The Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs has recently announced the opening of its Orange Knowledge Programme for 2022 and is now accepting applications from suitable candidates pursuing their postgraduate or short courses. Be sure to check the minimum eligibility criteria you need to meet to qualify.

Through the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Education, and the European Commission, the Orange Knowledge Programme is an initiative of Nuffic in full cooperation with participating local and international organizations. As a non-profit organization, Nuffic seeks to cultivate opportunities for students and pupils in acquiring global competencies, whether locally or abroad. The Organization acknowledges the far-reaching effects of globalization and digitization, especially on education and the urgent need to institute major changes on this regard. In order to address, Nuffic works closely with schools and educational institutions in driving internationalization and international cooperation.

Orange Knowledge Programme 2022

With funding coming from the Dutch Ministry of Foreign Affairs, this €195-m global development programme is offered in 38 countries (including South Africa) with the objective of contributing to a society’s inclusive and sustainable development by providing training and education to both education and training organizations and professionals. Scholarship opportunities include:

• Master’s degree programmes with a duration of 12 to 24 months
• Short courses that run for 2 weeks to 12 months

The OKP prioritizes South African applicants who wish to pursue studies in the following focus areas:

• Security, Food and Nutrition, Water Management
• TVET courses e.g. Water and FNS

As this scholarship opportunity is open only to working professionals, applications from students will not be considered.

Who should apply?

Applicants must meet the following minimum eligibility criteria to get considered for the scholarship:

• A South African citizen
• Fluent in English or French
• A working professional employed in any of the focus areas mentioned earlier
• Self-motivated and highly capable of influencing others through sharing of experiences  and knowledge
• Must be amenable to the terms and conditions of the scholarship programme

What is the selection process?

• Candidates are to register with Dutch education institution they wish to attend
• Nomination of candidates and submission of grant application by the Dutch institution
• The embassies will conduct application and eligibility assessments
• Results will be made available for the Dutch education institutions
• Scholarship grants will be awarded through the Dutch institutions

Applicants must wait for three (3) to four (4) months for the Dutch institution through which the application was submitted to contact them with the results.

How do I apply?

Afraid reviewing the basic minimum eligibility criteria, you find that you’re eligible to submit an application, follow these steps when applying:

• Talk to your employer; make sure that they agree to nominate you for the scholarship award
• Identify the recognized master’s or short course programme you can attend by going to Nuffic’s study programme database. Under “Scholarships” tick mark “Orange  Knowledge Programme” in the search parameters.
• Get in touch with the appropriate Dutch education institution for more information on how to apply for the scholarship (procedure, academic requirements, application link, etc)
• Ready the following documents:
  • Employer statement
  • Letter of motivation
  • Passport
  • Government statement, if applicable

Application Deadline?

There are a number of application rounds with different submission deadlines and start dates.

First-round (short courses and master’s)
Deadline: 22 March 2022 15:00 CET
Start date: between 25 July and 21 Nov 2022

Second round (short courses only)
Applications open: 11 May 2022
Deadline: 28 June 16:00 CET
Start date: between 21 Nov 2022 and 20 Feb 2023

Third round (short courses only)
Applications open: 31 Aug 2022
Deadline: 11 Oct 2022 CET
Start date: between 20 Feb and 31 Aug 2023

Important: Keep in mind that the educational institutions may impose an earlier deadline. Be sure to confirm the deadline with your educational institution.

Contact Information

For more information about the scholarship opportunities, contact the educational institution you’re applying to.

Click the link to view a PDF copy of the Orange Knowledge Programme 2022.