Code for NL

What Code for NL does

Code for NL (Stichting Code for NL, KvK 69749477) is a Dutch non-profit foundation that operates a community of developers and designers working on open, fair, and inclusive digital government solutions. Its core product is the Code Fellows program — a monthly hackathon format where members collaborate on civic technology tools, with participation managed via the JSON Resume standard and GitHub. The organization also convenes community events such as the Digital Democracy The Hague 2025 conference, which brings together 350 experts on digital democracy. Distribution of its civic technology work occurs primarily through open source GitHub repositories, community Slack, and in-person and virtual meetups.

The organization originated from Waag (a Dutch technology-and-society organization) and operates as a governing partner of the international Code for All network, connecting it to 30+ civic technology partner organizations globally. Its scale is community-driven: 3,000+ community members in the Netherlands with 200+ weekly active participants, supported by a three-person volunteer board. Sponsorship from Slack, Procolix, and Tiltshift underwrites operations.

The foundation's articles explicitly prohibit commercial activities ("De stichting zal geen bedrijfsmatige activiteiten ontplooien"), and there is no commercial pricing model. Code for NL does not generate revenue in the conventional sense; it is funded by sponsors and operates as a charitable civic infrastructure organization targeting Dutch municipalities and other government bodies seeking digital transformation.

Name

Code for NL

Legal name

Stichting Code for NL

Website

https://codefor.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Code for NL is a Dutch non-profit foundation that operates a 3,000+ member community of civic tech developers and designers building open source digital government tools for Dutch municipalities through monthly Code Fellows hackathons and the international Code for All network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Technology / Open Source Government Software

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Planning, Zoning, Permitting & Code Enforcement (BPAIACAE)

Keywords

• Civic technology
• Open source government
• Government digital transformation
• Public sector software
• Digital government infrastructure

Headquarters

HQ city

Netherlands

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Software

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Non-profit Foundation Operations: Code for NL is a non-profit foundation (Stichting) that does not engage in commercial activities. The organization is funded through sponsors (Slack, Procolix, Tiltshift) and operates as a charitable organization focused on digital government transformation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Code for NL operates a community of developers and designers who collaboratively build open source civic technology tools for Dutch municipalities and other governments. Its flagship program, Code Fellows, holds monthly hackathons producing open source software that supports open, fair, and inclusive digital government, with outputs distributed via GitHub and developed openly through Slack and meetups.

Product overview

Code for NL is a community organization rather than a software product company. Its primary offering is the Code Fellows community program, which facilitates monthly collaborative development of civic technology tools for open digital government. The organization also organizes events such as the Digital Democracy The Hague 2025 conference. No commercial software products or SaaS offerings were identified in the provided sources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Code Fellows

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Code for AllcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCode for NL is a governing partner of the international Code for All network, which connects civic technology organizations worldwide with 30+ partner organizations globally.
• WaagcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCode for NL originated from Waag and maintains a co-founding relationship. Waag is a Dutch organization focused on technology and society.
• SlackminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSlack provides sponsorship and platform services for the Code for NL community collaboration.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Code for America: U.S.-based nonprofit civic-tech organization that builds digital services for governments and convenes a volunteer brigades network; Code for NL's structure, Code Fellows-style programs, and Code for All membership mirror Code for America's original model.
• Code for All: International network of civic-tech organizations in which Code for NL is a governing partner; directly comparable because its 30+ member chapters operate with the same municipal, open-source civic-tech mission.
• Code for Germany: German sibling organization within the Code for All network; operates an open community of developers building municipal civic-tech, with similar hackathon and meetup formats.
• Open State Foundation: Dutch nonprofit promoting open data and transparency in government; directly comparable mission and Dutch footprint, often working with the same municipalities.

Others

• NL Digital Government (Digitale Overheid): Dutch national government program coordinating digital government initiatives; Code for NL is listed as a community partner, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• CKEditor / Open Government Partnership: Multilateral initiative promoting government transparency and civic participation; adjacent to Code for NL's mission of open, fair, inclusive digital government but operating at a national-policy scale.
• Waag: Dutch technology-and-society organization that co-founded Code for NL; comparable focus on civic tech and public-interest digital infrastructure, but with a broader research-and-arts portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Mozilla Foundation: Larger global nonprofit advocating open internet, open-source standards, and trustworthy AI; thematically comparable in mission but vastly larger scale and broader scope than Code for NL.
• Open Knowledge Foundation: UK-headquartered nonprofit advancing open data and open government; comparable in its open-source, public-sector focus but with a much broader international footprint.

Regional players

• Code for Japan: Japan-based member of the Code for All network; offers an analogous civic-tech community model focused on Japanese municipalities rather than Dutch ones.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/codefornl
• GitHubgithub.com/codefornl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/codefornl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Code for NL