Questions and answers

These questions and answers relate only to the subsidy scheme for social initiatives relating to the transatlantic slavery history of the Caribbean part of the kingdom. The purpose of the scheme is to support social initiatives for descendants of enslaved people in the Caribbean part of the kingdom. The European Netherlands has its own scheme and a separate process is running for Surinam..

Applications can be submitted for a subsidy for activities and social initiatives (projects) which contribute to one or more of the following goals:

• Increase our understanding of the continued effect of our slavery past and mitigate the consequences of that slavery past in the present day.
• Aid the processing of our slavery past.
• Promote knowledge and awareness about our slavery past.
• Help us recognise and commemorate our slavery past.
   

It is also possible to apply for a subsidy to professionalise individual organisations by means of training and/or the building of a website and to draw attention to the activities relating to our slavery past.

Applications can be submitted by non-profit legal entities which are based in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom. This means organisations which are registered with the Chamber of Commerce, such as foundations, associations and religious organisations.

The subsidy is not available to natural persons and for-profit organisations.

An amount of 29.3 million euros is available for the scheme for social initiatives relating to the transatlantic slavery history of the Caribbean part of the kingdom.

There are four categories, each with two application periods over a 4-year period. By ‘application period’ we mean a certain period of time during which the subsidy can be applied for. The subsidy ceiling of 29.3 million euros has been allocated as follows:

Category 1 – professionalisation of an organisation

• Application period 1: €1,260,000
• Application period 2: €900,000

Category 2 – small-scale social initiatives

• Application period 1: €2,190,000
• Application period 2: €1,800,000

Category 3 – medium-sized social initiatives

• Application period 1: €5,110,000
• Application period 2: €3,600,000

Category 4 – large-scale social initiatives

• Application period 1: €7,873,333
• Application period 2: €6,600,000

As far as category 1 is concerned, the following costs are eligible for subsidy:

• External costs for the performance of activities which are eligible for subsidy by an external party. These are the costs for which your organisation receives an invoice. Because the subsidy for category 1 is a fixed amount of USD 10,000, you must incur costs of at least USD 8,696 for training and/or the website for which you receive and keep invoices.
• 15% overhead markup for the subsidy of other costs incurred for activities which are eligible for subsidy. This is an extra amount that you receive for other costs you incur. This is clarified below.

As far as categories 2, 3 and 4 are concerned, the following costs are also eligible for subsidy:

- Volunteer payments

- Direct wage costs for employees of your organisation for the hours they spend on the project, for which a set hourly rate of USD 65.00 is applied.

- In addition to the costs, you will receive a fixed payment for the hours which are necessary to draw up the project plan and/or engage a subsidy advisor and submit an application, amounting to:

• Projects within category 2: USD 1,000
• Projects within category 3: USD 2,500
• Projects within category 4: USD 3,750

- Costs for an external advisor who you hire for the realisation of your project, based on a predetermined hourly rate of no more than USD 135 excluding VAT.

- In the case of projects with a subsidy amount of USD 125,000 or more, the cost for an audit report by an accountant are also eligible for subsidy. This takes the form of a fixed payment of USD 10,000.
 

Applications for the subsidy scheme for social initiatives relating to the transatlantic slavery history of the Caribbean part of the kingdom are submitted and paid out in US dollars.

If you make a budget of the costs which are eligible for subsidy which your organisation is going to incur when implementing your project, you will receive a fixed markup of 15% on that amount. You can use this amount, which is referred to as the overhead, to pay other costs, such as travel and transport costs, catering costs, office costs and costs relating to the purchase of materials. You are not required to keep any administrative records for these costs, which are covered by the overhead. The overhead for the professionalisation subsidy (category 1) is USD 1,304 because the subsidy is also a fixed amount.

Payable VAT is eligible for subsidy only if the applicant cannot offset the VAT against the payable turnover tax.

• Activities for a category 1 project must be completed within 12 months.
• Activities for a category 2 project must be completed within 12 months.
• Activities for a category 3 project must be completed within 48 months.
• Activities for a category 4 project must be completed within 48 months.

If the number of applications received is such that sufficient funds are available, the subsidy applications will be processed in the order of receipt. All applications will be processed as they arrive.

