STAP training budget

The STAP budget was a training budget available to almost everyone in the Netherlands.

The STAP budget is a training scheme that was introduced in 2021 and continued until the end of 2023. It allowed almost everyone to submit an application for a training course of up to €1,000 per year. The final application period opened on 15 November 2023 and the budget is now used up.

Compulsory education

As an employer, you must provide training to your employees. For example, via an annual training budget as part of a personal development plan. These costs are business expenses that you can partially or fully deduct from your company’s income tax. Is your training budget exhausted or does an employee want to follow training that is more expensive than their personal company budget? Then suggest the STAP budget as a supplement.

Employer contribution

Your employee can use the STAP budget as an extra to cover the costs for training. For example, if you pay the employer's contribution for the training, the employee applies for a STAP budget for the rest of the costs. They must report this in the application. They do so by reporting how much financing they receive from an external source – in this case, their employer. The STAP budget is reduced by this amount or is a supplement if the training is more than €1,000.

An example

Your employee wants to do a training course from the STAP catalogue. It costs €1,500. You offer your employees a training budget of €500 per year. Your employee can then apply for €1,000 to pay for the rest of the training. Check out all the STAP budget conditions for more information.

Benefits for employers

KVK business advisor Yvonne Nikkelen talks to employers every day about issues such as staff shortages and growth ambitions. She mentions 2 key advantages of the STAP budget for employers.

 

1. Employees continue to grow
   Employees can gain knowledge or experience with the training so that they can progress to a higher or a different position. “This is how you bind employees to your company, even if they have career advancement wishes,” says Nikkelen. In addition, an employee can explore another position or expertise.
2. Stimulate innovation within your company
   Innovation requires new knowledge or experience. Do you want to get started with digitalisation or sustainability? Or are you thinking of new ways of marketing, like starting a podcast? The STAP budget offers various training options with which your company can continue to grow. “Explore the courses available and compare them to your company objectives”, Nikkelen advises.

Measures for STAP budget

As of the STAP application period on 28 February 2023, new measures apply. These include:

• A course can receive a maximum of 300 STAP applications.
• An education provider may not offer trips or gifts to persuade people to choose them.
• Education providers must declare that their course or education meets the STAP requirements.

The new rules for the STAP budget are to prevent abuse of the application system.