DUTCH Call 4 - open from 10 November
On 10 November, the DUTCH Product Call will open. The Product Call focuses on the development of 36 simulation modules (SimOs) for the target groups OR assistants, diagnostic radiographers and anaesthesia assistants, and for cross-functional themes.
All details and specific requirements for this Product Call will follow upon publication on 10 November. Through this pre-publication, we are providing preliminary high-level information to enable potential applicants to start forming a consortium and preparing their application.
The DUTCH Call Round 3 contribution scheme forms the basis for DUTCH Call Round 4. As there are also significant changes, we advise you to attend the Q&A on 12 November and to read the new contribution scheme carefully. On Thursday 12 November, DUTCH will explain the process and content in an online Q&A (time to be announced).
DUTCH Call Ronde 4 – pre anouncement
Expression of interest – matchmaking
We want to help (future) DUTCH partners find suitable partners for developing or further developing simulation modules. From 20 October, interested parties can therefore register their interest in forming a consortium via the DUTCH website. We ask for the following information: organisation name, type of organisation, contact details, Product Call project theme, and one or two sentences on what you plan to do and what you are looking for in a partner.
On 9 November, we will email all parties that registered interest in the same theme each other’s details. After that, it is up to the parties themselves to make contact and form a consortium. DUTCH does not act as an intermediary, and your registration plays no role in the assessment of project proposals. The DUTCH Connect event at Tivoli does give you the opportunity to meet. For each professional group, you can meet parties with similar interests, based on the information they submitted via the DUTCH website. We will let you know how we will organise this.
By submitting your details, you agree that we share them with the other interested parties within your chosen theme. You can withdraw your interest by email until 9 November inclusive, via financieelexpertisepunt@stichtingdutch.nl. We use your details for this purpose only and delete them after the phase 1 submission deadline of 8 December.
Product Call – for 36 Simulation modules
Project plans within the Product Call focus on the (further) development of simulation modules. The modules delivered at the end of a project must be at an advanced stage of development (TRL7-8). The simulation modules relate to 36 SimOs divided across the 11 themes below, within the four DUTCH target groups:
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OR nurses / OR assistants:
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Circulating and scrubbing (and assisting) in ENT, OMF (oral and maxillofacial), plastic, general and trauma surgery, and in gynaecology, urology and orthopaedics
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Diagnostic radiographers:
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MRI
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Fluoroscopy in the operating room (C-arm)
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Assisting in the fluoroscopy room
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Anaesthesia nurses / anaesthesia assistants:
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Postoperative care & transport
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Locoregional anaesthesia
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Paediatric anaesthesia
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Cross-functional:
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Incident reporting
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Handover and time-out moments
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Positioning the patient
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Workplace mentoring
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Maximum DUTCH contribution (indicative amounts): €200,000 to €600,000 per theme for anaesthesia nurses / anaesthesia assistants and diagnostic radiographers, and €100,000 to €200,000 per theme for cross-functional themes, depending on the theme. The amount for OR nurses / OR assistants will follow. All amounts are provisional and may turn out slightly higher or lower. We will announce the final amounts, including those for OR nurses / OR assistants, by 30 October at the latest. Co-financing is at least 50% per consortium; the minimum contribution per partner is €10,000.
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Project duration: maximum 12 months.
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Consortium: at least 1 SME and at least 1 other enterprise, such as an SME, a large company or a public institution, i.e. a healthcare institution or educational institution. Foreign partners may be eligible, provided that at least 1 Dutch enterprise takes part in the consortium (this Dutch enterprise is a full consortium partner that contributes to the core of the development and ensures that the project result contributes directly to the earning capacity of the Netherlands).
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Award: a maximum of 1 project per theme will be awarded (a maximum of 11 awarded project proposals in total in the Product Call).
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Submission process:
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Expression of interest: open until Monday 9 November 2026, 16:00 CET
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Deadline for Phase 1 submission: Tuesday 8 December 2026, 12:00 CET
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Pitch session for projects: Wednesday 6 January 2027, 9:00–13:00 CET
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Start of Phase 2 (project development): 18 January 2027
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Deadline for Phase 2 submission: Tuesday 2 March 2027
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Notification of consortia: 25 March 2027
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Submission to VWS: early April 2027
Product Call two-phase process explained
For this round, a two-phase project development process has been chosen for the Product Call. With this set-up, we aim to make a sound selection in the first phase, with less effort required from applicants, based on a compact outline project proposal, after which one project per theme can be worked out in detail in collaboration with the DUTCH team.
Phase 1 – project plan 1.0
During Phase 1, consortia are given time to write a short application (project plan 1.0), containing:
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Explanation of the partners' expertise and the complementarity of the consortium
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Short description of the product to be developed including the joint business model
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Description of the current status of the product and the development steps required (feasibility)
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Motivation of how the project fits the DUTCH objectives and SimOs
In addition, all partners must submit an 'undertaking in difficulty' (UiD) declaration and, if they are an undertaking in difficulty, indicate how they can be eligible for a DUTCH contribution.
Pitch
Consortia that have submitted a complete Phase 1 application and have been declared admissible will be invited to explain their proposal to the assessment committee in a short pitch and Q&A session on 6 January 2027 (consortia may take part online).
An independent assessment committee assesses project plan 1.0 and the pitch on the quality of the consortium, feasibility, innovative value and added value to the DUTCH SimOs. Based on its scores, the committee selects a maximum of 1 consortium per theme to develop its project further in phase 2. Consortia have 6 weeks for this. The assessment committee may give recommendations for this phase.
Phase 2 – project plan 2.0 and alignment with DUTCH Work Stream 1
During Phase 2, the selected consortia work out their project plan in detail. Consortia are expected to incorporate the assessment committee's recommendations (if this is not sufficiently done, the project proposal may be rejected). In this phase, DUTCH provides substantive guidance:
One-to-one guidance
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A meeting shortly after the pitch to discuss outline and direction
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Halfway through the 6-week period, a meeting based on a review of the first draft
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1.5 weeks before submission, a meeting based on the 80% version
Joint online knowledge sessions
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Project development and budgeting
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Learning analytics and use of the Experimental Labs
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Standards, and valorisation and economic perspective
Assessment committee and Financial Expertise Desk check whether the proposal meets the requirements
After the Phase 2 application has been submitted, the DUTCH Financial Expertise Desk checks the application for completeness and compliance with the subsidy requirements. The independent assessment committee (2 members) assesses whether the application scores sufficiently on the assessment criteria and whether the recommendations from Phase 1 have been followed up.
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Quality of content & feasibility
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Innovation, knowledge development and knowledge sharing
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Composition of the consortium
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Valorisation & economic perspective
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Collaboration with DUTCH
If all criteria are met sufficiently, the project is eligible for an NGF (National Growth Fund) contribution. There is no points-based scoring.