The Colleague Chronicles

Welcome, dear readers, to an exclusive interview with the “Grantmanager of B4Plastics”; Kim van der Heul!
Today, we’re on a mission to unravel the mysteries, the quirks, and the exceptional talents of our beloved colleague.

Background of Kim

Kim works as the R&D Cooperator for Project and Grants of B4Plastics 

Q. So, Kim, can you give an overview of your role and how it supports the mission of B4Plastics?

My official job title at B4Plastics is R&D Cooperation -Projects and Grants Manager. Quite a handful! In the end it comes down to supporting B4P’s innovation ambitions by matching it with the right cooperation partners and funding instruments.

Staying innovative asks for continuous R&D efforts. And R&D will always be a loss-taking activity in itself. Profits will only come after the R&D has been completed, that is…if the R&D was successful and the resulting invention ends up fulfilling a market need for a competitive price. It is immediately clear, investing in R&D is not without risk. Grants can help to reduce the financial risks. Moreover, collaborating with the right partners helps B4Plastics to innovate faster and more efficiently, and to continuously open us up for new areas of expertise and market applications

Q. What inspired you to work in the field of grants and subsidized projets?

Everyone who watches the news every now and then knows our world is in desperate need of ‘green solutions’. I believe through R&D we can offer many of those solutions. But, as stated before: R&D is not cheap.

Unfortunately my mind is not programmed to develop this green solutions myself, but I do have a talent for writing, planning, coordinating and budgeting. Therefore through this work I believe I can support a green tech company like B4Plastics to the best of my ability.

Also, I like the ‘let’s do it’ mindset of scale-ups, and the enthusiasm and passion of people that introduce innovations. In general, this work surrounds me with the kind of people that are eager to focus on solutions much more then on the problem.

Q. What types of subsidies or grants are most relevant to the work we do at B4Plastics and how do you prioritize which grants or subsidies to pursue?

Those that fit the long-term ambitions are always the best! A grant should not be seen as a quick win. Even with a grant the R&D is still loss-taking, it only reduces the loss. Therefore, it should always be about the goal of the project, and not so much about the grant per se.

Q. What is the biggest challenge you face in managing subsidized projects?

One that was particularly rewarding for me had been B4PNOW, an EIC Accelerator Grant. For this grant I have been involved from the early stage of writing and until actual project completion. At time of the writing I was still working as an external grant consultant.

(FYI: Nice throwback message to my enthusiasm when the project was granted: https://www.linkedin.com/posts/kimvanderheul_eic-accelerator-grant-activity-6691678851132649472-)

It has been four years since! For me, this was also one of the projects that gave me the feeling I didn’t want to ‘let go’ after the writing stage. I wanted to roll up my sleeves and join B4Plastics, and innovators alike, in the pioneering battle field.

In the end this grant allowed B4Plastics to further scale the organisation, in terms of the technology platforms, as well as the team. Not all went well (It wouln’t be innovation if it did) but many lessons where learned.

I myself are very eager to see what the next 4 years will bring. I hope to still be on board as strong supporter of B4Plastics innovation ambitions… in my very own way 😉