OpenEmbassy
OpenEmbassy is an Amsterdam-based social enterprise that uses participatory action research to convert newcomers' lived experiences into evidence-based integration policy, training, and evaluation services for Dutch municipalities, ministries, and civil society organizations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What OpenEmbassy does
OpenEmbassy BV is an Amsterdam-based social enterprise founded in 2015 by Renée Frissen that designs and delivers evidence-based integration policy research and training for newcomers in the Netherlands. Its core services are Action Research (Actieonderzoek), Impact Research (Impactonderzoek), and customized Training, supported by two structured community assets — Expert Pools and a multilingual OpenEmbassy Survey Panel — that convert newcomers' lived experiences into input for municipal and national policy. The organization also runs multi-year programs including Platform Newcomers and Work (with Goldschmeding Foundation), the TOMaatjes homeschooling buddies initiative, and the MAP Labor Market and Participation Module.
The underlying methodology is participatory action research combined with mixed-methods data collection and representativeness testing; this is delivered through commissioned professional services rather than a software platform. Clients are system parties — Dutch municipalities (Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Utrecht, Almere, Leeuwarden, Eindhoven, Venlo, Den Helder, Nijmegen, Waterland/Landsmeer), national ministries (Justice & Security, SZW), COA, housing corporations, healthcare providers, and foundations — engaged through project-based contracts with quote-based pricing and standard 14-day payment terms. GTM is sales-led via direct engagement and a network of research and implementation partners including Regioplan, ITTA UvA, Hogeschool Utrecht, and Goldschmeding Foundation. Distribution is single-country domestic (Netherlands), and the firm has been certified Great Place to Work in 2024 and 2025.
OpenEmbassy firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- OpenEmbassy
- Legal name
- OpenEmbassy BV
- Website
- https://openembassy.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- OpenEmbassy is an Amsterdam-based social enterprise that uses participatory action research to convert newcomers' lived experiences into evidence-based integration policy, training, and evaluation services for Dutch municipalities, ministries, and civil society organizations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
OpenEmbassy industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Policy Research and Integration Consulting
- NAICS
- Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support) (EDAAADAI)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE) (EDADALAG), Emergency Education / Education in Emergencies (EiE) (BPADADAN), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)
Keywords
Where OpenEmbassy is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
OpenEmbassy business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Research and Evaluation Services: Impact research and monitoring and evaluation studies commissioned by municipalities and government organizations to assess integration policies and programs.
- Action Research: Supporting newcomers personally while investigating system barriers, providing insights for policy change.
- Training and Education: Customized training programs for professionals, newcomers, and volunteers. Includes learning modules on labor market integration and language development.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Custom project-based pricing |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
OpenEmbassy product offering
Product offeringCore offering
OpenEmbassy is a research and consulting organization that converts the lived experiences of newcomers in the Netherlands into actionable policy insights. It delivers action research, impact research, and customized training programs for governments, municipalities, and civil society organizations, combined with ongoing participatory mechanisms such as expert pools and a multilingual survey panel.
Product overview
OpenEmbassy operates as a research and consulting organization (not a traditional software company) offering a portfolio of services focused on integration policy and newcomer participation. Its core offerings include Action Research, Impact Research, and Training services. The organization also runs specialized programs including Expert Pools for municipal advisory input, a multilingual Survey Panel for continuous policy insights, the Homeschooling Buddies (TOMaatjes) tutoring project, the Platform Newcomers and Work for labor market integration, and the MAP Labor Market and Participation training modules. These products are delivered as consulting, research, and community-based programs rather than as a software platform with modules.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Platform Newcomers and Work: A collaborative program with Goldschmeding Foundation supporting initiatives that guide newcomers to work. Research partner is Regioplan. Active 2019-2024.
- Thuisonderwijsmaatjes (TOMaatjes)
- OpenEmbassy Survey Panel
Products and services
- Action Research (Actieonderzoek)
- Impact Research (Impactonderzoek)
- Training (Training)
- OpenEmbassy Survey Panel
- Expert Pools
- Platform Newcomers and Work (Platform Nieuwkomers en Werk)
- Homeschooling Buddies (TOMaatjes / Thuisonderwijsmaatjes)
- MAP - Labor Market and Participation Module (Module Arbeidsmarkt en Participatie)
Quantifiable outcome
- 1,014 newcomers reached through Platform Newcomers en Werk with 469 finding new employment
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use OpenEmbassy
Customer profileNamed customers15 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
OpenEmbassy technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature4 records
OpenEmbassy partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- ITTA UvAcoreCollaborates with OpenEmbassy on monitoring and evaluation studies, including Himilo Foundation's approach to family support for language development. Sets up monitoring as 'learning research' to share interim findings for continuous improvement.
- Thuisonderwijsmaatjes (TOMaatjes)corePartnership with TOMaatjes organization that pairs experienced Dutch people with newcomer families to support children with schoolwork. OpenEmbassy's action researchers conduct monthly meetings to learn about education system barriers.
