VPTZ Netherlands

What VPTZ Netherlands does

VPTZ Netherlands (Vrijwilligers Palliatieve Terminale Zorg Nederland) is a national Dutch non-profit association founded in 1984 and headquartered in Amersfoort, acting as the umbrella body for more than 200 local member organizations that deliver volunteer-based palliative terminal care. Approximately 15,000 active volunteers provide companionship, respite for family caregivers, practical assistance, and 24/7 support in homes, hospices, and care institutions, contributing 1.9 million hours of direct care in 2025 and reaching 18,750+ clients and relatives plus 13,000+ hospice residents.

The association runs three product layers. The core layer consists of home support (free, no referral required) and residential hospice care (reimbursable under the Health Insurance Act or Long-term Care Act). The member-support layer includes VPTZ Academie training (around 20 volunteer modules and 11 coordinator modules), the VPTZ Ledenportal (leden.vptz.nl), the Kwaliteitskompas quality tool, the peer-benchmarking VPTZ Dashboard, the Instrument Feedback Naasten, and the Boekenreeks Perspectieven van Vrijwilligerswerk book series. The publications layer comprises the Antenne quarterly magazine, Antenne Flits digital newsletter, the Reflectie-instrument Cirkel 'Er zijn' card game, and the renewed levenseindeverhalen.nl story platform. The technology backbone consists of standard web platforms (Buro Eend for self-study, RAoW for self-evaluation, Facit for feedback dashboards) and commercial SaaS (AFAS, Vionq, MailChimp, SurveyMonkey).

VPTZ operates on a hybrid non-profit revenue model dominated by an institutional subsidy from the Ministry of VWS (Ministerie van Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport), supplemented by healthcare insurance reimbursements routed through member hospices, member contributions from 200+ local organizations, fundraising, and small revenue streams from publication sales (Antenne at €20/year, books at €7.50, Cirkel at €15.95). The association holds Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling (ANBI) status, which exempts donations and inheritances from tax, and is governed by a board chaired by K. Lieber with Carla Aalderink as Directeur. Distribution to end users occurs through 200+ local member organizations supplemented by healthcare-professional referrals and a postcode-based finder on vptz.nl.

Name

VPTZ Netherlands

Legal name

Vrijwilligers Palliatieve Terminale Zorg Nederland

Website

https://vptz.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1984

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

VPTZ Netherlands is the national Dutch non-profit association (founded 1984) of 200+ member organizations coordinating 15,000 trained volunteers to deliver free palliative terminal care at home and in hospices, supported by a Ministry of VWS subsidy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Palliative and Hospice Care Services

NAICS

Home Health Care Services (62161), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Volunteer & Companion Support Services (Hospice Volunteer Programs) (HSABAFAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Non-Hospice Serious-Illness / Community-Based Palliative Care (In-Home) (HSABAFAF), Hospice Care in Assisted Living / Residential Care Facilities (HLADAHAE), Home Hospice Agencies (HLAFAEAC)

Keywords

• Palliative care services
• Hospice volunteer support
• End-of-life care
• Non-profit healthcare association
• Membership care network

Headquarters

HQ city

Amersfoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ministry of VWS Subsidy: VPTZ Netherlands is a national association without profit motive that can carry out its activities thanks to an institutional subsidy from the Ministry of VWS (Volksgezondheid, Welzijn en Sport). This subsidy is provided based on an annual plan with intended end results linked to the deployment of people and resources.
2. Healthcare Insurance Funding: Hospice care costs are reimbursed under the Health Insurance Act (Zorgverzekeringswet) or Long-term Care Act (Wet Langdurige Zorg). VPTZ member hospices receive funding through healthcare insurers for nursing and care provided.
3. Member Contributions: Over 200 local VPTZ organizations are members of the national association. Membership provides access to VPTZ Academie training, knowledge resources, quality tools, and collective advocacy.
4. Fundraising: Fundraising is an important income source for all hospice forms, especially for Bijna-Thuis-Huizen (BTH) where nearly a quarter of income comes from fundraising, including contributions from Vriendenstichtingen (Friends foundations).
5. Publication Sales: VPTZ publishes the Antenne quarterly magazine (subscription €20/year), the Perspectieven van vrijwilligerswerk book series (€7.50 each), and the Reflectie-instrument Cirkel 'Er zijn' (€15.95).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

VPTZ Netherlands is the national umbrella association for 200+ local organizations that deliver volunteer-based palliative terminal care across the Netherlands, including overseas territories. It coordinates a network of approximately 13,000 trained volunteers providing free home-based support and insurance-covered residential hospice care to terminally ill individuals and their families. The association also operates member-facing services including the VPTZ Academie training platform, the Kwaliteitskompas quality management framework, the Antenne quarterly magazine, and the Ledenportal knowledge-sharing portal.

