Behavioural Insights Group Rotterdam (BIG'R)

What Behavioural Insights Group Rotterdam (BIG'R) does

Behavioural Insights Group Rotterdam (BIG'R) is an academic research and consultancy impact centre wholly embedded within Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, applying behavioural science to public-sector challenges. Originated in 2017 as a collaboration between Gemeente Rotterdam and Erasmus University Rotterdam, it was relaunched in 2021 as an independent impact centre under EUR's governance. Its core methodology is grounded in established scientific frameworks — COM-B, the Behavioural Change Wheel (BCW), and the EAST framework (Easy, Attractive, Social, Timely) — combined with a structured five-phase delivery protocol (proposal, design, realisation, evaluation, reporting) that integrates quantitative and qualitative methods including RCTs, interviews, and focus groups.

The organisation serves Dutch municipalities and public institutions, with documented engagements including Gemeente Rotterdam (30 km/u speed limit research, COVID-19 communication, waste management nudging, culture improvement), Gemeente Amsterdam (traffic signage clarity), Gemeente Den Haag (cycling motivation), the Joint Fire Brigade Rotterdam (culture improvement), Diergaarde Blijdorp (waste sorting), and Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (campus littering reduction, where a 60% reduction was achieved). Its product surface spans research, advisory, intervention development, customised workshops and lectures (1-3 hours), published reports, a free interactive gedragsDOEboek (behavioural handbook), and a five-day professional course ("Nudging: sturen op gedrag") delivered through EUR's post-academic education platform.

Revenue is derived from project-based municipal contracts, EU research grants (notably the 2024 IMPETUS Citizen Science Accelerator funded under Horizon Europe), and course tuition. The team comprises a managing director (Dr. Inge Merkelbach), an academic advisor (Prof. Semiha Denktas), two researchers, and a research assistant. Marketing is content-driven via the BIG'R website, the gedragsDOEboek, a podcast launched in 2024, public debates, and earned media (AD, Volkskrant, TV Rijnmond, EenVandaag, Radio Weetlust, and German Heilbronner Stimme). Geographic scope is primarily Netherlands, with international media reach but limited disclosed non-Dutch contracts.

Name

Behavioural Insights Group Rotterdam (BIG'R)

Legal name

Behavioural Insights Group Rotterdam

Website

https://bigrotterdam.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

BIG'R is an academic research and consultancy impact centre within Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam that applies behavioural science frameworks (COM-B, BCW, EAST) to public-sector challenges for Dutch municipalities and public institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Research Contracts & Consultancy: BIG'R receives project-based funding from government clients (notably Gemeente Rotterdam) for research, analysis, and behavioural intervention projects. Projects follow a structured 5-phase protocol from proposal through to reporting.
2. Professional Education & Training: BIG'R offers a five-day professional course 'Nudging: Sturen op gedrag' (Sturing op gedrag) delivered in partnership with Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. The course targets policy officials, managers, and professionals. BIG'R offers this approximately twice per year to groups of up to 20 participants.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

BIG'R is a behavioral insights consultancy that designs, pilots, and evaluates evidence-based behavioral interventions for Dutch public sector clients. It offers research, advisory, intervention development, workshops, lectures, and a five-day professional course ("Nudging: Sturen op gedrag") delivered with Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam, grounded in COM-B, BCW, and EAST frameworks. It also publishes an open-access gedragsDOEboek (behavioral handbook) to teach practitioners how to apply behavioral insights in nine steps.

