Applications for second-last round of STAP subsidies open today

The second-last round of the STAP budget launches today. The application portal on the UWV website opens at 10:00 a.m. The benefits agency expects the available subsidies to run out fast, as this round’s subsidy amount is significantly lower at 10 million euros.

The STAP budget is an allowance of 1,000 euros intended to help people increase their chances in the labor market through retraining or additional training. Anyone aged 18 or older can apply, provided they're not receiving a State pension. "As a worker or job seeker, you can apply for the STAP budget once a year via this UWV website," the Dutch government explained. "An application period starts every two months." If the money allocated for a period runs out, those who missed out must wait until the next round.

In this round of the STAP budget, people can only use the subsidy for government-approved courses. The government has been tightening the rules around the subsidy to prevent abuses. “Wine courses and the like are no longer allowed,” a spokesperson from the Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science told RTL Nieuws. “We’re increasingly limiting the options.”

The available amount for the subsidies is also significantly lower at 10 million euros, compared to 34 million euros in the previous round. The last round, launching on November 15, will also only have 10 million euros. According to the Education spokesperson, that decision is separate from the more limited available courses. It was just how the government decided to distribute the 170 million euros available for the STAP budget in 2023.

The STAP subsidies proved enormously popular, with all available subsidies often claimed within hours of applications opening. The government decided to scrap the scheme after this year.