Update May 13: The voucher scheme is FULL. Applicants will receive response soon. A new voucher round with another 50 vouchers will start after the summer. Keep an eye on this website and the project website Digitaliseringwerkt.nl for updates.

Digitaliseringwerkt.nl

For whom is the voucher intended?

The voucher is intended for SME entrepreneurs from Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten or Zoeterwoude* who want to improve their business with digital solutions, for example in the area of:

• Digital strategy
• Digital marketing
• Automation
• Digital security
• Deployment of new technology such as AI.

You choose what you use the voucher for, as long as the effort demonstrably contributes long-term to the digitization of your company.

* Entrepreneurs located on the Ugstgeester portion of the LBSP may also apply for a voucher.

Practice

Height of voucher

The maximum amount of the voucher depends on the size of your business:

	Max. amount voucher	Own contribution on top of voucher1st voucher	Own contribution on top of voucher 2nd voucher
Zzp	€ 1.000	25%	50%
Up to 15 fte	€ 1.000	25%	50%
15 to 29 fte.	€ 2.500	25%	50%
30 to 50 fte.	€ 5.000	25%	50%

Companies with more than 50 employees cannot apply for a voucher. A limited number of voucher are available for self-employed individuals.

To illustrate:

• Company with 17 FTE received a voucher in 2025 and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is € 5,000. They receive a voucher of € 2,500 (50%) and pay € 2,500 (50%) themselves.
• Company with 17 FTE has not yet received a voucher and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is €3,333.33. They receive a voucher of €2,500 (75%) and pay €8,333.33 (25%) themselves.
• Company with 7 FTE received a voucher in 2025 and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is €800. They receive a voucher of €400 (50%) and pay €400 (50%) themselves.
• Company with 7 FTE has never received a voucher before and is now applying for a voucher. The total investment is €800. They receive a voucher of €600 (75%) and pay €200 (25%) themselves.

Find more information on our project website Digitalization.co.uk.

Wider range

Take advantage of the offer of coaching, workshops and the Digi-scan. You can read more about it at the link below.

Welke mkb-workshop kies jij?

On June 18, VNO-NCW Rijnland, Key Region Leiden and Rabobank are jointly organizing the Defense Summit: Doing Business with Defense – Strong, Smart and Together. Led by chairman of the day Alex de Vries, crisis advisor and former journalist, we will explore the opportunities created by the rapidly changing geopolitical situation and the growth of the defense budget. These developments offer entrepreneurs new opportunities to contribute to security, resilience and economic growth with innovative solutions (dualuse).

Our region has a strong starting position here, where innovative strength meets the growing importance of the defense and security sector. During the meeting we will discuss how entrepreneurs can take advantage of these opportunities and how the cooperation between business, knowledge institutions and government can be further strengthened.

You will gain insight into Defense’s strategic priorities, discover how to apply innovations, and meet relevant network partners from the region.

Sign up

Program

2:30 p.m.	Walk-in meets the innovation ecosystem
15:00	Opening and welcome by Tino Meijn, chairman VNO-NCW Rijnland Brief explanation about Unmanned Valley by Theo de Vries, director
3:10 p.m.	Hugo Leyte, Head of ODIN (Orchestrating Defense Innovation), MinDef. Christine Foekens, Program Manager National Defense Industry and Innovation Program, MinDef
15.30 uur	Siete Hamminga, CEO Robin Radar
15.50 uur	Rob Postma, CEO Airbus Netherlands
4:10 p.m.	Yorick Cramer, Rabobank industry and defense sector manager
4:30 p.m.	Opportunity for questions
4:40 p.m.	Break
5 p.m.	Break-out sessions
5:45 p.m.	Brief summary of breakout sessions by moderator
6 p.m.	Networking drinks
7 p.m.	End

 

Guest speakers: Hugo Leyte, Christine Foekens, Siete Hamminga, Rob Postma, Yorick Cramer.

Sign up

Break-out sessies

PLEASE NOTE: At the end of May, all participants will receive an email in which you can indicate a preference for one of the following breakout sessions.

