Innovation credit

The innovation credit is a government credit for Dutch companies working on promising, innovative projects.

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Facts up front

Budget

€ 50 million

Deadline

Ongoing

Location

National

Innovation credit – key facts at a glance

The innovation credit is a government credit for Dutch companies working on promising, innovative projects.

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Target audience

Dutch companies with a high-risk, innovative development project
Small SMEs (funding up to 45% of the development costs)
Medium-sized SMEs (funding up to 35%)
Large enterprises (funding up to 25%)
Companies collaborating on a joint development project

Requirements

Technical or clinical development that is new to the Netherlands
At least €150,000 in project costs
Market launch of the product, process or service within 5 years
Cover for the remaining funding and room for setbacks
No combination with other government subsidies

Eligible costs

Development costs of the project up to market launch
Technical development of new products, processes or services
Clinical development, from preclinical to phase II research
Risk-bearing credit at an interest rate of 4% to 7%
Repayment only if the project succeeds

Details on the Innovation credit

The innovation credit is a government credit for Dutch companies working on promising, innovative projects.

Are you starting an R&D project? Be sure to check out your options for a WBSO grant . Within this scheme, more than one billion euros is available annually for innovative entrepreneurs.

The Innovation Credit is intended to stimulate promising and challenging innovations that carry a high risk, but can potentially have a major impact.

The Innovation Credit loan covers part of the development costs and only needs to be repaid if the project is successful. This lowers the threshold for companies to invest in risky innovative projects. The loan has favorable terms compared to commercial loans, such as a lower interest rate and flexible repayment terms.

The following applies to the total development costs of a project:

maximum 35% financed for SMEs.
up to 45% financed for small SMEs
(both up to a maximum of € 40 million).

The interest rate on the risk-bearing credit depends on the risk profile and is between 4% and 7%.

The budget is:

€ 20 million for clinical development projects.
€ 30 million for technical development projects.

Criteria for projects eligible for Innovation Credit are:

The project must be a technical development, meaning that it is aimed at creating something new or significantly improved, technologically unique to the Netherlands;
Clinical development projects, including preclinical and phase I and II clinical research, are also eligible;
The project must specifically focus on the experimental phase before market introduction, which is a risky phase that is difficult to finance through traditional market methods.

Feasibility: The technical feasibility of the project must be demonstrable;
Financial implementation: There must be room to absorb financial setbacks. It must be clear at the time of award how you will arrange the other financing;
Financial scope: There is a minimum of € 150,000 in project costs;
Project duration: The product, process or service must be able to be brought onto the market within 5 years;
Also important: The Innovation Credit may not be combined with other government grants.

You can submit applications throughout the year and each application is assessed individually. However, applications are assessed in order of receipt.

We have 25 years of experience in applying for Innovation Credits. Are you curious whether your work is eligible for this scheme? Please contact us without obligation, we will be happy to take a look with you and give you appropriate advice.

What does a funding advisor do?

A funding advisor is an expert who guides companies through the complex process of applying for public funding and secures the best funding for their projects – from selecting the right programmes through the application to the final report.

At Ignite we work success-driven: we only make you an offer when we are convinced your project is eligible. You are supported comprehensively throughout the process while you concentrate on your core business – we take on the time-consuming part.

Our services as funding advisors

Analysis and identification

Assess company & project
Find the right programmes
Aimed at maximum grants

Strategy development

Tailor-made strategy
Aligned with your goals
Combine programmes

Application and documentation

Complete application drafting
Documents complete & correct
Higher approval chances

Communication with funding bodies

Contact with authorities
Coordination with funding bodies
Representing your interests

Project support and aftercare

Support across the project term
Meeting funding conditions
Disbursement & final report

The advantages of our funding advisory

Time saved

Focus on your core business
The workload sits with us
A faster application

Access to hidden funding opportunities

Lesser-known programmes
Clever combinations
Full funding potential

A higher success rate

Expertise from many applications
Better approval chances
Fewer rejections

Maximising the funding amount

The highest possible funding
Every lever used
More from every project

Legal certainty

All requirements met
Audit-proof evidence
No clawback risk

Your funding – our daily business

5,000⁺

Funding applications per year

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A team of specialists at your service

Frank AndréBecker

Senior Consultant

Frequently asked questions about Innovation credit

Usually yes. The eight sectors cover our focus areas, not the limits of the funding landscape. What matters is the purpose of your project, not the sector label.

It finds suitable programmes, assesses the chances, prepares applications and supports the reporting. At Ignite Group that starts with your objective rather than with a list of programmes.

Usually by whether the outcome is established at the outset. If the solution can be looked up and simply implemented, there is no eligible development. If it has to be tested, discarded and developed anew, there is.

Usually several apply. What matters is which one is the current bottleneck: capital for growth, development work without matching finance, too narrow an instrument mix, or uncertainty about evidence. We work that out in the first conversation.

Then several instruments frequently apply, for different projects. We map your whole project portfolio rather than pinning you to one sector.

At national level these include the WBSO, the MIT R&D scheme, the Innovatiebox, the MIT feasibility studies and the DHI scheme. European instruments such as EUREKA Eurostars are relevant too. Which ones fit your project is something we determine up front.

That depends on the project, the scale of funding and the model chosen. Our engagement models are explained on a dedicated page, so you know in advance which options exist.

Our engagement models