De Meerpaal
Stichting De Meerpaal is a Dutch nonprofit foundation operating an integrated theater, cinema, arts education, and social welfare center in Dronten, Biddinghuizen, and Swifterbant, serving the local municipality's residents, schools, businesses, and informal caregivers under one roof.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1967
- HeadquartersDronten, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What De Meerpaal does
Stichting De Meerpaal is a Dutch nonprofit foundation (Stichting) operating a multi-functional cultural and community center headquartered at De Rede 80, 8251 EX Dronten, Netherlands, serving the municipality of Dronten including the villages of Biddinghuizen and Swifterbant. Founded in 1967 when the iconic Frank van Klingeren-designed building was opened by Queen Juliana, the organization has approximately 130 employees plus a large base of volunteers and independent art teachers. It functions as the cultural and social heart of a rural Flevoland polder community, recognized by Gemeente Dronten as an indispensable basic facility.
Meerpaal operates an integrated portfolio across nine core product lines under a single organizational roof: Theater (120+ performances per season across cabaret, family shows, musicals, dance, and classical music in the Grote Zaal and Kleine Zaal); Film (cinema screenings with multiple daily slots); Cursussen (annual and unit-priced courses in music, dance, visual arts, and theater); SamenLeven social welfare services including ZorgSamenPunt caregiver support, Mantelzorgondersteuning, Matchpoint Vrijwilligerswerk volunteer matching, and young caregiver programs; Zakelijk (business event and venue hire with catering); Onderwijs/Kunstwerkplaats (cultural education delivered to primary schools); Serviceplein (a co-located walk-in information and service desk shared with FlevoMeer Bibliotheek library staff); Dorpshuizen (three village community centers in Biddinghuizen and Swifterbant); and Sport in Dronten (neighborhood sports and outdoor activity programming).
The business model combines multiple revenue streams: ticket sales (€5–€46 per theater ticket, cinema at €2.50–standard rates), course subscriptions (€148–€1,369/year), venue hire for corporate events and conferences, Grand Café food and beverage sales, social welfare services funded through municipal contracts and grants, and partnership contributions (notably a €7,500/year Rabobank subsidy for free children's admission). Ticketing and seat selection run on the third-party Ticketmatic platform; the website (meerpaal.nl) and CRM-backed newsletter (meerpaal.crmplatform.nl) form the primary digital channels. Distribution spans the main Dronten venue, three village houses, walk-in Serviceplein, telephone reservations, online sales, and direct-to-school delivery. No public funding rounds, acquisitions, or external equity exist; ownership is held by the foundation under a Raad van Toezicht (Supervisory Board) governance structure.
De Meerpaal firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Meerpaal
- Legal name
- Stichting De Meerpaal
- Website
- https://meerpaal.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1967
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- Stichting De Meerpaal is a Dutch nonprofit foundation operating an integrated theater, cinema, arts education, and social welfare center in Dronten, Biddinghuizen, and Swifterbant, serving the local municipality's residents, schools, businesses, and informal caregivers under one roof.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Meerpaal industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Cultural & Social Center Services
- NAICS
- Performing Arts, Spectator Sports, and Related Industries (711), Independent Artists, Writers, and Performers (711510), Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)
- SIC
- Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Community & Amateur Theatre (MPAGABAD)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical) (HSABANAK), Civic Engagement, Volunteering & Leadership Education for Seniors (EDAAAMAK)
Keywords
Where De Meerpaal is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Dronten
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
De Meerpaal business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Theater and film ticket sales: Revenue from ticket sales for theater performances and cinema screenings. Ticket prices range from €5 (children's shows) to €46 (premium theater). Films are screened with multiple daily slots. Online ticket sales through Ticketmatic platform with seat selection.
- Course and lesson fees: Annual courses in music, theater, dance, visual arts, and more. Pricing varies by course type: individual music lessons from €330/year, group courses from €148 (short workshops) to €661.87 (30-lesson courses). Revenue from Theaterschool Karakter, Kunstwerkplaats (school cultural projects), and general course offerings.
