
What is the difference between an annual report translated for the NBB and a report intended for investors?
The annual report filed with the NBB is a legally required document, standardised in its form (Belgian annual accounts, abbreviated or full schema). The report intended for investors is generally more complete, narrative, and complies with the IFRS standards or the requirements of buy-side analysts. Both documents require rigorous financial terminology, but the second additionally requires fluent writing and consistency with the group's previous communications.