MIT vs WBSO vs SLIM: which grant fits my AI project?

Key points: Three Dutch grants dominate the SME innovation landscape: WBSO (EUR 1.8bn budget, 36-50% reduction on development hours), MIT (up to EUR 350,000 for R&D collaboration) and SLIM (up to EUR 25,000 for AI training). They have different goals, deadlines and risks. For most AI and data projects in the SME segment, the optimal strategy is to combine all three: stacked, they can cover more than 50% of project costs. This guide gives you a workable decision in 8 minutes.

At a glance: the three grants compared

WBSO: the foundation under every innovation project

The WBSO is the largest innovation grant in the Netherlands (EUR 1.8bn budget in 2026). It is a payroll tax reduction: you get 36% back on the wage costs of your R&D hours (50% for start-ups, up to EUR 391,020). No budget battle, no deadlines, no race against other companies.

When WBSO is the right choice: any technical innovation project where you or your team actually write code, train a model, or develop a prototype. Software, AI, data engineering, hardware R&D: all qualify. RVO assesses whether the work is technically new for your company and whether you are developing new technical knowledge.

Practical example: A software agency with three developers and 1,500 R&D hours per developer per year. R&D wage costs: EUR 270,000. WBSO reduction (36%): EUR 97,200 less payroll tax to remit. This is money that flows straight back into cash flow.

MIT: for project costs outside wages

The MIT scheme is fundamentally different from WBSO. It is a grant (not a loan, not a reduction) and it mainly covers non-wage project costs: hardware, external expertise, materials, shared infrastructure, and, in the case of R&D collaboration, collaboration overhead as well.

There are two MIT instruments:

1. MIT feasibility project: up to EUR 20,000, 35% of project costs. Applied for individually. Intended to investigate whether an innovative idea is technically feasible before you commit to a full project. Example: can AI predict which customers will churn based on my data?

2. MIT R&D collaboration: up to EUR 350,000, 35% of project costs. Requires at least one other SME partner. For actually developing an innovative product or process.

Critical to know: MIT budget is competitive and often runs out within weeks. In 2024, the feasibility budget was exhausted after three weeks. Anyone who is not ready on opening day misses out for the entire year.

SLIM: a grant for people, not machines

The SLIM grant is the least well-known of the three, but is now becoming critical because of the EU AI Act. As of 2 August 2026, AI literacy is legally mandatory for everyone who works with AI in an organisation. Non-compliance carries fines of up to EUR 35M.

SLIM reimburses 60% of training costs up to EUR 24,999 per company. Eligible: AI literacy, data skills, leadership training around digital transformation, in-company programmes. Two rounds per year: April and August. Allocation is by lottery.

When SLIM is relevant: you are building something with AI, or you use AI in your operations, and your team needs training. Especially relevant for SMEs with 10-250 employees. Below 10 FTE there is a separate SLIM entry track for freelancers and micro-businesses.

The decision tree: where should you start?

Three questions determine your starting point:

Question 1: does your company write its own code or train models?

-> Yes: WBSO is your first action. You can apply from any quarter. Do it within 2 weeks; you will leave the meeting with an application that same week.

-> No: go to question 2.

Question 2: do you want to develop a new product, service or process that your sector does not yet know?

-> Yes: MIT feasibility or MIT R&D collaboration. Prepare the application in May (before the June opening). Find a collaboration partner if you want to do R&D.

-> No: go to question 3.

Question 3: is your team learning to work with AI?

-> Yes: SLIM for the next round. Plan training and tackle AI literacy compliance at the same time.

Stacking: the real advantage

The biggest mistake in grant strategy is thinking in "either/or" terms. The optimal approach for most data and AI projects is all three at once:

Concrete example: an SME builds an AI platform for demand forecasting in collaboration with a data partner. Project size: EUR 180,000.

• WBSO (on EUR 110,000 R&D wage costs): EUR 40,000
• MIT R&D collaboration (35% on EUR 70,000 other costs): EUR 24,500
• SLIM (60% on EUR 12,000 training costs): EUR 7,200

Total grant: EUR 71,700 on a EUR 180,000 project (40%). Net cost: EUR 108,300.

Where does Stratalytic fit into this story?

Stratalytic combines grant expertise with technical delivery. We do three things that other agencies do not combine:

1. We write your grant applications: project plan, budget, and a technical description that convinces RVO assessors.
2. We build the AI/data project ourselves: Python, ML, LLMs, data engineering. No handover to a third party.
3. We combine WBSO + MIT + SLIM in a single plan: you do not have to manage three agencies or compare three quotes.

One partner, two budgets (grant + your own), one result.

Book a no-obligation introductory call and in 30 minutes we will look at which grant combination best fits your project.

Frequently asked questions

Can I combine MIT, WBSO and SLIM? Yes, these three schemes are specifically designed to be stacked. WBSO covers the wage costs of developers, MIT covers other project costs, and SLIM covers training. Stacking is officially permitted and can cover more than 50% of your project costs.

Which scheme should I apply for first? WBSO first (no competition, all year round). Then MIT once the scheme opens in June. Apply for SLIM in one of the two annual rounds.

Is my AI project suitable for MIT R&D AI? For MIT R&D AI your project must be technically new to your sector and you need at least one SME partner. Research projects into generative AI, machine learning or computer vision with measurable objectives usually qualify.