- Venue hire and events: Rental income from business events, meetings, conferences, trade fairs, parties, and film/exhibition hire. Spaces available include Grote Zaal, Kleine Zaal, vergaderruimtes (meeting rooms), Grand Café, Binnenplein, Wouda Foyer, and Zaal Boven. Catering services included. Also includes Montage & repetities revenue for cast/crew facility rental.
- Hospitality and F&B: Grand Café food and beverage sales before, during, and after events. Café open to general public. Includes high tea experiences (e.g., rondleiding with high tea at €32.50).
- Social welfare services: Tafeltje Dekje meal delivery service. Mantelzorgondersteuning (caregiver support). Sport in Dronten activities. These social services may be funded through municipal government contracts and grants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Theater performance tickets |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual music lessons (20 min/week annual course) |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual music lessons (30 min/week annual course) |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual music lessons (biweekly 30 min) |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Music lessons strippenkaart (10 x 30 min on-demand) |
| Subscription | Annual | Drawing and Painting (30 lessons) |
| Subscription | Annual | Ballet 3 (36 lessons) |
| Subscription | Annual | Musical Werkgroep (20 sessions) |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Rondleiding with High Tea experience |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels6 records
De Meerpaal product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Meerpaal is a nonprofit cultural and community center that runs a year-round program of theater performances, film screenings, and cultural courses (music, dance, visual arts, theater) alongside social welfare services including caregiver support, volunteer matching, and youth/elder activities. It also rents its halls and meeting spaces for corporate events, conferences and celebrations, and delivers art-education kits to primary schools through its Kunstwerkplaats program.
Product overview
De Meerpaal is a multi-faceted cultural and social center in Dronten, Netherlands, operating as a single unified organization rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. The organization offers an integrated portfolio of services: Theater performances and Film screenings in its two theater halls (Grote Zaal and Kleine Zaal); Cursussen (cultural courses) spanning music lessons, dance, visual arts, and theater/musical classes for all ages; SamenLeven (Together Living) social wellbeing services including ZorgSamenPunt for caregiver support and volunteer matching; Zakelijk (Business Events) for venue rentals and event organization; Onderwijs/Kunstwerkplaats for art education programs in schools; Serviceplein as a central information hub; Dorpshuizen (Village Houses) community centers; and Sport in Dronten for sports activities. All these services operate under one roof in an iconic building, serving as the cultural and social heart of Dronten, Swifterbant, and Biddinghuizen.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Theater
Quantifiable outcome
- 9 selected theater performances per year offer free admission for children up to age 12, thanks to Rabobank partnership of €7,500/year over 3 years
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use De Meerpaal
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments7 records
Ideal customer profiles6 records
De Meerpaal technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
De Meerpaal partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- RabobankcoreThree-year partnership to make arts and culture more accessible for all families. Rabobank contributes €7,500 annually (total €22,500 over 3 years) to fund free admission for children up to age 12 to nine selected theater performances per year. This reduces financial barriers and enables more children and families to experience culture together. The partnership aligns with Rabobank's social mission to contribute to financially healthy lives.
- Cinekid (with VPRO)minorCinekid collaborates with VPRO to present classic children's films during the summer vacation (July 13-17). Films shown at €2.50 per ticket as part of the celebration of 40 years of Cinekid. This partnership brings nostalgic and modern film classics to the Meerpaal's cinema audience.
- FlevoMeer Bibliotheek (FlevoMeer Library)coreThe FlevoMeer Bibliotheek co-locates at the Serviceplein of the Meerpaal. Library staff work together with Meerpaal staff to serve community members at the shared service desk. This integration of cultural and community services strengthens the position of both organizations.
- Local and regional partners for cultural educationcoreMeerpaal collaborates with local and regional partners to deliver cultural education to young people. The Kunstwerkplaats acts as the central point of contact for cultural education in the municipality of Dronten, working with schools and cultural organizations to provide inspiring and diverse cultural education.
