Utrecht Natuurlijk

What Utrecht Natuurlijk does

Utrecht Natuurlijk (legal entity: Stichting Utrecht Natuurlijk) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation established in 2014 that operates an integrated network of urban nature infrastructure across the city of Utrecht. Its core offering consists of five city farms (stadsboerderijen) — Griftsteede, Koppelsteede, Eilandsteede, Steede Hoge Woerd, and a fifth location — and six city gardens (stadstuinen) including Stadstuin Zuilen, Stadstuin Kanaalweg, Stadstuin Klopvaart, Stadstuin Plutodreef, and Kasteeltuin Nijevelt. All locations are freely accessible, with free entry and a mix of free and paid activities ranging from €0.50 harvest stalls to €250 multi-day masterclasses. The organization runs animal husbandry, community-supported agriculture (CSA), farm shops (boerderijwinkels), and farm cafés on site.

The foundation serves a broad base of Utrecht residents with a primary focus on primary school children (ages 4-12), families with children, adults and seniors seeking nature-based learning, corporate teams, and out-of-school care providers. Its flagship nature and sustainability education program (NDE) is delivered directly to all Utrecht primary schools through an annually refreshed program book, with structured curriculum-aligned lessons. Additional services include thematic workshops (gardening, urban wildlife, urban food, green city), seasonal summer programs, children's birthday parties, venue rentals, corporate team-building, guided regional excursions, and rotating exhibitions of local artists.

Revenue is generated through five streams: (1) operational subsidies from the Municipality of Utrecht plus access to the Initiatievenfonds, (2) paid activity fees and workshop tuition, (3) farm shop and café sales of fresh produce and refreshments, (4) space and venue rentals, and (5) donations including a U-pas discount scheme for low-income residents. Go-to-market is community-led and event-driven, leveraging free on-site access, social media (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, LinkedIn, Bluesky), an email newsletter, direct distribution of program materials to schools, and partnerships with BuurtNatuur030, IVN Natuureducatie, K.F. Hein Fonds, and the Groen aan de Buurt program. The organization is governed by a supervisory board chaired by Janine Caalders, with Miranda Broekhuizen serving as general coordinator for business partnerships and Kasper Steenbergen as program maker for exhibitions and artistic programming.

Name

Utrecht Natuurlijk

Legal name

Stichting Utrecht Natuurlijk

Website

https://utrechtnatuurlijk.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Utrecht Natuurlijk is a Dutch nonprofit foundation operating five city farms and six city gardens across Utrecht, offering free-entry nature experiences, curriculum-aligned school education programs, workshops, farm shops, and community events to local families, schools, and visitors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Nature Education and Community Agriculture

NAICS

Nature Parks and Other Similar Institutions (712190), Landscaping Services (561730), Zoos and Botanical Gardens (712130)

SIC

Agricultural Services (700), Agricultural Prod-Livestock & Animal Specialties (200), Agricultural Production-Crops (100)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature-Based / Forest School Early Learning Programs (EDACADAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Urban & Community Reforestation / Street Tree Planting (AFAMACAL), Native, Pollinator & Drought-Tolerant Garden Installations (HSAIAFAL)

Keywords

• Urban agriculture
• Nature education
• City farms
• Community gardens
• Environmental programs

Headquarters

HQ city

De Meern

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Subsidies and Grants: As a foundation (Stichting Utrecht Natuurlijk), the organization operates with support from municipal subsidies, particularly from the Municipality of Utrecht. They also reference various grant programs and the Initiatievenfonds for project funding.
2. Activity Fees and Workshops: Revenue is generated from paid activities including workshops, courses, summer programs for children, expert-led excursions, and special events. Prices range from free to €250 for multi-day masterclasses.
3. Farm Shops and Hospitality: On-site farm shops (boerderijwinkels) and farm cafés generate revenue from the sale of fresh produce, local products, and refreshments at various locations.
4. Space Rentals: Revenue from renting event spaces, party rooms, and outdoor areas for children's birthday parties, corporate events, and community gatherings.
5. Donations and Gifts: The foundation accepts donations from supporters and operates a donation system for specific projects such as the natural playground (modderkeuken). They are partnered with the U-pas discount scheme for low-income residents.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Utrecht Natuurlijk is a foundation that operates five city farms (stadsboerderijen) and six city gardens (stadstuinen) distributed across Utrecht, providing free-entry urban nature experiences including animal encounters, on-site farm shops and cafés, and nature education programming. The organization runs paid activities such as workshops, courses, summer programs for children, masterclasses, guided excursions, and venue rentals, while also delivering curriculum-aligned nature education programs for primary schools across Utrecht.

