Evaluation of Dutch Co-Financing in European Regional Development Fund 2014–2020
Publication date: 24 March 2026 | Report language: NL
Commissioned by the Dutch Ministry of Economic Affairs (EZ), Technopolis Group conducted an evaluation of the national co-financing mechanism within the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF). The evaluation confirms that the national co-financing has been effective in strengthening innovation and collaboration, while also identifying opportunities for more targeted policy steering.
What does national co-financing deliver?
The evaluation shows that national co-financing:
- Strengthens innovation capacity, for example through investments in field labs, test beds, and collaborations between SMEs and knowledge institutions;
- Has a measurable impact on R&D efforts and employment at participating companies;
- Leverages additional funding (a multiplier effect) and helps SMEs overcome upfront financing barriers;
- Entails limited administrative burden for the national government, as it builds on existing implementation structures.
The contribution to CO₂ reduction is primarily indirect and becomes visible over the longer term, particularly through the development of sustainable technologies.
Recommendations: more targeted steering by the Ministry of Economic Affairs
The recommendations focus primarily on how the Ministry can more effectively steer the deployment of national co-financing, so that it contributes more directly to national policy objectives. Three strategic options are outlined:
- Targeted investment in large-scale innovation infrastructure (e.g. campuses, field labs), while ensuring balanced regional distribution;
- Scaling up near-market innovations in SMEs, with a focus on societal missions such as sustainability and digitalisation; Strengthening regional autonomy, provided that sufficient alignment with national policy priorities is maintained.
- Strengthening regional autonomy, provided that sufficient alignment with national policy priorities is maintained.
Additional suggestions include improving policy efficiency through better coordination with other instruments (e.g. the MIT scheme) and reducing administrative burdens for managing authorities.
Use of evaluation results:
The Ministry is actively using the results of this evaluation to inform policy preparations for the next ERDF programming period beyond 2027. The insights will help strike a better balance between national steering and regional autonomy and strengthen coherence across the broader policy and funding landscape. The recommendations also support the Netherlands’ strategic position in upcoming EU negotiations on the next Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).
