Almost every AI agency mentions grants. Rarely do they say which scheme, what it is meant for and what you have to do yourself. Below are the schemes that exist in the Netherlands, using only what the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) publishes. We deliberately don’t mention amounts or percentages: they change per year and per round, and an outdated figure on a website is worse than no figure.
We are not grant advisers. We can tell you roughly which category your project falls into and where to look; the application itself you do yourself or with a specialised adviser.
WBSO: for development work, not for use
The WBSO is a tax scheme for research and development work. You don’t receive money; you pay less payroll tax on the hours spent on development. That can apply to building new software, if there is genuinely something technically new in it for you.
What doesn’t fall under it: purchasing an existing package, setting up a standard integration that already exists a hundred times over, or a subscription to an AI tool. Hours of an external party don’t count towards your WBSO either; the builder can apply for those themselves for their own hours.
MIT: for innovation in SMEs
The MIT scheme (SME innovation stimulation for Regions and Top Sectors) includes, among other things, a feasibility project and an R&D collaboration project. A feasibility project sometimes fits an exploration or preliminary study. The scheme runs in rounds with an opening date, and many parts are administered per province, so always check with your own province what is open.
SLIM: for learning and development
The SLIM scheme is about learning and development in SMEs, not about technology. Think of mapping out training needs, career advice or setting up a learning-rich working environment. For the guidance and training around an AI rollout that can be relevant; for building the system it is not.
What you have to arrange yourself
- Check on rvo.nl which scheme fits your project and whether a round is open; the conditions and amounts are there and change every year.
- Check with your own province whether there is a regional variant or top-up.
- Apply before you start. Costs you have already incurred don’t count under most schemes.
- Keep track of your hours and your approach from day one; reconstructing afterwards goes wrong and that is the most common reason an application fails.
- In doubt? A grant adviser often works on a no win, no fee basis. Ask in advance what they charge if it does succeed.
Why you shouldn’t count on it
A grant is a windfall, not something to budget on. Schemes have budget ceilings, rounds fill up and a rejection can come months after your application. A project that only adds up with a grant is not a project but a gamble. Make the numbers work without it, and treat whatever may come on top as a bonus.
What we do: in a proposal we note roughly which category your project falls into and which scheme is worth a look. We don’t promise more than that, because the assessment isn’t up to us.