Deadlines
You can only apply for a scholarship for your chosen course during the ‘application window’ for that course.
The yearly MSP deadlines are in: March/September
The next NUFFIC MSP application window is currently closed
We have changed our application procedure:
For the upcoming round you need to follow the next steps:
Step 1: Check if you are eligible for MSP
Step 2: Submit your application via the online MSM applications portal first
Step 3: Your application will be reviewed by MSM
Step 4: If your application meets the NUFFIC requirements, you will receive a link to get access to the Delta system where you can submit your NUFFIC application
Increase your chances in getting a NUFFIC scholarship
Applying for a NUFFIC scholarship is highly competitive. There are many more applicants for our Short Executive Programmes than there are scholarships available. Therefore, it is important that you meet all the MSM and NUFFIC criteria and follow the EXACT procedure.
To increase your chance for getting awarded with a NUFFIC scholarship it is important that you submit and prepare all the required and necessary documents. Make sure that you provide a compelling motivation about how your participation in the program will make a positive impact on you, your organisation and your country. If your application is not well motivated, we will not be able to nominate you for a scholarship.
Please study the procedure and the requirements of the MSM application and NUFFIC application carefully.
These are the steps to apply for a MSP scholarship
Step 1: Check if you are eligible for MSP
Step 2: Login or create an applicant profile to start your MSM NUFFIC application
Step 3: If your application is suitable for NUFFIC, registration in Delta for MSP applicants
Step 4: Selection of candidates
Below we will explain every step in detail:
Step 1 : Check if you are eligible for MSP
You must meet all the below criteria that support the aim of the MSP to be eligible for a scholarship:
- Check the obligations and conditions before you apply:
- You are a national of, and working and living in, one of the following countries from the MSP country list valid at the time of application: Algeria, Egypt, Iran, Iraq, Jordan, Lebanon, Libya, Morocco, Oman, Tunisia, Mauritania and Sudan. Check the Country List.
- You are a mid-career professional and are nominated by your employer, who pledges to continue paying your salary and guarantees that you will be able to return to the same or an equivalent position at the end of your fellowship period. While scholarships are awarded to individuals, the need for training must be demonstrated in the context of the organisation for which the applicant works. The training must help the organisation develop its capacity. This means that you must have an 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.
- Your scholarship application should be in line with the country focus for the country concerned. Click on your country on this page to find out the priority areas for your country.
- You must not be employed by an organisation that has its own means of 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 organizations,
- bilateral donor organisations (e.g. USAID, DFID, Danida, Sida, Dutch ministry of Foreign affairs, FinAid, AusAid, ADC, SwissAid),
- multilateral donor organizations, (e.g. a UN organization, the World Bank, the IMF, Asian Development Bank, African Development Bank, IADB),
- international NGO’s (e.g. Oxfam, Plan, Care); - You must have an official and valid passport (until at least 3 months after your application date);
- You must not receive more than one fellowship for courses that take place at the same time;
- You must have a government statement that meets the requirements of the country in which the employer is established (if applicable, see step 3);
- You must not be over 45 years of age at the time of the grant submission.
- Applicants should have the ability to function academically and professionally at Bachelor level. Because it is an interactive programme, candidates should have an adequate level of spoken and written English to be able to follow the programme and to actively participate. If it turns out that an applicant does not have the sufficient level of English, a certificate will not be awarded.
Check this page for more information on the general eligibility criteria.
Priority areas for the MSP scholarships
The Dutch Ministry is financing scholarships with the aim to contribute to democratic transition in the participating countries. Furthermore, the MSP aims at sustainable capacity development within a wide range of governmental, nongovernmental and private organisations and institutions in the selected countries.
The embassies in the MSP countries have a key role in aligning the MSP programme with local priorities and needs, as part of the overall country strategy of the Dutch ministry. To check which themes apply for your country, check this page and click on your country.
Step 2: Submit your application to MSM
If you want to apply for a NUFFIC MSP scholarship, you need to submit your application to MSM first via the MSM online application portal. MSM will do the first review to ensure all necessary requirements are met. After this, you will be informed if you are selected to submit your application into the NUFFIC (Delta) system.
- Login or create an applicant profile to start your MSM NUFFIC application for the executive programme of your choice.
- Click on the "Executive Education for NUFFIC sponsored applicants" tab and then select the executive programme of your choice.
