What VO-raad does

VO-raad is the sector association (vereniging) for secondary education (voortgezet onderwijs) in the Netherlands, founded in 2006 and headquartered in Utrecht. It represents approximately 90% of all Dutch secondary education school boards and the ~120,000 staff members they employ. Its core functional role is to serve as the formal collective bargaining partner for CAO VO, the primary policy interlocutor with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and the convening body for sector-wide initiatives on digital safety, governance, and educational quality.

The organization operates a portfolio of products and services rather than a unified technology platform. Core offerings include Vensters (transparency and accountability information products co-developed with PO-Raad), the VO-academie (professional development for school leaders), Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs (digital safety program in partnership with Kennisnet, SIVON, PO-Raad, and OCW), School-CERT (sectoral Computer Emergency Response Team launched October 2024), Sectorrapportage VO (annual sector report presented to Parliament), Dashboard 'Sturen op werkgeluk' (work happiness analytics), the Juridische Helpdesk (legal advisory), the Poll App, and the annual VO-congres. The technology layer is informational and operational — websites, dashboards, newsletters (VO-actueel with 8,000+ subscribers), downloadable collective labor agreement PDFs, and learning network coordination — rather than AI-driven or platform-based.

The revenue model is membership-based, with school boards paying recurring annual membership fees to fund VO-raad's activities. The bureau employs approximately 105 staff working in advocacy, labor relations, professional development, communications, and data/reporting. VO-raad also benefits from statutory access to DUO's Register Onderwijsdeelnemers, which feeds Vensters and the annual Sectorrapportage. As a membership association (vereniging), it is not venture-backed, PE-owned, or publicly traded, and it does not publicly disclose revenue.

Name

VO-raad

Legal name

VO-raad

Website

https://vo-raad.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

VO-raad is the Dutch sector association for secondary education, representing approximately 90% of school boards and 120,000 staff. It negotiates collective labor agreements, advocates with the Ministry of Education, and delivers professional development, digital safety, and sector data products.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: VO-raad operates as a sector association funded through membership fees from school boards. Nearly all Dutch secondary education school boards are members, representing their collective interests and providing services including advocacy, labor negotiations, professional development, and sector resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

VO-raad is the Dutch sector association (vereniging) for secondary education (voortgezet onderwijs), representing approximately 90% of Dutch school boards. It provides policy advocacy, collective labor agreement (CAO VO) negotiations on behalf of members, professional development through VO-academie, transparency and information tools such as Vensters, digital security support via Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs, sector data and reporting (Sectorrapportage VO), a legal helpdesk, and an annual VO-congres.

Product overview

VO-raad operates as a sector association for secondary education (voortgezet onderwijs) in the Netherlands, offering a portfolio of products and services centered on advocacy, professional development, and sector support. The core offerings include: Vensters (transparency and accountability information products with modules like ManagementVenster and Scholen op de kaart), VO-academie (professional development for school leaders), Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs (digital safety framework and support), Sectorrapportage VO (annual sector statistics), and the Dashboard 'Sturen op werkgeluk' (work happiness dashboard). Supporting services include a Juridische Helpdesk, Poll App, various newsletters, learning networks, the annual VO-congres, and CAO VO (collective labor agreement management). The organization does not offer a unified software platform but rather provides advisory, reporting, and professional development services to its member school boards representing nearly all Dutch secondary education institutions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vensters: Information products program developed by VO-raad (in collaboration with PO-Raad) to help school boards and schools with transparency and accountability.
• VO-academie
• Schoolleiders VO
• Steunpunt Passend Onderwijs
• Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs

