MBO Raad

What MBO Raad does

MBO Raad is the Dutch branch organization (brancheorganisatie) for all government-funded secondary vocational education (middelbaar beroepsonwijs, mbo) schools in the Netherlands. Headquartered in Woerden with approximately 120 staff, it represents a captive membership base covering roughly 465,639 students enrolled across 423 programs delivered at 680 locations nationwide. The organization operates as a vereniging funded by membership dues from member institutions — primarily regional training centers (roc's), agricultural VET colleges (AOC's), and specialized vocational colleges — and supplemented by project funding from the Ministry of Education (OCW) and other ministries.

The organization's service portfolio centers on advocacy, collective bargaining, and a portfolio of approximately 13 thematic knowledge-sharing platforms rather than commercial software products. Core platforms include KLIMmbo (policy and practice knowledge hub), MBO Digitaal (digital transformation platform jointly developed with Kennisnet and SURF), and nine bedrijfstakgroepen that coordinate sector-specific advocacy across Entree, Handel, ICT en Creatieve Industrie, Mobiliteit/Transport/Logistiek/Maritiem, Specialistisch Vakmanschap, Techniek en Gebouwde Omgeving, Voedsel/Groen/Gastvrijheid, Zakelijke Dienstverlening en Veiligheid, and Zorg/Welzijn/Sport. Additional expertisepunts cover citizenship education, career guidance (LOB), internship improvement under the Stagepact 2023-2027, student wellness, and inclusive education.

MBO Raad's go-to-market is member engagement rather than commercial sales. It conducts collective labor negotiations on behalf of mbo employers, coordinates joint digital transformation and innovation projects through its wholly-owned executing arm MBO Diensten, and serves as the recognized interlocutor with the ministries of OCW, SZW, and EZK, as well as employer organizations (VNO-NCW, MKB-NL), trade unions, and other education sector councils (PO-Raad, VO-raad, Vereniging Hogescholen, UNL). Its strategic agenda, articulated in the Strategisch Meer Jaren Perspectief 2022-2030, targets ~600,000 trained students by 2030 to meet labor-market demand in healthcare, technology, education, and defense.

Name

MBO Raad

Legal name

MBO Raad

Website

https://mboraad.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

MBO Raad is the Dutch branch association representing all government-funded secondary vocational education (mbo) schools, serving ~465,639 students across 423 programs and 680 locations. It provides collective advocacy, collective bargaining, and a portfolio of knowledge-sharing platforms to its member institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Woerden

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: MBO Raad is funded through membership fees from all government-funded mbo schools in the Netherlands. All schools in the mbo sector that offer government-funded education are members of the association. The association represents the common interests of its members, provides services, and undertakes joint activities related to this representation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

MBO Raad is the Dutch branch organization (brancheorganisatie) representing all government-funded secondary vocational education (mbo) schools in the Netherlands. It provides collective advocacy, policy influence, knowledge-sharing platforms (including KLIMmbo and MBO Digitaal), sector-specific coordination through nine industry groups (bedrijfstakgroepen), and shared services such as collective bargaining for mbo employers, digital transformation support, and quality assurance guidance to its member schools.