- Gemeente Dronten (Municipality of Dronten)coreThe municipality of Dronten funds social welfare services provided by Meerpaal, including mantelzorgcompliment (€100 annual credit for informal caregivers), accessibility credits, and other community programs. The municipality recognizes Meerpaal as an indispensable social, cultural, and societal basic facility in Dronten.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
De Meerpaal competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Stichting De Kom: Multi-functional community center in Nieuwegein combining theater, courses, and welfare/community services in a single integrated venue, with a comparable mix of cultural programming and social services delivered to a Dutch municipality.
- Theater De Stoep: Community theater in Spijkenisse (Nissewaard municipality) delivering professional theater, cinema, courses, and cultural programming with a similar target demographic and Dutch municipal footprint.
- Cultuurhuis Heerlen: Cultural center in Heerlen combining theater, cinema, courses, and community programming with a comparable integrated Dutch community venue model, though serving a different region.
- Spant!: Multi-functional cultural podium in Drachten combining theater, congress center, and event venue with a comparable integrated Dutch community venue model.
- Schouwburg De Lawei: Multi-functional cultural center in Drachten (Smallingerland municipality) offering theater, cinema, courses, and community programming for a similar-sized polder/rural Dutch municipality. Operates on a comparable integrated venue model serving both earned and contracted revenue streams.
- Theater De Tamboer: Theater and cultural center in Hoogeveen offering performances, courses, and community programming for a comparable-sized Dutch municipality, with a similar multi-stream revenue model spanning ticketing, education, and venue hire.
- Flint theater & congressen: Theater and congress center in Amersfoort combining professional performances, cinema, and event hire. Comparable venue-hire and ticketing revenue model, though in a larger urban catchment than Dronten.
- Mezz Kunst & Cultuur: Cultural center in Breda offering theater, music, courses, and creative programs under one roof, with a similar integrated Dutch community venue model combining cultural programming and education.
Regional players
- Agora (Lelystad): Theater and cinema venue in Lelystad, the provincial capital of Flevoland, serving a similar demographic in the same Dutch province. Comparable cinema/theater programming but less extensive social welfare integration than De Meerpaal.
Broad incumbents
- Parkstad Limburg Theaters: Larger regional theater organization operating multiple venues across Parkstad Limburg with broader programming scope and geographic reach than De Meerpaal, but overlapping in the integrated community theater/music/cinema model.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
De Meerpaal social profiles
Digital presenceDe Meerpaal financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Meerpaal leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
De Meerpaal funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Meerpaal M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about De Meerpaal
What does De Meerpaal do?
De Meerpaal is a nonprofit cultural and community center that runs a year-round program of theater performances, film screenings, and cultural courses (music, dance, visual arts, theater) alongside social welfare services including caregiver support, volunteer matching, and youth/elder activities. It also rents its halls and meeting spaces for corporate events, conferences and celebrations, and delivers art-education kits to primary schools through its Kunstwerkplaats program.
Is De Meerpaal a public or private company?
De Meerpaal is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was De Meerpaal founded?
De Meerpaal was founded in 1967. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is De Meerpaal based?
De Meerpaal is headquartered in Dronten, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does De Meerpaal make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Theater and film ticket sales are the primary driver. The others are course and lesson fees, venue hire and events, hospitality and F&B and social welfare services.
Who are De Meerpaal's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Stichting De Kom, Theater De Stoep, Cultuurhuis Heerlen, Spant!, Schouwburg De Lawei, Theater De Tamboer, Flint theater & congressen and Mezz Kunst & Cultuur. Agora (Lelystad) is listed as a regional player. Parkstad Limburg Theaters is listed as a broad incumbent.
Does De Meerpaal have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Meerpaal.
What industry is De Meerpaal in?
De Meerpaal's product category is Community Cultural & Social Center Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is MPAGABAD, Community & Amateur Theatre, with a secondary code of HSABANAK, Senior Social Clubs & Community-Based Day Programs (Non-Clinical). Its NAICS code is 711 and its SIC code is 7900.