Orange Knowledge Programme (OKP)

• Who is eligible?
• Duration of the OKP scholarship
• Amount of the OKP Scholarship 2021-2022
• Application procedure
• Selection procedure

You must meet a number of criteria that support the aim of the Orange Knowledge to be eligible for a scholarship. 

• You must be a professional and national of, and working and living in one of the countries on the OKP country list. The list can be found on the website.  
• You must not be employed by an organisation which can be expected to have their own funds for staff development. Organisations that are considered to have their own means for staff development are for example: multinational corporations (e.g. Shell, Unilever, Microsoft), large national and/or a large commercial organisations, bilateral donor organisations (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid), multilateral donor organisations, (e.g. a UN organisation, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB), international NGOs (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care);
• You 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 format must be endorsed in the statement;
• You must have a government statement that meets the requirements of the country in which the employer is established (if applicable);
• You must have an official passport valid at least three months after the submission date of the registration form by the candidate;
• You must not be nominated for more than one OKP scholarship for courses that take place at the same time.

• 14 weeks for the short course Evidence-based Policy Research Methods (of which maximum 17 days in the Netherlands).

An OKP scholarship is intended to supplement the salary that you should continue to receive during your study period. The allowance is a contribution towards your costs of living, the costs of tuition fees, visas, travel, insurance and thesis research. If applicable, the scholarship holder is expected to cover the difference between the actual costs and the amount of the personal OKP scholarship amount. The updated information about the amount of the scholarship as provided by Nuffic can be found on their website. Below, you can find an indication of the components of the scholarship for master studies.

*These amounts are subject to change for each academic year and are determined by Nuffic.

Step 1: If you want to apply for an OKP scholarship for a short course programme in the Netherlands, you need to first find a course that is eligible for the scholarship. You can find the eligible courses in the Studyfinder study programmes database, specifying in the search criteria: ‘OKP qualified'.

Step 2: Before you apply, make sure you review the eligibility criteria above carefully and check whether your employer is willing to nominate you for the scholarship. When you are certain that you are eligible for an OKP scholarship, you can start making the necessary preparations for your application.

Step 3: Please apply for the Maastricht University short course programme via this website.

Step 4: Apply by submitting your OKP application. For the Short Course you can register via this application form. Please be prepared to provide the following details and documents:

In the application you need to provide your personal details, indicate which short course you want to register for, and provide a motivational statement. You will also need to upload:

• a copy of a valid passport; 
• a statement from your employer (please use the OKP format);
• a statement from your government (if applicable for your country, please use the OKP format). 

Your application must be complete with all the required documentation according to the required formats. Applications that are not submitted according to the required process and format will not be accepted.

The scholarships are awarded in a very competitive selection to highly motivated professionals who are in a position to introduce the newly-acquired skills and knowledge into their employing organization.

Step 1: If your application meets all the course admission requirements and the OKP eligibility criteria, you can be nominated by the Dutch institution for a scholarship. The Dutch institution will submit a grant request to Nuffic requesting funding for eligible applications.

Step 2: The Embassy of The Netherlands will check the applications on their eligibility, and will assess the applications based on the eligibility criteria and the Embassy country focus areas. Only eligible applications will be taken in to further consideration. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will be rejected.

Step 3: Nuffic selects awardees. The selection will be determined by the available deadline budget, the number of applicants and the quality and suitability of the applications. The scholarships are awarded in a competitive selection to highly motivated professionals who are in a position to introduce the newly-acquired skills and knowledge into their employing organisation.

Step 4: Candidates whom have been nominated will be informed of the outcome of the selection by the UM International Services Desk in September 2021. They will contact you by email to make all necessary (logistical) arrangements.