Through the following funds and programs, we help entrepreneurs with advice and financing. But with this we can also strengthen the sectors in Limburg. Would you like to know more? Give us a call. We will gladly help you.
LIOF is the regional development company of the Province of Limburg. We ensure the strengthening of the economic structure and thus the growth of Limburg.
70 committed LIOF colleagues help your company grow with advice, a solid network and financing, to strive for a smarter, more durable and healthy Limburg.
CollectiveProject
Green intentions?
With the knowledge tracks below, LIOF wants to inspire entrepreneurs to innovate their products, services, processes and/or business models on the basis of social challenges: energy, circularity, health and digitalisation. Within each course, the latest trends and developments within a specific theme are discussed and you are given concrete tools to get started. As an SME from Limburg, you can claim 75% reimbursement of the costs for these knowledge programmes by submitting an application to us through the CollectiefProject.
In short
Regulation
The scheme covers 75% of the costs of participation in a knowledge course with a maximum amount of €7,500.
For whom?
Start-ups, scale-ups and SME companies (sector-wide) established in Limburg and motivated to innovate within the social challenges (transitions) of energy, circularity, health and digitalisation.
Next submission dates
Er zijn geen aankomende indiendatums meer.
Our current offer
In cooperation with various experts and knowledge institutions, we have put together a programme that is as varied as possible. The following knowledge tracks have been selected on the basis of their innovative capacity and relevance to social issues. Click on the name of the knowledge programme concerned for more information on its content, pricing and the application form.
As an entrepreneur, sustainability is becoming an increasingly important theme: because customers and consumers are asking for it, but also because other stakeholders are paying attention. How do you bring this into the strategy of your organisation? And how can you implement this in practice? Are there perhaps opportunities to make your production circular?
Do you want to translate various sustainability aspects into practical (innovative) improvements within your company? Then take part in the Expedition Sustainability within the theme Circularity or the theme Sustainable Business.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: HAS Start date: January 24, 2023 Number of sessions: 4 half-day sessions, as part of graduation program (+/- 5 months) with project group of students engaging in entrepreneur's problem piece Location: HAS Cost per company: € 2,500, after 75% reimbursement and excluding VAT Closing date: December 8, 2022
Consumers are becoming increasingly aware of the dangers of unhealthy and unsafe food. Stricter laws and regulations and increased awareness of health and food safety issues present companies with the necessary challenges. It also provides new opportunities. In order to promote people's health, citizens, companies and governments are working together to find innovative solutions in the areas of food, lifestyle and living environment. These include innovations in healthy food concepts, but also changes in portion sizes and product composition and improvements in the design and layout of the living environment.
in the design and layout of the living environment.
Does your organisation want to translate health concepts into products and services? Then take part in the Expedition Food & Healthy Living with the theme Healthy and safe food or the theme Healthy Living.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: HAS Start date: January 24, 2023 Number of sessions: sessions: 4 half-day sessions, as part of graduation project (+/- 5 months) with project group of students working on entrepreneur's problem piece Location: HAS Cost per company: € 2,500, after 75% reimbursement and excluding VAT Deadline: December 8, 2022
CIRCO track Business opportunities through sustainability - SME Green Deal Sittard-Geleen
1 March 2023
You are striving for cost reduction in your business processes? Towards a more future-proof business model? For a stronger position in the market? And you wonder whether this can be done in a sustainable way?
Then this workshop cycle is ideally suited for you. We inspire and support you to see and seize opportunities in your company and to take steps towards sustainability and business stability and growth. This requires different products, materials, services and business models. But how do you make this concrete and put it into practice?
The CIRCO track
LIOF and Rabobank, together with Land van de Makers, are organizing this three-day workshop to help you on your way. The unique aspect of this program is that you will do this together with other companies from your region; North Limburg.
From everyone's own position in the chain and business case you gain knowledge of circular entrepreneurship and circular (re-)design of your product or service, but also think of re-use, reduce and repair for example.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: CIRCO Hub Limburg Start date: 1 March 2023 Number of sessions: 3 days Location: Rabobank Cost per company: € 550, after 75% reimbursement and incl. VAT Deadline: 15 February
CIRCO track Chances for sustainability in manufacturing industry
7 March 2023
You are striving for cost reduction in your business processes? Towards a more future-proof business model? For a stronger position in the market? And you wonder whether this can be done in a sustainable way?
Then this workshop cycle is ideally suited for you. We inspire and support you to see and seize opportunities in your company and to take steps towards sustainability and business stability and growth. This requires different products, materials, services and business models. But how do you make this concrete and put it into practice?
The CIRCO track
LIOF and Rabobank, together with Land van de Makers, are organizing this three-day workshop to help you on your way. The unique aspect of this program is that you will do this together with other companies from your region; North Limburg.
From everyone's own position in the chain and business case you gain knowledge of circular entrepreneurship and circular (re-)design of your product or service, but also think of re-use, reduce and repair for example.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: CIRCO Hub Limburg Start date: 7 March 2023 Number of sessions: 3 days Location: Rabobank Venlo Cost per company: € 550, after 75% reimbursement and incl. VAT Deadline: 15 February
In the Change Management Master Class, you learn what it takes to more successfully lead, guide and influence change in a complex environment. You learn to look at the changes in your organization from different perspectives. In addition, you learn new skills that give you more flexibility in the choices you make. This allows you to better adapt and respond to changing circumstances and different personalities.
