Impact Clusters - IC
Are you an entrepreneur? Is your company based in the Netherlands? And would you like to work with other companies in promising markets in low and middle-income countries? The Impact Clusters (IC) subsidy programme supports consortia of companies (impact clusters) that introduce proven technologies, knowledge or services to the local market. This helps local people, such as MSMEs or farmers, learn and strengthen their skills. It can also create trade and investment opportunities for (Dutch) companies taking part. Knowledge institutes, trade organisations and NGOs that work together with companies can also apply for this subsidy.
Budget and application period
The required documents for the 2026 subsidy round are not available yet. We will update them as soon as possible.
For whom?
The subsidy is for entrepreneurs based in the Netherlands who want to develop a sector or value chain in a low or middle-income country. They do this by working together with other companies and at least 1 local partner. Dutch companies take part because they see long-term commercial opportunities. For example, to increase sales in the future or establish operations there.
Dutch companies and local partner(s) work together in impact clusters. Knowledge institutes, trade organisations and NGOs can also participate in a cluster.
Would you like a non-committal consultation about this subsidy with one of our advisors? Email us via ic@rvo.nl or call +31 (0) 88 042 42 42.
Budget and duration
IC is a 6-year subsidy programme that runs until the end of 2028.
A total of €11.3 million is available in 2026. This amount is divided as follows:
- €6.2 million is available for IC projects that fit into a combitrack, a multi-year sector approach in an emerging market. See the list of combitracks (in Dutch).
- €5.1 million is available for other IC projects.
Impact clusters can apply for a subsidy ranging from a minimum of €150,000 to a maximum of €620,000. See the list of eligible countries and sectors under the 'Countries and sectors' section below. Impact clusters can receive a subsidy for up to 60% of the eligible project costs.
Conditions
Subsidy applications must meet the following criteria:
- Your impact cluster consists of at least 3 partners, including at least 1 local partner.
- These 3 companies are not part of the same group or fiscal entity. A parent company and its subsidiary can take part in the same cluster. But, they will count as 1 partner.
- Each partner in an impact cluster is a legal entity.
- NGOs, trade organisations and knowledge institutes can also participate in an impact cluster, in collaboration with at least 3 companies.
- The subsidy applicant (lead party) is a company, sector organisation, knowledge institute or NGO. The lead party:
• has an office in the Netherlands and is registered with the Dutch Chamber of Commerce;
• has an average annual revenue of €100,000 or more; and
• employs at least 3 staff members. - All partners have a strategic and long-term business interest in the project. For NGOs and knowledge institutes, this can be a societal interest. Partners must also have a proven and relevant company track record of at least 1 year. They should also have experience in the (sub)sector that the project focuses on.
- Subsidy advisors, consultants or consortium brokers without a long-term business or societal interest in the specific sector in the country where the project takes place may not act as project partners or the lead party. However, the cluster may hire these parties for tasks such as project management. The impact cluster can include these costs in the project budget as 'third-party costs'.
See the 'Rules and regulations' section for all terms and assessment criteria, as published in the Dutch Government Gazette.
Countries and sectors
Projects in the following countries are eligible for an IC subsidy:
Algeria, Angola, Bangladesh, Benin, Burkina Faso, Burundi, Chad, Colombia, Côte d'Ivoire, Democratic Republic of the Congo, Egypt, Ethiopia, Ghana, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Jordan, Kenya, Lebanon, Libya, Mali, Moldova, Morocco, Mozambique, Namibia, Niger, Nigeria, Palestinian Territories, Senegal, Somalia, South Africa, South Sudan*, Sudan, Suriname, Tanzania, Tunisia, Uganda, Ukraine, Vietnam, Zimbabwe.
*Not accepting new impact clusters at the moment.
The project must match one of the Netherlands government's preferred private-sector development sectors in the project country. You can find these countries and sectors in the download below.
Responsible Business Conduct (RBC)
Your project must follow the international Responsible Business Conduct (RBC) guidelines. We take RBC into account when assessing your funding application. We ask you to:
- follow OECD guidelines;
- show how you conduct your operations following these OECD guidelines;
- carry out a proper risk analysis of social and environmental risks;
- state the measures to prevent and reduce these risks.
During the project, you must report on RBC risks and state the measures you are taking or plan to take to prevent and reduce these risks.
Dutch companies must complete an RBC self-assessment as part of the application process. The Dutch government uses this scan to check whether a company is aware of and follows the OECD guidelines. This assessment is a requirement for approval of your project.
On our website, you can read more about RBC and due diligence.
SEAH conditions
To be eligible for subsidies, SEAH conditions apply. RVO expects you to have your own integrity policy as well as procedures to implement this policy. In addition, you are required to report any incidents of (sexual) misconduct or abuse of power during RVO-funded projects. For further details, please visit Sexual misconduct and abuse of power | RVO.nl.
Preparing your subsidy application
Submit a quick scan
Have you already formed a cluster? If so, take the following steps before applying:
- Check whether your project idea matches one of the Netherlands government's priority sectors for your intended country. You can find a list of the preferred sectors per country under the 'Countries and sectors' section of this page.
- Download and complete the 'Annex Quick scan 2026' below.
- Complete the mandatory quick scan form via the button below. Include the annex as an attachment to your quick scan.
