It is shown that polymer-stabilized Pd particles, adsorbed on Si, initiate the growth of electroless Ni. The influence of the polymer (poly(vinylpyrrolidone)) on the particle size and on the surface coverage is described. While Pd particles adsorb strongly on Si, almost no adsorption is observed on SiO2. Implications of this adsorption selectivity for the production of high-resolution metal patterns on Si are briefly discussed.