AVC Heracles

What AVC Heracles does

AVC Heracles is a Dutch amateur football association (vereniging) headquartered at Sportlaan 1 in Almelo, Overijssel, and is the oldest football club in Almelo, tracing its origins to a 1903 founding as Hollandia (later Hercules and then Heracles from 1906). The club serves the Almelose community through an age-cohort team pyramid spanning Mini's (JO7), pupils (JO8-JO13), juniors (JO14-JO19, MO15, MO20), senior men's squads across Saturday, Sunday and Friday 7x7 formats, veteran teams (35+, 45+), a women's senior side (VR25+), and the Oald Stars Walking Football program for members aged 55+. Operations run on a four-field sports complex (two artificial turf, two natural grass), a clubhouse (De Kicker), a canteen open Thursday through Sunday, and on-site physiotherapy through Fysiotherapie De Graven Esch; the complex includes a 1925 English grandstand that is a National Monument. Technology is limited to standard amateur-club platforms: Sportlink for member administration and competition scheduling, a TeamSportFabriek webshop for merchandise, and KNVB federation integration for competition entry.

The business model is a non-profit member-funded operating structure with four revenue streams: recurring membership subscriptions tiered by age and playing status (€42 donateur, €65 non-playing/65+, €139 pupils under 7 up to €324 senior playing, with family discounts of 10-20% and one-time registration fees of €19.03-€25); sponsorship income across a formalized product line ranging from €75 field-division stickers to a €750 total-package deal, anchored by three named main sponsors (Flexvisie, GP Plant, Voskamp Vastgoed); transactional canteen revenue staffed by volunteers; and ancillary income from a Vrienden supporters tier at €25/season, webshop merchandise, and an affiliate contribution from VriendenLoterij (minimum 40% per participating ticket at €16). Go-to-market is community-led: word-of-mouth, the official website, social media, the annual Almeloos Feestje community event, and KNVB competition participation drive member acquisition. The club is governed by a member-elected board (currently with a Chairman vacancy following Jan Smelt's departure), supported by an extensive volunteer commission structure covering technical football affairs, sponsors, clothing, activities, maintenance, communications, and a confidential counselor.

Customer concentration is structurally low on the member side (800+ members distributed across ~40+ teams and all age cohorts) but moderately concentrated on the revenue side around three named main sponsors and a small set of higher-tier sponsorship buyers. The organization has roughly five paid staff, with operations heavily reliant on volunteers, including a structured pipeline of 12-30 year-old volunteers through the Noaberdeal partnership with FC Noaber under the Dutch Ministry of OCW's MDT program. AVC Heracles is a member association under Dutch Chamber of Commerce number 40074080, GDPR (AVG) compliant, and operationally distinct from the professional SC Heracles'74 that separated in 1974.

Name

AVC Heracles

Legal name

avc Heracles

Website

https://avcheracles.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1903

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AVC Heracles is a non-profit amateur football association in Almelo, Netherlands, founded in 1903, serving 800+ members across a full age-cohort pyramid (Mini's to veterans and 55+ walking football) via membership fees, sponsorships, and canteen operations on a four-field community sports complex.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Amateur Football Club Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (713940), Sports Teams and Clubs (711211)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYMPAKACAE

Local Amateur Clubs & Community Sports Organizations

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Collegiate & Amateur Sports Organizations (NCAA, Federations, Clubs)

SECONDARYMPAKAFAF

Amateur & Grassroots Sport Associations (Community/Youth Governing Orgs)

Media, Entertainment & Sports/Sports (Leagues, Teams, Events, Venues)/Sports Rights Holders & Governing Bodies (Federations, Associations, Sanctioning Bodies)

Keywords

• Amateur football club
• Youth football programs
• Walking football
• Community sports membership
• Recreational football association

