Volkskredietbank

What Volkskredietbank does

Volkskredietbank Noord-Oost Groningen (VKB) is a Dutch Gemeenschappelijke Regeling — a joint municipal arrangement — established in 1967 and mandated by the municipalities of Eemsdelta, Het Hogeland, Oldambt, Pekela and Veendam to deliver debt assistance and financial support to their residents aged 18 and above. Headquartered in Appingedam with six satellite locations across the service area, the organisation operates roughly 60 employees organised into teams led by managers Hanneke Veenstra (Budgetbeheer) and Anoesca Oosting (Bewindvoering, Schuldregeling, Preventie & Voorlichting), under Director Marc Winters. VKB has held NVVK certification since 2013 and was re-confirmed in the most recent audit of April 2025.

VKB delivers a structured service catalogue across three core lines — Hulp bij Schulden (debt counselling and resolution), Budgetbeheer (budget management), and Bewindvoering (court-appointed financial guardianship) — augmented by Budgetcoaching, Hulp voor Ondernemers, Hulp voor Jongeren, Nieuwkomers support, Preventie & Voorlichting, the Werkgeversloket (employer services), Geld lenen voor Schulden (debt consolidation loans), and a personal loan product for residents unable to access bank credit. Operationally, it is migrating to Smart FMS, a new Financial Management System that centralises client income and fixed payments through a nominated management account, while existing customers interact through the Mijn VKB portal. There is no proprietary AI/ML technology disclosed; the platform is a case-management and budget-administration system.

Revenue mechanics comprise three streams: (i) annual municipal service contracts from the five mandating municipalities covering the bulk of services, with most offerings free to residents at the point of use; (ii) employer-paid service packages via the Werkgeversloket, with tariffs agreed per intake and multi-year contracting; and (iii) interest-bearing personal loans and debt-consolidation lending, governed by a non-public prospectus and supported by BKR registration. The go-to-market is community-embedded rather than commercial: residents self-refer or arrive via municipal, welfare, housing, employer or educational channels, with proactive prevention work in schools (Week van het Geld, Oost Groningen Geld Geletterdheid) and employer outreach. Strategic positioning centres on partnership depth — most recently the July 2025 Groninger Huis covenant and the May 2025 Geldwijzer Eemsdelta multi-party advice platform — rather than geographic or commercial expansion beyond the five founding municipalities.

Name

Volkskredietbank

Legal name

Volkskredietbank Noord-Oost Groningen

Website

https://volkskredietbank.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Volkskredietbank (VKB) is a Dutch municipal joint arrangement, founded in 1967 and mandated by five municipalities in Northeast Groningen, that delivers debt counselling, budget management and financial guardianship services to residents aged 18 and above through seven regional locations and the Mijn VKB portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Debt Counseling Services

NAICS

Finance and Insurance (52)

SIC

Personal Credit Institutions (6141), Federal & Federally-Sponsored Credit Agencies (6111)

akta.pro primary industry

Credit Counseling & Debt Management Plans (DMP) (FSAKAJAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Bank & Credit Union Personal Loans (Unsecured Installment) (FSAKAAAL)

Keywords

• Debt counseling services
• Budget management
• Financial guardianship
• Municipal credit assistance
• Debt resolution

Headquarters

HQ city

Appingedam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Municipal contracts for schuldhulpverlening: VKB is a Gemeenschappelijke Regeling (joint municipal arrangement) of five municipalities — Eemsdelta, Het Hogeland, Oldambt, Pekela and Veendam — and is funded by these municipalities to provide debt counselling and financial assistance to residents. Municipal funding covers the core services including hulp bij schulden, budgetbeheer, bewindvoering, and related services. Residents receive services free of charge, as the municipality pays for the help.
2. Personal loans (leningen): VKB provides personal loans to residents who cannot obtain credit from banks (e.g., due to negative BKR registration or age). Loans are used for refinancing debts, purchasing household goods, or covering moving/ furnishing costs for newcomers. The municipality stands as guarantor for newcomer loans. Loan repayments form a revenue stream. Interest rates and terms are governed by the prospectus and general terms.
3. Employer services (Werkgeversloket): VKB offers employer-paid debt counselling services. Employers in the five municipalities can refer employees with financial problems. VKB works with different service packages with associated tariffs, billed to the employer. The employer covers the cost as part of a secondary employment benefit offering.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Volkskredietbank (VKB) provides municipal-mandated debt counseling, budget management, and financial guardianship services to residents aged 18+ in five municipalities in Northeast Groningen. Core offerings include hulp bij schulden (debt assistance), budgetbeheer (budget management), bewindvoering (court-appointed financial guardianship), and personal loans for residents unable to obtain bank credit. Services are funded by participating municipalities and delivered free of charge to eligible residents.