• Digital Resilience & Cyber: Harm Teunis, cyber expert ESET Netherlands
  The role of SMEs in strengthening digital resilience of Defense and vital sectors.
• Products & Services (dual use): Jos Maccabiani, senior business developer Innovation Quarter
  How do you take dual-use innovations from concept to an initial commercial application at Defense? In this session we will discuss which routes are realistic and how to accelerate as a company towards funding, pilots, orders and sales.
• Employees & The Reservist: Erwin Kwakkel and Martijn van Galen, AReS (Reservist and Society)
  What are the benefits and practical (tax/HR) arrangements around deploying reservists for business owners?

The facilitators of the breakout sessions: Harm Teunis, Jos Maccabiani, Erwin Kwakkel and Martijn van Galen.

Sign up

Then sign up for this meeting using this registration form. After registration, we count on your coming!

Creating sensor-based impact

On June 18, we will be guests at Unmanned Valley in Katwijk. This is the Netherlands’ largest field lab for drones and autonomous tech on former naval airbase Valkenburg. Here, high-tech applications are literally getting off the ground.

• Unmanned Valley, Marinevliegkampweg 356, 2236 ZZ Katwijk aan Zee

 

Colleges play a crucial but often underestimated role in the Dutch innovation system. This is again evident in a recent analysis by Birch Consultants, which mapped the cooperation between colleges and external parties. For regions like Key Region Leiden, this explains exactly why partnership with an institution like Hogeschool Leiden is so valuable. In this interview, Joeri van den Steenhoven, vice president of the Executive Board of Hogeschool Leiden, talks more about it.

99 percent are SMEs

“The analysis shows that colleges now collaborate with about 64,000 partners in practice-based research,” says Joeri van den Steenhoven. “What often leads to surprise is that 73 percent of these partners are companies. Even more striking is that 99 percent of them are from SMEs. Precisely these companies traditionally have difficulty connecting with universities and other knowledge institutions, while they do have concrete and urgent innovation questions.” According to Van den Steenhoven, this makes colleges act as an indispensable R&D partner for SMEs. “Practice-oriented research makes it possible to make knowledge directly applicable within existing companies. That is a substantially different form of innovation than focusing on start-ups alone.”

Explosive growth

Another striking result from the Birch report is the tremendous growth of the collaborative network. “Between 2015 and 2024, the number of college partners grew by a factor of ten,” Van den Steenhoven said. “That’s really explosive.” That growth contrasts sharply with the funding available for practice-based research. “Funding has only increased by a factor of three during that same period,” Van den Steenhoven said. “This means that colleges are realizing greater social and economic impact with limited resources.” This lopsided growth suggests that practice-based research deserves more attention because of its high social return. Precisely because it takes place in close cooperation with companies, healthcare institutions, governments and civil society organizations.

Knowledge transfer for earning power

According to Van den Steenhoven, the analysis shows that innovation should be understood much more broadly than is often the case. “These figures underline that valorization is not only about spin-offs and start-ups,” he says. “It is also, and perhaps especially, about knowledge transfer to existing organizations.” Precisely therein, he says, lies an important foundation for the earning power of the Netherlands. “We have almost forgotten how important it is to help existing companies innovate. While therein lies a huge part of our economy.”

Solid knowledge partner

What strikes Van den Steenhoven personally are the reactions from the field. “What I often hear is mild surprise,” he says. “Many external stakeholders had simply not realized how big a role practice-based research now plays in the Dutch innovation system.” That surprise, he says, touches on a broader perception issue. “People still too often see universities of applied sciences primarily as educational institutions,” Van den Steenhoven said. “While in the meantime they have grown into solid knowledge partners for region and business.” This underlines why collaborations like the one between Hogeschool Leiden and Key Region Leiden are so strategic: they link knowledge development and talent directly to regional (SME) issues.

From awareness to utilization

“This analysis shows how crucial practice-based research is for economic and social innovation,” Van den Steenhoven concludes. “And that awareness may still land much wider and be better utilized.”

To research report

Within our partnership, we are investigating whether a Spatial Development Company for Business Parks (ROM-B) can contribute to the improvement and sustainability of business parks or newly developed sites. The decision on this is deliberately left to the new colleges and city councils that are currently being formed.

