Tel mee met Taal 2021
So, all your employees haven’t mastered the Dutch language? Then apply for a subsidy to improve your employees’ language skills.
As many as 2.5 million Dutch people between the ages of 16 – 65 have great difficulty in reading, writing and/or mathematics. In addition, the Netherlands attracts many developers / engineers from abroad who have not yet mastered the Dutch language. Because the Dutch cabinet wants to improve language skills, the action program Tel mee met Taal has been developed. Various parties are associated with the program, such as the BZK, OCW, SZW and VWS ministries.Â
Who is the subsidy for?
This form of subsidy is relevant for:
- Companies that employ migrant workers;
- Industry/ manufacturing companies with relatively low-skilled workers;
- Employment agencies;
- Companies in a very tight labor market who employ expats /knowledge workers
International developers
This subsidy scheme is therefore not only intended for Dutch people who have difficulty in reading, writing and/or mathematics. Foreign developers/ engineers working at Dutch tech companies can also take advantage of this subsidy program. These international employees are often not fluent in the Dutch language. That is why the Tel mee met Taal program contributes to their personal development, which improves cooperation with Dutch colleagues.
Which projects are eligible?
Projects aimed at tackling low literacy are eligible for this subsidy. As an employer, training projects must lead to improving:
- Language skills
- Math skills
- Digital skills
How much is the subsidy?
In the table below you will find an overview of the subsidy amounts.

When is the deadline?
The scheme is open from January 1 to February 28, 2021.Â
Budget
The budget for 2021 is €10,725,000. €1.3 million is available for subsidy applications aimed at older people with low language skills. €8.8 million is available for grant applications by employers. The budget for experiments is €625,000.
Example
You can submit a subsidy application if you invest in language skills in the workplace to remedy illiteracy. For example, technological developments within a company follow each other in rapid succession. A good command of the Dutch language is then essential to be able to follow internal training courses.
How do you find a suitable language teacher?
We have extensive experience in applying for Tel mee met Taal. Because of this we have experienced language teachers in our network who can provide tailor-made language courses.
Finance your innovation
Are you curious to find out whether your project is eligible? Then do the free financing scan and discover the opportunities for your organization.