StartupDelta presents 11 measures to make The Netherlands the best startup environment
5 March, 2021 by
StartupDelta presents 11 measures to make The Netherlands the best startup environment
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The past years there has been a lot of attention for startups and their growth chances in the Netherlands. There is a startup visa for foreign startups that want to set up their business in the Netherlands. The taxes for startups have been lowered and there are more investment opportunities for startups.

 

Amongst others due to the specific startup policy, the Netherlands is in the top three of startup countries in Europe. However, we are not there yet… We want to become the number one startup-hub in Europe! The elections and a new government offers opportunities!

 

These are the measures that the new government should implement according to StartupDelta,

 

to pave the way for startups and scale-ups!

 

 

1.         Make investments in startups more attractive

We need to stimulate the investment in startups by family, friends and fools. For this, early phase investments in startups should be fiscally deductible.      

 

2.         Better remuneration and option schemes

Attracting and holding on to talented employees is difficult for startups. The option to remunerate employees with options and shares is important for attracting talent. To prevent cash-flow problems for employees, the tax on these shares should be suspended until the shares are tradable.

           

3.         Attract bigger VC to the Netherlands

Too often Dutch startups have to leave the Netherlands for serieus investments. If we are able to attract more foreign venture capitalists to the Netherlands, Dutch scale-ups can grow their businesses here.

 

4.         Trade missions to strategic international startup-events

Big events, similar to the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas or Slush in Helsinki are important events to bring Dutch startups in contact with potential clients and investors.

 

5.         Cutting red tape for new technologies

Legislations and regulations often do not take new technologies into account. Unconsciously, this can limit the development of these technologies. For example drones or sharing-platforms. Legislations and regulations should therefore include an experimentation-paragraph, to provide ‘a sandbox’ for innovation.

 

 

6.         Government as launching customer

Startups need clients! The government should lead the way and be the launching customer. For this obstacles for startups within public procurement should be adressed and a startup-officer should be appointed in each ministry.

 

7.         Entrepreneurship and coding in education

Already, there is a shortage in tech and ICT-talent in the Netherlands, and the expectations are that this shortage will increase. Therefore, there should be more attention for coding, technical skills, and entrepreneurship in education. A new curriculum is desperately needed.

 

8.         Improve immigration law for knowledge workers

To find enough tech-talent for startups and scale-ups, we have to make it easier for foreign talent to come and work in the Netherlands. We want to lower the required remuneration for the skilled labour scheme and make it easier for foreign students to remain in the Netherlands and become an entrepreneur or work for a startup.

 

9.         Flexibility in the labour market

Startups need to be able to grow and scale up fast. This can be facilitated by lowering the threshold to hire employees. Currently, hiring employees brings on too many risks. In this time of fast-paced technological changes, we need a modern and more flexible labourmarket, with fewer risks for entrepreneurs and new securities for employees.

 

10.      Increase academic spin-outs

The academic world is primarily focused on publishing articles, and not enough on the transfer of academic knowledge towards existing companies or creating new ones. Through rewarding the transfer of academic knowledge in researchfunding, the number of knowledge-based startups can increase and academic knowledge will create more impact.

 

11.      Notary-free enterprise

It should not be necessary to visit a notary when vesting your startup, since it is expensive and it takes up valuable time. We propose online facilities to vest your company; the notary-free enterprise.

 

StartupDelta. Paving the way for startups and scale-ups to success.

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