ROC Friese Poort

What ROC Friese Poort does

ROC Friese Poort, operating under the brand name Firda, is a Dutch regional vocational education institution (mbo-school) headquartered in Leeuwarden, Friesland, Netherlands. Founded in 1997, the institution delivers over 200 mbo programs across 19 physical campus locations and serves more than 25,000 students, making it one of the larger regional vocational providers in the northern Netherlands. Its offering is organized into three service lines: Jongerenonderwijs (youth education) for full-time mbo vocational training at levels 2-4, Volwassenenonderwijs (adult education) covering language, civic integration, microcredentials, and professional development courses, and Bedrijfsscholing (business training) providing corporate employee training, subsidies advisory, and internship/apprenticeship placement services for regional employers.

The operating model is hybrid in funding and customer mix. Youth mbo education is government-funded through the Dutch public education system, while the adult education catalog operates on a fee-for-course basis with published pricing ranging from approximately €495 to €1,850 per microcredential or short course, accessed via the MijnFirda self-serve portal. Business training and apprenticeship services generate a secondary revenue stream through B2B contracts with regional employers. Distribution is anchored by the 19-campus regional network, supplemented by online enrollment, an event calendar of Open Days, and a website-driven content marketing approach targeting prospective students and corporate clients.

Underlying its educational delivery, Firda maintains ten specialized practoraten (applied research centers) that connect vocational training with industry practice, covering Applied AI, Applied Healthcare Innovation, Sustainable Development, Lifelong Learning, Frisian Language and Multilingualism, Fisheries Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Meaningful Craftsmanship, among others. The institution has formalized a series of convenants in mid-2026 with regional partners — including professional football clubs (SC Cambuur, SC Heerenveen), NHL Stenden, ISK secondary schools for newcomer integration, and regional hospitality employers — designed to embed practice-based learning and create multi-stakeholder talent pipelines across the Friesland region.

Name

ROC Friese Poort

Legal name

ROC Friese Poort

Website

https://rocfriesepoort.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Firda (ROC Friese Poort) is a Dutch regional vocational education institution in Friesland delivering 200+ mbo programs across 19 campuses to 25,000+ students, serving youth, adults, and regional employers with publicly funded and fee-based training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education (MBO)

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Project, Quality & Operations (PMP PDUs, Six Sigma, Quality CE) (EDAAALAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

Keywords

• Vocational education
• MBO programs
• Adult education
• Corporate training
• Applied research centers

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeuwarden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

ROC Friese Poort (operating as Firda) is a regional middle vocational education (MBO) institution in Friesland, Netherlands, delivering 200+ mbo programs to 25,000+ students across 19 campuses. Its core offerings span three service lines: youth mbo education (levels 2–4), adult education (microcredentials, language and civic-integration courses), and corporate training plus internship placements for regional employers. Support is delivered through ten in-house Practoraten (applied research centers) covering themes such as Applied AI, Healthcare Innovation, Sustainability, Lifelong Learning, Multilingualism, Fisheries Innovation, and Meaningful Craftsmanship.

Product overview

Firda is an MBO (middle vocational education) institution operating under ROC Friese Poort in Friesland, Netherlands. The institution offers a unified educational platform comprising over 200 vocational programs organized into three core service areas: Jongerenonderwijs (youth education) providing MBO programs for young people, Volwassenenonderwijs (adult education) offering customized programs for adults including microcredentials and language training, and Bedrijfsscholing (business training) providing corporate training and internship opportunities for organizations. Additionally, Firda operates ten Practoraten (research centers) that bridge education with industry practice, including specialized centers for Applied AI, Applied Healthcare Innovation, Sustainable Thinking, Lifelong Learning, Frisian and Multilingualism, Fisheries Innovation and Entrepreneurship, and Meaningful Craftsmanship.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Firda: Primary operating brand for vocational education (mbo) services including programs for young people, adults, and business training
• MijnFirda

