Development budget for employees and the self-employed

It is important to keep investing in yourself. But education, training and coaching programs can sometimes cost a lot. On this page we list all kinds of funds and schemes where you can apply for a contribution for personal or professional development. Is there a scheme missing from the list? Please let us know!

Regulations

Tool PPO

Continuous professional development is important for your sustainable employability and earning power within the industry. If you invest in your professional development Werktuig PPO invests with you. On the Werktuig PPO site you can easily apply for co-financing of your development plan. They call this your PPO, Permanent Professional Development. They do not work with fixed training providers, you can choose the form of development that suits you best. Multi-day training or courses from the Schakel025 and Cultuur Academy can therefore also fall under this. More information and applying for a contribution can be found on the website of Werktuig PPO.

How does the Netherlands/ NL learn by

The way we work had been changing for several years, but with the corona crisis, the changes are happening faster than ever. Not only for employers, but also for employees, flex workers, ZZP-ers and self-employed people. So also for you. If you want to retrain or retrain yourself, but you are not sure where to start, it is useful to follow a development program through a qualified career counselor. Such development advice will give you a better idea of your chances in the job market. More information and applying for a contribution can be found on the website of Hoe werkt Nederland: NL leert door.

SLIM grant

A personal coach for all your employees? With the help of SLIM subsidy, this is now possible. And it costs you almost nothing. As an employer, you may have just missed the boat when applying for development advice programs for your employees under the "NL Leert Door" scheme. As of March 2, 2021, the SLIM subsidy will start. From then on, it will again be possible to apply for subsidized career paths for your employees. With the SLIM scheme, the Minister of SZW wants to stimulate a learning environment in small and middle management companies. Employers who enable their staff to develop continuously usually manage to retain the best people. This often results in their company becoming more successful.More information and applying for a contribution can be found on the SLIM subsidy website.

Impulse scheme for cultural freelancers and heritage volunteers

Through this temporary scheme (1-3-2021 - 31-5-2021) of fund Culture Participation you can apply for money to invest in your own artistic or substantive development. Think of the promotion of your expertise, your craftsmanship, the further development of an activity or the digitization of your offer. The regulation focuses on makers, not on supporting zpp'ers such as technicians, marketers or business leaders. You can apply from €2500,- to €5000,-. More information and applying for a contribution can be found on the website of fund Cultuurparticipatie.

Coaching for creative entrepreneurs through Culture East

Often creative thinkers themselves do not realize how valuable and promising their ideas are. As a designer, autonomous artist, theatre-maker or musician, you are passionate about your profession, but the business side often gets left behind. The consultants of Cultuur Oost are happy to help starting and young entrepreneurs in the creative sector. For makers from Gelderland, this coaching is free, based on a written intake + 1 hour of coaching. More information and registration for 1 hour coaching can be done via the website of Cultuur Oost.

The Startup Accelerator

The Startversneller helps you to successfully start your own business. The program is there for starting entrepreneurs in the province of Gelderland or Overijssel who have been registered with the Chamber of Commerce for no longer than 5 years. You can qualify for a voucher of €1,000 to spend on business coaching and a Gelderland starter can even apply for a second voucher of €1,000 to spend on attending a professional training course.

In addition, the Startup Accelerator has a new, additional voucher since 2025. The new voucher is intended to improve your business on the themes of digitalization, circularity or energy. In the broadest sense of the word (so for digitalization you can also think about online marketing, for example). You can use this voucher up to 10 years of registration with the Chamber of Commerce. You can also use this voucher if you have not used the regular Startversneller. More information and registration can be found on the website of De Startversneller.