Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging

What Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging does

The Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging (NBV) is the largest and oldest national beekeeping association in the Netherlands, tracing its roots to 1897 (originally as Vereniging tot Bevordering der Bijenteelt in Nederland). Headquartered at Stationsweg 94A in Ede, Gelderland, it is a non-profit membership association (vereniging) operating with a small staff of approximately 38 employees at the NBV-bureau and supported by elected board members and volunteers. The NBV serves approximately 8,500 beekeepers across the Netherlands through a federation of around 200 local NBV associations, primarily catering to hobbyist and amateur beekeepers with a smaller segment of professional and semi-professional beekeepers and a non-beekeeping donor tier.

The NBV's product surface is built around membership subscriptions, educational courses, and content. Members receive the magazine Bijenhouden (6 issues per year), the monthly digital newsletter Imkernieuws, weekly tips via the NBV-BijenBlog, the Bijenhouden de Podcast, member-only webinars, access to the MijnNBV member portal, and a collective insurance programme (liability, hive damage, bee/colony damage, Asian hornet removal) with coverage up to €2,500,000 per claim within the Netherlands. Educational offerings include the foundational Basiscursus Imkeren (basic beekeeping course), specialist courses such as Koninginnenteelt (queen breeding), and the eight-Saturday Ambassadeur Biodiversiteit (Biodiversity Ambassador) course. The technology stack is non-proprietary and conventional: a digital member portal, an own webshop (bijenhouderssupport.nl), an integration with the BEEP hive-monitoring app for varroa treatment record-keeping, and the citizen-science platform waarneming.nl for Asian hornet reporting (over 10,000 nests reported in 2025).

The business model relies primarily on recurring annual membership fees across four tiers (regular adult, youth up to age 18, household, and free first-year for Basiscursus participants), supplemented by webshop sales of beekeeping equipment and course materials, and course fees. Go-to-market is community-led: local NBV associations recruit new members, basic-course graduates convert into free first-year members, and content channels (BijenBlog, Imkernieuws, podcast, webinars) drive top-of-funnel awareness. Strategic activities include coordinating the Dutch response to the invasive Asian hornet (Vespa velutina), including a 2025 pilot with the Province of Gelderland, 2Best, and BeeHexagon for industrial vacuum-based nest removal, and advocacy on bee health policy with research institutions such as Bijen@WUR (Wageningen University).

Name

Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging

Legal name

Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging

Website

https://bijenhouders.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging (NBV) is a Dutch non-profit beekeeping association founded in 1897, serving approximately 8,500 hobbyist and professional beekeepers via 200 local chapters through education, advocacy, insurance, and content services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Beekeeping Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Apiculture (11291), Apiculture (112910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Beekeeping Training, Education & Advisory Services (AFAEAHAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Beekeeping & Apiculture (EDAOAOAL), Bee Health Management & Treatments (Mite/Disease Control Products & Services) (AFAEAHAK), Commercial Pollination Services (Hive Rental) (AFAEAHAG)

Keywords

• Beekeeping association
• Beekeeper education
• Membership services
• Bee health advocacy
• Pollinator conservation

Headquarters

HQ city

Ede

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership subscriptions: The NBV generates primary revenue through annual membership fees. Different tiers exist: regular adult membership, youth membership (valid until age 18), household membership (same address, no magazine), and a free first-year membership for basic course participants. The membership fee covers the national association portion; local associations charge separate dues.
2. Webshop sales: The NBV operates a webshop (bijenhouderssupport.nl) selling beekeeping equipment, course materials, and educational resources. Orders require personal data (NAW, gender, email, phone, payment details) per the privacy policy.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

The Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging (NBV) is a national membership-based association for beekeepers in the Netherlands, representing more than 8,500 beekeepers organized through approximately 200 local associations. It sells annual memberships that bundle member benefits including a quarterly beekeeping magazine, a digital newsletter, webinars, podcast, blog, a member portal, comprehensive collective insurance, advocacy for beekeeping interests, and access to an online webshop. It also delivers fee-based and free introductory beekeeping courses (basic beekeeping, queen breeding, and biodiversity ambassador training) and sells beekeeping equipment and educational materials through its own webshop.

Product overview

The Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging (NBV) operates as a national beekeepers' association serving approximately 8,500 members through a portfolio of membership services, educational offerings, and content platforms. The core offering centers on membership benefits including the quarterly magazine Bijenhouden, the MijnNBV member portal with webinars, the Bijenhouden de Podcast, and access to the online webshop. Educational services form a significant component, with courses ranging from the foundational Basiscursus Imkeren to specialized training in queen breeding (Koninginnenteelt) and biodiversity ambassador programs. The association also provides an online blog, webinars, and coordinates local beekeeping associations across the Netherlands. The organization functions as a membership-based non-profit (ANBI status) focused on healthy bee populations and beekeeper support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Bijenhouden: The official membership magazine of the NBV, published 6 times per year, covering both professional and hobbyist beekeeping topics, biodiversity, bee health, education, and pollination.