- Submit your quick scan before Tuesday 2 June 2026, 15:00 CEST. You will still receive our advice if you submit your quick scan after this date. However, you can then only submit a subsidy application during the next application round (first quarter of 2027).
- While processing your quick scan, we may contact you to discuss how you wish to organise the project.
- We will advise you on your completed quick scan within 6 weeks. Once you have received our advice, you can apply for funding within the application period.
How to apply
During a subsidy round, you can only apply if you have:
- completed the mandatory quick scan;
- received our advice as explained in 'Preparing your subsidy application'.
You can apply for an IC subsidy by submitting a full proposal.
Submit a full proposal
Follow these steps to send us your full proposal:
- The subsidy applicant (lead party) applies on behalf of the impact cluster. Please include all completed annexes.
- You log in with eHerkenning. You need at least eHerkenning level 3.
- Make sure you apply for eHerkenning in time. It may take a few weeks before you receive your login details.
- Submit well before the closing date, as we process subsidy applications on a first-come, first-served basis. This means we assess applications in the order we receive them.
- We only process complete applications. If your application is incomplete, we will ask you for more information. If we do so, the date of your application will be the date we receive this information.
Checklist for your application (full proposal)
When submitting your application, please keep the following company or organisation information at hand for each participant:
- the reference number on the quick scan advice you received from RVO;
- Dutch Chamber of Commerce registration number;
- your name and address details;
- your bank details;
- project name;
- completed attachments.
Required documents
The required documents for the 2026 subsidy round are not available yet. We will update them as soon as possible.
Please complete and include the following annexes when submitting your subsidy application via this webpage:
- Annex I Project plan
- Annex II Activities and results overview
- Annex III Indicators
- Annex IV Project budget calculation and realisation tool
- Annex V The lead party's most recent annual financial statement
- Annex VI Cooperation agreement (signed by all partners)
- Annex VII Authorisation intermediary (if applicable)
Theory of Change
The downloads 'Annex Quick scan 2026' and 'Annex I Project plan' include a Theory of Change (ToC) form. In the download below, you will find 3 examples of completed ToCs.
No impact cluster yet?
If you do not have an impact cluster, contact us first for advice on how to proceed. Then, follow the procedure for existing clusters.
Sometimes, forming a new cluster may take longer than expected. If this means you cannot submit a subsidy application on time, you may be able to submit your complete application during a new application round. Discuss this possibility with our advisor.
Important dates
- Monday 30 March 202612:00 CEST (noon)Open for subsidy applications
- Tuesday 2 June 202615:00 CESTClosed for quick scan submissions for the 2026 roundDeadline
- Tuesday 1 September 202615:00 CESTClosed for subsidy applicationsDeadline
After your application
You will hear whether we have approved your application within 13 weeks. The 13 weeks start from the date we consider your application complete.
If we approve your application, you can start the implementation phase of your project immediately. We will pay your subsidy in advance payments. The amount and frequency of the advance depend on the project stage and the expected budget needed. The total advance may be up to 90% of the total subsidy requested for the coming project year.
Submitting a progress report
When we grant you a subsidy, you must report on your project's progress by submitting an annual progress and financial report. Please download and complete the documents 'IC Annual progress report' and 'IC Project budget realisation tool'. You can find these documents below.
Reporting changes
Notify us of any project, implementation and/or organisational changes. For specific changes, you need our approval in advance. If you do not request our approval in advance, you risk losing your subsidy for the changed parts or the entire project. Contact your project advisor to notify us of any changes.
Submitting a final report
On completion of your project, you must submit a final report. Please download and complete the 'IC Final report' and include the 'IC Project budget realisation tool'. You can find these documents below.
Project management downloads
Rules and regulations
- Impact Clusters 2025-2028 4th subsidy round in Government Gazette, 23 February 2026 (official publication in Dutch)
- Impact Clusters 2023-2028 3rd subsidy round in Government Gazette, 17 July 2025 (official publication in Dutch)
- Impact Clusters 2023-2028 2nd amendment to grant ceiling of 2nd opening in Government Gazette, 2 December 2024 (official publication in Dutch)
- Impact Clusters 2023-2028 amendment to grant ceiling of 2nd opening in Government Gazette, 11 November 2024 (official publication in Dutch)
- Impact Clusters 2023-2028 amendment to grant ceiling of 1st opening, and publication of 2024 opening in Government Gazette, 7 December 2023 (official publication in Dutch)
- Impact Clusters 2023-2028 in Government Gazette, 5 June 2023 (official publication in Dutch)
Unofficial Translation Administrative Rules Impact Clusters (2025)
Unofficial Translation of Amendment to Government Gazette publication Impact Clusters (2024)
Unofficial Translation of Government Gazette publication Impact Clusters (2024)
Unofficial Translation Amendment Administrative Rules Impact Clusters (2023)
Unofficial Translation of Administrative Rules Impact Clusters (2023)
IC projects
How does the IC programme work in practice? Visit our Development Cooperation project database for an overview of existing and completed IC projects. Or, watch the video about our Partners in Pellets project below.
Questions about the IC programme?
For more information or to speak to an advisor, email us via ic@rvo.nl or call +31 (0) 88 042 42 42.
- Ministry of Foreign Affairs
