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Public transport concession

Published by:
Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO
Checked 17 Nov 2025
< 1 min read

Do you want to provide public transport services in a certain area in the Netherlands? You will need a public transport concession from the government. You apply for a public transport concession to the province.

Find out more or arrange now

at your municipality, province, or water authority

What is a concession?

A concession grants a transport operator permission from the government to offer public transport for specific routes or areas. The concession remains valid for a specified period of time.

Applying for a concession

Concessions for trams, buses, and other means of transport are granted by the provincial authorities. Concessions for public transport on the main railway network are granted by the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management (IenW), as trains make use of the national rail network. The authorities grant such concessions after a tendering procedure. To take part in a Dutch or European tender, you can follow the step-by-step plan: Taking part in national and European tenders. You register for the tender, and then the provincial authority chooses which company will get the concession.

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Questions relating to this article?

Please contact the Netherlands Enterprise Agency, RVO