Product overview

BIG'R operates as a behavioral insights consultancy, not a unified software product. The core offering combines advisory services, research, intervention development, workshops, and courses. Key offerings include the GedragsDOEboek (a free interactive behavioral handbook), the Nudging: Sturen op gedrag five-day professional course, and customized research and intervention development services. The organization applies scientific behavioral models (COM-B, BCW, EAST) to solve societal and daily problems through evidence-based behavioral change approaches. BIG'R also provides a Behavioural System Map tool for participation professionals and publishes research reports across various domains including traffic safety, waste management, and public health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• GedragsDOEboek (Behavioral Handbook) A free interactive behavioral handbook developed by BIG'R in collaboration with Beeckk Ruimtemakers and Gemeente Rotterdam that teaches readers how to recognize behavioral issues and change behavior in 9 simple steps. It is offered as a free downloadable resource from BIG'R's website and targets Dutch municipalities, organisations, and practitioners.
• Nudging: Sturen op gedrag (Nudging: Steering Behavior) A five-day professional course that teaches policy officials, administrators, managers, and professionals how to influence behavior using behavioral science principles, including theoretical frameworks (COM-B, BCW, EAST) and practical application to participants' own cases. Taught by Prof. dr. Semiha Denktas and Dr. Inge Merkelbach with guest lecturers and delivered in collaboration with Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam.
• Interventie-ontwikkeling (Intervention Development) Custom behavioral intervention design services that analyze barriers and motivators, and develop tailored interventions based on scientific models such as nudge theory and the EAST framework. Targeted at Dutch public sector organisations including municipalities, public institutions, and universities.
• Onderzoek (Research) Expert research services combining quantitative data (scores, counts, sales figures) and qualitative data (interviews, focus groups) using methodologies including randomized controlled trials and behavioral science frameworks. Targeted at Dutch public sector clients seeking evidence-based behavioral research.
• Advies (Advisory) Behavioral expertise consultation leveraging state-of-the-art insights from behavioral science, provided as one-time reports or ongoing advisory engagements. Targeted at Dutch public sector organisations needing external behavioral science expertise.
• Workshops en Lezingen (Workshops and Lectures) Customized knowledge-sharing sessions on behavioral insights, typically lasting 1-3 hours, tailored to client needs and delivered on-site or digitally. Targeted at Dutch organisations seeking to introduce teams to behavioral science concepts.
• Rapportages (Reports) Research reports documenting findings from behavioral analysis projects, including recommendations for policy and intervention design. Targeted at Dutch public sector clients needing structured written outputs of behavioral projects.
• Behavioural System Map (Gedragssysteemkaart) A visual mapping tool that visualizes all involved persons, behaviors, and influences as a basis for concrete strategies to promote desired behavior and limit undesired behavior. Developed and tested with participation professionals and communities, and used as a basis for a handbook for participation professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Nudging reduced side-placing of waste bins by 2/3 in Oude Westen Rotterdam neighbourhood
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gemeente Rotterdam (Municipality of Rotterdam)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner and primary ongoing client of BIG'R. The project originated in 2017 as a collaboration between Gemeente Rotterdam and Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. The municipality commissions research and advisory projects on behavioural challenges including traffic safety, waste management, and public health communication. BIG'R has been continuously involved in the municipality's communication challenges.
• Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam (Erasmus University Rotterdam)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent institution. BIG'R was relaunched in 2021 as an independent impact centre fully under Erasmus Universiteit Rotterdam. The university provides institutional support, academic oversight (via Prof. Semiha Denktas), and access to talent pipelines. BIG'R delivers courses through the EUR's post-academic education platform.
• Beeckk RuimtemakersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with BIG'R and Gemeente Rotterdam to create the free interactive gedragsDOEboek (behavioural action book), teaching readers how to change behaviour in 9 simple steps.
• Creative DeskminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional creative team supporting the production of the BIG'R podcast series, providing studio recording, production, and creative guidance for the series launched in 2024.
• GovernEURminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic governance research group at Erasmus Universiteit. Collaborated with BIG'R, TU Delft, Parai, and VONK on the Rotterdam AI project. Mattijs Taanman (GovernEUR) co-coordinates the project.
• TU Delft (Delft University of Technology)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner collaborating with BIG'R on the Rotterdam Tech-Inoculation project investigating generative AI use within Gemeente Rotterdam, alongside GovernEUR, Parai, and VONK.
• VONK (Innovatieplatform Gemeente Rotterdam)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInnovation platform of Gemeente Rotterdam. Partnering with BIG'R, GovernEUR, TU Delft, and Parai on the Rotterdam Tech-Inoculation project to explore generative AI usage and risks within the municipality.
• VeldacademieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the behavioural systems mapping and participation project. Prior participative trajectory data from Veldacademie within BoTu neighbourhood was used by Parai to develop AI characters for the Rotterdam AI project.
• BROODerhoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommunity around sustainable bread-baking in Rotterdam, used as a test case for the behavioural systems mapping methodology. BIG'R developed the gedragssysteemkaart with this community, and the experience was used to create a handbook for participation professionals.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Nesta: UK innovation foundation that has run behavioral-insights programs (including its earlier Nudge unit work). Broader innovation mandate but overlapping public-sector behavioral research methodology and government-facing positioning.

Direct peers

• Behavioural Insights Team (BIT): The original UK government-affiliated nudge unit and originator of the EAST framework that BIG'R directly applies. Operates as the closest global reference model for an academic-style behavioral-insights consultancy serving government clients.
• Common Cents Lab (Duke University): Academic-affiliated nudge unit at Duke focused on financial decision-making for low-income households. Shares BIG'R's university-housed model and methodology (RCTs, behavioral frameworks) for public-sector impact.
• ideas42: US-based nonprofit that applies behavioral science to social problems, working with governments and NGOs. Closely comparable mission and operating model to BIG'R, with broader geographic reach.
• Behavioural Economics Team of the Australian Government (BETA): Australian federal government behavioral-insights unit applying nudges to public policy. Closely comparable end client (government) and methodology, though embedded inside government rather than operating as an academic impact center.
• The Decision Lab: Canadian behavioral science consultancy applying academic research to organizations and governments. Highly comparable service mix (research, advisory, training) to BIG'R.
• The Behavioural Architects: Commercial behavioral science consultancy applying research to brands, policy, and organizations. Comparable service offering (research, advisory, training) though with a stronger private-sector tilt than BIG'R.
• BVA Nudge Unit: Commercial French behavioral-insights consultancy spun out of BVA Group, serving both public and private sector clients. Directly comparable niche applied to policy and organizational behavior change.
• Center for Advanced Hindsight (Duke University): Academic-affiliated behavioral science lab at Duke University applying research to public health, finance, and policy. Closely comparable in being university-embedded and producing academic outputs alongside applied consulting.

Emerging players

• Busara Center for Behavioral Economics: Kenya-based behavioral economics research center applying behavioral science to development challenges. Shares BIG'R's academic methodology and public-sector focus, though operating in an emerging-market context rather than European municipal work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/behavioural-insights-group-rotterdam-big-r

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 Behavioural Insights Group Rotterdam (BIG'R)