What Source does

Source is a Dutch external-hiring (staffing and contracting) brand founded in 1999 and headquartered at Taurusavenue 18, Hoofddorp, Netherlands. The company connects independent professionals (zelfstandig professionals), staffing suppliers (leveranciers), and employers (opdrachtgevers) across the Benelux — primarily in the Netherlands — operating as a fully integrated brand within HeadFirst Group, which the group describes as the market-leading international full-service HR-tech service provider and largest platform for professionals in the Benelux.

Source's core product surface consists of the Striive online platform (the shared assignment marketplace across HeadFirst Group brands) and a portfolio of HR services: Total Talent Management, Managed Service Provider (MSP), Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Intermediair Management, Matchmaking, Contractmanagement, Talent Marketing, Urenregistratie & Facturatie (time tracking & invoicing), and Rapportage. All of these sit on top of contract, time-registration, and invoicing infrastructure typical of Benelux intermediation, with no proprietary AI/ML or API surface disclosed. The company holds ISO 27001, ISO 9001, ISO 14001, and NEN 4400 certifications and is a member of the ABU staffing industry association.

The revenue model is transaction-fee based: Source earns from matchmaking and intermediation between independent professionals and employer clients, with complementary recurring fees from contract management, time tracking, invoicing, and reporting modules delivered through Striive. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and appears quote-based for enterprise work. Go-to-market is hybrid — a self-serve/PLG layer via the Striive platform combined with direct enterprise sales into named verticals (central and local government, utility, financial services, transport and logistics, retail, manufacturing, healthcare). Customer concentration cannot be assessed because no logos or revenue split by client are disclosed.

Name

Source

Legal name

Source

Website

https://source.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Source is a Netherlands-based external-hiring and contract management brand, founded in 1999 and fully integrated into HeadFirst Group, connecting independent professionals and supplier agencies with employer clients across the Benelux through the Striive online platform and services including MSP, RPO, matchmaking, and invoicing.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Staffing Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Software Publishers (5132), Computing Infrastructure Providers, Data Processing, Web Hosting, and Related Services (5182)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361), Services-Help Supply Services (7363), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Vendor Management System (VMS) & MSP-Led Contractor Programs (BPACAGAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sourcing / Talent Research & Pipeline RPO (Sourcer-as-a-Service) (BPACABAM), Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB), Human Capital Management (HCM) & Payroll Platforms (HDAEAEAJ)

Keywords

• External workforce management
• Staffing and recruiting
• Managed service provider
• Recruitment process outsourcing
• Contract management services

Headquarters

HQ city

Hoofddorp

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional placement and contracting services: Source generates revenue by facilitating connections between independent professionals and employers (opdrachtgevers) through its staffing and recruitment platform. As part of HeadFirst Group's full-service HR-tech offering, the company earns fees for matchmaking, contract management, time tracking, and invoicing services for external hiring arrangements.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Source connects independent professionals and freelancers with employers across the Benelux through the Striive online platform. As an integrated brand within HeadFirst Group, it delivers a full-service HR-tech portfolio spanning matchmaking, contract management, time tracking, invoicing, and reporting for external workforce arrangements. Its service suite includes Total Talent Management, Managed Service Provider (MSP), Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO), Intermediair Management, Talent Marketing, and compliance-focused staffing operations.

Product overview

Source is a platform under HeadFirst Group offering a unified portfolio of HR-tech services for external workforce management. The core offering includes the Striive platform for job assignment management, complemented by service modules for Total Talent Management, Managed Service Provider, Recruitment Process Outsourcing, Intermediair Management, Matchmaking, Contractmanagement, Talent Marketing, Urenregistratie & Facturatie (time tracking and invoicing), and Rapportage (reporting). These services collectively enable organizations to source, manage, and pay external professionals in the Benelux market.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Striive Online platform for managing job assignments that connects independent professionals and freelancers with employers across HeadFirst Group's client base in the Benelux. Used by opdrachtgevers (employers), zelfstandig professionals (independent professionals), and leveranciers (suppliers/staffing agencies).
• Total Talent Management Strategic workforce management service helping organizations manage their entire external talent workforce, including contingent labor and freelancers, as a unified portfolio.
• Managed Service Provider (MSP) Outsourcing solution for managing external workforce processes and suppliers on behalf of client organizations, providing centralized oversight of contingent staffing.
• Recruitment Process Outsourcing (RPO)
• Intermediair Management
• Matchmaking
• Contractmanagement
• Talent Marketing
• Urenregistratie & Facturatie
• Rapportage

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• HeadFirst GroupcoreOthersSource is fully integrated into HeadFirst Group, a market-leading international full-service HR-tech provider and the largest platform for professionals in the Benelux. Source continues its service delivery under the HeadFirst Group umbrella.
• StriivecoreTechnology or IntegrationStriive is the online platform used by Source and other HeadFirst Group brands to list job assignments. All client assignments and contracts are accessible through the Striive platform.
• Stichting Normering Arbeid (SNA)coreOthersSNA is the Dutch foundation responsible for the NEN 4400 certification standard for staffing agencies. Source holds this certification, demonstrating compliance with Dutch labor regulations.
• Algemene Bond Uitzendondernemingen (ABU)coreOthersABU is the Dutch general association for staffing agencies. Source is a member, meeting high quality standards for codes of conduct, employment conditions and social premium compliance.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Randstad: Largest global staffing firm with deep Benelux presence, directly competing across permanent placement, MSP and contract staffing — the dominant incumbent Source competes against in the Dutch market.
• Hays: Global specialist recruitment firm with strong Benelux operations in professional and interim contracting — competes for the same independent professional and project-based talent pool as Source.
• Michael Page: International recruitment group with a large Netherlands office focusing on professional and specialist permanent and contract placements — comparable target customers and freelance intermediation.
• Robert Half: Global professional staffing and consulting firm with Benelux operations covering finance, technology and contract/interim placements — directly comparable professional contractor offering.
• Cielo: Global RPO and talent acquisition partner offering outsourced recruitment services — competes with Source's RPO and Total Talent Management service lines for enterprise contracts.
• Adecco: One of the world's largest staffing groups with extensive Benelux general staffing and professional hiring operations, competing for the same enterprise clients Source targets.

Direct peers

• Yacht: Randstad-owned Dutch brand focused on professional external hiring and contracting, the closest direct competitor to Source's opdrachtgevers/independent professionals model in the Netherlands.
• USG People: Major Dutch staffing and HR services provider (part of Recruit Holdings) offering general staffing, professional placement and HR solutions — directly comparable services and geography.
• Brunel: Dutch-headquartered international specialist in engineering, energy and professional project staffing — comparable Benelux-rooted model connecting independent specialists with client assignments.

Emerging players

• Toptal: Global online platform connecting companies with freelance professionals — adjacent platform-based model targeting independent professional sourcing, overlapping with Source's matchmaking proposition.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

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 Source