What Dutch Design Week does

Dutch Design Week (DDW) is an annual nine-day design festival held each October in Eindhoven, Netherlands, organized since 2001 by the Dutch Design Foundation (DDF), a non-profit organization. The event operates as a city-wide platform across 120+ venues including Klokgebouw, Strijp-S, Microlab Hall, and Ketelhuisplein, attracting 300,000+ international visitors and showcasing work across disciplines spanning speculative design, industrial design, architecture, bio design, fashion, food, mobility, and AI design. The 25th edition (DDW25) took place in October 2025, with DDW26 scheduled for 17–25 October 2026.

The core product is the festival itself, augmented by a portfolio of sub-brands and digital products: My DDW (personalized participant and press accounts), the DDW mobile app, DDW Young (educational program with lesson plans for primary through HBO levels), Design Rides (guided taxi and walking tours), and the Dutch Design Awards. The organization operates a Coalition Partner Program with Co/Labs creative engine rooms that connects brands with a 10,000+ designer network for co-creation on sustainability and innovation challenges, and a Brand Partner Program offering tiered sponsorship visibility. Back-end operations rely on the Inzetrooster volunteer management platform, thonik for brand identity, and Verve for digital development.

DDW's revenue model combines four streams: flagship corporate partnerships and sponsorships (Rabobank as main sponsor, Vattenfall, Secrid), Coalition and Brand Partner Program fees, passe-partout ticket sales granting access to all venues, and public subsidies and fund grants from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, Gemeente Eindhoven, Provincie Noord-Brabant, Fonds 21, and Brabant C. The customer base spans individual designers and creative professionals, corporate brands seeking innovation positioning, design academies and universities, government bodies, and the general public. DDW serves as both a cultural platform and a B2B engagement channel, with partners cited as gaining exposure to 300,000+ visitors, 3.5 million owned-channel impressions, and 315+ press attendees annually.

Name

Dutch Design Week

Legal name

Dutch Design Foundation

Website

https://ddw.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Dutch Design Week is an annual nine-day design festival held in Eindhoven, Netherlands, organized by the non-profit Dutch Design Foundation since 2001. It serves designers, creative professionals, corporate partners, educational institutions, and the general public across 120+ venues, attracting 300,000+ international visitors annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Design Festival (Cultural Events)

NAICS

Tour Operators (56152)

akta.pro primary industry

Event Technical Production Management & Crew (MPAGAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Industrial/Product & Furniture Design (BPAHAKAM)

Keywords

• Design festival
• Cultural event management
• Design partnerships
• Creative exhibitions
• Design education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Eindhoven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Partner Sponsorship: Brand partnerships and sponsorships providing exposure to 300,000+ international visitors, media coverage and innovation positioning
2. Ticket Sales: Visitor ticket sales for the 9-day festival with passe-partout access to all locations
3. Coalition Partnership Programs: Extended partnership programs connecting brands with 10,000+ designer network through Co/Labs creative sessions

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Dutch Design Week (DDW) operates an annual nine-day design festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands, featuring exhibitions, talks, workshops, and installations across 120+ venues citywide. The event is anchored by partnership programs (Brand Partner and Coalition Partner tiers) that connect companies with a 10,000+ network of designers, supplemented by visitor ticket access, the DDW Young educational program, and curated Design Rides tours.

Product overview

Dutch Design Week (DDW) is a single unified event platform centered around an annual nine-day design festival in Eindhoven, Netherlands. The platform encompasses core event programming across 120+ locations, supplemented by participant management (My DDW), youth education initiatives (DDW Young), guided city tours (Design Rides), and partnership programs for brands and organizations. Additional modules include volunteer coordination through Inzetrooster and a mobile app for visitor navigation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DDW Young: Youth programme for children and young people featuring fun, interactive and surprising projects at the festival
• Design Rides
• Dutch Design Awards
• Coalition Partner Programme
• What if Lab

Products and services

• Dutch Design Week (DDW) Annual Festival Annual nine-day design festival in Eindhoven featuring exhibitions, talks, workshops, and installations across 120+ venues; serves international designers, brands, press, policymakers, and design-loving visitors seeking exposure to speculative, industrial, research, and applied design.
• DDW Young Educational Program Educational program during DDW bringing together interactive projects for children and young people, with specially developed lesson plans connecting design, creativity, and technology to classroom education across primary, VMBO, HAVO/VWO, and MBO/HBO levels.
• Design Rides Guided Tours Curated guided tours by bike, on foot, or by taxi through Strijp-S and Eindhoven design locations during DDW, designed for groups, companies, and individual visitors seeking curated access to DDW venues.
• Brand Partner Program Sponsorship tier for corporate brands seeking visibility, audience reach, and innovation positioning through Dutch Design Week, with customized communication packages and access to the 300,000+ visitor audience.
• Coalition Partner Program Collaborative partnership program connecting brands with DDW's 10,000+ network of designers, makers, and innovators through Co/Labs sessions to develop solutions for environmental, social, or innovation challenges.

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered flagship, core and minor.

• RabobankflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerRabobank is a main partner of Dutch Design Week, collaborating through the Embassy of Food and Embassy of Circular & Biobased Building. As transition partners, they work on sustainable living environment perspectives and food system reimagining. Partnership includes support for BURO MISO project by Arne Hendriks exploring miso's role in protein and energy transitions.
• VattenfallflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2023, Vattenfall partners with Dutch Design Foundation to connect design power with energy transition. As Business Partner, Vattenfall collaborates through What if Lab and exhibitions to explore innovative sustainability solutions for the energy sector. Partnership aims to link designers with real-world energy issues and inspire concepts for fossil-free future.
• SecridcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecrid uses design as force for good and invests 1% of revenue in design talent via Impact Fund. Partnership includes Secrid Talent Podium spotlighting talented designers during DDW with coaching and €7,777 cash prize. Also official design partner of What Design Can Do (WDCD) design challenge.
• Dutch Design FoundationflagshipOthersDutch Design Foundation is the parent organization behind Dutch Design Awards and Dutch Design Week. Manages the overall event, partnerships, and design programs including Co/Labs creative engine rooms.
• Ministerie van Onderwijs, Cultuur en WetenschapcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science is a subsidy and fund partner supporting DDW as part of government cultural funding.
• Gemeente EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality of Eindhoven is a partner supporting DDW as the host city and collaborator on Eindhoven Design District initiative.
• Provincie Noord-BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvince of North Brabant is a regional government partner supporting DDW as a cultural and economic initiative for the region.
• Fonds 21minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFonds 21 is an enterprising fund supporting cultural projects with €11.5 million annual donation budget, focusing on Art & Culture, Youth & Society, and Art & Education.
• DezeencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerDezeen is media partner of DDW with 3 million monthly readers and 7 million social media followers. Provides editorial coverage and content about DDW events across 100+ venues.
• thonikcoreTechnology or Integrationthonik is DDW's graphic design partner and art director since 2021, responsible for the DDW brand identity and visual communication.
• Design Academy EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDesign Academy Eindhoven (DAE) is one of world's leading design schools and educational partner of DDW, recognised internationally for forward-thinking approach.
• University of TwenteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Twente connects technology, science and engineering with social sciences as educational partner of DDW.
• TU EindhovencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTU Eindhoven is educational partner of DDW, driving change through solutions with real impact on the world through sustainability, AI, robotics and synthetic biology research.
• TU DelftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTU Delft is oldest and largest technical university in Netherlands with 25,000+ students, educational partner of DDW.
• Park Strijp BeheercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic Private Partnership between VolkerWessels and municipality of Eindhoven managing Microlab Hall, one of DDW's main exhibition locations since 2021.
• Klokgebouw CultuurhallencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKlokgebouw at Strijp-S houses 100+ creative entrepreneurs and is one of largest DDW venues with dozens of designers showing work across four halls.
• TrudominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEindhoven-based housing corporation collaborating as partner for DDW locations at Strijp-S including Ketelhuisplein.
• Bazelmans AVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPreferred supplier for professional image, light and sound supporting Grand Opening and other DDF events and large-scale exhibitions.
• HoevenaarsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEvent production company providing lighting, sound and special effects for Klokgebouw and Ketelhuisplein during DDW.
• MU Hybrid Art HouseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArt institution dedicated to bio art and design, partner of Bio Art & Design (BAD) Award. Dutch Design Foundation is loyal partner of BAD Award.
• CLICKNLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCLICKNL is TKI of Top Sector Creative Industry, partner of Mission Days with Design Innovation Sessions and CreativeNL Live events.
• ArchDailyminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchitecture platform media partner of DDW.
• ArchitonicminorGTM or Marketing PartnerArchitecture and design materials platform media partner of DDW.
• designboomminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDesign media platform media partner of DDW.
• VPROminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDutch public broadcaster VPRO is media partner with 'The World of Dutch Design' program on NPO 2, online reports and VPRO Guide coverage.
• Wilco Art BooksminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigh-quality book production company handling DDW's printed materials including posters and floor plans since 2015.
• New DutchminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational platform for Dutch innovation showcasing new masters and icons. Partnership highlights talents shaping Netherlands' global impact.
• Eindhoven365minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting Eindhoven's position as design capital through Eindhoven Design District initiative.
• Dutch Digital DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProgramme partner contributing to digital development, providing content for DDF programmes and expanding digital network.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Salone del Mobile.Milano (Milan Design Week): The world's largest annual design event held in Milan each April. Operates a similar city-wide festival model with brand partnerships, designer showcases, and hundreds of thousands of international visitors — the closest direct competitor to DDW.
• Vienna Design Week: Annual European design week held in Vienna with city-wide programming, designer showcases, and brand partnership tiers. Similar scale, format, and partnership structure as DDW with comparable Northern European positioning.
• Helsinki Design Week: Annual Nordic design week held in Helsinki with comparable scale, city-wide venue footprint, and partnership-driven revenue model. Closest geographic and structurally-comparable European design week peer to DDW.
• London Design Festival: Annual design festival across London with city-wide venue programming, designer showcases, and brand partnerships. Operates a similar 9-day festival model with sponsor tiers and educational programming equivalent to DDW's structure.
• Design Indaba: Annual design event based in Cape Town with cross-disciplinary programming spanning industrial, speculative, and graphic design. Similar multi-disciplinary design focus and brand-partnership model as DDW.
• Design Miami: Global design fair and festival with strong brand partnership and sponsorship model. Similar event-driven revenue, designer showcase format, and corporate partner activations as DDW, though with a more trade-fair orientation.
• Stockholm Design Week: Annual design week held in Stockholm with city-wide exhibitions and brand partnership activations. Comparable Nordic design week with similar city-festival model and brand-sponsorship revenue approach to DDW.
• Maison & Objet Paris: Biannual design trade fair and showcase in Paris with strong brand sponsorship, designer features, and international audience. Highly comparable event-driven business model focused on design disciplines that DDW covers.
• NYCxDesign: Annual city-wide design festival in New York City with multiple venues, brand partnerships, and educational programming. Comparable multi-venue festival structure and cross-disciplinary design focus as DDW.

Regional players

• Dubai Design Week: Annual design week held in Dubai with comparable city-wide programming, brand partnerships, and international designer showcases. Operates in the Middle East market rather than competing directly in Europe with DDW.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/dutchdesignweek
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dutch-design-week

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Dutch Design Week