In 2025, the Municipality of The Hague is once again making funding available for local SMEs that want to innovate at sea. With the Subsidy Scheme for SME Innovations in the Blue Economy The Hague 2025, a total of €100,000 has been allocated to stimulate innovative maritime projects – from renewable energy and food from the sea to safety and marine ecology.
The scheme supports companies that want to test, demonstrate or further develop their innovation in the Port of Scheveningen, along The Hague’s coastline, or in the North Sea. Entrepreneurs can receive up to €50,000, covering 50% of project costs.
“With this scheme, we are literally giving innovative entrepreneurs space at sea to test their ideas,” said Alderman Saskia Bruines (Economic Development).
“Together, we are building a smart, future-proof and sustainable blue economy in the port of Scheveningen.”
The scheme is open to SMEs active in the maritime and offshore sectors. Eligible projects include:
The scheme aligns with the Scheveningen Harbour Vision, in which The Hague aims for a future-proof harbour with room for fisheries, innovation and sustainability.
Projects can take place in the Proeftuin op de Noordzee – also known as the Maritime Testing Ground – a unique offshore test area of 10×10 nautical miles off the coast of Scheveningen. Here, companies can test and validate their technologies under real offshore conditions.
The opportunity to test innovations at sea is of great value. Companies can learn, validate and demonstrate how their technologies perform under offshore conditions. These experiences help innovations advance to a higher Technology Readiness Level (TRL) – an essential step towards large-scale deployment, for example within (future) wind farms or other offshore projects.
Campus@Sea plays a key role in enabling these innovations. As a field lab and network organisation, Campus@Sea facilitates testing and innovation in the Proeftuin op de Noordzee / Maritime Testing Ground, and connects entrepreneurs, knowledge institutions, governments and investors.
Campus@Sea supports companies in preparing and executing their tests at sea – from technical and logistical coordination to collaboration with relevant partners. This accelerates innovation and strengthens the regional maritime ecosystem.
Want to know more?
📩 Contact us at info@campusatsea.nl
Campus@Sea
Hellingweg 9c
2583 DZ DEN HAAG
info@campusatsea.nl