Sectoral Partnerships - Pillar 1

By working together with companies and organisations within your sector, you tackle risks together. The Subsidy Programme Sectoral Partnerships international MVO Pillar 1 supports you in carrying out 1 or more of the 6 due diligence steps following the OECD guidelines. 

For whom

Companies, industry associations and civil society organisations can apply for a subsidy in partnership. The partnership must include at least 2 companies with their registered offices in the Netherlands that operate in the same sector or value chain. These companies must participate in an international RBC sector agreement. At least 1 civil society organisation must also be involved. Under certain conditions, other European companies may take part.

The Sectoral Partnerships - Pillar 1 programme supports Netherlands-based companies applying the OECD guidelines in collaboration. The sectoral partnerships focus on action perspectives from an International RBC due diligence process within their sector. The 6 steps of due diligence are leading. The activities focus on the most significant risks in production countries. 

Budget and duration

The total budget for the second application round is €2,529,079. Each subsidy covers up to 70% of eligible costs. The maximum is €356,000 per application; the minimum is €150,000. 

Partners must jointly contribute at least 30% of the eligible costs themselves. 

Civil society organisations' costs may be fully eligible if the overall 30% own contribution is met. Partners or the applicant cannot fund contributions through subsidies or contributions from the Netherlands Ministry of Foreign Affairs budget. An auditor's statement is no longer required when calculating personnel costs using the wage-cost-plus-fixed-overhead method.

An auditor's statement is no longer required when calculating personnel costs using the wage-cost-plus-fixed-overhead method.

Applicants must start their projects within 6 months of receiving the subsidy. They must complete them within 1 to 3 years. All activities must be completed by 31 December 2029. 

Sectoral Partnerships International RBC (Pillar 1) runs from 2024 to 2029. There are several application rounds. We will announce further application periods separately.

Terms and conditions

The partnership emerges from an International RBC sector agreement. A partnership:

• includes at least 2 companies with their registered offices in the Netherlands (excluding industry associations) that are participants in an international RBC sector agreement;
• consists of individual companies;
• wants to apply due diligence jointly; and
• is part of the same sector or value chain.

Also, the partnership involves at least 1 civil society organisation. Participating Dutch companies:

• operate in a sector or value chain that has a link to the Dutch market;
• carry out their business activities mainly in or focused on the Netherlands; and
• do not mainly provide consulting services.

Industry associations can also be partners, along with at least  2 companies and 1 civil society organisation. Industry associations cannot participate in a partnership on behalf of companies, as each company must conduct due diligence. However, industry associations can share appropriate solutions and lessons learnt in the sector partnership.

Companies based in Europe may also join if they want to apply due diligence and are part of the same value chain as a partner participating in an international RBC sector agreement. These European supply chain partners do not count towards the minimum of 2 companies with their registered offices in the Netherlands.

• All partners of the partnership must add value to the achievement of the objective or objectives of a partnership applying for a subsidy;
• The lead applicant must be a participant in an international RBC sector agreement and a member of the partnership. The lead applicant may be: 
  • a company with its registered office in the Netherlands; 
  • a company with its registered office in a country other than the Netherlands and a branch or permanent establishment in the Netherlands; 
  • an industry association with its registered office in the Netherlands; 
  • or a civil society organisation. Civil society organisations approved as supporting organisations may also participate as partners.
• The activities must be directly linked to the main risks and conditions in producing countries.

International 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.

Prepare your application

Would you like a non-binding consultation with one of our advisors first? Email sesam@rvo.nl or call +31 (0)88 042 42 42.

Pillar 1 is open for applications until 1 November 2027 at 12:00 Central European Time (CET). At this moment, it is not possible to submit applications via the e-Loket. If you want to apply, email sesam@rvo.nl and provide an email address where we can contact you. The lead applicant applies on behalf of the partnership.

How to apply

1. Email us at sesam@rvo.nl and provide an email address where we can contact you if you are interested in applying.
2. Prepare your application and all required annexes in English. We will publish information on how to submit a complete application as soon as the procedure is available. Emailing us your contact details does not constitute a complete subsidy application.
3. Submit your application on time. Pillar 1 works on a 'first-come, first-served' basis. This means that we assess complete subsidy applications in order of receipt. If the subsidy applications exceed the available budget, drawing lots will determine the order in which we assess them.
4. We will only consider complete applications in English, including all necessary annexes. If your application is not complete, we will ask you for extra information. The date on which we receive this information counts as the date of your application and affects the first-come, first-served order. After the application period closes, you cannot submit extra information. If the information is still incomplete, we may reject your application.  

What you need for your application

Please have the following information ready when submitting your application:

• your Chamber of Commerce number (Dutch applicant);
• your address details;
• your bank details;
• contact details of the partners;
• completed annexes.

Attachments

You will submit a number of documents with your application:
Annex I Project Proposal
Annex II Result sheet
Annex III Project budget calculation Pillar 1
Annex IV Partner forms for all project partners
Annex V Cooperation agreement
Annex VI RBC sector agreement
Annex VII Minutes of the steering group of the sector agreement meeting in which this proposal, action plan and involved organisations are supported
Annex VIII De-minimis self-declaration for each company in the partnership
Annex IX Authorisation intermediary party (if applicable)
Annex X DD Assessment, 2 options: 

1. the company’s assessment within the sector initiative or
2. the RVO Due Diligence Monitoring tool.

Downloads

After your application

We will assess your application based on the criteria in the Government Gazette. You will hear within 13 weeks whether we approve your application. 

Submitting a progress report

When we approve your subsidy request, you must report on the project's progress. Please find the Progress report template below.

Reporting changes

You must report changes in the project, budget, implementation and organisation. For some changes, you have to ask our permission in advance. If you do not ask for our permission in advance, you risk not receiving a subsidy for the changed parts of the project or even for the entire project.

Submitting a final report

At the end of your project, you must submit a final report.

Background

Worldwide, international RBC risks and abuses occur daily in the value chain of Dutch companies. Examples include:

• harming the natural environment through pollution or reduced biodiversity;
• violating human rights related to land acquisitions; or
• poor working conditions in factories in producer countries.

Addressing abuses in international value chains is a challenge. Dutch companies and civil society organisations cannot solve them alone. But by working together, they can increase their influence in the value chain(s). This experience ensures better embedding of due diligence in the business processes of Dutch companies. This has a positive impact on local manufacturing conditions in producing countries.

Publications

• Sectoral Partnerships - Government Gazette publication 2024-2029 - 30 October 2026 (in Dutch)
• Sectoral Partnerships - Government Gazette publication 2024-2029 - 27 June 2025 (in Dutch)
• Sectoral Partnerships - Pillar 1 Government Gazette publication 2024-2029 - 2 August 2024 (in Dutch)
• Amendment of the Sectoral Partnership - Pillar 1 Government Gazette publication 2024 - 2 August 2024 (in Dutch)
• Sectoral Partnerships - Pillar 1 Government Gazette publication 2022-2025 - 29 September 2022 (in Dutch)