Dutch
Circular Value Chains
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KNOWLEDGE MAP Back to overview

Circular Economy

Which grants are available for circular businesses?

Both the Netherlands and the EU provide various types of grants for entrepreneurs, governments and financial institutions.

The Netherlands

Funds

There are many funds that support social entrepreneurs in the development or expansion of a circular product or company. In addition to the funds, there are also investors and crowdfunding platforms that can offer a solution. The network Social Enterprise NL has grouped these services for “Circular and sustainable production” in their Finance Tool.

Subsidies

Technical innovations are promoted in each business sector as companies of all sizes can use the WBSO and RDA subsidies to reduce the financial burden of R&D-projects. WBSO lowers labor costs and the RDA provides an additional deduction for other expenses and expenses for the project. Besides the WBSO and RDA companies can also use the Innovatiebox (Innovation box).

More info on the RVO website.

Deductions

MIA (Milieu Investeringsaftrek, translation Environmental Investment Deduction) is a deduction that can be used for environmental friendly investment on top of the usual investment. The Vamil (Willekeurige Afschrijving Milieu-Investeringen, translation Random Depreciation of Environmental Investments) gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to write off 75 percent of the investment costs at a time the user can define. The Milieulijst (Environmental List) contains technologies for which investments the MIA\Vamil can be used

More information on the RVO website.

Credit

The Innovatiekrediet (Innovation Credit) is intended for the gap in the capital market where entrepreneurs are trying to get their innovative concept to work, but cannot sell the product yet. The credit is risk bearing and only needs to be paid back if the innovation succeeds. In addition to grants the Ministry of Economic Affairs partly guarantees for companies that want to take out a loan, but cannot offer the bank enough security that they will pay it back. SMEs can use the Borgstelling MKB Kredieten (BMKB; Guarantee SME Loans) and medium to big enterprises can use the Garantie Ondernemingsfinanciering (GO; Guarantee Scheme)

More information on the RVO website. 

European Union

INTERREG

INTERREG invests in innovative and sustainable solutions for Europe and is intended for governments, universities, businesses, development agencies, non-profit organizations and NGOs. The previous program ran until 2020, the programs for the period 2021-2027 are now being prepared and are expected to open in the course of 2021.

More information on the RVO website on INTERREG

Horizon Europe

With Horizon Europe, the European Commission (EC) wants to increase Europe’s competitiveness by stimulating science and innovation. In addition, the EC wants to challenge the business community and the academic world to jointly devise solutions for social issues that are relevant throughout Europe.

More information on the RVO website.

LIFE 2021-2027

LIFE is a subsidy program of the European Union with the aim of supporting innovative projects that fit into European nature, environment and climate policy. The Environment sub-program focuses, among other things, on innovative projects related to circularity.

More information on the RVO website.

Eurostars

Eurostars is a subsidy for international market-oriented R&D and focuses on innovative SMEs that are cooperating with partners in other countries. Under certain conditions other organizations may also participate in Eurostars projects. The aim of Eurostars is to encourage faster development and growth of small businesses by shortening the time-to-market for these new technologies and reducing the risks.

More information on the RVO website.

Want to read more?

For an up-to-date overview of available European funds, the way in which the EU distributes these funds and the way in which you can claim them, view this overview page.

For an up-to-date overview of Dutch implementers of these funds, see here.

RVO, 2016, p1.