- You will be taken to a page where you can start your application by selecting "Start Application”
- You can log out and log in as often as you like until you are ready, but make sure you submit your application via the MSM portal before 22 March 2024
For your application at MSM, you need to upload the following:
* CV
* Copy of valid passport
It is not necessary to upload all documents all at once. You can save your application and logout and login as often as you want.
Motivation letter
This motivation will weigh heavily in the selection procedure. Make sure that you provide a compelling motivation about how your participation in the program will make a positive impact on you, your organisation and your country. If your application is not well motivated, we will not be able to nominate you for a scholarship.
Your motivation and the endorsement of your employer is very important and has a central part in the nomination by MSM and the selection by the Dutch Embassy of your country who advice NUFFIC about who to nominate for the scholarship. It should be clear from your application how the intended learning outcomes of the programme will help you to make a positive impact on your current position, role and your country. Your “theory of change” should be compelling. Questions that are asked in your NUFFIC application are:
- What is the issue or problem you want to address in your country?
- For granting scholarships the MSP programme focuses on specific priority themes for each country.
To check which themes apply for your country, check this page and click on your country. - How will this course enable you to address this issue?
- How will you address this issue in your position within your organisation?
In short, your application should be clear on long-term goals, identify clear indicators of outcomes (both with regard to your personal effectiveness & your contribution to strengthening organizational effectiveness).
Step 3: Registration in Delta for MSP applicants
If your MSM application meets the NUFFIC requirements, you will receive a link to get access to the Delta system where you can submit your NUFFIC application. Delta is an online registration system of NUFFIC where you apply for an MSP scholarship.
Before applying for an MSP scholarship make sure you prepare the documents mentioned below. This is because your application has to be completed and submitted in one go. Please use the formats provided by NUFFIC and submit all the required documents in the EXACT way as specified. Otherwise your application will not be eligible.
How to apply in Delta after MSM had approved your application
If you are admitted to the course and your MSM application meets the NUFFIC requirements, MSM will send you the link via e-mail to apply for the MSP scholarship. Please keep a close eye to your e-mail.
- Read the course description on our website.
- Before you start in Delta, you need to have all the required documents and information ready (check step 1 for MSP), as you will need to submit them online during one session. Required documents are only accepted in pdf format and their size may not exceed 2 Mb.
- Motivation letter: upload your motivation lettter into the Delta online application form. This motivation will weigh heavily in the selection procedure. Also make sure your motivation is in line with the MSP Country Focus of your country.
Questions that are asked in your NUFFIC application are:
* What is the issue or problem you want to address in your country?
* How will this course enable you to address this issue?
* How will you address this issue with your position within your organization? - The required documents:
*Copy of a valid passport (until at least 3 months after your application date).
*Employer’s statement: please use the required template – download here (check the exceptions below)
*Government statement (if applicable, check below for more information)
As specified in the overall aim of the MSP fellowships: the need for training has to be evident within the context of an organisation so the employer statement is a very important document, please fill it out EXACTLY as specified by NUFFIC and use the format provided by NUFFIC on letter head paper from your organisation.
Government statement MSP
A number of governments of MSP countries require a statement from the government before candidates can apply for a scholarship. In this statement the government expresses its support for the scholarship application.
Please, check in this overview to see if this applies for your country. If a government statement is required for your country, please use this format for MSP, as provided by NUFFIC. In the overview per country you can find information on who should sign the government statement and to whom the statement requirements apply. If unsure, kindly check this with your government and/or the Netherlands embassy.
Admission letter: For application for short courses (except Research Methods & Skills course)) an admission letter from the institution is not needed, you can leave this field blank.
Step 4: Selection of candidates
The application process until awarding takes about 10 weeks starting from the application deadline. The selection procedure at MSM, the Dutch Embassy and NUFFIC continues as follows:
- The Dutch institution submits a grant request to NUFFIC requesting funding for eligible scholarship applications.
- The applicable Netherlands Embassy will check the individual applications on their eligibility and will assess the applications based on the eligibility criteria and the Embassy country focus area(s).
- Only eligible applications will be taken into further consideration. Applications that do not meet the eligibility criteria will be rejected.
- The selection will be determined by the available budget, the number of applicants and the quality and suitability of the applications.
- Candidates whom have been nominated will be informed of the outcome of the selection by the Dutch institution.