Product overview

VPTZ Netherlands operates as a national association of approximately 200 member organizations providing volunteer-based palliative terminal care across the Netherlands. Its service portfolio consists of three interconnected layers: (1) Direct client-facing core services — home-based volunteer support (free, no referral needed) and residential hospice care (with insurance-covered costs and possible personal contribution) — both delivered by 13,000+ trained volunteers at local member organizations; (2) Support infrastructure for member organizations — the VPTZ Academie (training platform with ~20 volunteer modules, 11 coordinator modules, and self-study programs), the VPTZ Ledenportal (private knowledge-sharing platform), the Kwaliteitskompas (quality measurement tool), the VPTZ Dashboard (peer benchmarking), and the Instrument Feedback Naasten (relatives feedback collection); and (3) Publications and resources — Antenne quarterly magazine and digital Flits newsletter, the Reflectie-instrument Cirkel 'Er zijn' (reflection card game), the six-volume Boekenreeks Perspectieven van Vrijwilligerswerk (research-based book series), and levenseindeverhalen.nl (online story bank). The organization also provides an independent Klachten- en geschillencommissie for handling complaints and disputes. All services are grounded in a mission of dignified end-of-life care on the patient's preferred location, with volunteer presence as the distinguishing characteristic.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• VPTZ Thuiszorg (Home Support) Free volunteer-based palliative terminal care support provided in the patient's home, including daytime and nighttime presence, personal attention, practical assistance, and emotional support for informal caregivers. No medical indication or referral is required.
• Hospicezorg (Hospice Care) Residential hospice care for terminally ill patients with a life expectancy of less than three months, combining professional and volunteer care in a home-like environment. Costs are covered by health insurance (Zorgverzekeringswet or Wet Langdurige Zorg) with a possible personal daily contribution (eigen bijdrage).
• VPTZ Academie (VPTZ Academy) Training and development platform offering approximately 20 modules for volunteers, 11 modules for coordinators, and board training programs. Includes self-study modules, introduction training, onboarding programs, and in-company modules covering communication, dementia care, responding to difficult behavior, and leadership.
• Antenne (Magazine) Quarterly magazine providing updates on relevant developments in palliative terminal care, volunteer experiences, and book/film recommendations. Subscription is €20/year (free for VPTZ volunteers, coordinators, and board members). Also distributed as a digital newsletter (Antenne Flits) four times per year.
• Kwaliteitskompas (Quality Compass) A quality management tool and reflection instrument to guide and visualize quality within VPTZ member organizations. Helps organizations assess and improve the quality of palliative terminal care they provide.
• Reflectie-instrument Cirkel 'Er zijn' A reflection instrument consisting of a game board with 35 cards to facilitate quality conversations among care teams. Players reflect on specific situations where contact occurred with another person and the effects of their own contribution. Sold at €15.95.
• Boekenreeks Perspectieven van Vrijwilligerswerk A six-volume book series (Parts 1-6) that scientifically examines various aspects of volunteer work in palliative terminal care, published in collaboration with Prof. Anne Goossensen and students from the Universiteit voor Humanistiek. Each volume is €7.50 plus shipping.
• Levenseindeverhalen.nl (End-of-Life Stories) An online story bank where patients, relatives, professionals, and volunteers share personal experiences about the final phase of life. The platform provides authentic stories about end-of-life experiences.
• VPTZ Zelfstudie (Self-Study Platform) An online self-study environment for volunteers and coordinators, featuring video clips, digital lectures, and training modules including the 'Dorst of doodsangst' (Thirst or Fear of Death) online self-study program.
• Klachten- en geschillencommissie (Complaints and Disputes Committee) An independent national complaints and disputes committee that handles complaints from clients, relatives, volunteers, and coordinators at VPTZ member organizations, as well as disputes between member organizations or between member organizations and VPTZ Netherlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15,000+ volunteers provided nearly 1.9 million hours of direct care and support in 2025
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Associatie Hospicezorg Nederland (AHzN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 May 2025VPTZ Netherlands and AHzN jointly publish annual Registration Reports providing quantitative overview of palliative terminal care in the Netherlands. This partnership represents 153 hospices with 855 beds (2024 data) and enables comprehensive market visibility and trend analysis.
• RadboudumcminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration resulting in the publication 'Bitterzoete tijd voor jezelf' (summary), investigating considerations that play a role in the choice to allow a volunteer at home during the palliative terminal phase.
• Verwey-Jonker InstituutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration resulting in a needs assessment (January 2024) investigating the need for volunteer support among people who die at home.
• Universiteit voor HumanistiekminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for the 'Perspectieven van vrijwilligerswerk' book series (6 volumes), with Prof. Anne Goossensen and students conducting research on various aspects of volunteer work in palliative terminal care.
• Gupta StrategistsminorOthersVPTZ Netherlands participated in the advisory group's role in the Gupta report on hospice care commissioned by the Ministry of VWS. VPTZ subsequently distanced itself from the final recommendations, citing insufficient incorporation of their input on critical points.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Hospice UK: Hospice UK is the national charity for hospice and end-of-life care in the United Kingdom — a comparable national umbrella body advocating for hospice funding, quality standards, and volunteer-supported end-of-life care, with similar training and benchmarking functions.
• IKNL (Integraal Kankercentrum Nederland): IKNL operates the Dutch national palliative care registry (PalZorg) and is a major funder/convener of palliative-care quality initiatives. It is a broader incumbent in the same end-of-life and oncology-palliative ecosystem VPTZ serves, often commissioning research used by VPTZ members.
• European Association for Palliative Care (EAPC): EAPC is the pan-European association for palliative care providers and professionals. It overlaps with VPTZ at the policy, research, and quality-standards layer and shares a similar member-based advocacy and knowledge-dissemination mission.
• National Hospice and Palliative Care Organization (NHPCO, US): NHPCO is the US national membership organization for hospice and palliative care providers — the closest international analog to VPTZ in terms of aggregating hospice providers, advocating for reimbursement, and providing training/quality resources.
• Help the Hospices (now Hospice UK): Historically the UK's national hospice charity (now merged into Hospice UK), this is a peer in volunteer mobilization, donor-funded hospice advocacy, and umbrella support of local hospice organizations.