Product overview

VKB (Volkskredietbank Noord-Oost Groningen) operates as a multi-service financial assistance organization providing debt counseling and support services to residents of five municipalities. The core offering consists of Hulp bij Schulden (debt assistance), Budgetbeheer (budget management), and Bewindvoering (financial guardianship), supported by complementary modules including Budgetcoaching, Hulp voor Ondernemers, Preventie & Voorlichting, Hulp voor Jongeren, Nieuwkomers, Werkgeversloket, Geld lenen voor Schulden, and Lening services. The organization also provides educational video content and the Mijn VKB online customer portal. Services are delivered through multiple physical locations across the municipalities and include both in-person and video-based guidance, coordinated in collaboration with municipal governments and partner organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hulp bij Schulden (Debt Assistance)

Quantifiable outcome

• NVVK certified since 2013, with the most recent audit confirming continued compliance in April 2025.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• Groninger HuisflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025On 9 July 2025, VKB and Groninger Huis (a housing corporation) signed a covenant to help tenants with payment problems faster and better. The covenant establishes clear agreements for faster identification, reduced paperwork, and direct support, aiming to prevent financial worries from growing into larger problems.
• Geldwijzer Eemsdelta (multi-partner collaboration)flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 May 2025Geldwijzer Eemsdelta is a collaborative platform launched on 24 May 2025 offering one central entry point for residents with money questions. Partners include VKB, Cadanz Welzijn, Humanitas, SchuldHulpMaatje, Biblionet Groningen, Taalhuis, and Gemeente Eemsdelta. The platform provides advice online, by phone, WhatsApp, and at physical locations, and is subsidised by Nationaal Programma Groningen (NPG).
• NVVK (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Schuldhulp en Financiële Dienstverlening)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013NVVK is the largest industry association for debt counselling and financial services in the Netherlands, representing over 100 municipalities and public and private organisations. VKB has been a member since 2013 and holds NVVK certification following periodic audits. VKB endorses the NVVK Belofte (NVVK Promise). NVVK also facilitates knowledge exchange, standards, and the annual congress where VKB staff have been recognised.
• BKR (Bureau Krediet Registratie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBKR is the Dutch Credit Registration Bureau in Tiel. VKB is a member and uses BKR to assess potential borrowers before granting credit. All granted credits are reported to BKR, as are payment arrears or irregularities. When all obligations are met, the client is deregistered. This partnership is integral to VKB's responsible lending practices.
• Cadanz WelzijncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCadanz Welzijn is a welfare organisation operating at the Brede School/De Wending in Delfzijl, where VKB holds open consultation hours every Tuesday. Cadanz is part of the Geldwijzer Eemsdelta collaboration and represents VKB's community-embedded service delivery.
• STAP Oldambt (Samen Sterker tegen Armoede)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTAP Oldambt is a collaborative initiative against poverty in the Oldambt municipality, involving the Leger des Heils, Humanitas, SchuldHulpMaatje, and VKB. The partnership produced an interactive video featuring an experiential expert to guide residents to appropriate help. VKB contributes debt counselling expertise to the initiative.
• Probiblio OntwikkelpleinminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProbiblio is a library development organisation. VKB participates in the Probiblio Ontwikkelplein in Bibliotheek Uithuizen, a collaborative space connecting organisations (including IDO, Digi/Taalhuis) to provide accessible support at one physical location. VKB's budget consulent Rona van Ellen is involved.
• IMK (Instituut voor het Midden en Kleinbedrijf)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIMK is the Dutch Institute for Small and Medium Enterprises. VKB works with IMK as part of its entrepreneur support services, connecting business owners with financial problems to the right specialised assistance.
• ROI (Regionaal Ondernemings Instituut)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerROI (Regional Enterprise Institute) is a partner in VKB's entrepreneur support network, helping to identify and direct business owners with financial difficulties to appropriate help.
• OndernemershuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOndernemershuis is part of VKB's entrepreneur referral network, helping business owners with money worries access the right support services.
• SOLVID Ondernemen, Kram & Meersma, and Zuidweg & PartnerscoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThese are professional debt counselling firms that VKB works with to support entrepreneurs. When direct support is not sufficient, VKB connects business owners to these specialised partners for further professional debt assistance.
• HumanitascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitas is a social welfare organisation participating in Geldwijzer Eemsdelta and STAP Oldambt, collaborating with VKB to provide integrated support for residents with financial and social difficulties.
• SchuldHulpMaatjecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchuldHulpMaatje is a volunteer organisation providing debt counselling support. It participates in Geldwijzer Eemsdelta and STAP Oldambt alongside VKB, contributing volunteer-based support to the integrated financial help ecosystem.
• Biblionet Groningen / Bibliotheek UithuizencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBiblionet Groningen manages public libraries including Bibliotheek Uithuizen, which hosts a VKB consultation hour. Biblionet is also a partner in Geldwijzer Eemsdelta, contributing to the integrated information and advice hub.
• TaalhuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaalhuis (Language House) is a partner in Geldwijzer Eemsdelta, addressing language barriers that may prevent residents from accessing financial information. Collaboration with Taalhuis supports newcomers and low-literacy residents.
• Municipalities of Eemsdelta, Het Hogeland, Oldambt, Pekela, and VeendamcoreOthersVKB is a Gemeenschappelijke Regeling (joint municipal arrangement) of these five municipalities, which fund and mandate VKB to provide debt counselling services to their residents. The municipalities are both the primary funder and the governing authority of VKB.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 Volkskredietbank