The Orange Knowledge Programme aims to advance the development of the capacity, knowledge and quality of both individuals as well as organisations both in the field of higher and vocational education and in other fields related to the priority themes in the programme countries. Scholarships are available for a selection of short courses (duration 2 weeks to 12 months) and master’s programmes (duration 12 – 24 months).

A OKP scholarship 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 such as tuition fees, visa, travel, insurance etc. If applicable, the scholarship holder is expected to cover the difference between the actual costs and the OKP scholarship amount.

• One must be a professional and a national of, and working and living in one of the countries on the OKP Country list valid at the time of application;

• One must have a current employer’s statement that complies with the format Nuffic has provided. All information must be provided and all commitments that are included in the formal must be endorsed in the statement;

• One must not be employed by an organisation which can be expected to have their own funds for staff development, e.g.: a multinational corporation (e.g. Shell, Unilever, Microsoft) a large national and/or a large commercial organisation; a bilateral donor organisation (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid); a multilateral donor organisation (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB); an international NGO (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care);

• One must have a current employer’s statement which complies with the Nuffic format. All information must be provided and all commitments, which are included in the Nuffic format, must be endorsed in the statement;

• One must have a government statement that meets the requirements of the country in which the employer is established (if applicable);

• One must have an official passport valid at least three months after the submission date of the registration form by the candidate.

Host Institution(s):

Dutch Universities that offer OKP qualified programmes/courses.

Level/Field(s) of study:

All courses that are eligible for an Orange Knowledge Programme scholarship for this application round are listed in Studyfinder. Please search in Studyfinder, using the filter ‘OKP qualified – Yes’. You can also find contact details of the institutions there.

Target group:

 Mid-career professionals who are nationals of -and living and working in the following countries.

There are 3 application rounds for individual scholarships in 2019. The next application round will open on 7 February. Provisional opening for other application rounds will be 6 June 2019 and 5 September 2019.

Before you apply, make sure you review the eligibility criteria carefully and check whether your employer is willing to nominate you for the scholarship. You need to apply directly with a Dutch higher education institution of your choice. Contact the Dutch higher education institution which offers the OKP qualified course of your choice for application procedures. Deadline varies depending on the course and the University.  

It is important to read the OKP information for applicants and visit the official website (link found below) for detailed information on how to apply for this scholarship.