Many companies that have built their success from scratch would not have managed to do so without the help of grants, funding, loans or other programmes. These are, in a sense, lifelines that make innovation, research and scaling up possible. At the same time, the range of options is vast and can sometimes be confusing. As we do every quarter, we have listed five current opportunities below.
CO₂ reduction
Since May, the province of Gelderland has been making grants available for CO₂-reducing climate initiatives. The scheme is intended for initiatives in Gelderland that reduce or store at least 10 tonnes of CO₂ per year. It is designed to give projects that contribute to a more sustainable Gelderland the opportunity to take the next step.
The grant amounts to 5,000 euros per initiative. A total of 100,000 euros is available. This website explains who is eligible and how to apply.
Wording
There is also a great deal of innovation taking place in the world of formulations, such as coatings, cosmetics and adhesives. The Big Chemistry Start-up Programme is aimed at young companies in this sector that develop or apply AI, data and robotics technologies with the aim of making complex mixtures predictable and automating experiments.
The Big Chemistry growth fund programme aims to position the Netherlands as a world leader in the field of chemical robotics combined with artificial intelligence. Together with partners, it is working, amongst other things, on the construction of an autonomous ‘robot lab’ at the Novio Tech Campus in Nijmegen. The Big Chemistry Start-up Programme builds on this infrastructure. Selected start-ups receive between 125,000 and 200,000 euros in funding. They also receive expert guidance and access to a network of companies, investors and leading research institutions. Further information, including the contact details of the two project leaders, can be found on this Oost NL webpage.
Clean energy hubs
Clean energy hubs help to make heavy goods transport more sustainable. The province of Gelderland is now offering local authorities and the owners and operators of such hubs the opportunity to apply for a grant for a feasibility study or (for owners only) for the construction or expansion of such hubs. In doing so, the province aims to contribute to a gradual transition to cleaner energy for heavy commercial vehicles on the roads and in inland waterways.
The grant for the feasibility study covers up to 50 per cent of the eligible costs, up to a maximum of 40,000 euros per study. For the construction or expansion of a clean energy hub, a maximum of 250,000 euros is available, plus a proportion of the eligible costs, depending on the size of the company. More information is available here .
Heat advisers
This grant scheme is perfectly suited to the temperatures seen at the end of June. It is intended for local authorities wishing to make their living environments heat-resilient. They can apply for a grant to engage a heat advisor, who can assist the local authorities in drawing up a comprehensive heat action plan.
Local authorities can choose from two types of packages: a basic package, for which they receive a grant of 3,750 euros, and an extended package, for which a grant of 5,000 euros applies. A total of 90,000 euros is available. More information on the grant scheme can be found here , and an overview of the available heat advisers is available here .
Making use of the housing stock
There is a housing shortage in many areas. This can be partly resolved by making better use of the existing housing stock. That is why grants are available to local authorities, housing associations, owners’ associations and private property owners who wish to create affordable housing through extensions or the division of properties.
They can apply for a grant for a feasibility study into extending, adding storeys to or dividing homes, as well as for the actual implementation. A sum of 10,000 euros is available per feasibility study. The implementation grant provides a maximum contribution of 8,000 euros for the subdivision and/or extension of a property. A total of 1 million euros is available for the feasibility studies and 4 million euros for the construction work. Further information is available on this website .
