Who Is MIT R&D 2026 For

MIT R&D 2026 is intended for SMEs developing an innovative product, process or service that is new to the market and are willing to collaborate with at least one other SME in the Netherlands. Eligible projects must align with one of the Knowledge and Innovation Agendas, such as Energy and Sustainability, Health and Care, Key Technologies, Digitalisation, Agriculture Water and Food, Security, or Social Earning Capacity.

In practice, MIT R&D is a strong fit when you are past the initial idea and feasibility stage, can prepare a clear project plan of roughly one to two years, and have partner companies that contribute actively with their own personnel and costs.

Subsidy Amount

The subsidy covers 35% of eligible R&D costs. MIT R&D distinguishes between two funding ranges. For smaller R&D collaboration projects, the subsidy is generally between €50,000 and €200,000 per project. For larger R&D collaboration projects, the subsidy can reach up to €350,000 per project.

Per participating SME, the maximum subsidy is approximately €100,000 for small projects and €175,000 for large projects. One partner may not carry more than 70% of the total project costs.

Eligible Costs

• P\ersonnel costs for researchers, technical staff and project management
• Costs of equipment and instruments used during the project
• Depreciation costs of buildings and facilities used during the project
• Costs of contract research, external expertise, licences or patents
• Material costs and other direct project-related expenses
  

Key Requirements

Your project must consist of industrial research, experimental development or a combination of both. The project must be technologically innovative or lead to a new application of existing technology. It must demonstrate clear economic potential, such as increased revenue, new markets or accelerated growth.

The collaboration must be balanced, with defined roles and a logical distribution of costs and tasks. The project must make a demonstrable contribution to one or more Knowledge and Innovation Agendas.

What a Strong MIT R&D Application Looks Like

A strong project

• has a concrete and ambitious innovation objective that goes beyond standard product development
• clearly describes the technical uncertainties being addressed and the R&D activities performed
• demonstrates that the market is genuinely waiting for the solution, with customer cases, market analyses or committed partners
• shows that each partner has a substantive role and carries its own risk
• has a realistic timeline of around one to two years, with clear milestones and deliverables
  

Tender and Competition

MIT R&D operates as a tender. This means all complete applications submitted before the deadline are evaluated and then ranked. Only the highest scoring projects receive funding until the total amount is spent. Common assessment criteria include level of innovation, economic impact, the quality of the consortium and project structure, and alignment with the relevant Knowledge and Innovation Agendas. In practice, this means your proposal must be complete and strategically written to stand out from competing applications.

How to Use MIT R&D 2026 Strategically

For many SMEs, MIT R&D is the logical next step after a feasibility project. The feasibility study is used to assess technical and economic risks. MIT R&D then funds the actual development and validation of your solution on your way to market.

MIT R&D can be combined with other instruments such as WBSO to reduce payroll costs and later potentially European or national follow up programs.

How Subsidies.io Helps

With Subsidies.io you can quickly assess whether your project fits MIT R&D 2026 and other funding opportunities in the Netherlands and Europe. You complete a short questionnaire about your project, including budget, partners and planning.

Based on your answers you receive an initial assessment of whether MIT R&D is likely to succeed, which Knowledge and Innovation Agendas best match your project, and which other subsidies you can combine or use later.

If the outcome is positive, we can connect you with a specialised advisor from our network who is experienced in writing tender based applications. You remain the owner of the content, while the advisor helps you translate it into a strong, competitive project plan. This is fully no cure no pay.

Next Step

Do you want to know whether MIT R&D 2026 is a serious opportunity for your innovation?

Start with a free subsidy scan. Within minutes you will see whether your project fits MIT R&D and which other subsidies are relevant. After that you decide whether you want to continue with an advisory trajectory and a full MIT R&D application.