The Philippe and Paul Claes Fund was established on the initiative of Paul Claes and his brother Philippe. Paul Claes had suffered from a rare disease since his teenage years. He was severely limited in his activities and often had to go to hospital for treatment. Despite this disability, he was determined to remain independent and lead an active social life. This was a daily challenge for him, but at the same time he felt well supported by those around him, both in his private and professional life. After Paul’s death in 2023, the Philippe and Paul Claes Fund was activated within the King Baudouin Foundation. The Fund aims to encourage and finance initiatives that make the lives of people with disabilities resulting from rare diseases, and those of their families, easier, more pleasant and richer.
This second call for projects focuses on a wide range of initiatives in Belgium that improve the quality of life of people with severe disabilities. The disability may be physical, mental or emotional, but must be directly related to a rare disease as defined by the European Union (in the EU, a rare disease is defined as a disease that affects less than 5 in 10,000 people in the general population)*. The initiatives must alleviate the physical, mental, emotional or other disabilities of these people and their environment. They must support them in fully realising their personal, social and/or professional potential.
Budget: 2.500 – 17.500 euro
Deadline: 04 December 2025