Products and services

• Lidmaatschap (NBV Membership) Annual subscription membership for individual beekeepers (hobbyist and professional) and supporters in the Netherlands; includes the Bijenhouden magazine, monthly Imkernieuws newsletter, weekly BijenBlog, member portal access, webinars, event discounts, comprehensive collective insurance, advocacy, and local association affiliation.
• Basiscursus Imkeren Foundational beekeeping course teaching beginners the basics of keeping honeybees, delivered in-person through local NBV associations. Course participants receive a free first-year NBV membership.
• Ambassadeur Biodiversiteit Course Eight-Saturday training course preparing Biodiversity Ambassadors to improve pollinator habitat at the local level, covering Dutch beekeeping, biodiversity, ecological management, and collaboration with local government.
• Koninginnenteelt Course (Queen Breeding) Advanced beekeeping course focused on breeding purebred queen bees, taught by experienced instructors and offered to members and aspiring breeders.
• Bijenhouderssupport.nl Webshop NBV-owned e-commerce storefront selling beekeeping equipment, supplies, course materials, and merchandise directly to members and beekeepers in the Netherlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 8,500 beekeepers represented
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Province of GelderlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025The NBV collaborated with the Province of Gelderland on a successful pilot to remove Asian hornet nests using an industrial vacuum method developed by 2Best and BeeHexagon. The method proved effective and environmentally friendly for removing nests up to 25m height in trees, without requiring a cherry picker (hoogwerker), making it significantly cheaper.
• 2BestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 20252Best developed, together with BeeHexagon, a new method for removing Asian hornet nests using an industrial vacuum from ground level. The method was piloted in Gelderland province in collaboration with the NBV and proved effective up to 25m height.
• BeeHexagoncoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 15 December 2025BeeHexagon co-developed with 2Best the ground-level industrial vacuum method for Asian hornet nest removal, piloted with the NBV and the Province of Gelderland.
• DunavastcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDunavast is a partner in biodiversity for the NBV. Together they organized the 2026 photo competition 'Bestuiving is Teamwork' (Bestuiving is Teamwork) and accompanying webinar, with the competition launched around World Bee Day (20 May) and International Day for Biodiversity (22 May). Dunavast co-funds awareness activities and educational outreach.
• Arista Bee ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe NBV supports Arista Bee Research, a foundation dedicated to breeding VSH (Varroa Sensitive Hygiene) honey bees. The NBV promotes Arista's breeding programme as part of its bee health strategy, encouraging members to use VSH bees to reduce reliance on chemical varroa treatments.
• JUB HollandminorOthersJUB Holland is listed as a partner on the NBV website. JUB Holland is a beekeeping equipment supplier whose logo appears in the partners section of the NBV website.
• NordCap NederlandminorOthersNordCap Nederland is listed as a partner on the NBV website. NordCap is a supplier whose logo appears in the partners section of the NBV website.
• Bijen@WURcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBijen@WUR is Wageningen University's research centre on bee health. It collaborates with the NBV on bee health research, publications in the Bijenhouden magazine, webinars, and the joint monitoring of bee diseases including the Tropilaelaps mite. The NBV and Bijen@WUR jointly produce educational materials and reference publications.
• waarneming.nlcoreOtherswaarneming.nl is the national citizen-science platform used by the NBV for reporting and tracking Asian hornet sightings and nests across the Netherlands. In 2025, more than 10,000 nests were reported via this platform.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Apimondia – International Federation of Beekeepers' Associations: The global umbrella organisation for national beekeeping associations, of which NBV is a member. Apimondia operates at the international level (congresses, standards, scientific commissions) and is a broader incumbent rather than a direct national competitor.

Regional players

• Scottish Beekeepers' Association: The national beekeeping association for Scotland within the UK, organised around local associations and offering education, magazine content, and member services. Operates in a smaller regional market but with the same federated structure and member offering as NBV.

Direct peers

• Union Nationale de l'Apiculture Française (UNAF): France's principal national beekeeping union, representing French beekeepers with regional departments, providing training, insurance, magazine content, and political advocacy. Mirrors NBV's structure and services in a larger addressable market.
• American Beekeeping Federation: The US national beekeeping membership association, providing education, legislative advocacy, insurance products, and a national conference to American beekeepers. Comparable to NBV in mission and member services, though operating in a much larger and more commercial beekeeping market.
• Deutscher Imagerbund (DIB): The national umbrella federation of German beekeeping associations, with ~140,000 members across regional chapters. Directly comparable to NBV as a federated, membership-based national beekeeping association delivering education, insurance, and advocacy for hobbyist and professional beekeepers.
• British Beekeepers Association (BBKA): The UK national beekeeping association supporting ~25,000 members through county associations, offering education (including the BBKA Basic Assessment), a member magazine, insurance, and advocacy. Same federated structure and member services as NBV.
• Federazione Apicoltori Italiani (FAI): Italy's national beekeepers' federation, structured as an association of provincial beekeeping associations delivering training, technical assistance, and representation to Italian beekeepers. Closely parallels NBV's federated operating model and educational focus.

Others

• Honey Bee Health Coalition: A US/Canada cross-sector coalition focused on collaborative solutions to honey bee health threats (Varroa, forage, nutrition). Comparable to NBV's bee health advocacy work but operates as a multi-stakeholder initiative rather than a member-driven association.
• Arista Bee Research: A Dutch foundation dedicated to breeding Varroa Sensitive Hygiene (VSH) honey bees, supported by NBV. Closely adjacent in mission (bee health, varroa resistance) but operates as a specialised breeding foundation rather than a broad membership association.

Emerging players

• Bee Informed Partnership: A US-based non-profit focused on honey bee health through technology-enabled colony monitoring, surveys, and extension services. Comparable to NBV's BEEP partnership and education focus, but with a stronger data/tech orientation and earlier-stage organisational maturity.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/NBVbijen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@BijenhoudersNL
• Facebookfacebook.com/NederlandseBijenhoudersVereniging
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nederlandse-bijenhouders-vereniging

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Nederlandse Bijenhoudersvereniging