Startup: funding from the government

Read more about financial schemes and financing for startups and scale-ups:

• Schemes for startups
• Schemes for scale-ups
• Other types of financing
• Help in finding financing

Schemes for startups 

1. Proof-of-Concept funding 

The Proof-of-concept funding scheme offers financing to help you take the step from idea to product. You can use the money to research the market for your new product and arrange the licences you need (intellectual property). You can submit an application to your provincial office or the national office.

2. WBSO 

You can reduce the financial burden of research and development (R&D) through the WBSO. WBSO is an acronym for Wet Bevordering Speur en Ontwikkelingswerk (Research and Development (Promotion) Act. The scheme reduces the wage costs for your R&D staff or gives you an additional tax credit as an entrepreneur, including for prototypes or research equipment and devices. This scheme also applies to scale-ups. 

3. Innovation credit 

The innovation credit is a loan for the development of innovative projects with technical risks and good market prospects. You can use the loan to get your innovative idea up and running. The loan is for technical and clinical projects. Scale-ups can also apply.

4. Seed Business Angels 

Seed Business Angel Funds are intended for tech and creative startups.A fund provides financing by purchasing shares in your business. This may be supplemented with a subordinated and convertible loan. In addition to financing, a business angel also provides you with an experienced, entrepreneurial investor who can offer advice. A seed business angel fund can invest a minimum of 50,000 euros and a maximum of 500,000 euros per start-up. If you require more money, you might want to consider the Seed Capital scheme.

5. BMKB: Credit Guarantee for SMEs 

Under this scheme, the government acts as a guarantor for business finance. Banks and other financiers are more likely to grant a loan if the government acts as a guarantor, at least in part. The guarantee provides them with more security, for example if there are not enough buildings or machines to act as collateral. New and technologically innovative businesses can count on favourable terms for startup loans. 

Schemes for scale-ups 

6. Deep Tech Fund 

This fund from Invest NL invests in businesses that are developing the technology of the future. Money from the Deep Tech Fund is intended to ensure the scaling up of these businesses. 

7. Dutch Good Growth Fund 

The Dutch Good Growth Fund (DGGF) supports SMEs that conduct business with developing countries and emerging markets. If applying for a bank loan is not an option, the fund provides support in the form of loans, guarantees, and participations with a repayment obligation. This also applies, to some extent, to startups. If you are exporting capital goods to one or more of the DGGF countries, the Export component provides export credit insurance and export financing. 

8. Dutch Trade and Investment Fund 

The fund helps Dutch SMEs that conduct business with countries not included on the list of the Dutch Good Growth Fund. The Investment component provides support in the form of loans, guarantees, and participations with a repayment obligation. If you export capital goods to one or more of the Dutch Trade and Investment Fund countries, the export component provides export credit insurance and export financing. 

Other types of financing

In addition to subsidies and schemes, you can of course also seek financing from banks and other financiers. You can find information about this in the Financing Guide. Would you like to quickly find out which form of financing best suits your situation? Then use the Financing Finder tool.

Help in finding financing

You do not have to find financing for your business on your own. Ask the advisers of the KVK Advice Team your questions. Call 088 585 11 11. They will think along with you and put you in touch with parties from the KVK network. For example, with Erkende Financieringsadviseurs MKB (Certified SME Financing Advisors, in Dutch). You can also ask your own bookkeeper or accountant for help.