Center for People and Buildings(CFPB)

What Center for People and Buildings(CFPB) does

Center for People and Buildings (CFPB) is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting) founded in 2001 and headquartered in Delft, operating as the national knowledge center for people, work, and the work environment. It functions as a research institute rather than a commercial product company, conducting empirical and applied scientific research on hybrid work, office design, collaboration, leadership, and well-being in Dutch (semi-)public sector organizations. Its flagship technology asset is the Werk in Transitie Monitor, a scientifically validated digital questionnaire developed in collaboration with TU Delft and TU Eindhoven, which has accumulated over 31,000 completed surveys across 2023–2025 and is structured around five modules (Employee & Organization, Workplace, Collaboration, Leadership, Health). Supporting products include the Kennisbank knowledge repository (kennisbank.cfpb.nl), The Workplace Game (a dialogue tool for teams), and the Werkplekwijzer (workplace decision guide). Data is stored on Microsoft 365 (SharePoint, Teams) and Maxint servers in the EEA.

CFPB's business model is relationship-driven rather than transactional. Revenue is generated primarily through multi-year partner programs with Dutch government organizations — currently Belastingdienst (since 2003), DGDOO (Ministry of BZK), and Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB) — where partners contribute organizational access and empirical data in exchange for exclusive research findings, Kenniskring participation, and congress attendance. A secondary 'Friend of CFPB' membership (launched 2026, with PROCOS Group as the first member) extends access to private-sector organizations. Knowledge dissemination occurs through the annual Jaarcongres (drawing 100+ attendees), recurring Kenniskringen (knowledge circles), the IMPULS strategic meeting, the new Kennisatelier workshop series, and a continuous publication cadence. CFPB is recognized by the Dutch tax authorities as an Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling (ANBI), an institution for general benefit, and is institutionally linked to TU Delft.

Customer concentration is high: all named partners and case-study organizations (Belastingdienst, DGDOO, RVB, Nationale Politie, SSC-ICT, Rijkswaterstaat, DJI, FM Haaglanden, PROCOS Group) are Dutch public-sector or public-adjacent entities. The addressable market is effectively the Dutch (semi-)public sector workforce and adjacent facility, real estate, and ICT functions. CFPB's competitive position rests on a 25-year longitudinal research library, the Werk in Transitie Monitor dataset, and a deep ecosystem of government and academic partners that would be difficult to replicate.

Name

Center for People and Buildings(CFPB)

Legal name

Stichting Kenniscentrum Center for People and Buildings

Website

https://cfpb.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Center for People and Buildings (CFPB) is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 2001 that serves as the national knowledge center for people, work, and work environments. It conducts empirical research, maintains the Werk in Transitie Monitor dataset, and partners primarily with Dutch (semi-)public sector organizations to deliver evidence-based guidance on hybrid work.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Delft

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partner Program Fees: CFPB generates revenue through multi-year partner programs where organizations (primarily in the public and semi-public sector) contribute to collaborative research and development. Partners gain access to exclusive research findings, Kenniskring meetings, and the annual congress. The relationship is not a typical client/vendor relationship; partners provide access to their organizations and contribute to empirical research data.
2. Friend Membership: CFPB offers a 'Friend of CFPB' membership program providing access to independent research, early insights into new themes, reflection on own vision and approach, and collective learning with other public organizations and service providers.
3. Research and Knowledge Transfer Services: CFPB initiates, guides, and conducts fundamental and applied scientific research and development, typically resulting in applicable knowledge and instruments. Revenue is derived from collaborative research programs with partner organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Center for People and Buildings (CFPB) is the Dutch national knowledge center for the relationship between people, work, and work environments. It conducts fundamental and applied scientific research, develops validated tools and instruments, and transfers knowledge through publications, partner programs, knowledge circles, and an annual congress. Its core offerings include the Werk in Transitie Monitor (a scientifically validated digital survey), the Kennisbank knowledge platform, The Workplace Game, the Werkplekwijzer tool, multi-year partner research programs with public sector organizations, and the Friend of CFPB membership program.

