The European Commission has recently established the new budget of €1.7 billion for the Digital Europe Programme (2025–2027). This program supports innovative projects in the fields of AI, data, cloud, cybersecurity, and digital skills. To further stimulate participation from Dutch parties, the Ministry of Economic Affairs is making €16.2 million available for national co-financing.
The additional funding is a supplement to the EU contribution, allowing companies, knowledge institutions, and governments to receive a larger portion of their project costs reimbursed.
The Netherlands is leading
Dutch entrepreneurs and knowledge institutions currently obtain the most funding from the Digital Europe programme of all 27 EU countries. In 2024, this accounted for 11.7% of the total, equating to around €46 million. The national co-financing strengthens this position and contributes to a strong digital economy in the Netherlands.
Taking an extra step for an innovative digital economy
The cabinets ambition is to be among the top three in Europe in the use of digital technologies by SMEs by 2030. To achieve this, more investments are needed in technologies such as AI, cloud, data, and cybersecurity. Digital innovations play a crucial role in reducing risky dependencies on other countries, strengthening the digital economy, and enhancing cybersecurity.
It is important that we take an extra step for an innovative digital economy. It is one of the driving forces behind our future jobs and income. It is also necessary for greater digital independence and security. Through Digital Europe, we therefore support start-ups, SMEs, manufacturing, and tech companies to invest together with knowledge institutions and governments in this area.
Work programmes 2025-2027
The European Commission recently published the new Digital Europe work programmes. View the work programmes and discover which topics you can apply for funding.