If the available funds are insufficient to meet the number of applications, lots will be drawn. This approach ensures that each applicant has just as much chance to be successful. The outcome of the drawing of lots determines the sequence in which applications are processed. The lots will be drawn by a civil-law notary. It is therefore always the case that you can submit an application throughout the entire application period and it does not matter when you actually do so.

An application can be submitted for the following minimum and maximum subsidy amounts:

• Category 1: the subsidy is a fixed amount of USD 10,000.
• Category 2: the subsidy amounts to a minimum of USD 10,000 and a maximum of USD 25,000.
• Category 3: the subsidy amounts to a minimum of USD 25,000 and a maximum of USD 125,000.
• Category 4: the subsidy amounts to a minimum of USD 125,000 and a maximum of USD 500,000.

You can find all the relevant information on the website of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW)/Implementation of Policy Department.

If you cannot find the answer to your question there, please feel free to contact us.

Please visit the application page on the website of the Minister of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW)/Implementation of Policy Department for the steps that have to be taken in order to submit an application.

You can create an account and register from 1 July 2025 onwards and you will not need to be registered with the ‘eHerkenning’ secure login system.

Applications for the first category 1 subsidies can be submitted between 9.00 a.m. CET on 11 August 2025 and 5.00 p.m. CET on 12 September 2025 using the electronic form on the Implementation of Policy subsidy portal. The process is, therefore, entirely digital.

An application can only be submitted by a non-profit legal entity based in the Caribbean part of the kingdom using the electronic application form in the subsidy portal.

Applications for a professionalisation subsidy (category one) are subject to an additional requirement:

• Your articles of association must show that you are involved in activities in the field of our transatlantic slavery history;
• Alternatively, if this is not evident from your articles of association, you must be able to demonstrate that you have previously or since carried out activities in the context of our transatlantic slavery history.

Your application form must be signed by an official (director) who is authorised on the grounds of the articles of association to submit the subsidy application (any official who only has joint authority with others will require authorisation from those other parties).

Your project must serve one or more of the following goals:

• Increase our understanding of the continued effect of our slavery past and mitigate the consequences of that slavery past in the present day.
• Aid the processing of our slavery past.
• Promote knowledge and awareness about our slavery past or
• Help us recognise and commemorate our slavery past.

Only complete subsidy applications will be processed. In other words they must be accompanied by all the obligatory documents. If your application is incomplete, the Implementation of Policy department will ask you for additional information. Once the additional information has been provided, incomplete applications will be moved to the back of the processing queue. This may affect the chances of the subsidy being awarded if the available funds are insufficient to meet the number of applications. You should therefore ensure that your application is complete when it is submitted.
 

Once the application period has closed, the Implementation of Policy department will have three months to take a decision. If the Advisory Committee has to be consulted, that period will be two months longer. The time you need to answer any additional questions may also be added. The Implementation of Policy department aims to assess your application as soon as possible. 

The Implementation of Policy department will assess whether your application meets the set conditions as referred to in the scheme. The department will look at how the project proposal aligns with the goals of the scheme, the eligibility and reasonableness of the budgeted costs, the feasibility of the project, etc. In the case of the professionalisation subsidy, this will involve an assessment of the chosen training for directors and/or employees and the reasonableness of the costs for the training and/or the (re)building of the website.

In the case of category 1 applications you must submit the following when you submit an application:

• Proof that the bank account number is in the name of the organisation submitting the application.
• If applicable, an authorisation form. This will be needed if:
  • you are not independently authorised to submit an application;
  • the application is submitted by a subsidy advisor/external party.

In the case of applications for subsidies in categories 2, 3 and 4 the application must be accompanied by the following:

• An activities plan.
• A budget.
• Proof that the bank account number is in the name of the organisation submitting the application.
• If applicable, an authorisation form. This will be needed if:
  • you are not independently authorised to submit an application;
  • the application is submitted by a subsidy advisor/external party.

If you are applying for a subsidy in categories 2, 3 and 4 you must submit an activities plan with your application.

The activities plan must, in any event, contain:

• an overview of the activities for which the subsidy is being applied for, how these benefit the descendants of enslaved people and how these activities align with the goals of the scheme;
• a description of the project team;
• a description of the content, scope, target group costs and time it will take to carry out the activities;
• a detailed schedule.