Products and services

• Vensters Transparency and information product that provides public school profile data for Dutch secondary schools, enabling school boards to publish standardized information and enabling parents, students, and policymakers to compare schools.
• VO-academie Professional development program offering training, courses, and learning resources for staff working at member secondary schools and school boards.
• CAO VO Collective labor agreement for secondary education that VO-raad negotiates on behalf of member school boards with trade unions, governing employment terms for staff at member schools.
• Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs Digital security support program for member schools, providing frameworks, guidance, and tools (including Normenkader IBP) to help school boards improve information security and privacy practices.
• Sectorrapportage VO Sector data and reporting product providing aggregated data, analysis, and benchmarking on the Dutch secondary education sector for member school boards.
• Dashboard Sturen op werkgeluk Dashboard tool that helps member school boards measure and manage employee well-being and engagement in their organizations.
• Juridische Helpdesk Legal helpdesk service providing member school boards with legal advice and support on education law, employment law, and other regulatory matters.
• VO-congres Annual congress event for member school boards and the secondary education sector, providing networking, plenary sessions, and sector updates.
• School-CERT Cyber incident response service for Dutch secondary schools, providing a Computer Emergency Response Team (CERT) capability to help member schools handle cybersecurity incidents.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PO-RaadcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPO-Raad (Primary Education Council) is the sector association for primary education. VO-raad collaborates with PO-Raad on joint initiatives including Vensters information products, Sectorrapportage (annual sector reports presented together), the Governancecommissie Funderend Onderwijs, and the Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs program. Together they represent the funderend onderwijs (primary and secondary education) sector.
• KennisnetcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKennisnet is the national knowledge network for education in the Netherlands. VO-raad partners with Kennisnet on the Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs program, School-CERT (sector Computer Emergency Response Team), the Normenkader IBP (Information Security and Privacy framework), and the FORA reference architecture. Kennisnet also provides support through vragenuurtjes (question sessions) on digital security topics.
• SIVONcoreTechnology or IntegrationSIVON is the ICT cooperative of school boards in primary and secondary education. VO-raad collaborates with SIVON on the Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs program, School-CERT services, Deep Dive workshops on cybersecurity, processor agreements (verwerkersovereenkomsten), and DPIA support. SIVON provides technical expertise on information security and digital infrastructure.
• Ministerie van OCW (Ministry of Education, Culture and Science)coreOthersThe Ministry of OCW is the government ministry responsible for education policy in the Netherlands. VO-raad conducts regular policy discussions and negotiations with the ministry, participates in the Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs program funded by OCW, and advocates for the interests of secondary education school boards.
• Stichting OnderwijsgeschillenminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerStichting Onderwijsgeschillen (Education Disputes Foundation) hosts the Bezwarencommissie CAO VO (objections committee) and the landelijke beroepscommissie (national appeals committee) for secondary education. VO-raad's CAO VO agreements refer disputes to these committees for binding arbitration.
• ABP (Pensioenfonds)minorOthersABP is the pension fund for civil servants and teachers in the Netherlands. VO-raad follows ABP pension schemes for its employees. The CAO VO agreements reference ABP pension regulations, including pension contributions and pensionable income calculations.
• Dienst Uitvoering Onderwijs (DUO)minorOthersDUO executes education-related services on behalf of the government. VO-raad receives student data annually from DUO for the Vensters program. This data is part of the Register Onderwijsdeelnemers (Education Participants Register), and VO-raad is listed in the relevant legislation as a recipient of this data.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• AOb (Algemene Onderwijsbond): Largest teachers' union in the Netherlands and the primary counterpart to VO-raad in CAO VO labor negotiations. Comparable as a Dutch education-sector collective bargaining party representing employees, sharing overlapping membership base.
• CNV Onderwijs: Trade union representing teachers and education staff participating in CAO VO negotiations alongside VO-raad. Functions as counterparty in the labor-relations ecosystem VO-raad operates in.
• Ouders & Onderwijs: Dutch association representing parents in primary and secondary education. Operates in the same Dutch education sector as VO-raad with parallel mission of supporting the education community, advocacy, and member services.
• SIVON: Cooperative ICT organization for primary and secondary school boards and core VO-raad partner. Provides shared digital infrastructure and security services (processor agreements, DPIA support) to school boards — a sectoral infrastructure peer.
• Kennisnet: National knowledge organization for Dutch education and core VO-raad partner. Comparable as an education-sector support body providing IT infrastructure, information security frameworks (Normenkader IBP, School-CERT), and digital advisory services to schools.

Broad incumbents

• EFEE (European Federation of Education Employers): European-level federation of education employer organizations, of which VO-raad is effectively a national counterpart. Comparable in mission (representing education employers in social dialogue and EU-level policy), scope, and CAO-related functions, but at pan-European rather than national level.
• UNL (Universiteiten van Nederland, formerly VSNU): Dutch association of research universities. Comparable as a sector association representing institutional boards, conducting collective labor negotiations, and advocating for higher education funding — analogous role at the research-university tier.
• Vereniging Hogescholen (VH): Dutch association of universities of applied sciences (hogescholen). Functions as the sector association for higher professional education, with similar CAO negotiation, advocacy, and member-services mandate — operating in the same Dutch education ecosystem as VO-raad.

Direct peers

• MBO Raad: Dutch sector association for vocational/secondary vocational education (middelbaar beroepsonderwijs). Operates the same vereniging model representing school boards, negotiating collective labor agreements, and providing sector advocacy — a direct structural peer in adjacent education vertical.
• PO-Raad: Primary education counterpart in the Netherlands. PO-Raad is the sector association for primary education school boards with virtually identical mandate, structure, product portfolio (Vensters, Sectorrapportage, Digitaal Veilig Onderwijs), and partnership ecosystem — making it the most directly comparable peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vo-raad
• Xx.com/vo_raad

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Subsidiaries1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about VO-raad