Berséba Reformatorisch Samenwerkingsverband PO

What Berséba Reformatorisch Samenwerkingsverband PO does

Berséba Reformatorisch Samenwerkingsverband PO is a Dutch non-profit cooperative founded in 2014 that coordinates inclusive primary education ("passend onderwijs") for the Reformed school segment in the Netherlands. Headquartered in Ede with regional offices, it serves approximately 180 schools (162 primary plus 18 special primary) educating roughly 40,000 students across four designated regions: Noordoost, Midden, Randstad, and Zeeland. Its service portfolio comprises basisondersteuning (basic support), extra support arrangements, specialistisch ambulante begeleiding (specialist ambulatory support), coordination of specialized education, and absenteeism prevention, anchored in the Handelingsgericht Werken (HGW) methodology. Specific programs include JeX (in partnership with Calvijn College), Restart+, Bovenschoolse HB-groepen, and the planned kinderdagcentrum Wemeldinge.

Operationally, the cooperative runs on standard Dutch educational platforms ParnasSys and Kindkans for student tracking and reporting, supplemented by recently added benchmarking through Next School. It maintains partnerships with VGS, Driestar, RefSVO, KOC, CHB, StiBCO, Sardes, SAM, and others that underpin teacher professionalization, masterclasses, conferences, and symposiums.

The business model is a member-owned cooperative funded primarily through Dutch government passend onderwijs subsidies, supplemented by regional subsidies and member-contributed fees, with member schools participating in governance. The cooperative holds a public reserve with a stated €500K floor and projected an approximately €900K surplus for 2025. A new strategic plan (OSP 2027-2031) is in development, and the cooperative is responding to a 2026 Hoge Raad ruling that affects its legal posture. Pricing is per-pupil pass-through governed by national regulation rather than commercial negotiation, making member churn the principal demand-side risk rather than price competition.

Name

Berséba Reformatorisch Samenwerkingsverband PO

Legal name

Berséba Reformatorisch Samenwerkingsverband PO

Website

https://berseba.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Berséba is a Dutch non-profit cooperative coordinating inclusive Reformed primary education for approximately 180 schools serving 40,000 students across four regions, funded primarily by Dutch government passend onderwijs subsidies and member school contributions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Inclusive / Co-Taught Special Education Programs (EDAKAAAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH), Family-School Collaboration & Inclusion Planning Support (EDAKABAK)

Keywords

• Inclusive education coordination
• Primary school support services
• Reformed school network
• Special needs education
• Educational cooperative association

Headquarters

HQ city

Ridderkerk, South Holland

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Contributions / School Funding: Berséba receives government funding (bekostiging) for coordinating passend onderwijs (inclusive education) across member schools. This funding is distributed to schools through beschikkingen (funding allocations). Schools contribute to operational costs through membership fees. The organization maintains a reserve policy where funds exceeding €500,000 are redistributed to schools, with annual surplus calculations based on September realization figures.
2. Regional Government Subsidies: Municipal subsidies for specific programs such as 'Ondersteuning en preventie thuiszittende jeugdigen' (support and prevention of homebound youth) and innovation projects in cooperation with specialized education providers.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Berséba is a national educational cooperative (samenwerkingsverband) that coordinates inclusive education (passend onderwijs) for approximately 180 Reformed primary and special primary schools across the Netherlands, serving nearly 40,000 students. The organization provides a layered support system comprising basic support, extra support arrangements, ambulatory services, specialized education coordination, and absenteeism prevention across four regional offices.