Development of business cases

In order to be able to make a well-founded decision later on, several concrete business cases will be developed in the coming period. These will provide insight into what a ROM-B can mean, what costs are involved and what risks there are. The approach for working out these business cases has now been laid down in a cooperation agreement between the municipalities of Katwijk, Leiden, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude. This was decided by the colleges of these municipalities on April 21. Oegstgeest is not participating in this agreement, because there are no areas within that municipality that the business cases relate to. However, Oegstgeest will remain involved in the further exploration of a ROM-B. The municipality of Leiderdorp previously decided not to participate in the ROM-B for the time being.

Complete picture

The business cases focus on existing and new locations of business parks where the market is not moving sufficiently, but which are important for the future of these areas. Think more jobs, greening and sustainability and better utilization of the sites. With the joint elaboration, the new colleges and city councils will soon have a clear and complete picture of the feasibility of the business cases so that they can make a well-informed decision about the ROM-B.

More information can be found on the ROM-B project page.

Take part in a practical workshop on digitization and take concrete steps for immediate improvement within your company. You can also make use of personal coaching and a Digi-scan: an initial online check that provides insight into where your company currently stands on the digital front. The workshops are specifically intended for SME entrepreneurs from Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude who want to get started hands-on with digitization.

You can find the offer on our separate project website digitaliseringwerkt.nl.

May 19 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Findability of your company using AI
How do you make sure that customers find you better online, and what role can AI play in this? In this workshop you will learn how search behavior is changing, how AI can help you with findability and what concrete steps you can take tomorrow. Sign up.

May 26 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Creating Content in Canva with AI
Creating good content takes time. AI can help, provided you use it smartly. In this workshop you’ll get started creating relevant content for your website, newsletters and social media, with practical examples and clear do’s and don’ts. Sign up.

June 9 | 6 p.m. – 8 p.m.
Powerful business presence on LinkedIn with AI
Whether you’re just getting started with LinkedIn or want to improve your profile and posts, this workshop combines the basics with depth. You will learn how to use LinkedIn effectively for visibility, networking and leads, without taking a lot of time. Sign up.

Spring has begun. With sunshine in your face and daffodils on the roadside, it creates space to look ahead. What do I want to accomplish this year?

For entrepreneurs, this is not always easy. Daily work swallows you up, leaving little time for reflection and looking to the future. At such times it is nice to have someone to spar with. But with whom?

The answer is closer than you think: in our own workshop, the region. And your company is at the center of it.

That workshop has everything you need: knowledge, talent, space to experiment, companies willing to collaborate and a network that gets stronger the more often we meet. Such a network only really works when we use it. Then new ideas arise, professionals come together and projects grow.

Does the region already work this way? Sometimes yes, but not everywhere yet. At the same time, we are in good shape: a strong economy, committed entrepreneurs, developing business parks, education at all levels and municipalities that facilitate. All signals are green.

What is still needed? That we actually start doing it.

Too often we wait for each other, while municipalities, entrepreneurs and educational institutions often have the same questions. It is precisely in the joint workshop that the solutions emerge. There are the heads and hands needed to move forward. And your company is one of them!

My call: take advantage of that workshop, in a way that suits you. Join a network, project or collaboration. Visit a meeting, listen, share, ask, contribute. From the local business association to Key Region Leiden or VNO-NCW: there is always a place to start.

Not because they have to, but because it works. Because like the daffodils in the spring berm, enterprises bloom best when they are firmly rooted in the region.

This column is the first in a series and will appear in the Into Business issue over the next two years.

On May 11, noon, we will open a new voucher round via Digitaliseringwerkt.nl (our project website). This scheme is specially designed to support SMEs in the municipalities of Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude in their digitization efforts. Entrepreneurs can receive up to €5,000 back from their investment. Please note: you will need a quote from your supplier when applying.

“In recent years, our program has been very successful in supporting entrepreneurs. Therefore, we are very happy to issue a good number of vouchers again in the coming years, with the first opportunity in 2026 on May 11,” said project leader Dwayne van der Klugt.

Website voucher application

What is the voucher scheme?

The voucher scheme is a financial incentive that helps companies digitize their operations. The voucher can be used for a wide range of digitization projects. Think of digital marketing, such as improving a website or webshop, but also cyber security. Depending on the size of the company, an entrepreneur can receive € 1,000, € 2,500 or € 5,000. This always requires the entrepreneur to contribute at least 25% of the costs himself.

How to Apply.

