A look at last year’s Dutch decarbonization grants, and what they mean for founders applying to STUDI subsidie today.

Last year, €26 million in Dutch subsidy money went to roughly 30 companies to answer one question before they spent a single euro on equipment: is this technology feasible at commercial scale? That’s exactly what the TSE Industrie studies grant, renamed to STUDI subsidie since 2026, is designed to fund: proving technical and commercial feasibility through engineering work and testing, before committing capital to a pilot or demonstration plant. We went through last year’s list of recipients to see what it tells founders applying for a CO2-reductie subsidie industrie today.

1. More than a third went to carbon capture, storage and utilization

These are studies into useful applications or storage techniques for leftover CO2. It’s a popular category because it lets industry keep producing as usual, and then for the CO2 emissions, to “fix it in post”. We’re also seeing the first signs of a maturing market for direct air capture (DAC), with acquisitions like Airhive (acquiring Carbyon) and Skytree (acquiring ReCarbn).

Your opportunity:

• If your technology captures, stores, or reuses CO2, you’re applying into the most competitive but also most established track.
• A strong feasibility study can position you well against a growing pool of consolidators.

“Carbon capture doesn’t ask industry to change how it produces. It asks what to do with what’s left over.”

2. Grants ranged from €27,000 to €4 million

Most awards sat well under €700,000. You don’t need a flagship project to qualify for STUDI subsidie, a tightly scoped study is fundable at almost any size.

Your opportunity:

• A tightly scoped study is fundable at almost any size.
• Smaller studies are the norm, not the exception.

3. One study can unlock the next funding tier

A STUDI subsidie feasibility study is often how investors and follow-on funders judge whether your technology is credible enough to back further. It’s also how you find out what a pilot will actually cost, before spending money building one.

Your opportunity:

• Treat your feasibility study output as a document you’ll reuse in investor conversations, not just a funding requirement.
• A credible cost estimate at this stage saves far more later.

“Find out what the pilot will cost, before you spend money building it.”

4. This year’s round is oversubscribed, but there’s still room in the other two tracks

STUDI subsidie applications opened on 18 May 2026. RVO confirmed in July that demand already exceeds the available budget for the CO2-reduction track specifically. Applications are still reviewed in order of arrival, and slots can open up as others are rejected or withdrawn, but the window is tightening. The good news: the other two STUDI tracks still have budget. Hydrogen and green chemistry has its own €10 million, and the new Gasification of residual streams track has €7.5 million, both running on the same application window until 31 March 2027.

Your opportunity:

• If your project fits the CO2-reduction track, apply now rather than later.
• If it fits hydrogen, green chemistry, or gasification, look into applying to the other two.

Takeaway

The data tells a simple story: proving feasibility is a well-funded, well-established step in the Dutch greentech landscape, and it doesn’t require a flagship budget to access. What holds up in these studies is consistent: a clear scope, a solid cost estimate, and a realistic path to the next investment step.

👉 Weighing up which STUDI subsidie track fits your project? We regularly talk to startups at this stage and are happy to think it through with you. Get in touch, or take a look at our scale-up services page to see what else we work on.

Source: Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO), Studies voor Duurzame Industrie (STUDI) — rvo.nl/subsidies-financiering/studi