Bureau Beke

What Bureau Beke does

Bureau Beke is a Dutch research and consultancy firm founded in 1987 by Balthazar Beke and headquartered in Arnhem, Netherlands. The firm specializes exclusively in safety, crime, and risk analysis, operating as a boutique consultancy rather than a software or product company. Its service portfolio spans scientific research, policy and enforcement decision support, methodology and instrument development, training, and project guidance — delivered through a multidisciplinary team of criminologists, psychologists, lawyers, and sociologists.

The firm is privately held and operates as a subsidiary within the Veiligheid en Handhaving Groep (VHG), a diversified safety and enforcement group. Ownership passed from founder Balthazar Beke to Henk Ferwerda (full ownership by 2003), and since 2022 the directorship has been shared between Henk Ferwerda and Gert-Jan Schippers. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the company self-describes as a "middelgroot" (medium-sized) Dutch bureau.

Bureau Beke's customer base is almost entirely Dutch public sector: municipalities (Dordrecht, Zeist, Den Helder, Amsterdam, Rotterdam, Arnhem, and others), national ministries and agencies (WODC, Politie, OM, COA, VWS, RIEC), healthcare bodies (GGD Amsterdam), and semi-public institutions (NS, KNVB, Halt, universities). Work is delivered through project-based consulting engagements, with outputs including publications, podcasts (notably "Het Misdaadbureau"), and evaluation studies. Geographic footprint is primarily Netherlands, with a recent Caribbean engagement (Aruba).

Name

Bureau Beke

Legal name

Bureau Beke

Website

https://beke.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Bureau Beke is a privately held Dutch research and consultancy firm, founded in 1987 and based in Arnhem, that delivers multidisciplinary research, policy support, and evaluation services on safety and crime to Dutch government agencies, municipalities, and public-sector institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Safety and Crime Research Consultancy

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Safety Compliance, Audits & Risk Assessments (Security Assessments, CPTED) (EDAEACAN)

akta.pro secondary industry

Financial Crime & Fraud Prevention (Forensics, Investigations) (EDABAJAK)

Keywords

• Crime research consultancy
• Public safety research
• Organized crime analysis
• Youth crime prevention
• Security policy advisory

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnhem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels2 records

Core offering

Bureau Beke delivers applied research, advisory, and evaluation services focused on safety and crime issues for Dutch government bodies, municipalities, and public institutions. Its multidisciplinary team of criminologists, psychologists, lawyers, and sociologists conducts scientific studies, develops methodologies and instruments, supports policy and enforcement decision-making, and provides training and project guidance on topics such as organized crime, youth crime, and public safety around facilities.

Product overview

Bureau Beke is a mid-sized research and advisory firm specializing in safety and crime-related issues, founded in 1987 and based in Arnhem, Netherlands. The company operates as a consultancy rather than a software product company, offering scientific research, policy and enforcement decision support, methodology and instrument development, training, and project guidance services. The firm works with a multidisciplinary team of criminologists, psychologists, lawyers, and sociologists. Their work includes publications, podcasts (such as 'Het Misdaadbureau'), research projects, and evaluations for government agencies and municipalities. No distinct branded software products, platforms, or modules were identified in the provided source material.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Scientific research on safety and crime

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Veiligheid en Handhaving Groep (VHG)coreOthersBureau Beke is a subsidiary/part of of the Veiligheid en Handhaving Groep (Safety and Enforcement Group), a larger organization combining multiple entities focused on safety and enforcement research and services.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• DSP-groep: Amsterdam-based research and consultancy firm operating across social domain, safety, and public administration for Dutch government clients. Direct peer because it competes for similar policy research, evaluation, and methodology development assignments in the public sector.
• Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF): Dutch public sector consultancy advising government and semi-public organizations on policy, safety, justice, and organizational questions. Direct peer given overlapping safety/crime mandates, similar client base of ministries and municipalities, and comparable project-based consulting delivery model.
• Significant: Dutch consultancy supporting public sector clients in policy, IT, and organizational transformation, with strong government footprint. Direct peer for Bureau Beke given competition for Dutch public-sector advisory assignments and similar professional-services delivery model.
• BMC: Large Dutch public sector advisory firm supporting municipalities, ministries, and semi-public organizations on management, HR, and policy. Direct peer as it competes for Dutch public-sector advisory mandates, including in safety/justice domains.
• Verwey-Jonker Instituut: Dutch applied research institute conducting social-scientific research on safety, youth, and societal issues for government and civil society. Direct peer given the overlap in applied research on crime, youth, and safety topics commissioned by Dutch public bodies.
• Pro Facto: Dutch research and consultancy firm focused on healthcare law, criminal law, and youth protection policy for government and justice-sector clients. Direct peer given overlapping focus on justice-adjacent research, evaluation, and policy support for Dutch public bodies.
• AT Osborne: Dutch independent consultancy advising public sector clients across infrastructure, safety, and governance. Direct peer as it competes for similar Dutch public-sector mandates and shares a boutique advisory positioning.

Broad incumbents

• Ecorys: Large international research and consulting firm with a strong Dutch public sector practice covering safety, justice, and social policy. Broad incumbent peer given its much larger scale, broader portfolio, and competition with Bureau Beke on certain government evaluation tenders.
• TNO: Dutch applied scientific research organization conducting large-scale, multi-disciplinary research for government and industry, including in safety and security domains. Broad incumbent because it competes for the same government-funded applied research mandates but with vastly greater scale and scope.

Others

• WODC: Scientific Research and Documentation Centre of the Dutch Ministry of Justice and Security, which both commissions research from firms like Bureau Beke and conducts its own applied studies. Included as an 'Others' because, while it is currently a Bureau Beke client (WODC), it is also an adjacent research ecosystem participant shaping demand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bureau-beke
• Xx.com/bureaubeke

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Bureau Beke