In addition to the treatment of theory, during this Master Class there is plenty of room to share experiences and work with various solution approaches. During and between meetings, you will apply the learning points from the Masterclass directly to your own issues.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: UMIO Start date: April 4, 2023 Number of sessions: 3 sessions Location: Tapijnkazerne Maastricht Cost per company: € 1,995, minus 75% compensation. No VAT due Deadline: 15 February
During the Brightlands AI Academy, the latest trends in Datascience, Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning will be covered and you will be given concrete tools. The objective is to train working business professionals to discover and identify potential AI applications within their own organization and to analyze and validate the business value of these AI applications. To encourage AI innovations, we challenge program participants to bring their own data-driven idea to the program to develop it into an applicable business case under the guidance of an experienced AI coach.
We offer two options: Option 1: Participation in the Brightlands AI Academy program. After following the Masterclasses you can independently start implementing the knowledge and tools within your own organization. Costs: € 375,- p.p. for startups and € 875,- p.p. for SMEs, after 75% reimbursement and excluding VAT.
Option 2: Participation in the Brightlands AI Academy program + Project budget (the project budget is the amount that remains of the €10.000,- after deduction of the participation costs (see option 1) of the AI Academy) for the supervision of the development of your own data-driven idea. Within the development the business case for the data-driven idea and a first design will be drawn up and possibly a prototype will be realized. Cost: € 2,500, after 75% reimbursement and excluding VAT.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: Brightlands i.c.w. Fontys Hogeschool Venlo and UMIO (Maastricht University) Start date: April 4, 2023 Number of sessions: 13 Location: Brightlands Greenport Campus in Venlo & de Brightlands Smart Services Campus in Heerlen
Cost per participant:
Option 1: Participation in the Brightlands AI Academy program. After following the Masterclasses you can independently start implementing the knowledge and tools within your own organization. Costs: € 375,- p.p. for startups and € 875,- p.p. for SMEs, after 75% reimbursement and excluding VAT.
Option 2: Participation in the Brightlands AI Academy program + Project budget (the project budget is the amount that remains of the €10.000,- after deduction of the participation costs (see option 1) of the AI Academy) for the supervision of the development of your own data-driven idea. Within the development the business case for the data-driven idea and a first design will be drawn up and possibly a prototype will be realized. Cost: € 2,500, after 75% reimbursement and excluding VAT.
As an organization, you are faced with many (disruptive) technological developments. Automation and digitalization are hitting hard. Therefore, as an organization, it is important that you have insight into the individual technological innovations. The course 'Data Analytics & New Technologies for Professionals' pays attention to data analytics and the most important technological innovations (Artificial Intelligence (AI), Robotics and Blockchains). As an organization, how do you now concretely deal with these developments and translate them into practice?
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: UMIO Start date: April 20, 2023 Number of sessions: 7 sessions Location: Maastricht University Cost per company: € 995, minus 75% compensation. No VAT due Deadline: 22 March
Design Thinking is a successful methodology for human-centered innovation to increase the added value of yourself, your department and your organization. You develop new skills that allow you to work more decisively and to get from idea to impact faster. Besides the treatment of the theory, in this Master Class you will mainly get to work in a very practical way. Using an innovation model based on a combination of Design Thinking and agile and lean innovation methodologies, you will go through all the steps to arrive at innovative solutions.
Dates and costs
Knowledge partner: UMIO Start date: May 23, 2023 Number of sessions: 3 sessions Location: Maastricht University Cost per company: € 1.995,-, minus 75% compensation. No VAT due Deadline: 22 March
There is a maximum of four participants per company per knowledge course. This means that only one application form is required per company per knowledge path. In this form you can indicate the number of participants (from your company). Note: check per course whether a price applies per participant or per company. This is necessary to determine the total cost of the application;
There is a maximum of two applications per company within the total duration of the Collective Project. After all, you can apply for multiple knowledge paths;
You will be assigned a LIOF business developer to guide you through the process and together put your application on paper as clearly as possible;
Please complete and submit the application form in time for the relevant route. The instructions are in the form.
Step 2: Assessment process
After submission, you will receive a message from us whether your application is complete and correct (admissibility);
The assessment usually takes place two weeks after the submission date. After the assessment we will inform you as soon as possible about the outcome (decision).
Step 3: Implementation and declaration
With a positive decision you are entitled to 75% reimbursement of the costs of the knowledge programme with a maximum of € 7,500;
We will pass on your details to the relevant knowledge institution. They will then contact you with all further information on participation;
At the end of the CollectiveProject you can claim the costs you made. How this is done depends on the knowledge path you choose. Usually you pay upfront and declare 75% of the costs afterwards (Brightlands AI Academy, UMIO, Zuyd Professional, HAS University of Applied Sciences and Fontys University of Applied Sciences). However, for some tracks, LIOF reimburses you at the start and you receive an invoice from us for 25% of the costs (CIRCO track).
What are the next submission dates for 2023?
Wednesday 18 January (assessment Wednesday 1 February)
Wednesday 15 February (assessment Wednesday 1 March)
Wednesday 22 March (assessment Wednesday 5 April)
Wednesday 19 April (assessment Wednesday 10 May)
Wednesday 31 May (assessment Wednesday 14 June)
Wednesday 5 July (assessment Wednesday 19 July)
Wednesday 6 September (assessment Wednesday 20 September)
Wednesday 11 October (assessment Wednesday 25 October)
Wednesday 8 November (assessment Wednesday 22 November)
Wednesday 6 December (assessment Wednesday 20 December).
