The Netherlands is one of Europe’s leaders in innovation (European Innovation Scoreboard). Our entrepreneurs, and especially SME’s are developing new products, processes, software and services. Both our fiscal and political climate provide the right and attractive circumstances for innovation. We have several funding schemes on a national, continental and global level that stimulate research, development and demonstration projects.
Popular subsidy programs
These are the most commonly used national and international funding schemes that Dutch innovation leaders make use of to finance and accelerate their projects:
National projects
- The fiscal WBSO-program offers a reduction on income tax based on the number of hours you put in R&D.
Funding: average € 29/hr
Percentage: 32-40% - The MIT-program stimulates feasibilty studies, contracted research and R&D collaborations between at least two independent Dutch SME’s.
Funding: € 350.000
Percentage: 35-45% - The Europees Regionaal Fonds voor Ontwikkeling (EFRO) offers funding to consortia that innovate and/or contribute to the transition into a green economy.
Funding: € 2 mln – € 10 mln
Percentage: 50%
European projects
- Small and medium enterprises can make use of the SME-instrument for both feasibility studies and research and development projects.
Funding feasibility: € 50.000 lumpsum
Funding R&D-projects: € 2 miljoen
Percentage: 60% - The Fast Track to Innovation (FTI) program stimulates high risk – high gain disruptive innovatio projects.
Funding: € 3 miljoen
Percentage: 70% - Eurostars funding is for market oriented innovation that is being jointly developed by at least two SME’s from different European countries.
Funding for Dutch partner(s): € 500.000
Percentage NL: 35-45% - The Horizon 2020 funding program contains multiple calls for innovations in specific thematic area’s in which research and development is done in a consortium of at least three different partners from three different EU and partner countries.
Funding between € 2 mln en € 15 mln
Percentage: 60-80%
Global projects
- DHI: funding for researching new market opportunities in different countries and for demonstrating your product in order to convince local clients to invest.
Funding: € 200.000
Percentage: 50% - The Partners voor Water (PvW) program stimulates Dutch innovative companies to develop and demonstratie their water technology in upcommuning and developing markets that struggle with their (clean) water supply.
Funding: € 250.000 (feasibility) € 600.000 (pilot)
Percentage: 60-70% - New is the GlobalStars, program, which is an extension of the Eurostars funding scheme. This program stimulates global innovation collaboration between selected EU countries and India, Brazil and Taiwan.
Funding for the Dutch partner: € 350.000
Percentage: 35-45%
Deadlines funding applications
September
5 sep: SME-instrument feasibility studies
6 sep: MIT R&D-projects
7 sep: Partners voor Water
13 sep: Eurostars
21 sep: DHI
October
1 oct: GlobalStars India
10 oct: SME-instrument R&D-projects
23 oct: FTI
31 oct: GlobalStars Brazil
November
7 nov: SME-instrument feasibility
Get started with your application
Most deadlines for applications are in September and October. If you want to make use of the provided funding, it is key to start with you application as soon as possible. You can always contact us to discuss your project, help you find the right partners and write a successful application for you.