When compiling the activities plan you can use the prescribed ‘Activities Plan’ format which you can find at our page Implementation and Accountability. 

Yes, you can submit an application for just a single category. You are not obliged to submit an application for all four categories.

In the budget you should provide an overview of the expected costs. When compiling the budget you can use the prescribed ‘Budget’ format which you can find at our page Implementatin and Accountability

NB: please read the instructions in the budget carefully.

In the budget you should first complete every line in column A, then column B and lastly column C.

You should state the name of the activity in column B. You should select the activity in column C. You should then describe the activity in column D. Please pay special attention to Article 7 and the clarification of the scheme (activities which are eligible for subsidy). In column E you need to select the cost type.

After that you should enter the internal/external hourly rate in column F, as well as the number of directors/employees/volunteers in column G. The values in the other columns will be calculated automatically.

If your application for a category 1 subsidy (professionalisation of an organisation) or a category 2 subsidy (small-scale social initiatives) has been approved, a 100% advance will be provided.

If your application for a category 3 subsidy (medium-sized social initiatives) or category 4 subsidy (large-scale social initiatives) has been approved, an advance will be provided every six months throughout the duration of your activity.

In the case of applications for the subsidy scheme for social initiatives relating to the transatlantic slavery history of the Caribbean part of the kingdom you can submit your application in Dutch or English. On the website you will find information in Dutch, English,, Papiamentu and Papiamento.

The authorised signatory must be independently authorised according to the Chamber of Commerce (CoC) details for the submission of the subsidy application. If this is not the case then you must add an authorisation to your application.

• If the authorised signatory is jointly authorised according to the CoC details then they must have been authorised for the submission of the subsidy application by one of the persons with whom they are jointly authorised.
• If a third party submits the subsidy application on behalf of the subsidy applicant then they must have been authorised for this by an officer of the subsidy applicant with signatory authority.

The authorization form must include at least the following details:

• Name of the board member granting authorization
• Position of the board member granting authorization
• Signature of the board member granting authorization
• Name of the authorized representative
• Position of the authorized representative
• Signature of the authorized representative
• Date of signature by both the board member and the authorized representative

Scope of Authorization The form must also specify the extent of the authorization granted to the above-mentioned person/organization, including:

• Submitting the application;
• Optionally, also performing all related (legal) actions in connection with this application up to and including the granting/determination;
• Optionally, also performing all necessary legal actions in the event of any objection or appeal procedure.

You can find a template for the authorization form on the Implementation and Accountability page, which you may use.

With respect to category 1 you can only apply for a subsidy for:

• an educational programme, course or training which is intended for the directors of the applicant's organisation and is aimed at increasing knowledge and skills for the performance of their duties, or at establishing or improving the applicant's administrative organisation;
• an educational programme, course or training which is intended for the paid employees of the applicant's organisation and is aimed at establishing or improving the applicant's administrative organisation;
• the building or improving of the applicant's website, with the aim being to draw attention to activities which align with the goals refer to in Article 2 of the scheme.

You can apply for a category 1 subsidy during the following application periods:

• First application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 11 August 2025 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 12 September 2025.
• Second application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 2 November 2026 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 12 January 2027.

You can only submit an application during the two application periods that exist for each category.
 

NB: the application periods maybe changed due to circumstances. Please consult the subsidy scheme for the most up-to-date overview.

The maximum duration of activities which are eligible for a category 1 subsidy is 1 year.

No, that is not necessary because the subsidy is determined without any specific accountability records being required once the activities which are eligible for subsidy have been carried out (within one year). However, the Implementation of Policy department will carry out a random check among the applicants and if you are selected you must be able to provide proof that you have actually carried out the activities.

With respect to category 2 you can only apply for a subsidy for:

• projects which increase the resilience of the community to discrimination and racism;
• projects which promote the health and well-being of the community in relation to our slavery past;
• projects aimed at publicising the history of slavery;
• the organisation of meetings, lectures, seminars and panel discussions which promote the dialogue about and understanding of our slavery past;
• the organising of events which are the processing of our slavery past;
• educational projects, including the development of teaching materials, the organising and holding of workshops and the creation or development of digital platforms;
• artistic expressions, including exhibitions and performances.