Headquarters

HQ city

Almelo

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: The club generates primary revenue through membership fees charged per season, with different rates for age groups and playing/non-playing status. Fees range from €139 for children under 7 to €324 for senior playing members. Non-playing members pay €65 annually.
2. Sponsorship revenue: The club receives sponsorship income through various packages including field banners, flagpole sponsorship, and total packages. Main sponsors include Flexvisie, GP Plant, and Voskamp Vastgoed. Sponsorship costs range from €75 to €750 excluding VAT.
3. Canteen operations: The club operates a canteen (kantine) that generates revenue from sales during training days, matches, and events. The canteen is staffed by volunteers and has regular opening hours.
4. VriendenLoterij partnership: Through the VriendenLoterij lottery partnership, the club receives contributions for each new participant who supports the club through the lottery (minimum 40% contribution).
5. Vrienden (Friends) membership: The club offers a 'Vrienden van AVC Heracles' program where individuals can support the club for €25 per season, receiving recognition on the club's friend board.
6. Merchandise/webshop: The club operates a webshop through TeamSportFabriek for club clothing and merchandise sales.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AVC Heracles is a Dutch amateur football association (vereniging) that provides organized football training and KNVB-affiliated competition programs for players of all ages, from youth (age 6) through seniors, veterans (35+, 45+), and a specialized walking football program for the 55+ demographic. The club operates a four-field sport complex (two artificial turf, two natural grass), a 1925 English grandstand (National Monument), a volunteer-staffed canteen, on-site physiotherapy, sponsorship placements, a merchandise webshop, and a 'Vrienden' supporting membership tier.

Product overview

AVC Heracles is a football (soccer) club offering a comprehensive range of membership programs. The core offering centers on organized football participation across multiple age groups and skill levels, from Mini's (starting age 6) through Senior teams, plus specialized Walking Football for members 55+. The club operates a multi-team infrastructure with youth teams (pupillen and junioren), senior squads competing in various Saturday and Sunday leagues, and veteran leagues (35+, 45+). Supporting services include club facilities (4-field sport complex with artificial and natural turf, historical grandstand), sponsorship packages, physiotherapy services, and social activities. The club's approximately 800 members participate through various membership tiers with fees structured by age group and activity type.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AVC Heracles Football Club Membership Annual club membership providing organized football training, KNVB-affiliated matches, and access to club facilities for players of all ages, from youth (age 6) through seniors (18+), including veteran leagues (35+, 45+) and a walking football program for 55+ members.
• Walking Football (Oald Stars) Specialized walking football program for members aged 55 and older, offering weekly Wednesday training sessions, social activities before and after training, and annual walking football tournaments. Described as one of the largest walking football clubs in Twente.
• Sponsorship Packages Tiered sponsorship offerings for local businesses including field division board stickers (€75), field banners (€150-€350), flagpole sponsorship (€350), and a total package (€750) per season excluding VAT, all of which include website mention and narrowcasting exposure.
• Friends of AVC Heracles (Vrienden) Annual supporting membership at €25 per season for individuals or teams wishing to contribute to club activities, with recognition on the supporters board.
• Club Merchandise Club-branded football kits, training gear, and goalkeeper gloves sold through the online webshop hosted at TeamSportFabriek and managed by the club's clothing commission (kledingcommissie).
• Physiotherapy Services On-site physiotherapy services provided by physiotherapist Timo Protzman of Fysiotherapie De Graven Esch, including a Thursday evening walk-in clinic (19:30-20:00) and field rehabilitation session (20:00-21:00) for members and players.
• Sport Complex Facilities and Canteen Multi-field sports complex featuring two artificial turf fields and two natural grass fields, the 1925 English grandstand (a National Monument), and a volunteer-staffed club canteen open Thursday through Sunday serving members and visitors during training days, matches, and events.
• Annual Membership Contributions (Contributie) Age-tiered annual subscription fees ranging from €139 for children under 7 to €324 for senior playing members, with €65 for non-playing members and 65+ supporters and €42 for Donateur supporters; one-time registration fees of €19.03 (pupils) or €25 (juniors/seniors) apply separately; family discounts of 10% (3 members) or 20% (4+ members) are available on the same household.

