What Afeer does

Afeer is a sociaal ontwikkelbedrijf (social development company) headquartered in Winschoten, Netherlands, owned by the municipalities of Oldambt, Pekela, and Westerwolde and operating since 1967 (Druk & Print lineage) and 2015 (under the Afeer brand, formerly Synergon). The company executes statutory obligations under the Wet Sociale Werkvoorziening and Participatiewet, helping job seekers with employment barriers, including disabilities, age-related discrimination, addiction, lack of work experience, and language/cultural gaps, progress toward sustainable employment through training, coaching, and external placement.

Afeer delivers services through multiple integrated divisions: Afeer Mobiliteit provides detachment services where Afeer acts as employer-of-record for up to 1.5 years with the goal of permanent placement at the client; TechniekLab offers structured technical training with a 4-week choice carousel and 10-week pre-apprenticeship tracks across installation, electrical, metal, painting, and carpentry; service divisions include Groen (green maintenance), Schoonmaken (cleaning, 40-person team), Onderhoudsdienst (maintenance, 29-person team formed February 2024), FSSC 22000-certified Voedsel/Verpakken (food packaging), Druk & Print (printing, including Braille conversion), and Stoffeerderij (upholstery with circular materials). The 2024-launched Overbrugbaan (Bridge Path) program, co-developed with Wedeka and backed by Regio Deal subsidy, targets up to 400 job seekers with structured 18-month contracts.

Afeer's revenue model is almost entirely publicly funded: municipal contracts under social welfare and participation legislation form the structural revenue base, supplemented by commercial work for employers such as Acantus (housing corporation), Innolumis (LED assembly), QSIL (manufacturing), Marne Mosterd (mustard packaging), Pyroll (packaging), Gemeente Groningen (circular furniture), and waterschap Hunze en Aa. Pricing is not publicly disclosed as services are negotiated through public procurement rather than direct customer payment. Customer acquisition relies on direct municipal relationships, an employer-advisor network, regional job fairs, and word-of-mouth through published employee success stories.

Name

Afeer

Legal name

Afeer

Website

https://afeer.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1967

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Afeer is a municipality-owned social development company in Oost-Groningen, Netherlands, executing Wet Sociale Werkvoorziening and Participatiewet mandates to help job seekers with employment barriers gain training, work experience, and permanent placement through internal service divisions and external detachment via Afeer Mobiliteit.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Employment and Workforce Development Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Employment Placement Agencies (561311)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agent of Record (AOR) / Contractor Engagement Services (BPACAGAB), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL)

Keywords

• Social employment services
• Workforce development
• Sheltered employment
• Vocational training programs
• Municipal outsourcing services

Headquarters

HQ city

Winschoten

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Government Funding (Wet Sociale Werkvoorziening & Participatiewet): Core funding comes from executing tasks under the Wet Sociale Werkvoorziening (Social Employment Act) and Participatiewet (Participation Act) on behalf of municipalities Oldambt, Pekela, and Westerwolde. Afeer receives public funding to provide employment services and sheltered work for people with disabilities or other barriers to employment.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Afeer is a municipal-owned social development company (sociaal ontwikkelbedrijf) that provides sheltered employment, skills training, work-experience trajectories, and detachment/staffing services for job seekers with barriers to employment. It operates multiple in-house service divisions (green maintenance, cleaning, food packaging, printing, upholstery, maintenance) and external placement services (Afeer Mobiliteit) that bridge workers into permanent employment with regional employers.

Product overview

Afeer is a social development company (sociaal ontwikkelbedrijf) operating as an integrated platform with multiple service divisions. The core offerings include: Mobiliteit (mobility/detachment services) for job placement, Trajecten en opleidingen (trajectories and training) including the TechniekLab and MAP-training, and service divisions covering Groen (green maintenance), Schoonmaken (cleaning), Onderhoudsdienst (maintenance), Voedsel/Verpakken (food-safe packaging with FSSC 22000 certification), Druk & Print (printing/design), Stoffeerderij (upholstery with circular materials), and Werklabs (work laboratories). The Overbrugbaan (Bridge Path) program provides structured pathways from unemployment to sustainable employment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Afeer Druk & Print: Printing and design services including brochures, business cards, and visual design, located at A.J. Romijnweg 17 in Winschoten.
• Afeer Mobiliteit
• Afeer Groen
• Afeer Onderhoudsdienst