Product overview

Berséba is a national cooperation agreement (samenwerkingsverband) for passend onderwijs (inclusive education) serving approximately 162 primary schools and 18 specialized schools with a Reformed Christian identity. The organization provides a layered support system consisting of Basisondersteuning (basic support available at every school), Extra ondersteuning (additional arrangements), and specialized services including the Brede Ambulante Dienst, Gespecialiseerd Onderwijs, and support for Verzuim en thuiszitters. The core service functions are facilitated through Het Loket, a legally required counter function. Berséba operates through four regions (Noordoost, Midden, Randstad, Zeeland) and offers specialized programs such as JeX (a PO-VO transition program for gifted students), Restart+ (extra support for homebound students), and Bovenschoolse HB-groepen (above-school gifted education facilities). Professional development is supported through the Kennisbank (knowledge repository), SO Randstad Academie, masterclasses, symposiums, and IB networking events. The organization is developing its new Support Plan (OSP) for 2027-2031 focusing on herbergzaam (hospitable) and inclusive education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basisondersteuning (Basic Support) The minimum support level provided at every affiliated primary school, forming the foundation of support services within the cooperation agreement for Reformed schools.
• Extra ondersteuning (Extra Support) Specific arrangements for individual schools providing additional support beyond the basic level for students with specialized needs.
• Het Loket (Service Desk) The legally required counter function of Berséba serving as the first point of contact for schools and parents seeking support services.
• Brede Ambulante Dienst (Broad Ambulatory Service) Ambulatory support service provided across regions by specialized consultants who visit schools to support teachers and students with additional needs.
• Gespecialiseerd Onderwijs (Specialized Education) Coordination of special primary education (SO) and special secondary education (VSO) schools affiliated with the cooperation agreement for students requiring specialized support including cluster-3 and cluster-4 arrangements.
• Verzuim en thuiszitters (Absenteeism and Homebound Students) Support services to prevent and address school absenteeism (verzuim) and homebound students (thuiszitters) in cooperation with schools and municipalities.
• Kennisbank (Knowledge Bank) Centralized digital repository of documentation, guidelines, forms, and best practices shared by member schools covering topics including giftedness, behavior coaching, cooperative learning methods, and educational assistants.
• JeX (Junior Experience) A four-year transition program for gifted students in group 7-8 and VO 1-2, run in collaboration with Calvijn College, designed to facilitate smooth primary-to-secondary education transition at four locations (Goes, Krabbendijke, Middelburg, Tholen).
• Restart+ An extra support group under the Odyzee cluster-4 facility, providing education for homebound students and children with youth care treatment programs.
• Symposium Hoogbegaafdheid (High Ability Symposium) Annual symposium for primary and secondary education professionals and parents on gifted education (hoogbegaafdheid), held in Gouda and Kampen.
• Bovenschoolse HB-groepen (Above-School High Ability Groups) Above-school facilities for highly gifted students located in Kampen, Rijssen, and Apeldoorn, with exploration of options in the Nunspeet region.

Quantifiable outcome

• Serves nearly 40,000 students across 180 schools
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 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, major and minor.