Product overview

Utrecht Natuurlijk is a foundation managing five urban farms (stadsboerderijen) and six city gardens (stadstuinen) across Utrecht. The organization offers free-entry nature experiences including animal encounters, nature education programs for schools and families, workshops, seasonal activities, and hospitality services (farm shops, cafes, rentals). The core offering consists of physical locations and their activity programs, supplemented by thematic projects, art exhibitions, and regional excursions. The organization does not appear to offer a digital software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• City Farms (Stadsboerderijen) Five urban farms across Utrecht (including Griftsteede, Koppelsteede, Eilandsteede, and Steede Hoge Woerd) offering free admission, animal encounters, nature education, on-site farm shops, and cafés for individual visitors and families.
• City Gardens (Stadstuinen) Six urban gardens across Utrecht (including Stadstuin Zuilen, Stadstuin Kanaalweg, Stadstuin Klopvaart, and Stadstuin Plutodreef) offering free access to garden plots, flower picking gardens, harvest stalls, and educational programs for visitors.
• Activities, Workshops and Excursions Paid nature and sustainability activities for all ages, including workshops, expert-led excursions, summer programs, yoga, bird safaris, multi-day masterclasses (e.g., €250 Cyanotype), and online courses (e.g., €79 grass/sedge/rush identification course).
• School Nature Education Program (NDE) Curriculum-aligned nature and sustainability lessons for primary schools, delivered on-site at schools or at city farms and gardens, with a new programmaboek distributed annually to all Utrecht primary schools (next edition for 2026-2027).
• Farm Shops and Farm Cafés (Boerderijwinkels) On-site farm shops (boerderijwinkels) selling fresh local produce and farm cafés offering refreshments and terraces where visitors can bring their own food and drinks.
• Venue Rental and Children's Birthday Parties Rental of indoor and outdoor event spaces, including dedicated verjaardagskisten (children's birthday party packages), at city farm and garden locations.
• Corporate Team Building Activities Structured team-building and CSR activities for businesses, including garden maintenance, construction projects, and environmental improvement work at city farm and garden locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Free entry to all locations ensures universal accessibility regardless of financial means
• +1 more outcomes

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• U-pascoreGTM or Marketing PartnerUtrecht Natuurlijk is a partner of U-pas, a discount pass for residents with low incomes in Utrecht. Through this partnership, U-pas holders can participate in paid activities at discounted rates, supporting the organization's mission of universal accessibility to nature experiences.
• BuurtNatuur030coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBuurtNatuur030 is a network connecting green neighborhood initiatives across Utrecht. Utrecht Natuurlijk collaborates with this network to support and promote urban greening projects and connects citizens with local sustainability opportunities.
• Gemeente Utrecht (Municipality of Utrecht)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Municipality of Utrecht provides key support including operational subsidies and access to the Initiatievenfonds for community projects. Utrecht Natuurlijk operates in alignment with municipal urban greening and sustainability strategies.
• IVN NatuureducatieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIVN Nature Education organizes national citizen science initiatives including Slootjesdagen (ditch days), Nacht van de Nacht (Night of the Night), and Tuinvlindertelling (garden butterfly count) that are promoted through Utrecht Natuurlijk's platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Stichting Vogelbescherming Nederland: National Dutch bird conservation foundation. Operates citizen science programs and education channels that overlap with Utrecht Natuurlijk's bird safaris, butterfly counts, and school nature programs.
• Natuurmonumenten: The largest Dutch nature conservation organization, managing nature reserves, education programs, and volunteer networks nationwide. Operates at much larger scale but shares Utrecht Natuurlijk's mission of public nature access, education, and biodiversity advocacy.
• Stichting LandschappenNL: Federation of regional Dutch landscape conservation organizations. Comparable nonprofit governance, municipal/provincial funding, and education/outreach mission centered on public access to nature.
• De Vlinderstichting: Dutch butterfly and insect conservation foundation running the Tuinvlindertelling citizen science program that Utrecht Natuurlijk helps promote. Similar nonprofit, education-driven model focused on urban biodiversity engagement.
• RHS (Royal Horticultural Society): UK gardening charity operating public gardens with education programs, school outreach, and membership/donation funding. Comparable nonprofit operating model combining public gardens, education, and community engagement at national scale.
• ARK Natuurontwikkeling: Dutch foundation focused on nature development and restoration, with strong overlap in urban greening and biodiversity themes. Comparable nonprofit foundation structure and municipal/provincial funding model.

Direct peers

• Stichting De Eetbare Stad: Amsterdam-based nonprofit operating urban food gardens and edible city farms with free or low-cost community access. Closely mirrors Utrecht Natuurlijk's city-farm + city-garden model and serves an analogous role in another major Dutch city's urban greening ecosystem.
• IVN Natuureducatie: National Dutch nature education foundation and a named strategic partner of Utrecht Natuurlijk. Both organizations deliver curriculum-aligned nature education programs, run citizen science initiatives (Slootjesdagen, Nacht van de Nacht, Tuinvlindertelling), and target the same school and family audiences in the Netherlands.

Emerging players

• Brooklyn Grange: US commercial urban rooftop farming and education operator. Comparable urban agriculture + education model, though for-profit rather than nonprofit. Useful benchmark for monetization of urban farm programming.
• Eden Project: UK-based educational eco-attraction combining botanical gardens, sustainability exhibits, and education programming. Conceptually similar — a public-facing nature complex combining gardens, education, retail/hospitality, and community programming — though operating at much larger scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xbsky.app/profile/utrechtnatuurlijk.nl
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC1L4lXfEYMvpQ12iAkfCrOg
• Facebookfacebook.com/utrechtnatuurlijk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/utrecht-natuurlijk
• Instagraminstagram.com/utrechtnatuurlijk

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 Utrecht Natuurlijk