You can apply for a category 2 subsidy during the following application periods:

• First application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 1 December 2025 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 12 January 2026.
• Second application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 10 January 2028 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 6 march 2028.

The maximum duration of activities which are eligible for a category 2 subsidy is 1 year.

No, that is not necessary because the subsidy is determined without any specific accountability records being required once the activities which are eligible for subsidy have been carried out (within one year). However, the Implementation of Policy department will carry out a random check among the applicants and if you are selected you must be able to provide proof that you have actually carried out the activities.

With respect to category 3 you can only apply for a subsidy for:

• projects which increase the resilience of the community to discrimination and racism;
• projects which promote the health and well-being of the community in relation to our slavery past;
• projects aimed at publicising the history of slavery;
• the organisation of meetings, lectures, seminars and panel discussions which promote the dialogue about and understanding of our slavery past;
• the organising of events which contribute to the processing of our slavery past;
• educational projects, including the development of teaching materials, the organising and holding of workshops and the creation or development of digital platforms;
• artistic expressions, including exhibitions and performances.

You can apply for a category 3 subsidy during the following application periods:

• First application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 1 April 2026 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 1 June 2026.
• Second application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 1 June 2027 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 29 July 2027.

The maximum duration of activities which are eligible for a category 3 subsidy is 4 years.

With respect to category 4 you can only apply for a subsidy for:

• projects which increase the resilience of the community to discrimination and racism;
• projects which promote the health and well-being of the community in relation to our slavery past;
• projects aimed at publicising the history of slavery;
• the organisation of meetings, lectures, seminars and panel discussions which promote the dialogue about and understanding of our slavery past;
• the organising of events which aid the processing of our slavery past;
• educational projects, including the development of teaching materials, the organising and holding of workshops and the creation or development of digital platforms;
• artistic expressions, including exhibitions and performances.

In order to be eligible for a category 4 subsidy your activities must also:

• have a lasting or long-term impact, or
• have a wide reach and provide an insight into our slavery past and shared history

You can apply for a category 4 subsidy during the following application periods:

• First application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 1 April 2026 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 1 June 2026.
• Second application period: 9.00 a.m. CET on 1 April 2027 to 5.00 p.m. CET on 7 June 2027.

The maximum duration of activities which are eligible for a category 4 subsidy is 4 years.

You can start as soon as you have received written approval of your application from the Implementation of Policy department. This approval takes the form of an award decision. The award decision will state the start date of the period during which the project activities are to be carried out and costs incurred which are eligible for subsidy. The activities must start within three months. Only the costs incurred during the project period are eligible for subsidy.

That information is not yet known.

If the Minister of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (BZK) intends to reject an application for a category 3 or 4 subsidy because the project does not align sufficiently with the goals of the scheme, the Minister will first obtain advice on the matter from the advisory committee. The committee's advice will be made public. All applications are therefore initially assessed by the Implementation of Policy department and the advisory committee will only be asked to give an opinion if there is any doubt as to whether a project is covered by this subsidy scheme.

You only have to submit a progress report in the prescribed format for a project that lasts longer than 12 months and you must do so within eight weeks after the end of this period. The format of this progress report will be posted on the website at Implementation and accountability

You should submit an application for subsidy determination within 22 weeks after the end of the project period. You should do so using the electronic form provided for this purpose on the subsidy portal.

The application for subsidy determination is in a prescribed format and includes a report of the activities carried out and an overview of the costs per activity. The prescribed format for the final report will be posted on the website at Implementation and accountability

If the awarded subsidy, excluding the accountant’s fees referred to in Article 8 ‘Costs which are eligible for subsidy’ paragraph 2 of the Framework Decision on Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations subsidies , amounts to more than USD 125,000, in other words for category 4 subsidies, an audit opinion will be required. An accountant can draw up this opinion in accordance with a prescribed protocol.

The accountant’s protocol will be published on the website at Implementation and Accountability

You should keep your records for five years after the date of the decision which determines the subsidy. This requirement is stipulated in Article 21, section h of the Framework Decision on Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations subsidies