Named customers2 records

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

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• FC NoabercoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 May 2026Partnership through the Noaberdeal program - a Social Service Time (MDT) project where young people (12-30 years) do 80 hours of volunteer work at the club in exchange for a monthly allowance (€40) and training opportunities. MDT is a program of the Ministry of OCW.
• FlexvisiemajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsor of AVC Heracles. Flexvisie is an employment agency that supports the club through sponsorship arrangements.
• GP PlantmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsor of AVC Heracles. GP Plant is a plant-related business supporting the club through sponsorship.
• Voskamp VastgoedmajorGTM or Marketing PartnerMain sponsor of AVC Heracles. Voskamp Vastgoed (real estate) supports the club as a main sponsor.
• Fysiotherapie De Graven EschcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhysiotherapy partnership providing on-site services including Thursday evening walk-in clinic (19:30-20:00) and field rehabilitation (20:00-21:00). Physiotherapist Timo Protzman provides services at the club for injury prevention and treatment.
• VriendenLoterijminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe VriendenLoterij is the 'club friend' of Dutch amateur football. For each new participant who plays through the club, AVC Heracles receives a contribution (minimum 40%). The lottery costs €16 per ticket.
• Preston PalaceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPreston Palace provides support to the Oald Stars Walking Football team, enabling them to obtain new sports clothing.
• KNVBcoreOthersRoyal Dutch Football Association - the governing body for football in the Netherlands. AVC Heracles is affiliated and participates in KNVB-organized competitions.
• Sportlink ServicescoreTechnology or IntegrationDigital platform provider for club management, member administration, competition schedules, and results.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• TeamSportFabriek: Dutch club apparel and merchandise supplier operating the webshop through which AVC Heracles sells branded kits and gear. Comparable as a typical service provider to Dutch amateur football clubs.
• FC Noaber: Dutch MDT (Social Service Time) program partner that places young volunteers (12–30) at amateur sports clubs including AVC Heracles. Directly comparable as a programmatic enabler for amateur football volunteer pipelines.
• VriendenLoterij: Dutch charity lottery that partners with amateur sports clubs (designated 'club vriend') — provides a recurring affiliate-revenue stream used by AVC Heracles and similar clubs. Relevant as an ecosystem partner.
• KNVB: Royal Dutch Football Association — the governing body for football in the Netherlands. AVC Heracles and every comparable Dutch amateur club are KNVB affiliates; relevant as the shared regulatory/competition framework for the category.

Direct peers

• DETO Twenterand: Amateur football club from the Twente/Overijssel region with a comparable multi-team youth-to-senior structure, KNVB affiliation, and community-based operating model. Most direct comparable as a regional amateur peer.
• SC Heracles'74: Professional football club in Almelo that split off from AVC Heracles in 1974. Same city, same 'Heracles' brand heritage, and historically linked — directly comparable in football operations and geographic market, though at the professional level.
• Quick'20 Oldenzaal: Established amateur football club in Oldenzaal (Twente region) operating youth, senior, and women's teams through KNVB competitions — comparable structure, scale, and member-based revenue model.
• Achilles'12: Groenlo-based amateur football club with a long history and similar multi-tier membership (youth, senior, walking football). Comparable Dutch amateur association operating model in the eastern Netherlands.

Broad incumbents

• Go Ahead Eagles: Professional club from Deventer (Overijssel). While professional, it operates in the same regional Dutch amateur football feeder ecosystem as AVC Heracles and competes for the same Overijssel sponsorship and community attention.
• FC Twente: Major professional football club based in Enschede (Twente region). Same regional catchment and KNVB ecosystem but operates at professional scale; relevant for understanding regional football economics and sponsorship benchmarks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/avcheracles
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avc-heracles

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 AVC Heracles