Product overview

CFPB (Center for People and Buildings) is the Dutch national knowledge center for people, work, and work environments, operating under the motto 'Weten wat werkt' (Knowing what works). The organization functions as a research institute rather than a commercial product company. Its core offerings include the Kennisbank online knowledge platform providing access to publications and reports; the Werk in Transitie Monitor, a scientifically validated digital survey tool; The Workplace Game for team discussions on workspace usage; the Werkplekwijzer tool for workplace guidance; and various knowledge-sharing services including Partner Programs with government organizations, Kenniskringen (knowledge circles), and the annual IMPULS strategic meeting. Research is organized around four themes: Het kantoor (The Office), De plaats van werk (The Place of Work), De organisatie van werk (The Organization of Work), and Welzijn en gezondheid (Well-being and Health).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Werk in Transitie (WiT): Collective research program on changes in work and work environment, conducted in collaboration with TU Delft and TU Eindhoven.
• Werk in Transitie Monitor
• The Workplace Game
• Werkplekwijzer
• CFPB Jaarcongres

Products and services

• Kennisbank (Knowledge Bank) Online knowledge platform (kennisbank.cfpb.nl) providing public access to CFPB's research publications, reports, and articles on people, work, and work environments. Houses the foundation's 25 years of accumulated research outputs and serves as the primary information hub for partners and the broader public.
• Werk in Transitie Monitor Scientifically validated digital questionnaire/survey collecting insights on hybrid work, people, work, and work environment. Contains modules on Employee & Organization, Workplace, Collaboration, Leadership, and Health. Developed in collaboration with TU Delft and TU Eindhoven; dataset from 2023-2025 contains over 31,000 completed surveys.
• The Workplace Game Interactive tool developed by CFPB that helps teams discuss workspace usage, expectations, and behavioral agreements. Used to facilitate dialogue about hybrid work arrangements and workplace norms.
• Werkplekwijzer (Workplace Guide) Tool helping organizations and employees navigate workplace decisions and choices. Supports decision-making around workplace design and utilization.
• Partner Programs (Partnerprogramma's) Multi-year collaborative research programs with Dutch public sector organizations for systematic knowledge development on people, work, and work environment. Partners contribute organizational access and data in exchange for exclusive research findings, Kenniskring access, and congress attendance.
• Kenniskringen (Knowledge Circles) Expert meetings bringing together researchers and professionals to explore current research questions and share insights on workplace topics. Held regularly throughout the year on themes such as collaboration, workplace change, and work performance.
• IMPULS Strategic Meeting Annual strategic meeting for decision-makers to discuss strategic choices in hybrid work environments, featuring presentations, workshops, and networking for executives, directors, and strategic advisors from facility management, HR, real estate, and IT.
• Friend of CFPB Membership Membership program for organizations seeking access to independent research, early insights into new themes, reflection on own vision and approach, and collective learning with other public organizations and service providers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Research shows that a flex factor of 0.5 is feasible when sharing of the work environment is well organized.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments2 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