Product overview

MBO Raad is a membership organization (brancheorganisatie) representing Dutch secondary vocational education (mbo) schools. Rather than offering a unified software product, it provides a portfolio of thematic platforms and knowledge-sharing services. The core offerings include MBO Digitaal for digital transformation and knowledge sharing, KLIMmbo for education policy and practice intelligence, and various expert platforms (Expertisepunt Burgerschap, Expertisepunt LOB, Gezonde School, TestJeLeefstijl). Additional platforms address student welfare (Platform Sport & Gezonde Leefstijl, Platform Passend Onderwijs), safety (Netwerk Integrale Veiligheid), and practical training (Kennispunt MBO Beroepspraktijkvorming, Landelijk Onderwijsplatform MDT). Teacher professionalization is supported through the Platform Samen Opleiden & Professionaliseren. FSR facilitates cross-school cooperation on facility management.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• MBO Digitaal A digital platform for and by all mbo schools, built with strong ties to Kennisnet and SURF. Its main pillars are knowledge sharing and joint projects in the digital domain, supporting digital transformation across Dutch vocational education.
• KLIMmbo A platform for everyone working on strong, future-proof secondary vocational education. It brings together knowledge, insights, and experiences around public interests, policy, and practice in mbo.
• Kennispunt MBO Beroepspraktijkvorming The central information point where all mbo schools can find and receive information about the Stagepact 2023-2027, covering improvement of internship guidance, elimination of internship discrimination, and adequate internship compensation.
• Expertisepunt Burgerschap mbo A knowledge-sharing hub on citizenship education for primary, secondary, and vocational education, developed under joint responsibility of MBO Raad, Stichting School en Veiligheid, Pro Demos, and SLO with OCW funding.
• Expertisepunt LOB A cross-sector platform supporting vmbo, havo, vwo, mbo, and universities of applied sciences in improving career orientation and study guidance for students.
• Gezonde School Helps education professionals make a healthy lifestyle at school a matter of course, supporting schools in implementing health-promoting school policies.
• Platform Passend Onderwijs Organizes regional meetings and an annual Platformday for appropriate education within mbo, and provides input for the advocacy activities of the MBO Raad.
• Netwerk Integrale Veiligheid Supports mbo schools in developing and implementing safety policy. MBO Raad monitors safety in mbo through this network.
• FSR (Facilitair Samenwerkingsverband Roc's en beroepscolleges) A platform of the MBO Raad where employees working in facility services of mbo schools share knowledge and pool forces. All mbo schools are affiliated with FSR.
• MBO Diensten A subsidiary that executes projects financed by MBO Raad, the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), and mbo schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 40% of the Dutch working population has obtained a vocational qualification from mbo
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• SBB (Samenwerking Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBB is the key collaboration partner for connecting vocational education with the labor market. MBO Raad works with SBB to align mbo education with industry needs, optimize internship opportunities, and influence national developments in the sector. The relationship involves cooperation within bedrijfstakgroepen and the beroepsonderwijskolom (vmbo-mbo-hbo chain).
• Ministeries van OCW, SZW en EZKcoreOthersMBO Raad is the first point of contact for the Dutch ministries of Education (OCW), Social Affairs (SZW), and Economic Affairs (EZK). These government partners provide funding for mbo education and set the regulatory framework within which MBO Raad and its member schools operate.
• VNO-NCW, MKB-NLmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBO Raad represents the mbo sector in relation to organized employers (VNO-NCW, MKB-NL). These partnerships are essential for aligning vocational education with employer needs and for public-private collaboration in the sector.
• Kennisnet and SURFmajorTechnology or IntegrationMBO Digitaal, the digital platform of the mbo sector, has strong ties with Kennisnet and SURF. These technology partners support the digital infrastructure, knowledge sharing, and joint digital transformation projects for all mbo schools.
• Bedrijfstakgroepen (BTG's)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWithin the MBO Raad, nine bedrijfstakgroepen (BTG's) bring together similar mbo programs that are related to the same industries or sectors. These include Entree, Handel, ICT en Creatieve Industrie, MTLM, Specialistisch Vakmanschap, Techniek en Gebouwde Omgeving (TGO), Voedsel, Groen en Gastvrijheid (VGG), Zakelijke Dienstverlening en Veiligheid (ZDV), and Zorg, Welzijn en Sport (ZWS). They enable sector-specific influence on national developments and facilitate knowledge sharing and joint projects.
• Stichting School en Veiligheid, Pro Demos, and SLOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Expertisepunt Burgerschap mbo is developed under the joint responsibility of MBO Raad, Stichting School en Veiligheid, Pro Demos, and SLO, with funding from the Ministry of OCW. This is a multi-partner collaboration for knowledge sharing on citizenship education across primary, secondary, and vocational education.
• Trade unions (werknemersorganisaties)coreOthersMBO Raad serves as the collective employer organization for mbo schools in Dutch labor relations, conducting collective bargaining (cao-onderhandelingen) on behalf of mbo employers with trade union organizations.
• PO-Raad, VO-raad, Vereniging Hogescholen, UNLmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMBO Raad collaborates with other Dutch education sector councils (PO-Raad, VO-raad), the Association of Universities of Applied Sciences (Vereniging Hogescholen), and the universities' association (UNL) on shared agendas such as 'Meer Samen' and the Platform Samen Opleiden & Professionaliseren, aimed at joint teacher training and professionalization.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• UNL: Universities of the Netherlands, the Dutch universities' association. Operates the same sector council model as MBO Raad but for the academic (WO) tier of Dutch higher education, and collaborates with MBO Raad on cross-tier education alignment.

Direct peers

• Vereniging Hogescholen: Dutch Association of Universities of Applied Sciences. Represents HBO institutions that are the natural next step in the beroepsonderwijskolom (vmbo-mbo-hbo chain), operates the same sector association model, and collaborates directly with MBO Raad on cross-tier education policy.
• VO-raad: Dutch secondary education (voortgezet onderwijs) sector council. Operates the same membership-based branch organization model as MBO Raad, representing all government-funded secondary schools and serving as their collective bargaining and advocacy body.
• NRTO: Dutch Council for Training and Education (Nederlandse Raad voor Training en Opleiding). Branch association for private training providers, operating a similar membership-based coordination and advocacy model as MBO Raad but covering the private/non-government-funded segment of Dutch vocational training.
• PO-Raad: Dutch primary education (primair onderwijs) sector council. Closely mirrors MBO Raad's organizational structure and mandate, representing all government-funded primary schools and coordinating collective advocacy, funding negotiations, and shared services.
• SBB (Samenwerking Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven): Dutch foundation coordinating vocational education and the labor market. Although not a traditional sector council, SBB plays a parallel coordination role to MBO Raad for the qualification structure and internship quality, and is a core strategic partner for the mbo sector.

Regional players

• Cedefop: European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training. EU agency supporting vocational education and training policy across member states. MBO Raad engages with Cedefop on EU-level VET policy, making it a comparable sector coordination actor at the European level.
• Bundesinstitut für Berufsbildung (BIBB): German federal institute for vocational education and training. Performs an analogous sector coordination role for Germany's dual VET system, providing research, policy advice, and standard-setting for vocational qualifications at a national scale comparable to MBO Raad's Dutch remit.
• Association of Colleges (UK): UK membership body for further education and sixth-form colleges. Comparable to MBO Raad in representing post-16 vocational and technical education institutions, conducting advocacy with government, and providing shared services to member colleges.

Others

• Europees Platform: Dutch organization supporting internationalization of vocational education. Adjacent to MBO Raad's internationalization theme, with overlapping interest in cross-border VET policy, though it operates as a project-based NGO rather than a sector employer association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/mbo-raad
• Xx.com/mboraad

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries2 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 MBO Raad