Products and services

• Afeer Mobiliteit (Mobility/Detachment Services) Detachment and employment placement services in which Afeer acts as the formal employer while placing workers at partner organizations for up to 1.5 years, aiming for sustainable permanent employment with the host employer.
• Trajecten en opleidingen (Trajectories and Training) Development programs comprising work trajectories, training courses, and education pathways that help job seekers build skills and move into employment.
• TechniekLab Technical training laboratory combining a 4-week choice carousel with 10-week pre-apprenticeship tracks in carpentry, painting, electrical, metal, and welding, combined with VCA safety and language support.
• MAP-training (Module Arbeidsmarkt & Participatie) Module on Labor Market and Participation under the Dutch Integration Act, preparing statushouders and inburgering participants for the Dutch labor market.
• Afeer Groen (Green Maintenance) Green maintenance services including hedge trimming, lawn mowing, shrub pruning, garden maintenance, and dike maintenance for municipalities and recreational areas such as Parc Emslandermeer.
• Afeer Schoonmaken (Cleaning Services) Cleaning services for municipal buildings, sports halls, schools, and business centers (such as De Boschpoort), staffed by employees developing work experience.
• Afeer Onderhoudsdienst (Maintenance Service) Maintenance and renovation services combining painting, handyman services, green work, and waste removal for municipalities and housing corporations.
• Afeer Voedsel/Verpakken (Food Packaging, FSSC 22000) FSSC 22000 certified food-safe packaging departments (1 and 2) using header card machines, horizontal and vertical flow packers, and sticker machines for food-industry clients.
• Afeer Druk & Print Printing and design services including commercial printing, brochures, business cards, Braille conversion, audiobook checking, logo design, and infographics, located at A.J. Romijnweg 17, Winschoten.
• Afeer Stoffeerderij (Upholstery) Upholstery services, notably working with circular materials such as Gronings Goud, a recycled fabric made from collected textiles, supporting municipal zero-waste goals.
• Werklabs (Work Laboratories) Structured work environments at Werklab Westerwolde and Werklab Pekela providing hands-on work experience in gardens, greenhouses, vanAfval bench assembly, and maintenance tasks.
• Overbrugbaan (Bridge Path) Work experience program allowing job seekers to progress from work to work through temporary contracts (3-month trial, then up to 6-month contracts, maximum 18 months), bridging the gap from unemployment to sustainable employment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 400 job seekers can be helped through the Overbrugbaan program in Oost-Groningen
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers17 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Roblo DienstverleningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRoblo has served as the coordination/regie function for Samenwerking Op Maat since 2017, distributing incoming Acantus maintenance jobs to Afeer, Wedeka, and WerkPro based on regional geography. Roblo director Amanda Wieringa-Roelvink manages the partnership and ensures flexible response to Acantus requests.
• WedekacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPart of the Samenwerking Op Maat coalition since January 2024, handling maintenance work in Veendam and Westerwolde municipalities for Acantus housing properties.
• WerkProcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoined Samenwerking Op Maat in January 2024, handling maintenance work in Eemsdelta municipality for Acantus housing properties.
• AcantuscoreOthersHousing corporation with social rental properties in northern and eastern Groningen. Core client of Samenwerking Op Maat coalition, with work divided geographically: Oldambt/Pekela to Afeer, Veendam/Westerwolde to Wedeka, Eemsdelta to WerkPro. Types of work include cleaning, painting, green work, waste removal, and home emptying.
• Werkcentrum Groningen Noord-DrenthecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative platform where Afeer participates alongside municipalities, UWV, VNO-NCW, MKB Noord, FNV/CNV, SBB, DCTerra, Noorderpoort, Alfa-college, and DNA Next to provide guidance on work and education to residents and businesses in the region.
• Lüpsen und SohnminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorGerman transport company in Filsum (Ostfriesland) that hired four truck drivers trained by Afeer at a job fair in Winschoten. Company is actively recruiting additional candidates through Afeer and values Dutch drivers due to language/cultural proximity.
• InnolumisminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLED lighting manufacturer that relocated assembly from China to Netherlands, with Afeer handling domestic assembly and procurement. Innolumis values Afeer's motivated workers who identify errors before they occur and the ability to quickly scale up during peaks.
• QSILminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTwo-track collaboration: QSIL leases employees through detachment and also trains two people internally per year with intensive, customized support. Employee develops additional certifications (reach truck, overhead crane, driver license) to increase employability.
• Gemeente GroningenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality pursuing zero-waste goal by 2030. Partnered with Afeer Stoffeerderij for circular furniture project using Gronings Goud recycled fabric from textiles. Project achieved approximately 15 Euro savings per kilo of fabric in water, CO2, and job creation impacts.
• Ministerie van Sociale Zaken en Werkgelegenheid (SZW)minorOthersMinistry showed great interest in the Overbrugbaan pilot project and is following the initiative. Ministry involvement provides national-level validation and potential for replication across Netherlands.
• SOOOG SchoolsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSOOOG (secondary vocational education) schools in the region where Afeer provides cleaning services. Work is spot-checked by external company with bonus payments for quality results.
• PyrollminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFinnish packaging company with Dutch operations. HR Advisor Ina van Aalst engaged Afeer for re-integration support for employees who could no longer work in production, finding suitable alternative roles including volunteer positions.
• vanAfvalminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSubsidiary of VITA Plastics that creates products from waste plastic. Afeer assembles plastic benches at Werklab Westerwolde, working locally with short lines and fast coordination. Products primarily sold to municipalities with strong sustainability messaging.
• Fietsplezier OldambtminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorBicycle shop in Winschoten owned by Sander and Uzzia Timmer. Employee Benz (with autism) was placed through Afeer Mobiliteit for 3 months, then hired directly. Shop provides flexible, safe working environment with 'everything allowed, nothing required' approach.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• WerkPro: Direct peer — Dutch social employment company in Eemsdelta municipality, joined the Samenwerking Op Maat coalition with Afeer in January 2024. Operates the same sw/participatie model and competes for the same housing corporation contracts.
• Wedeka: Direct peer — a Dutch sociaal ontwikkelbedrijf operating in adjacent Veendam/Westerwolde territory, co-developer of the Overbrugbaan concept with Afeer and partner in the Samenwerking Op Maat coalition. Same statutory mandate, same customer profile, same legislative framework.
• Roblo Dienstverlening: Direct peer — coordinates the Samenwerking Op Maat regional partnership alongside Afeer, Wedeka, and WerkPro, and operates comparable facility, green, and cleaning services. Functions as both peer and partner in distributing housing maintenance work.

