Criteria Dutch submissions Appeltjes van Oranje 2025

The award for initiatives that matter

The Appeltjes van Oranje is a yearly award recognizing and rewarding three initiatives by organizations that work within our domain, social services, towards an inclusive, engaged society - initiatives that are unique, creative and meaningful and have been running for at least one year. With their beautiful results efforts such as these serve as an inspiration for others.

The award consists of a bronze statuette designed and made by Princess Beatrix and a cash sum of €25.000. The prize money may be spent freely in line with the winning initiative's objectives. In principle, every year, Queen Máxima hands out the awards at Paleis Noordeinde, while every five years, the awards are handed out by King Willem-Alexander.

Theme 2025: Indispensable Links – the power of social initiatives

Social organizations play a vital role in our society. They identify problems, address critical needs, and provide support where it’s needed most. Whether helping vulnerable groups, creating meeting spaces, or connecting people to local services, these organizations often act as bridges between municipalities, care institutions, volunteer organizations, and those in need. Their contributions make them indispensable. That is the theme of the Appeltjes van Oranje 2025. Irreplaceable organizations that make a difference in their neighborhood, village, or even across the entire island or country.

While the early years of such initiatives often require great effort and perseverance, some organizations succeed in becoming essential to their community – be it a village, neighborhood, city or an entire island or country.

They are indispensable because:

• They are the go-to organization advocating for a specific group or providing a central meeting space that unites everyone, fostering collective efforts toward a better future for their area.
• They address gaps in services, offering crucial solutions where none exist or where the need is unmet.
• The government recognizes the importance of the organization, cannot ignore it, listens to it, and collaborates where possible.
• People connected to or helped by the organization cannot imagine life without it.
• The organization is a crucial link in the chain of care (e.g., for poverty or mental health challenges) and within the network of volunteer organizations, care institutions, community workers, and welfare organizations.
• The organization effectively secures funding from various sources to sustain its operations.
• In short, the focus is on indispensable social initiatives. They are essential not only for their target audience but also for other stakeholders. These organizations are pivotal in tackling problems and are thus deemed “indispensable.”

Selection Process

In October 2025, three social initiatives will receive the Appeltje van Oranje award. The selection process is as follows:

• The first selection by the Oranje Fonds is based on the application form and organizational documents (statutes, annual financial statements, and four references from the local context, including a municipality, local initiative, and other stakeholders, etc.). We consider the aforementioned criteria as well as diversity among the selected initiatives (geographic distribution—local, national—and the type of organization and approach). From all submissions, we will select up to 40 initiatives in the Netherlands and up to 10 from the Caribbean.
• These 50 contenders will participate in the online 10-Day Voting from May 19–28, 2025, giving them a platform and the attention they deserve. The initiative with the highest number of votes will secure the first of the 10 nomination spots.
• Subsequently, all 50 contenders will pitch their initiatives to each other and the jury on June 13 (Caribbean) or June 14 (Netherlands) during the Appeltjes van Oranje Pitch Day.
• On this day, the jury will select the remaining nine nominees, completing the list of 10 nominees: typically 8 from the Netherlands and 2 from the Caribbean. The points from the 10-Day Voting will not count on Pitch Day. The jury will base their selection on the previously mentioned criteria.
• The 10 nominees will be visited by the Oranje Fonds in June and July. The visit to the Caribbean nominee(s) will take place immediately after the pitch day.
• In August, the jury will select three winners. The decision will be officially ratified by the board of the Oranje Fonds.
• All three winners will receive €25,000 and a bronze Appeltje van Oranje in October.

 Consultation and questions

At the following times we'll have special online consultation hours to personally answer questions about registering for the Appeltjes van Oranje.

Tuesday January 21      18:00 – 19:00    Link to consultation hour January 21   

Monday February 3       16:00 – 17:00    Link to consultation hour February 3    

Pre-registration for the consultation is not necessary, you can directly participate in the meeting via the links above. Please note: the link to the meeting is only active on the specified date and time.

Note: the online consultation hours are intended for initiatives from the Netherlands. Initiatives form the Caribbean part of the Kingdom of the Netherlands can contact Mrs. Elly Hellings via ellyhellings@indigoblue.org

Questions?

Send us an email at appeltjesvanoranje@oranjefonds.nl

Winners 2024

In 2024 Queen Máxima handed out the Appeltjes van Oranje to three projects within the theme “Fighting loneliness together”. Learn more about the winners and their inspiring stories.