Products and services

• Jongerenonderwijs (Youth Education)
• Volwassenenonderwijs (Adult Education) Adult education programs tailored to individual work and home situations, including Dutch language courses, microcredentials (e.g., elderly-care group activities at €860, 1-on-1 Dutch language tutoring at €495, 3D measurement technology at €1,850), and professional development courses. Targeted at adults seeking continuing education, civic integration or short upskilling credentials.
• Bedrijfsscholing (Business / Corporate Training) Corporate training services for regional organizations, including employee education, advisory on training subsidies, and offering of internships or work placements for students. Targeted at regional employers across hospitality, sports, healthcare, fisheries, construction and other sectors in Friesland.
• 200+ MBO Programs Catalog Full-time mbo vocational programs across 200+ disciplines at levels 2–4, including specific tracks such as Aankomend militair grondoptreden (BOL, 1.5 years, level 2), Aankomend militair grondoptreden Korps Mariniers, and Aankomend onderofficier grondoptreden (BOL, 2 years, level 3). Targeted at young learners seeking a vocational qualification.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Magister Alvinius, RSG, OSG Piter Jelles, OSG Singelland, Caleido Emmeloord and Lemmer, Onderwijsgroep MidcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 June 2026ISK (Internationale Schakel Klas) and mbo institutions sign convenant to utilize talent of newcomers and increase opportunities. Bridges secondary and vocational education for immigrant students.
• SC Cambuur, SC Heerenveen, NHL StendencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 June 2026Convenant signed to enable optimal combination of education and top-level sports in Friesland. Allows student athletes to pursue both sporting careers and educational qualifications without compromise.
• Regional Hospitality and Horeca PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVernieuwende manier van opleiden binnen Horeca & Hospitality, waarbij studenten leren in de praktijk. New collaborative approach to vocational training in hospitality sector with regional partners.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Helicon MBO: Regional mbo provider in Nijmegen and Gelderland offering green-sector and general vocational programs — comparable to Firda as a multi-location Dutch mbo institution serving youth, adults, and employers.
• Curio: Regional mbo institution in Breda/West-Brabant offering vocational programs across youth, adult, and corporate segments — comparable to Firda's three-service-line mbo operating model.
• Koning Willem I College: Regional mbo institution in 's-Hertogenbosch offering youth, adult, and corporate training with applied-research activities — directly comparable to Firda's mbo plus practoraat model.
• MBO Rijnland: Regional mbo provider in Leiden area serving multiple campuses with youth, adult, and employer training — comparable in regional multi-campus structure and three-segment model to Firda.
• Deltion College: Large regional mbo college in Zwolle with broad vocational program offerings and significant employer partnerships — structurally similar to Firda in scale and three-segment operating model.
• Noorderpoort: Regional mbo institution based in Groningen and Drenthe, Netherlands, offering youth and adult vocational programs across multiple campuses — the closest northern-Netherlands comparable to Firda's regional mbo model.
• Summa College: Major regional mbo institution in Eindhoven serving tens of thousands of students across youth, adult, and corporate training — comparable in program breadth and multi-campus regional footprint to Firda.
• ROC Mondriaan: Large multi-campus mbo institution in The Hague region offering 200+ vocational programs across youth, adult, and corporate training — directly comparable in scale, structure, and three-segment service model to Firda.

Emerging players

• Capabel Onderwijs: Nationwide private mbo and vocational training provider competing for adult-learner and employer-training demand — comparable to Firda's paid Volwassenenonderwijs and Bedrijfsscholing segments without the regional anchor.

Broad incumbents

• NHL Stenden University of Applied Sciences: Dutch university of applied sciences based in the same northern Netherlands region; Firda's documented partner for a topsport-and-education convenant. Operates adjacent to mbo in the Dutch education stack with broader degree-granting scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/rocfriesepoort
• Facebookfacebook.com/rocfriesepoort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/roc-friese-poort-bedrijfsopleidingen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about ROC Friese Poort