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CFD (Centrum voor Facilitaire Dienstverlening) - BelastingdienstcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2003Since 2003, CFPB and CFD (Belastingdienst) have collaborated on systematic knowledge development about the relationship between people, work, and work environment. The partnership focuses on the user perspective: how employees work, where they work, and what they need. Research includes the Werk in Transitie Monitor, location choice analyses, and evaluations of experimental work environments.
• DGDOO (Directoraat-generaal Digitalisering en Overheidsorganisatie) - Ministerie van BZKcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe knowledge partnership with DGDOO develops systematic knowledge and instruments for the physical work environment of the Dutch central government. The program focuses on monitoring and evaluation, further development of frameworks and instruments, and knowledge transfer. Research covers activity profiles, location choices, occupancy, usage, and user experience.
• Rijksvastgoedbedrijf (RVB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe partnership with RVB focuses on translating knowledge into concrete quality criteria for the work environment in government real estate and furnishing projects. CFPB supports RVB in developing insight into how work environments are actually used and valued, and what this means for the design and management of government offices.
• TU DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFPB collaborates with TU Delft on the Werk in Transitie research program. TU Delft contributes to the development and validation of the Werk in Transitie Monitor and participates in joint research and publications.
• TU EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFPB collaborates with TU Eindhoven on the Werk in Transitie research program. TU Eindhoven co-developed the Werk in Transitie Monitor and contributes to research on workplace performance and health.
• Nationale PolitieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Nationale Politie participates in the Werk in Transitie collective research program, contributing to empirical data collection on hybrid working patterns in law enforcement.
• SSC-ICTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSSC-ICT (ICT service provider for nine ministries, ~300 locations, 59,000 users) presented at a CFPB Kenniskring on supporting hybrid work of civil servants. The collaboration demonstrates how ICT infrastructure enables hybrid work across the Dutch government.
• Dienst Justitiële Inrichtingen (DJI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDJI served as the host and case study for CFPB's fourth Kenniskring of 2025 on the theme of workplace change as behavioral change. DJI successfully reduced its flex factor from 0.75 to 0.5 across its headquarters.
• RijkswaterstaatminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRijkswaterstaat presented at CFPB's IMPULS 2026 meeting on its Hybricks program, which experiments with small-scale modular adjustments in existing furnishings to create better-fitting work environments.
• FM HaaglandenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFM Haaglanden supports organizations (including DJI) in translating functional requirements into feasible facility designs. Presented at a CFPB Kenniskring on the collaboration between facility providers and client organizations.
• PROCOS GroupminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPROCOS Group (35 years of experience in workplace strategy, facility, and real estate) became the first 'Friend of CFPB' in 2026. The membership provides access to independent research, early insights, and collective learning with other organizations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Others

• CoreNet Global: CoreNet Global is a knowledge association for corporate real estate and workplace strategy professionals, operating research, events, and learning communities—comparable in mission and member-based model to CFPB.
• Haworth: Haworth operates a workplace research and knowledge platform producing studies on workplace strategy, hybrid work, and office design—comparable in scope and function to CFPB's research outputs.
• MillerKnoll: MillerKnoll (Herman Miller + Knoll) publishes extensive workplace research and thought leadership on hybrid work, collaboration, and office design, making it an adjacent research-knowledge peer to CFPB.
• IFMA (International Facility Management Association): IFMA is the global facility management association producing research, certifications, and knowledge communities on the work environment—adjacent to CFPB's focus on people, work, and workplace.
• Steelcase: Steelcase operates one of the most prominent workplace research programs (360° Magazine, Workplace Index) studying how people work and how space affects performance—overlapping with CFPB's research themes around office and workplace strategy.

Direct peers

• Leesman: Leesman is a workplace experience measurement and benchmarking firm that runs large-scale employee workplace surveys, directly comparable to CFPB's Werk in Transitie Monitor and workplace research offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Cushman & Wakefield: Cushman & Wakefield runs a global workplace strategy and experience practice and produces workplace research reports, comparable to CFPB's employer-side advisory and research services.
• CBRE: CBRE operates a global workplace and occupancy consulting practice and publishes workplace research, competing with CFPB for advisory mandates from large government and corporate occupiers.
• JLL (Jones Lang LaSalle): JLL is a global commercial real estate services firm with a workplace strategy practice and published workplace research, serving corporate occupiers including government entities—a broad incumbent competitor for workplace advisory work.

Regional players

• Facility Management Nederland: Facility Management Nederland is the Dutch professional association for facility management, operating knowledge programs, research, and community events in the Dutch market—a directly comparable regional knowledge-network peer.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/center-for-people-and-buildings

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Center for People and Buildings(CFPB)