• VGS (Vereniging Gereformeerd Schoolonderwijs)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 June 2026VGS is the national association for Reformed schools. Berséba collaborates with VGS on policy development, including the updated protocol for time-out, suspension, and expulsion of students (Protocol time-out, schorsing en verwijdering). The VGS is developing guidelines regarding the High Court ruling on exemptions under Article 5b affecting Reformed school communities.
• Calvijn CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative for JeX (Junior Experience) - a PO-VO transition program for gifted students. Running at four Calvijn locations (Goes, Krabbendijke, Middelburg, Tholen), serving group 7-8 primary students and VO years 1-2 with a four-year development program. Partnership includes stuurgroep (steering committee) with representatives from PO, VO, and Berséba.
• Rehoboth DienstverleningcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRehoboth Dienstverlening operates the Kenniscentrum (Knowledge Centre) providing professional development and training for education professionals. Offers courses on topics including IB'er als KC'er (internal support coordinator as quality coordinator), English for teachers, de-escalating practices, and brain/emotion/behavior management. Berséba promotes these offerings to member schools.
• SO Randstad AcademiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecialized education academy offering training programs for professionals in regular and specialized primary schools. Provides listening training (Harthorend), stimulus processing training, and other professional development. Berséba collaborates on joint training initiatives and promotes these offerings.
• SAM (Samenwerkingsverband)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership with SAM for joint conferences including the 'Samen sterk voor goed onderwijs' (Together strong for good education) conference held at De Basiliek in Veenendaal with approximately 400 team members participating.
• Driestar EducatiefcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDriestar Educatief includes Driestar Onderwijsadvies and contributes to Berséba activities including the Hoogbegaafdheid symposium organization, Lectoraat herbergzaam onderwijs (Hospitable Education Research Chair), and professional development initiatives.
• RefSVOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational working group of Reformed secondary education associations. Collaborated with Berséba to develop the overdrachtsformulier (transfer form) for high-gifted students transitioning from PO to VO, now promoted nationally to member schools.
• Stichting StiBCOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation providing training, mediation, coaching, and development of mediating learning and IVP training. Emiel van Doorn, co-founder, delivers lectures on herbergzaam onderwijs (hospitable education) for Berséba events.
• SardesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch organization commissioned by Steunpunt Passend Onderwijs to develop gesprekskaarten (discussion cards) for cooperation between education and youth care, helping municipalities and schools structure dialogue on youth transformation agenda.
• KOC (Stichting Kristelijke Onderwijs Cooperatie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing the Hoogbegaafdheid (High Giftedness) PO-VO symposium alongside Berséba, CHB, RefSVO, and Driestar Onderwijsadvies.
• CHBminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in organizing the Hoogbegaafdheid (High Giftedness) PO-VO symposium alongside Berséba, KOC, RefSVO, and Driestar Onderwijsadvies.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Steunpunt Passend Onderwijs: National support center serving Dutch samenwerkingsverbanden. Comparable ecosystem participant to Berséba because it convenes SWVs, commissions research (e.g., gesprekskaarten via Sardes), and shapes passend onderwijs practice across the same stakeholder set Berséba serves.
• Sardes: Dutch educational research organization active in passend onderwijs. Comparable as an ecosystem participant to Berséba: it develops resources (gesprekskaarten) for school–municipality cooperation that Berséba promotes through its regional managers and care brokers.

Broad incumbents

• PO-Raad: Sector association for all Dutch primary schools. Comparable as an industry-wide counterpart to Berséba's Reformed-specific association role; broader in scope but operates in the same policy, funding, and advocacy environment around passend onderwijs.

Direct peers

• SWV Plein 13: Dutch samenwerkingsverband passend onderwijs PO serving primary schools in a regional cluster. Directly comparable to Berséba as it performs the same statutory coordination role for inclusive education, allocates passend onderwijs funding, and runs a Loket function for member schools.
• SWV Unita: Regional samenwerkingsverband for primary inclusive education in Friesland. Comparable to Berséba because it operates the same statutory passend onderwijs coordination model, distributes government funding to member schools, and provides basic/extra support arrangements.
• SWV De Vier Windstreken: Dutch primary-education samenwerkingsverband for passend onderwijs. Functionally similar to Berséba in coordinating basic and extra support, arranging ambulante dienst, and operating a statutory intake/Loket for affiliated schools.
• VGS (Vereniging Gereformeerd Schoolonderwijs): National association representing Reformed schools in the Netherlands. Closely comparable to Berséba because both serve the same Reformatorisch constituency, coordinate policy on time-out/schorsing protocols, and develop Reformed-specific guidance on legislation such as Article 5b exemptions.

Emerging players

• Rehoboth Dienstverlening: Reformed-educational professional development provider running a Kenniscentrum for teachers. Comparable to Berséba because it complements Berséba's support services with training (IB'er als KC'er, listening skills, brain/emotion/behavior) targeted at the same Reformed-school staff audience.
• Driestar Educatief: Reformed teacher training institution and consultancy partner of Berséba. Comparable because it operates in the same faith-based education ecosystem, co-organizes the Hoogbegaafdheid symposium, and contributes to Berséba's herbergzaam onderwijs research agenda.

Regional players

• SWV Zeeluwe: Regional samenwerkingsverband combining Zeeland-area primary schools for inclusive education. Comparable to Berséba in its core SWV coordination mandate, although with a different geographic footprint than Berséba's Zeeland cluster.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/berseba.nl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bers%C3%A9ba

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Berséba Reformatorisch Samenwerkingsverband PO