The world of subsidies, funding, loans, support programmes and other schemes is interesting but complex. For ambitious companies, it offers interesting opportunities. It can help them grow or get over a dead end. For Q4 2025, we list five interesting opportunities in no particular order.
Cyber threats
Unfortunately, cyber threats are a daily reality. It is not just large companies that are affected, but also SMEs, small businesses and the self-employed. The national Digital Trust Centre is making a grant available to enhance the digital security of small businesses in Gelderland. They can use the funds, for example, for training to raise ‘cyber awareness’, as well as for antivirus software, backups and two-factor authentication.
Applications for the grant can be submitted until 31 October 2025, or until the maximum amount of 1 million euros has been reached. As a business owner, you must complete three steps to apply. Further information is available on the province’s website.
Clean technologies
EFRO Oost has launched a new grant scheme for clean and resource-efficient technologies. It is intended for projects that help organisations operate more energy-efficiently, that utilise renewable energy (such as solar or wind power) or that reuse raw materials to reduce waste. The grant is intended for partnerships involving at least one SME.
Interested parties can submit a proposal until 15 December. The grant per project ranges from 250 thousand to 3 million euros. A total of 12 million euros is available, of which 9.6 million euros is earmarked for projects in Gelderland. You can find out more about this scheme here.
Towards market application
The EIC Transition programme is aimed at technology companies that are at the stage between research and market application. This is because the process of turning a scientific breakthrough into a working product or concrete service is often underestimated. The programme is specifically designed for consortia or organisations wishing to further develop research previously funded by the EU.
This programme prepares you to apply for the EIC Accelerator, which is aimed at start-ups and scale-ups with an innovation that is ready for market launch and international growth. A total of 634 million euros is available for this purpose. To ease the transition to the EIC Accelerator, the Pre-Accelerator is now also available.
Strategic sectors
The same EIC (European Innovation Council) is also launching STEP Scale Up. This new programme is aimed at innovative technology companies in strategic sectors for Europe, such as quantum technology, semiconductors, biotechnology and renewable energy.
The programme offers co-funding, equity investments of between 10 and 30 million euros per company, and support with market access, IP strategy and international positioning. The programme is launching with a budget of 300 million euros, but there are plans to expand this to 900 million euros. Details of this programme can be found on this website.
Energy desks and neighbourhood handymen
The province of Gelderland is making grants available to local authorities wishing to professionalise existing energy advice centres or to help set up neighbourhood handyman services. These energy advice centres and neighbourhood handyman services must actively engage with target groups to encourage them to take energy-saving measures.
A total of 1,330,296 euros is available for the period from 2025 to 2027. The maximum grant depends on the number of residents in a municipality. The grant for an energy advice centre is 0.27 euros per resident per year. For grants covering both an energy advice centre and a neighbourhood DIY scheme, the rate is 0.50 euro per inhabitant (0.27 euro for the energy advice centre and 0.23 euro for the neighbourhood DIY scheme). Further information on the conditions can be found here.