Direct peers

• Agora: Agora is a Dutch multi-stakeholder platform supporting palliative care policy, research, and practice — overlapping with VPTZ on national-level advocacy, knowledge dissemination, and end-of-life care quality frameworks.
• Stichting Hospice Duin- en Bollenstreek / individual Bijna-Thuis-Huizen: Individual VPTZ member hospices (Bijna-Thuis-Huizen such as 't Balthasar, De Luwte, Het Vliethuys) deliver the same residential hospice service under the VPTZ umbrella and are direct operational peers in hospice bed-night delivery and volunteer coordination.
• Mezzo: Mezzo is the Dutch national association for informal caregivers and voluntary care organizations. It is a peer to VPTZ in mobilizing Dutch volunteers for vulnerable populations and providing national-level training and policy advocacy for volunteer-supported care.
• Associatie Hospicezorg Nederland (AHzN): AHzN is the Dutch national association for hospice organizations and VPTZ's closest structural partner — together they jointly publish the annual national Registration Report on palliative terminal care, covering 153 hospices and 855 beds (2024 data) that overlap heavily with VPTZ's 157 affiliated hospices.

Regional players

• Netwerk Palliatieve Zorg: Palliaweb and the regional palliative care networks coordinate Dutch regional palliative-care delivery and education. They overlap with VPTZ on training (Academie vs. regional Palliatieve Zorg education), referral pathways, and quality improvement.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/vptznederland
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=100083671315679
• LinkedInnl.linkedin.com/company/vptz-nederland
• Instagraminstagram.com/vptznederland

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 VPTZ Netherlands