Elan Onderwijsgroep

What Elan Onderwijsgroep does

Elan Onderwijsgroep is a Dutch public primary education foundation (school board) operating 19 schools across the municipalities of Waadhoeke, Noardeast-Fryslân, and Leeuwarden in the province of Friesland, serving approximately 2,000 students daily with a workforce of 111 employees and a service bureau headquartered in Stiens. Its portfolio spans regular openbare basisscholen (OBS), one NT2 school for non-native Dutch speakers (De Toverbal), one SBO school for special primary education (De Bolder, approximately 140 students), and specialised facilities including Grutsk (an integrated education-and-care center in Fran partnering with It Twalûk and Wille), the Optimist transition program for children disengaged from education, and the iNNOVATORIUM digital innovation centre. The technology backbone is an Apple ecosystem: iPads with purpose-built apps, an Apple Distinguished School at OBS De Steven since 2021 (with on-staff Apple Professional Learning Specialist Niels Gaastra), level-based grouping (Levelgroepen) for differentiated instruction, talent development programs (3TT, ateliers), and structured reading interventions (Bouw!).

The business model is government-funded recurring revenue: Dutch national and municipal authorities provide per-pupil allocations and supplemental subsidies (notably NT2 and SBO weight factors), with no tuition charged. Day-to-day go-to-market is community-led through local reputation, family word-of-mouth, and municipal coordination across the three catchments. Distribution is exclusively through physical school locations; marketing channels include the elanonderwijsgroep.nl website, Social Schools platform, newsletters, community events (including a minisymposium on multilingualism), earned media (notably an SBS6 'De Helden van Nu' feature), and dedicated vacancy channels for recruiting teachers. The organisation previously operated as Onderwijsgroep Fier and has not undergone any institutional fundraises; it is governed by a College van Bestuur led by Sjoerd Tjalling van der Galiën (since 1 July 2022) with oversight from a Raad van Toezicht chaired by Jan Willem van Beem. Recent strategic activity has emphasised programmatic depth (Grutsk, Optimist, Klusklas pilot, multilingualism) and consolidation (the 2023 De Frije Fûgel merger) rather than expansion of school count.

Name

Elan Onderwijsgroep

Legal name

Elan Onderwijsgroep

Website

https://elanonderwijsgroep.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Elan Onderwijsgroep is a publicly funded Dutch primary education foundation operating 19 schools across Waadhoeke, Noardeast-Fryslân, and Leeuwarden municipalities in Friesland, serving approximately 2,000 students daily with a workforce of 111 employees and government-funded per-pupil revenue.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Instructional Delivery & Pedagogy (School-Led) (EDAJAFAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH), English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

Keywords

• Primary education services
• Special primary education
• Talent development programs
• Multilingual education
• Educational innovation

Headquarters

HQ city

Stiens

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices23 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-funded primary education: Elan Onderwijsgroep is a publicly funded education organization. The organization receives government funding from Dutch municipal and national education authorities to provide primary education services. Revenue comes from government per-pupil funding allocations and special education subsidies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Elan Onderwijsgroep operates 19 primary schools across three municipalities in Northwest Friesland, delivering regular primary education (OBS), special primary education (SBO De Bolder), Dutch as a Second Language instruction (NT2 De Toverbal), and specialized programs including the Grutsk center for integrated education and care, the Optimist transition program for out-of-school children, and the iNNOVATORIUM for digital innovation. The organization serves approximately 2,000 students daily through publicly funded school operations with a focus on talent development, multilingual education, and inclusive learning.

Product overview

Elan Onderwijsgroep operates as a school board (onderwijsgroep) managing 19 primary schools in Northwest Friesland, Netherlands. The portfolio includes regular openbare basisscholen (OBS), one NT2 school for Dutch as Second Language (De Toverbal), one SBO school for special primary education (De Bolder), and specialized services like Grutsk for integrated education and care. The organization also operates the iNNOVATORIUM for digital innovation support and various talent development programs including 3TT talent groups and ateliers. Services range from regular primary education serving ~2000 students daily to specialized programs addressing language development disorders (TOS), reading difficulties, and children temporarily outside regular education (the Optimist program).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• iNNOVATORIUM: Digital innovation center within Elan Onderwijsgroep focused on technology integration and digital literacy in education.
• Grutsk
• De Optimist

