Netherlands Fellowship Programmes

The Netherlands Fellowship Programmes (NFP) promote capacity building within organisations in 50 countries by providing training and education through fellowships for professionals. The NFP is initiated and fully funded by the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs under the budget for development cooperation.

Important notice

A new phase of the NFP (NFP II) started on 1 July 2013. This new phase leads to policy changes which have an impact on procedures and criteria.

• The information provided on these web pages applies to the February 2014 and May 2014 deadlines.
• New application and selection procedures apply starting with the deadline of October 2014.
• There is one fellowship application deadline per year for PhD. This deadline is in October.
• The country list has been reduced (this change was already effective starting with the 1 October 2013 fellowship application deadline).

More information on the new procedures for the October 2014 deadline and onwards, and other changes with regard to NFP II, will be made available in mid 2014.

The aim of the NFP

The overall aim of the NFP is to help increase both the number and the competencies of skilled staff at a wide range of governmental and non-governmental organisations. You have to be nominated by your employer to be eligible for the fellowship. There also has to be a clear need for training within the context of your organisation.
After completing your training you return to your original workplace. This ensures the training is embedded within your organisation.
You will improve your knowledge and skills, learn about relevant global developments in your field and build an international network. The result is twofold: for your employing organisation, it represents a direct investment in staff development; for you as a professional, the training is a valuable asset in your further career.

The target group

The NFP target group consists of professionals who are nationals of and work and live in an NFP country. The chances of obtaining an NFP fellowship increase if you live and work in Sub-Saharan Africa and/or if you are a woman.

The fellowship

An NFP fellowship is intended to supplement the salary that you should continue to receive during the study period in the Netherlands. The allowance is a contribution towards your costs of living, the costs of tuition fees, visas, travel, insurance and thesis research, as specified in the NFP Rules and Regulations for fellowship holders. If applicable, the fellowship holder is expected to cover the difference between the actual costs and the amount of the personal NFP allowances.
Download the NFP Rules and Regulations(162.5 KB)

Highly competitive selection

Nuffic receives thousands of fellowship applications each year. Only a small percentage of these applications are eventually granted a fellowship.
The fellowships are awarded in a very competitive selection to highly motivated professionals with at least three years’ work experience who are in a position to introduce the newly-acquired skills and knowledge into their employing organisation.