Subsidy Audit

In the sports sector, we have supported federations, elite sports organizations, and training institutes for many years with subsidy trajectories involving the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport and NOC*NSF. These include subsidies for elite sports programs, talent development, sustainability of sports facilities, and social sports initiatives.

Our subsidy audits in this sector focus, among other things, on the correct allocation of costs to programs, compliance with subsidy conditions related to staffing and overhead, and the alignment between sporting KPIs and financial reporting. By applying data analytics to project administrations and declaration flows, we provide assurance efficiently, without placing unnecessary administrative burden on sports organizations.

In the arts and culture sector, we regularly work with theaters, museums, performing companies, and cultural institutions that receive subsidies from municipalities and cultural funds. Municipal grants often include specific requirements relating to audience reach, programming, and use of funds.

Our subsidy reports in this sector go beyond a purely financial review. We also assess the consistency between the subsidy application, narrative reporting, and financial administration. In practice, this includes testing project costs per production, analyzing ticket revenue, and assessing the interaction between multiple subsidy providers. This approach provides both municipalities and cultural institutions with assurance regarding legality and transparency.

For organizations in the health, life sciences, and medtech sectors, European subsidies are often essential for research and innovation. We support clients with subsidy reports in the context of EU programs such as Horizon Europe. These programs impose stringent requirements on project administration, time recording, cost allocation, and reporting.

Our assurance approach combines in-depth knowledge of European subsidy regulations with data-driven testing of timesheets, project costs, and collaborative arrangements. This ensures that the subsidy report not only meets formal requirements, but is also resilient to subsequent audits or reviews by European authorities.

Subsidies also play a key role in accelerating growth and innovation within the technology sector. This includes European innovation grants and Dutch schemes administered by the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Start-ups, scale-ups, and established technology companies rely on us for subsidy reports related to R&D projects, digital transformation, and sustainability initiatives.

These engagements often focus on the distinction between regular business activities and subsidized innovation, the substantiation of development costs, and the linkage to project outcomes. Using data analytics, we make these relationships transparent and deliver audit-efficient, high-quality assurance reports.

Across all sectors, we share the conviction that a subsidy report should be more than a mandatory formality. At Coney Minds, we view the subsidy audit as an opportunity to bring assurance, insight, and professionalization to complex subsidy trajectories. In doing so, we support organizations not only in retrospective accountability, but also in the sustainable and controlled use of public and private funds.

Would you like to discuss a current or future subsidy trajectory? We are happy to think along with you—practically, independently, and with a deep understanding of your sector. Please contact Natalie Kaspers-Broekhuizen RA.