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General VGF guidelines
- The VGF assists organisers of international, multiple-day conferences in Holland that focus on the exchange of knowledge. The duration of the conference is a minimum of two days, calculated from the day on which the first working session takes place, in accordance with the programme.
- The conference must be organised by a party that has verifiable expertise in organising international, several-day conferences. A Professional Congress Organiser (PCO) is often asked to assist with or organise the event.
- When organising a hybrid conference over 50% of the delegates should be on site in order to be able to apply
- The financial responsibility for the conference must, in principle, be placed with a separate foundation for the organisation of the conference in question, on a non-profit basis. Other legal formats are also possible.
- The applications must be submitted to the director of the Pre-financing and Guarantee Fund Foundation.
- The agreement is valid from the moment that both the organiser, i.e. a representative who has the authority to sign, and the treasurer of the VGF have signed the contract.
- The VGF Board reserves the right to refuse an application for reasons related to the financial position of the Fund.
Additional terms and conditions Pre-financing Scheme
- The VGF Foundation wishes to receive a conference budget and a liquidity budget, drawn up by a party that has verifiable expertise in organising international conferences that last several days. These budgets are often drawn up with the assistance of, or by, a Professional Congress Organiser (PCO).
- The actual pre-financing amount depends on both the size of the conference and the liquidity budget. The maximum amount that will be pre-financed is € 90,000.
- The loan must be repaid in full to the VGF prior to the start of the conference, by means of a direct debit.
- The application may be submitted until eight months before the start date of the conference, and must include the following:
- detailed description of the conference, including the name, dates, venue and city, the draft programme or definitive programme, and the names of the members on the organising committee;
- a copy of the deed of foundation, or an extract from the Chamber of Commerce, that shows who is authorised to represent the organiser;
- a provisional, balanced budget;
- a liquidity forecast.
Additional terms and conditions Guarantee Scheme
- No later than eight months prior to the start of the conference, a definitive, balanced, detailed budget must be submitted. This budget may not include the guarantee amount, and must show the definitive registration fee and the definitive programme.
- The maximum risk that may be covered by the guarantee scheme depends on the size of the conference. The following aspects are considered for the assessment: the expected number of attendees, the size of the budget, the break-even point in relation to the expected number of attendees, the programme, the history of the conference, and the possibility of and actual sponsoring. The maximum guarantee amount that may be granted is € 90,000.
- The definitive budget may only be amended after consultation with the VGF.
- In case payment obligations cannot be met from the organisation’s own funds, because of disappointing attendance, the VGF will cover the deficit up to the agreed guarantee amount, after the verifiable, definitive statement of operating income and expenditure of the conference has been drawn up.
- The application for a guarantee must be submitted in writing eight months before the start of the conference, and must include the following:
- a detailed description of the conference, including the name, dates, venue and city, the definitive programme, and the names of the members on the organising committee;
- a copy of the deed of foundation, or an extract from the Chamber of Commerce, that shows who is authorised to represent the organiser;
- a definitive, balanced, detailed budget.
- The guarantee contract must be signed by the organiser, i.e. a representative who has the authority to sign, and the treasurer of the VGF, no later than six months prior to the start of the conference.