FrequentlyAskedQuestions

Legacy to Future Funds (LFF) is the public identity of a subsidy programme supporting organizational strengthening and social initiatives related to the history and continuing impact of slavery in the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands. The official subsidy scheme is known as SUMS-C and is administered by Uitvoering Van Beleid (UVB).

The fund was created as part of the follow-up to the Dutch State's 2022 apology for its role in the history of slavery. It supports initiatives that improve understanding of the continuing effects of that history, help communities come to terms with it, promote knowledge and awareness, and contribute to recognition and commemoration.

The scheme covers Aruba, Bonaire, Curaçao, Saba, Sint Eustatius, and Sint Maarten.

No. LFF funds eligible organizations and initiatives. It does not provide individual reparations, compensation, damages, or individual therapy.

Non-profit legal entities established and registered with the Chamber of Commerce on one of the six participating islands may apply. Examples include foundations, associations, and eligible non-profit religious organisations.

No. Individuals may participate in a funded initiative as beneficiaries, volunteers, team members, or suppliers, but they cannot submit an application as the applicant.

No. The applicant must be an eligible non-profit legal entity.

Not through this Caribbean scheme. Separate arrangements apply to the European Netherlands and Suriname.

Yes. Collaboration, including collaboration between islands, is possible and encouraged. However, one eligible legal entity must submit the application and take legal and administrative responsibility for the project.

No. An organization may submit only one application during the same application period, even if the applications concern different projects or categories.

Potentially, yes, provided all applicable conditions are met. However, an organization that received funding in the immediately preceding application period cannot receive another grant in the next period. An organization that has already received Category 1 funding also cannot receive Category 1 funding again.

Category 1: Professionalisation of the organization — Fixed USD 10,000 · Max 12 months. Category 2: Small social initiatives — USD 10,000–25,000 · Max 12 months. Category 3: Medium social initiatives — USD 25,000–125,000 · Max 48 months. Category 4: Large social initiatives — USD 125,000–500,000 · Max 48 months.

No. Categories 2, 3, and 4 may support many of the same types of social initiatives. The appropriate category depends mainly on the project's purpose, scale, funding amount, duration, and scope. Category 1 is specifically for organizational professionalisation. Category 4 has an additional requirement: the initiative must demonstrate lasting or long-term impact or broad reach.

No. Category 1 is not a prerequisite. An organization may apply directly to the category that best fits its proposed initiative.

USD 125,000 is both the maximum for Category 3 and the minimum for Category 4. The organization must choose one category based on the project's scope and conditions. A Category 4 application must also meet the additional requirement for lasting impact or broad reach.

Depending on the category and proposal, eligible initiatives can include projects related to education and public knowledge, oral history, artistic expression, exhibitions, dialogue and community events, community wellbeing, resilience against discrimination and racism, cultural initiatives, digital platforms, and other activities connected to the objectives of the scheme. The format alone does not make a project eligible — every proposal must show a clear connection to the objectives of the fund and a benefit for descendants of enslaved people and their communities.

Training is subject to specific rules. Eligible institutional training may be funded under Category 1. Training costs are not eligible under Categories 2, 3, or 4.

General scientific research is not eligible. However, activities such as documentation, oral history, public knowledge production, or educational materials may be eligible when they form part of an initiative that meets the objectives and conditions of the scheme.

Potentially. Community health and wellbeing initiatives may be eligible when they are clearly connected to the continuing effects of the history of slavery and meet the other conditions of the scheme. Individual therapy is not eligible.

Each category has two application windows. Applications can only be submitted while the relevant window is open. Check the Application Periods page for current and upcoming dates. All official opening and closing times follow local Netherlands time (CET or CEST).

Applications are submitted digitally through the UVB Subsidy Portal.

Yes. Your organization must be registered in the UVB Subsidy Portal before submitting an application. The person submitting must have the appropriate signing authority, or an authorisation must be provided.

Requirements depend on the category. All categories require the electronic application form, proof of a bank account in the organisation's name, and authorisation where applicable. For Categories 2, 3, and 4, an activity plan and budget are also required. For Category 1, the relevant activity and cost information is included directly in the application form.

Applications may be submitted in English or Dutch. Information about the scheme may also be available in Papiamentu and Papiamento.

If required information or documents are missing, UVB may give the organization two weeks to complete the application. Once completed, the application moves to the end of the processing order, which may affect the possibility of receiving funding when demand exceeds the available budget. Submitting a complete application is important.

Not necessarily. If the available budget is sufficient, applications are processed in order of receipt. If the amount requested exceeds the available budget, a notary conducts a draw to determine the processing order. A complete and coherent application is more important than submitting early with missing information.

Uitvoering Van Beleid (UVB) administers and assesses applications. For Categories 3 and 4, an independent Advisory Committee may become involved in specific circumstances when additional assessment of the project's connection to the scheme's objectives is required. The Advisory Committee does not automatically review every application.

A standard decision is generally expected around 13 weeks after the application window closes. For some Category 3 and Category 4 applications involving the Advisory Committee, this may extend to approximately 22 weeks. The timeline may pause if UVB needs additional information from the applicant.

No. Eligible activities and costs may only begin within the project period established in the written grant decision. If funding is awarded, implementation must begin within three months of the grant date.

Categories 1 and 2 receive a 100% advance payment of the awarded subsidy. Categories 3 and 4 receive advance payments during implementation, generally on a six-monthly basis and according to the applicable payment rules.

VAT may be eligible only when the organization cannot offset or recover it.

For Categories 2, 3, and 4, overhead is calculated as a fixed 15% surcharge on eligible direct costs and covers certain other project-related expenses. Category 1 uses a specific fixed calculation within its USD 10,000 subsidy.

Yes. Category 4 requires an audit opinion as part of the final accountability process.

Contact UVB as soon as possible. Do not assume that changes to activities, budget, timing, or expected results are automatically permitted. Changes should be discussed and approved where required.

LFF provides information about the fund, categories, application periods, and upcoming information sessions. For questions about formal eligibility, application documents, the Subsidy Portal, or interpretation of the subsidy conditions, applicants should consult Uitvoering Van Beleid (UVB).

The official UVB information and the applicable subsidy regulations are the authoritative sources for the scheme. If information on the LFF website differs from the official regulations or UVB guidance, the official information takes precedence.