- Goldschmeding FoundationcorePNW (Platform Newcomers and Work) is a collaborative program of Goldschmeding Foundation and OpenEmbassy. Goldschmeding Foundation is the client and main partner, providing funding and strategic direction for the platform supporting initiatives that guide newcomers to work.
- RegioplancoreResearch partner for Platform Newcomers en Werk. Regioplan evaluates supported initiatives and translates findings into lessons and tools. Also collaborates on other research projects including labor market participation of Ukrainian refugees.
- DivosaminorCommissioned to support 3 communities of practice in civic integration as process facilitators.
- Stichting Ik ben WijminorCollaborated with on organizing city conversations in Rotterdam, providing conversation leadership and reporting.
- ConfrominorPartner in Rotterdam city conversations project for organizing dialogues between Rotterdam residents.
- VitaValleyminorCollaborating with OpenEmbassy on researching the functioning of the Care Café in Venlo, an initiative by Dokters van de Wereld.
- Bureau van der HoestminorCollaborating on Module Labor Market and Participation Leeuwarden, bringing in innovative employer approach (MeT-AAND8) and strengthening connection to employer network in Friesland region.
- Hogeschool UtrechtminorCollaborating on validation of Nieuwe BuurThuis (New Neighbourhood Home) model for making asylum and Ukraine reception more humane.
Scale indicators10 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
OpenEmbassy competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE): European alliance of refugee-assistance NGOs. Operates at a higher policy tier than OpenEmbassy but shares the evidence-based advocacy positioning for newcomer rights and integration policy.
- Migration Policy Institute (MPI): International think tank on migration and integration policy. Comparable research-to-policy translation model, with broader geographic mandate than OpenEmbassy.
- Hivos: International development organization with Dutch origins operating across inclusion and civic participation. Broader geographic scope but overlapping mission on marginalized groups and evidence-based advocacy.
- VluchtelingenWerk Nederland: Largest Dutch refugee advocacy and support organization. Broader in mandate (direct service plus advocacy) but competes for government integration commissions and policy influence relevant to OpenEmbassy.
Emerging players
- Kennisland: Dutch research and consulting organization working on education, innovation, and learning systems. Adjacent peer with comparable action-research methodology and government commissioning model.
- ITTA UvA: University of Amsterdam institute focused on language testing, training and integration research. Existing research partner with OpenEmbassy and overlaps on civic integration and language development evaluations.
Direct peers
- Kennisplatform Inclusief Samenleven (KIS): Dutch knowledge platform on inclusive society. Comparable as a publicly funded research and advisory body producing evidence-based guidance for municipalities on integration, comparable to OpenEmbassy's expert pool and indicator work.
- Movisie: Dutch knowledge institute for social development. Overlaps with OpenEmbassy on integration, civic participation, and inclusion policy research commissioned by Dutch municipalities and ministries.
- Regioplan: Dutch research and consulting firm specializing in labor market, education, and social policy. Already a research partner of OpenEmbassy on Platform Nieuwkomers en Werk and competes for the same evaluation mandates.
- Pharos: Dutch center of expertise on health disparities among refugees and migrants. Direct peer in the publicly funded newcomer research and advisory space, often co-bidding on the same municipal and ministry RFPs.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
OpenEmbassy social profiles
Digital presenceOpenEmbassy financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
OpenEmbassy leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles9 records
OpenEmbassy funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds3 records
Investors1 record
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
OpenEmbassy M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about OpenEmbassy
What does OpenEmbassy do?
OpenEmbassy is a research and consulting organization that converts the lived experiences of newcomers in the Netherlands into actionable policy insights. It delivers action research, impact research, and customized training programs for governments, municipalities, and civil society organizations, combined with ongoing participatory mechanisms such as expert pools and a multilingual survey panel.
Is OpenEmbassy a public or private company?
OpenEmbassy is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was OpenEmbassy founded?
OpenEmbassy was founded in 2015. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is OpenEmbassy based?
OpenEmbassy is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does OpenEmbassy make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research and Evaluation Services are the primary driver. The others are action Research and training and Education.
Who are OpenEmbassy's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are European Council on Refugees and Exiles (ECRE), Migration Policy Institute (MPI), Hivos and VluchtelingenWerk Nederland. Emerging players are Kennisland and ITTA UvA. Direct peers are Kennisplatform Inclusief Samenleven (KIS), Movisie, Regioplan and Pharos.
Does OpenEmbassy have an API?
No public API is recorded for OpenEmbassy.
What industry is OpenEmbassy in?
OpenEmbassy's product category is Social Policy Research and Integration Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAADAI, Refugee & Humanitarian Newcomer Orientation (Resettlement Support), with a secondary code of EDADALAG, Refugee, Crisis & Humanitarian Education Partnerships (EiE). Its NAICS code is 8133 and its SIC code is 8200.