Whether they are grants, loans, growth programmes or awards, they can provide a real boost – particularly for innovative start-ups looking to break into the market. As we do every quarter, we’ve once again listed five such opportunities.
Mission-driven research into the energy transition
Under the MOOI scheme, consortia can receive funding for mission-driven research, development and innovation relating to the energy transition. The aim is to deliver comprehensive solutions that contribute to climate targets. For the energy sector – officially referred to as ‘electricity’ in this programme – €21 million is available.
The scheme starts on 1 April. From then on, you can submit a pre-application. This pre-application is mandatory and can be submitted until 19 April (5.00 pm). You must then submit the final grant application between 1 July (9.00 am) and 6 September (5.00 pm). Partnerships must consist of at least three organisations that bring together their different areas of expertise and perspectives. The grant is a minimum of 25,000 euros for each participant and a maximum of 4 million euros for each MOOI project.
Further information, including details on how to pre-register, can be found at rvo.nl/subsidie-en-financieringswijzer/mooi.
The 50 best startups
Five years after the first edition – which took place as part of Startup Fest Europe – a new Startup50 Gelderland is being organised. Applications can be submitted via startup50gelderland.nl until 13 April. The applications will be shortlisted to fifty start-ups, which will be featured in a special magazine.
The best start-ups will also have the opportunity to pitch at the Startup50 Pitch Event in May. The jury will select entries based on growth potential, added value, impact, team, market opportunities and competitive advantages. In the run-up to the selection process, Startup50 Gelderland is producing a series of podcasts on entrepreneurship, which can be listened to on the same website.
Cooperation with Germany
The Interreg VI Germany-Netherlands grant programme is about to get underway. The kick-off is on 20 April.
Interreg is a European fund designed to promote regional cooperation. For the Arnhem-Nijmegen region, cooperation with Germany is a particularly natural fit. The focus areas of Interreg VI are ‘agro & food’, ‘health & care’, HTSM, ‘energy & climate’ and ‘integration, education & the labour market’.
The website deutschland-nederland.eu/nl/ is entirely dedicated to the ‘Interreg Deutschland-Nederland’ cooperation programme.
It features an invitation to the kick-off event on 20 April, which will take place via a live stream.
This page states that companies wishing to discuss their project ideas for Interreg VI can already get in touch.
Loan for new start-ups
New start-ups in the region are given the opportunity, via the Gelderland Start-up Fund, to get their businesses off the ground with a pre-seed loan. It is the successor to Gelderland Valoriseert. Start-ups can apply for a subordinated loan of between 30,000 and 250,000 euros.
What makes the Gelderland Start-up Fund unique is that it is linked to the support programmes Orion, StartLife and Briskr. Each of the three programmes has its own target group. StartLife operates in the agri-food sector, Briskr in life sciences, health and high-tech, and Orion in the energy sector, the creative sector and ICT. The Gelderland Start-up Fund therefore focuses on these sectors.
You can apply for funding via any of the three programmes mentioned.
The HAN website details who to contact and the conditions that apply.
Less CO2 emissions
Anyone planning to produce renewable (sustainable) energy or wishing to implement CO₂-reducing technologies can apply for a grant via SDE++. This stands for ‘Stimulation of Sustainable Energy Production and Climate Transition’. The scheme is designed to help businesses and (non-)profit organisations in sectors such as industry, mobility, electricity, agriculture and the built environment to reduce their CO₂ emissions.
SDE++ 2022 will launch at the end of the coming quarter, specifically on Tuesday 28 June. It closes on Thursday 6 October (5.00 pm). A total of no less than 13 billion euros is available. Further information on SDE++ 2022 will be available on the RvO website in due course.
