Publication of presentation by Elke van de Graaf from RVO on Governmental support instruments for innovation. As presented during SMB meeting on Early stage funding for innovative startups, Nijmegen, The Netherlands on May 18, 2017.
2. Agenda
• Netherlands Enterprise Agency
• Overview of support instruments
• Brief indication of specific instruments:
- WBSO
- Proof of Concept Financing (VFF)
- MIT
- Eurostars
- Innovation Credit (IK)
- Horizon 2020: SME Instrument
- Seed Capital
• Questions?
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3. Netherlands Enterprise Agency
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• Dutch name: Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO.nl)
• Part of the Ministry of Economic Affairs
• Merger in 2014 between NL Agency and Dienst Regelingen
• Operates for several governmental principals
• Supports companies in doing innovative and international
business: loans, guarantees, fiscal advantages, subsidies,
international partner search, trade missions, advise on patents
5. EU and national instruments for innovation
Basic research
Research &
Innovation
Action
Future & Emerging
Technologies
Eurostars
Commercial
application
bottom-up
top-down
ERC
Grants
MSCA
Innovation
Action
Number of partners
SME
instru
ment
VFF
IK
MIT
SEEDCapital
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WBSO (Wet Bevordering Speurwerk &
Ontwikkeling) – Law to stimulate R&D
• Fiscal scheme to reduce tax on salary (and other) costs for R&D activities
• Fiscal advantage (R&D):
- from 16 % up to 40% of R&D costs as a deduction of salary taxes,
- or fixed deduction for self employed persons
- For starters: first two years € 11,60 advantage per working hour
• Budget 2017: € 1205 million
• Number of users appr. 23.000
• Counter: RVO.nl handels the applications and provides a declaration for
the tax autorities
• Fill in the quickscan to see if you meet the basic requirements.
• www.rvo.nl/wbso
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8. PoC financing (Vroegefasefinanciering,VFF)
for Innovative starters
• Interest bearing loan (appr. 5 %) directly to entrepreneur with a financing
need
• To investigate feasibility of an idea (technical and/or commercial), max 2
years
• Project costs between € 50.000 and € 350.000; Loan 100 %
• To answer the questions of an investor who will finance at least same
amount for continuation to market introduction after positive outcome of
the feasibility (Letter of Intent)
• Budget 2017: € 7 milllion
• Counter for application: RVO.nl; application time 1-2 months
• Use the quickscan to check if your idea fits
• Contact: kees.vanderhoeven@rvo.nl
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9. MIT (MKB Innovatiestimulering Regio en
Topsectoren)
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• Thematically arranged
• 2 calls in 2017: 11 apr –> 7 sep for 1,2,3 and 3 july – 7 sep for 4
1. Feasibilty studies, 40%, max k€ 25
2. Innovation advise, 30 %, max k€ 10
3. Vouchers, 40%, max € 3750
4. R&D co-operation, 30 %, maximum: k€ 100 per participant and
k€ 200 per project
• At maximum 1 application per applicant
• Budget 2017: € 55 million, per region and topsector
• Counter: Regional development agency; if not available: RVO.nl
• www.rvo.nl/mit
• Questions? Call 088-0424242
10. Eurostars
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• European program for research performing SME as a co-operation
between at least two SME-companies from 2 Eurostars-countries
• Subsidy, max 50 % of project costs with max of k€ 500
• Counter:
• First international project proposal to Eureka secretary (Brussels)
• After international approval national application at RVO.nl
• Dutch budget 2017 appr. € 18 million
• 2 calls per year for selected topics; 1 st closed; 2nd 14 Sep 2017
• www.rvo.nl/eurostars
• Contact: arnold.meijer@rvo.nl
11. Innovation Credit (Innovatiekrediet)
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• Interest bearing loan directly to entrepreneur
• To overcome a financing need
• To develop, build and test (certify) a prototype (technical or clinical), max
5 years
• For unique products, services or processes with technical challenges
• Project larger than € 150.000; Loan 25-50 %, max € 10 million
• Interest usually 7 or 10 %
• Budget 2017: € 60 million
• Counter: RVO.nl; application time 3-5 months
• Use the quickscan check if your idea fits
• Contact: kees.vanderhoeven@rvo.nl
12. SME instrument
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Phase 1: Commercial feasibility
• Application: Short plan (10 pages)
• Subsidy: k€ 50 lump sum
• Leadtime max 6 months
• Result: business plan for international marketing of the innovation
• Success rate 10%
• 4 calls per year
• Support by team IRIS of RVO
• www.rvo.nl/horizon2020
• Contact: elke.vandegraaf@rvo.nl
13. SME instrument
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Phase 2: Execution of the business plan
• Application: extensive business plan (30 pages)
• Subsidy € 0.5 – 2.5 million = 70% of project costs
• Duration max 24 months
• 4 calls per year
• Business plan execution:
> Demonstration
> Tweaken proto’s
> Increase producibility
> Involve value chain
> Internationalisation
• www.rvo.nl/horizon2020
• Contact: elke.vandegraaf@rvo.nl
14. SEED Capital
• For SME, creative or technical starters
• Investments from € 100.000 to maximal € 2.5 million (depending on
the fund)
• Counter: Applications to the Seed fund
• A loan (max 6 million) from the governement to the fund to double
the available capital
• On website RVO.nl overview of Seed funds which use the Seed
Capital-arrangement, per sector
• Budget 2017: € 30 million
• www.seed-capital.nl
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