Companies registered in one of the participating municipalities and employing up to 50 FTEs can apply. Applications can be submitted starting May 11 at noon via the form on the website. Should there be more applications for vouchers in the first 48 hours after opening than there is budget, lots will be drawn. In principle, the assessment will take place within ten working days.

The application itself only takes a few minutes, but some preparation is necessary. Therefore, entrepreneurs are advised to act now and prepare their application. Three coaches are available to help with this. Scheduling an appointment can also be done through the website.

Workshops and coaching

Take a practical workshop and take immediate improvement steps within your company. Choose from:

• May 19: Findable with AI
• May 26: Creating content with AI and Canva
• June 9: Linkedin with AI for your business

View the workshops

In addition, there are opportunities for coaching. Choose what suits you:

• 1-on-1 Coaching: The 1-on-1 course is designed for entrepreneurs who are looking for depth and want to work specifically on their digitization issue. Together with an experienced digitization coach you will work on your specific situation.
• Coaching by students: In coaching by students, you get practical support from well-supervised students from the region. For example, they will help you develop, test or apply digital solutions within your company, such as improving online visibility, deploying tools or optimizing processes.
• Long-term coaching: Long-term coaching is designed for entrepreneurs who want to tackle digitization structurally. Instead of one loose conversation, you work with a regular digitization coach over a longer period of time.

Make an appointment

Complete the Digi-scan

Curious about where you are now with your company: fill out the Digi-scan. After 10 to 15 minutes you will know which profile fits your company and which next step you can take. With your personal score in your pocket, we would like to help you on your way with digitization!

Gan to Digi-scan

Curious about entrepreneurs who have gone before you: read their experiences.

On June 18, VNO-NCW Rijnland, Key Region Leiden and Rabobank will organize a Defense Summit meeting with the theme Doing Business with Defense: ‘Strong, smart and together’. For innovative entrepreneurs and SMEs that can provide a product or service to these entrepreneurs and/or to Defense. The meeting will be held at Unmanned Valley in Katwijk. Mark the date in your agenda!

Purpose of the meeting

The changing geopolitical situation and a sharply increasing defense budget create great opportunities for entrepreneurs to contribute to security, resilience and economic growth with innovative solutions. Key Region Leiden has a strong starting position where innovation power and the growing importance of the defense and security industry come together. We want to exploit that potential!

Format of the meeting

Inform, inspire and provide entrepreneurs with concrete insight into:

• Defense’s strategic needs and “shopping list,” particularly in the areas of technological and operational innovation.
• The action perspective for entrepreneurs: how do I navigate the complex Defense organization and bring dual-use innovations and technologies from idea to application within Defense?
• The opportunities for collaboration with partners within innovation region Key Region Leiden where entrepreneurs, researchers, education and municipalities work together in the fields of bio science, space tech & data and autonomous tech at Leiden Bio Science Park, NL Space Campus and Unmanned Valley.

This is what you take home

At this meeting, you will be informed and inspired, gain insight into Defense’s strategic priorities, hear how to seize opportunities as an entrepreneur and supplier in the supply chain, and meet a relevant network.

Program

• 2:30 p.m. – Walk-in: meet the innovation ecosystem
• 3 p.m. – Opening ‘Doing Business with Defense: Strong, Smart and Together’
• 3:10 p.m. – Program: from need to business including partial sessions on cybersecurity, reservists, dual-use and chain collaboration
• 5:30 p.m. – Networking with Defense, VNO-NCW and Key Region Leiden
• 6:30 p.m. – End

Sign up

Registration for this meeting starts soon. Mark Thursday, June 18 in your calendar now. Subscribe to our newsletter to not miss a thing.

• Thursday, June 18, 2026
• 2:30 – 6:30 p.m.
• Unmanned Valley, Katwijk aan Zee

Creating sensor-based impact

On June 18, we will be guests at Unmanned Valley in Katwijk. This is the Netherlands’ largest field lab for drones and autonomous tech on former naval airbase Valkenburg. Here, high-tech applications are literally getting off the ground. https://unmannedvalley.nl/

Are you an innovative entrepreneur? Then this is your chance! The SME subsidy of the province of South Holland for feasibility studies into innovations will soon reopen. This MIT subsidy (MKB Innovatiestimulering Topsectoren) is intended for medium and small companies to investigate whether new ideas and plans (innovations) are technically and economically feasible. This year’s budget is: €2.7 million!