Broad incumbents

• Ergon: Broad incumbent — Eindhoven-area social employment company performing the same sheltered employment, training, and reintegration services under the same Dutch legislative framework. Comparable operating model at significantly larger scale.
• WSD Groep: Broad incumbent — social development company in 's-Hertogenbosch region executing the same Wet Sociale Werkvoorziening and Participatiewet tasks for multiple municipalities. Larger scale and broader service portfolio, but functionally equivalent model to Afeer.
• Pantar: Broad incumbent — largest Dutch social employment company (Amsterdam region), offering the same sheltered work, training, and placement model at substantially greater scale. Comparable in statutory mandate but with broader geographic reach and a wider portfolio of service divisions.
• Baanbrekers: Broad incumbent — Overijssel-based reintegration and social employment services provider with comparable functions in job placement, training, and supported employment, operating under the same Dutch social participation framework.
• Diamantgroep: Broad incumbent — Limburg-based social development company providing sheltered employment, training, and detachment services under the same Dutch social welfare legislation as Afeer, with multiple divisions comparable to Afeer's service portfolio.
• SWB (Stichting Werken voor Breda): Broad incumbent — social work company serving Breda-region municipalities, executing Wet Sociale Werkvoorziening tasks and operating service divisions comparable to Afeer's cleaning, green, and packaging lines.

Others

• UWV (Uitvoeringsinstituut Werknemersverzekeringen): Others — Dutch national agency administering unemployment benefits, disability benefits (WIA/WAO), and participating in Werkcentrum partnerships alongside Afeer. Not a direct competitor but a critical ecosystem partner that channels job seekers to Afeer and influences Dutch social employment policy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/AfeerNL
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afeer
• Xx.com/afeernl

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles19 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 Afeer