EKOO: Kritieke grondstoffen Grant

About this grant

EKOO: Kritieke grondstoffen is a Dutch energy-innovation subsidy (Energie & Klimaat Onderzoek en Ontwikkeling) that funds industrial research, experimental development, or a combination of both, aimed at keeping strategic and critical raw materials available in the future. Eligible activities include processing, recovering, or reusing strategic or critical raw materials, and using substitute materials that improve the circularity of a product, process or service. The innovation must be applicable in the energy transition, the digital transition, or the defence and high-tech sectors. The scheme excludes primary extraction of critical raw materials from the earth, techniques that only work on primary raw materials, projects falling under EKOO: Circulaire economie, and large collaborative or large innovation projects (which may instead be directed to MOOI), as well as pilot and demonstration projects (DEI+) and fundamental research (NWO, NWA, PPS Innovatie). Projects must be carried out by a collaboration of at least one company with one or more partners, where participants contribute on their own account and risk. Projects may last at most 2 years, the innovation must reach the market within 10 years of project start, and work must not start before the application is submitted. Subsidised costs are project costs; the subsidy rate depends on enterprise size and type, with maximum rates of 80% for non-economic research organisations, 60% for small, 50% for medium and 40% for large enterprises, reduced by 15 percentage points where genuine collaboration is absent. The scheme is a tender: applications are ranked after the window closes and the highest-scoring ones are funded until the budget is exhausted. Applicants may request free, non-binding project-idea feedback before applying, by submitting a project idea form by 16 November 2026.

Eligibility

Applicants must be a collaboration of at least one company together with one or more partners in a single project, with research organisations and businesses working together. The collaboration must consist of at least one small or medium-sized enterprise where the collaboration is genuine (no single enterprise above 70% of costs, research organisations at least 10% of costs and free to publish their results). Participants must contribute financially and in substance roughly equally, and no participant may be an undertaking in difficulty under the AGVO definition; de minimis aid up to EUR 300,000 per three years is available for companies that otherwise fall under this definition. The project must fit the listed topics, last no more than 2 years, bring the innovation to market within 10 years, and not start before the application and not be fully outsourced. Own-share financing must be secured at submission. Applications are made via eHerkenning in the Netherlands. The scheme is Dutch-focused, targeting the Dutch market.

How it's scored

This is a tender: applications are scored and ranked after the application window closes, and the highest-scoring applications receive funding until the budget runs out. Scoring considers contribution to the scheme's objectives, likelihood of success in the Dutch market and society compared with other applications, the degree of innovativeness (with breakthrough technologies scoring above incremental ones), and the quality of the application, including approach description, risk management, feasibility, the participants in the collaboration, and effective and efficient use of resources. Weightings and panel composition are not stated on the page.

Key requirements

• ✓Applications must be submitted by a collaborative partnership (samenwerkingsverband)
• ✓Innovation must address supply security of critical raw materials
• ✓Innovation must reach the market no later than 10 years after project start
• ✓Application window runs from 22 October 2026 to 3 December 2026

Funder contact

The notice names a programme contact you can speak to before applying.

Frequently asked questions

How much funding does Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO) offer?

EKOO: Kritieke grondstoffen offers $500K.

When is the EKOO: Kritieke grondstoffen deadline?

Applications close 3 Dec 2026 16:00.

Who can apply for EKOO: Kritieke grondstoffen?

Eligibility covers organisations in NL; consortium, sme, large-company, university, research-institution. See the eligibility criteria above for the full conditions.

Relevant sectors

About this sector

Circular economy funding supports reuse, repair, remanufacturing, product redesign and secondary materials markets. Grants tend to back pilots with businesses and local authorities, while tenders buy collection, sorting and recovery services. Applicants are usually asked to show the material flows involved and who will buy the recovered output.