For what purpose?

With this grant you can investigate whether your innovative idea really works, both technically and financially. Think of a new technology, a smart product or a better service that contributes to challenges such as sustainable energy, health or food safety. The Province of South Holland will contribute up to € 20,000 (or up to 35% of your costs).

Who can apply for it?

Are you an SME entrepreneur with a branch in South Holland? If so, you may be eligible. You can make one application per company per year.

When applying, think of innovations that contribute to:
🔋 𝗞𝗹𝗶𝗺𝗮𝘁 & 𝗘𝗻𝗲𝗿𝗴𝗶𝗲: less CO₂, more renewable energy, energy efficiency.
♻️ 𝗖𝗶𝗿𝗰𝘂𝗹𝗮𝗶𝗿𝗲 𝗘𝗰𝗼𝗻𝗼𝗺𝗶𝗲: resource conservation, reuse, recycling, life extension.
🌾 𝗟𝗮𝗻𝗱𝗯𝗼𝘂𝘄, 𝗪𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿 & 𝗩𝗼𝗲𝗱𝘀𝗲𝗹: biodiversity, sustainable cultivation, water management, food security and protein transition.
🏥 𝗚𝗲𝘇𝗼𝗻𝗱𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗱 & 𝗭𝗼𝗿𝗴: prevention, smart tools, home care, labor savings.
🛡️ 𝗩𝗲𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝗲𝗶𝗱: cyber resilience, maritime innovations, aerospace, high-tech operations.
🔧 𝗦𝗹𝗲𝘂𝘁𝗲𝗹𝘁𝗲𝗰𝗵𝗻𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗴𝗶𝗲𝗲𝗻: such as AI, photonics, quantum, mechatronics, semiconductors and biotechnology.

In short: innovations that link technology to social issues.

As of April 7

Do you have ideas and could use a helping hand? Then prepare your application now. You can apply from April 7 at 9 a.m. until September 15, 2026. More information can be found on the website of the Province of South Holland. Also read the assessment framework.

Key Region Leiden has received a contribution of €100,000 from the Ministry of Economic Affairs to better support entrepreneurs in our region*. The allocation from the SME Services Action Agenda will be used to improve the connection between innovation campuses and entrepreneurs and to make the knowledge present in the region more available to SMEs.

*The municipalities involved are Katwijk, Leiden, Leiderdorp, Noordwijk, Oegstgeest, Voorschoten and Zoeterwoude.

Finding each other faster

The Leiden region has a lot of knowledge and innovation, but not all entrepreneurs know how to make use of it. At the same time, entrepreneurs have much to offer that the knowledge clusters can benefit from, but these worlds do not meet enough. “We are going to strengthen the interaction between our strong knowledge economy and the diverse SMEs in our region so that knowledge, innovation and market demands find each other better and faster,” said Leonie Hussaarts, director of Key Region Leiden.

Doing, learning and improving

The approach is concrete. “We want to land more procurement in the region, create more chain cooperation and ensure optimal interaction between supply and demand. The most important thing is that we are going to do, learn from it and improve ourselves,” Hussaarts adds. “In doing so, companies must also take a step forward themselves. With interested parties, I’m happy to engage in conversation.”

Get in touch

Broad prosperity

On behalf of the region, the Municipality of Leiderdorp was the lead agency for the application. Responsible Alderman Herman Romeijn: “We are happy to get to work for all those entrepreneurs who work hard every day in and on our local and regional economy. The stronger connections will have a positive effect on the earning capacity of the region and everyone benefits from that.”

• Luister ook naar het radio-item van Sleutelstad (duur: 18 min) in het programma Kennismakers.
• And the short radio interview (duration 5 min) with Central+.

Here’s what we’re going to do

• Demand activation: making entrepreneurs aware of their future questions and helping them translate them into concrete steps.
• Making connections: better access to knowledge institutions, innovative companies and regional networks.
• Pilots and collaboration: joint projects between SMEs, knowledge institutions and government to try out new ways of working.
• Learning and adjusting: continuously monitoring what works in our region and sharing these insights with other knowledge regions in the Netherlands.

Stay informed through the project page and our newsletter. Also, follow us on Linkedin.