Innovation Credit, Up to €10M for Technical Innovation

The Innovation Credit (Innovatiekrediet) is a government-backed loan from RVO for innovative development projects with significant technical risk. Unlike subsidies such as WBSO or MIT, it is not a grant but a loan. You only repay the credit if your innovation becomes commercially successful. If the project fails technically or commercially, the loan is fully or partially forgiven. This makes it a unique financing instrument that shares the risk of ambitious innovation with the government.

The Innovation Credit targets innovative companies in the Netherlands that want to pursue technically risky development with clear market potential. Both startups and established companies qualify. Essential is that your project involves a significant technical challenge that cannot be solved with existing knowledge or technology, and that the end result is commercially viable. The company must be financially healthy enough to execute the project and fund the remaining costs.

The Innovation Credit finances up to 50% of total development costs. For technical projects the maximum is €10 million, for clinical projects (medical innovation) the maximum is €5 million. The total budget for 2026 is €50 million. The remaining 50% of project costs must be funded by yourself, for example through own resources, private investors, or complementary schemes like the WBSO.

A grant like the WBSO is a tax benefit you do not have to repay. The Innovation Credit is a loan: you receive the amount upfront and repay it with interest once your innovation generates revenue. The key advantage is that if the project fails, the loan is fully or partially forgiven. The interest rate is risk-adjusted and below market rate, making it significantly cheaper than commercial credit for risky innovation projects.

Repayment starts once your innovation is commercially successful and generates revenue. RVO establishes a repayment schedule aligned with your revenue model. The interest rate is risk-adjusted and lower than what banks charge for comparable projects. If the project fails technically or commercially, the loan is (partially) forgiven. This shares the risk fairly: the government co-invests in your innovation and shares the downside if it does not succeed.

The technical track covers all innovative development projects outside the medical sector, such as software, hardware, process technology, or materials. The maximum is €10 million. The clinical track is specifically for medical innovations requiring clinical trials, with a maximum of €5 million. The clinical track has stricter requirements around patient safety and registration, but the application process is comparable.

Yes, and this is often very advantageous. The WBSO covers part of the labor costs for R&D, while the Innovation Credit finances the broader development costs. The MIT scheme can additionally be used for feasibility studies. By smartly combining these schemes, you can get a significant portion of your innovation project funded. Stratalytic advises on the optimal combination and submits all applications on your behalf.

The Innovation Credit has a rolling application period from January through December 2026. You submit an application to RVO with a detailed technical project plan, a business case with market analysis, a financing plan, and a budget. RVO assesses the technical risk, market potential, feasibility, and team quality. The assessment period is typically 3-4 months. A strong technical project plan is the key to approval.

After submitting your application, RVO typically assesses your project plan within 3 to 4 months. During this period, RVO may ask additional questions or request clarification. Once the application is approved, you receive a decision letter with the credit conditions, including the repayment schedule and interest rate. It is therefore important to start preparing your application early in your project planning.

This is precisely the strength of the Innovation Credit. If your project proves technically infeasible or does not take off commercially, the loan is fully or partially forgiven. You do not have to repay for an innovation that did not succeed. RVO assesses on a case-by-case basis to what extent the project was executed according to plan and whether funds were spent correctly. This makes the Innovation Credit ideally suited for ambitious projects with high technical risk.

For an Innovation Credit application you need: a detailed technical project plan describing the innovation and technical risks, a business case with market analysis and revenue model, a financing plan showing how you fund the remaining 50%, a project budget with cost breakdown, and recent annual accounts. Stratalytic prepares the technical project plan and business case for you and guides you through collecting all required documentation.

Stratalytic combines subsidy expertise with technical execution power. We not only write the technical project plan but also build the innovative solution. This ensures the project plan is realistic and technically substantiated, exactly what RVO looks for. Additionally, we advise on the optimal combination with WBSO and MIT, guide you throughout the entire process, and handle all reporting to RVO. You focus on your business; we deliver the innovation and the financing.