ORANJESTAD – Since April 1, application periods have officially opened for the subsidy program supporting social initiatives related to the trans-Atlantic slavery past in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom.
Foundations and associations may submit subsidy applications under categories 3 and 4 until June 1, 2026, at 5:00 p.m. CET for medium and large-scale social initiatives.
Eligible projects include initiatives connected to the history of slavery, educational projects, cultural events, exhibitions, artistic presentations, and community gatherings focused on processing and understanding the slavery past.
The projects must benefit descendants of formerly enslaved people and create lasting social impact within the community.
For category 3, subsidy amounts range from a minimum of USD 25,000 to a maximum of USD 125,000. Category 4 offers subsidies between USD 125,000 and USD 500,000.
The next application periods for these categories will reopen between April 1 and June 1, 2027.
The subsidy arrangement forms part of the actions following the official Dutch government apology delivered on December 19, 2022, regarding the Netherlands’ slavery past.
More than €29.3 million has been allocated for the Caribbean part of the Kingdom through the program, which includes eight application rounds across four subsidy categories over a three-year period.
A special website named “Legacy to Future Funds” has been launched for the Caribbean region, providing information about the subsidy arrangement and access to the application portal managed by the Dutch Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment.
Information is available in Papiamento, Papiamentu, English, and Dutch. Applicants may also contact the helpdesk directly through WhatsApp for assistance.