Products and services

• Regular Primary Education (OBS) Openbare Basisscholen (OBS) offering regular public primary education across 19 schools in the municipalities of Leeuwarden, Waadhoeke, and Noardeast-Fryslân, serving approximately 2,000 students daily aged 4-12.
• NT2 School (De Toverbal) Specialized Dutch as a Second Language (NT2) school for non-native speaking children in Sint Annaparochie, helping them acquire Dutch language skills before transitioning to regular primary education.
• SBO De Bolder School for Special Primary Education (Speciaal Basisonderwijs) in Franeker serving approximately 140 students from Franeker and surrounding areas with tailored special education.
• Grutsk Specialized center for integrated education and care in Franeker, offering preschool daycare, toddler groups, youth care, structure class, and the Optimist program for children not attending school — a collaboration between SBO De Bolder, It Twalûk, and Wille.
• The Optimist Transition program for children who have dropped out or are at risk of dropping out of regular education, working with small groups and individual support to rebuild trust and prepare for return to school.
• iNNOVATORIUM Innovation center providing digital inspiration and technology support across Elan Onderwijsgroep schools, including Apple Professional Learning Specialist services and digital literacy programs.
• Talent Development Programs Various talent development initiatives including 'Trije Top Talent' (3TT) talent groups, talent scouts, ateliers, and specialized talent programs (e.g., Kindertalentenfluisteraarschool) across member schools.
• Levelgroepen Level-based grouping system for differentiated instruction based on student capabilities and needs, adopted across Elan Onderwijsgroep schools.
• Bouw! Reading Program Early reading intervention program using online assignments for phonemic awareness and early literacy skills, adopted across all Elan Onderwijsgroep schools.

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Campus MiddelseecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 2 April 2025Campus Middelsee collaborated with Elan Onderwijsgroep on the Klusklas (Skills Class) pilot program teaching practical skills like woodworking and metalworking to groups 7 and 8 students from OBS It Fonnemint, De Twiner, and SWS De Fierljepper.
• Bibliotheken Noord FryslancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on reading promotion, household libraries, and the 'Sterk met Taal' (Strong with Language) project supporting language development for children and adults across Elan schools.
• BNNVARAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBNNVARA partnered with Lucia Marthas and Elan Onderwijsgroep for the WAUW project at OBS De Toverbal, using dance and creativity to teach Dutch language to non-native speaking children.
• Lucia MarthasminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChoreographer known from Kinderen voor Kinderen collaborated on the WAUW project teaching Dutch through creative movement and song.
• WillecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWille collaborates with SBO De Bolder and It Twaluk in the Grutsk center providing integrated education and youth care services in Franeker.
• SO It TwalukcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial education organization partnering in Grutsk center for integrated education and care services.
• Samenwerkingsverband PO FrieslandminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cooperation organization for primary education in Friesland supporting the Optimist initiative for children who have fallen out of regular education.
• SO FryslanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecial education organization collaborating in the Optimist program helping children return to education.
• Rotaryclub OldehoveminorOthersSponsored the WAUW project at OBS De Toverbal for non-native Dutch speaking children.
• Stichting het Gehandicapte KindminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoundation collaborating with OBS de Steven and SBO De Bolder on inclusive play culture project in Franeker.
• ApplecoreTechnology or IntegrationApple Distinguished School program with Apple Professional Learning Specialist Niels Gaastra providing technology ecosystem and professional development across Elan schools.
• Kids FirstminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in household library initiative at SWS De Fierljepper promoting reading and library access.
• KentalisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational expertise center for language and speech disorders providing specialized support for children with TOS (taalontwikkelingsstoornis) at Arjen Roelofsskoalle and other schools.
• Filmhub NoordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFilm education organization providing film-making lessons for groups 7 and 8 at OBS De Cingel.
• Alfa-CollegeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedia design students from Alfa-College visualized Elan Onderwijsgroep's strategic policy in creative content.
• NHL Stenden HogeschoolminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHigher education institution offering Master Educational Leadership program; director Margriet Leeuw of OBS 't Fonnemint pursuing this degree.
• Black coffee visualsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVideo production company collaborated with Elan Onderwijsgroep staff to create promotional video.
• KeunstwurkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural organization partnering with De Fierljepper on cultural heritage education project 'Wat verdient een podium?'

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Stichting Catent: Primary education foundation managing a comparable number of schools in the Twente/Achterhoek region. Operates under the same Dutch primary-education funding system with similar governance and inspection regime as Elan.
• Stichting Acis: Public primary school board (bestuur) operating multiple schools in the Drechtsteden region with comparable governance and per-pupil funding model. Similar size, multi-school board structure, and mission profile to Elan.
• Stichting Swalm en Roer: Primary education foundation in Limburg with a comparable multi-school board structure, funding model, and inspection framework. Directly comparable on operational and regulatory dimensions.
• Stichting OPONOA: Primary school board (stichting) operating public primary schools in Friesland and North Netherlands. Closely comparable in governance structure, funding model, regional context, and operating scale to Elan Onderwijsgroep.
• Stichting Penta Primair: Primary education school board in South Holland operating a comparable multi-school network under the same Dutch funding regime. Directly comparable on governance, scale, and regulatory environment.

Broad incumbents

• Nord Anglia Education: Large international private-school operator with extensive technology and innovation programs (including Apple partnership). Comparable on the innovation-led K-12 dimension but operates a fee-paying, international model rather than publicly funded Dutch primary education.
• PO-Raad: Dutch sector organization representing all primary school boards, including Elan Onderwijsgroep. A broader incumbent in the same industry providing policy advocacy, sector data, and collective bargaining rather than direct school operations.
• Cognita Schools: International K-12 school group operating premium schools globally. Comparable on multi-school-network structure and education-quality focus, but operates a private fee-paying model versus Elan's publicly funded Dutch primary schools.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/elanonderwijsgroep

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Elan Onderwijsgroep