The Dutch government helps entrepreneurs in various ways, ranging from giving money to making it easier. If your idea meets the requirements for one of the subsidy programmes you can apply to the Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) for a grant.

Subsidies provide government support for certain sectors or activities that would not be financially viable without this support. They are usually given to assist struggling sectors or to encourage new developments or promote a specific policy or social good. They can be economically successful, but at a cost to other groups (for example the food subvention aids farmers, while increasing prices for consumers), they may also fail economically, but they accomplish the goals of culture and politics.

Subsidies provided by the government can be in a variety of forms. They include tax breaks, grants and rebates in addition to direct cash payments made to suppliers or customers. They can be indirect, too, such as road tax, which is a payment made by all motorists, not just those who use roads, or railway access charges that do not only apply to passenger trains.

Advocates of subsidy programs argue that they can increase economic efficiency by providing protection from competition from abroad or by encouraging domestic production. They also serve to combat market failures, like externalities or information imbalances. However, critics claim that these policies can have negative consequences, ranging from inequality to corruption and that they impede more equitable and efficient public spending. They also can create perverse incentives. For instance, a company that receives a government subsidy could be enticed to make donations to politicians, contributing myrrdin-inc.com/2020/09/15/grants-for-digital-technologies-what-type-of-funding-options-are-available/ to “regulatory capture” and rent-seeking.