RIF

The Regional Investment Fund for vocational education (RIF) is a fund for projects that make a lasting contribution to the regional economy, with a strong emphasis on improving the link between education and the labour market. That link is under constant pressure from technology and demographic change, and shifts in the regional labour market — such as which companies are present in a given region — also play a part.

For 2025, €18 million has been made available: €10 million for the first application period and €8 million for the second. The subsidy is at least €250,000 and at most €2 million per project.

If awarded, the subsidy amounts to at most one third of the project’s total budget.

For RIF applications centred on the entry-level programme, co-financing is harder to arrange. The national funding ceiling is therefore raised for these specific applications: if awarded, the national subsidy for such projects is at most 50% of the proposal’s total budget.

RIF funding is intended for large-scale projects. Projects can differ per region and depend on the specific objectives and criteria.

Projects that may qualify for RIF funding are often aimed at:

• Innovation in education: projects that develop new teaching methods, technologies or programmes to align education more closely with the needs of regional business;
• Cooperation between education and business: initiatives that bridge schools and companies, such as setting up work-study places, internships or joint research projects;
• Developing labour-market-oriented programmes: projects that develop or adapt programmes to meet the specific needs of the regional labour market;
• Strengthening the regional economy: initiatives that contribute to a region’s economic development by improving the availability of well-trained staff;
• Promoting entrepreneurship: projects that foster entrepreneurial skills among students and support the founding of start-ups;
• Improving progression within education: for example projects that ease the transition from MBO to HBO.

To qualify for RIF funding, projects generally have to meet a number of conditions, such as:

• Projects run for at least four and at most five years;
• Making a clear contribution to improving the link between education and the labour market;
• Being a partnership between educational institutions, companies and possibly other parties such as authorities or knowledge institutions;
• Having co-financing, where the applying parties also invest in the project themselves;
• Having a plan with clear objectives, a timeline and a budget.

You can apply for the RIF grant from 1 January to 31 January 2026. There are often two application rounds a year.

Thanks to our 25 years of experience, we can optimise your funding process and take it almost entirely off your hands.

What kind of activities might that involve?

• Assessing whether your project is eligible for RIF funding.
• If so, you get support with writing and submitting.
• Submitting the grant application to the funding body on time and in line with the latest funding legislation and conditions.
• Acting as the point of contact towards the funding body.
• Answering the funding body’s questions about the application.
• Setting up the project administration and supporting you in maintaining the grant records.