Erfgoed Gelderland
Erfgoed Gelderland is a Dutch non-profit cooperative and foundation that supports approximately 250 heritage organizations in Gelderland through shared digital platforms, collection management, and public programming.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1957
- HeadquartersArnhem, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Erfgoed Gelderland does
Erfgoed Gelderland is a Dutch non-profit foundation and cooperative headquartered in Arnhem that operates as the provincial heritage infrastructure organization for the Province of Gelderland. Founded in 1957 as Gelders Oudheidkundig Contact, the organization supports approximately 250 member heritage institutions (museums, archives, historical societies) through shared digital platforms, collection management services, training, and joint programming. It employs 32 staff and combines a foundation receiving structural provincial subsidy with a cooperative that allows members to undertake commercial activities separately.
The organization's core products are digital heritage platforms, including CollectieGelderland (a unified catalog of 500,000+ objects), MijnGelderland (a public-facing heritage portal attracting ~500,000 annual visitors), Erfgoedvrijwilliger (a national volunteer-matching platform with ~5,000 volunteers), and KLEKSI (a collection registration system launched in 2026 to replace Memorix Maior, with national training rollout). Additional products include the Schatkamers van Gelderland VR game, Verhaal van Gelderland storytelling website and book series, and podcast productions. The technical architecture supports NDE (national Digital Heritage Network) interoperability standards.
The business model blends structural provincial subsidy from the Province of Gelderland with cooperative membership fees from member institutions, project grants from national and EU programs, and modest commercial revenue through the cooperative's subsidiary activities. The 2010 separation of the cooperative from the foundation explicitly created space for members to generate commercial revenue independently. Pricing is not transaction-based; rather, the model is institutional funding with fee-for-service and grant components.
Erfgoed Gelderland firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Erfgoed Gelderland
- Legal name
- Erfgoed Gelderland (Stichting en Coöperatie)
- Website
- https://erfgoedgelderland.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1957
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Erfgoed Gelderland is a Dutch non-profit cooperative and foundation that supports approximately 250 heritage organizations in Gelderland through shared digital platforms, collection management, and public programming.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Erfgoed Gelderland industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Heritage and Cultural Services
- NAICS
- Museums, Historical Sites, and Similar Institutions (7121), Historical Sites (71212)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Services (8741)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations) (THAJADAI)
Keywords
Where Erfgoed Gelderland is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Arnhem
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Erfgoed Gelderland business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Provincial Government Funding: Primary funding from Provincie Gelderland for operational support and projects. The province provides financial contributions enabling core services and the Verhaal van Gelderland project.
- Cooperative Membership Fees: Members pay contributions to the cooperative Erfgoed Gelderland UA. Since 2018, website support is funded through member contributions. Cooperative members receive benefits including free organization listings and story placements on platforms.
- Project-based Grants: Funding from various sources including E-RHIS (European Research Infrastructure for Heritage) for specific projects like the agricultural tools thesaurus. Subsidies from Stichting Pica for specific services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Cooperative Membership |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Route/Canon/Special Placement |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels10 records
Erfgoed Gelderland product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Erfgoed Gelderland is a foundation and cooperative of nearly 250 Gelderse heritage organizations that delivers training, advisory services, and process guidance to museums, historical associations, and heritage organizations. The organization operates digital heritage platforms (MijnGelderland, CollectieGelderland, Erfgoedvrijwilliger, Verhaal van Gelderland) for collection management, public storytelling, and volunteer recruitment, and advocates for the Gelderland heritage sector at the provincial level.
Product overview
Erfgoed Gelderland operates as both a foundation and cooperative comprising approximately 250 Gelderse heritage organizations. Its product portfolio is centered on three interconnected digital heritage platforms — MijnGelderland (heritage storytelling platform with routes, stories, cultural agenda, and 4,000+ stories reaching ~500,000 annual visitors), CollectieGelderland (digital collection registry and portal with over half a million objects linked to Europeana and national heritage networks), and Erfgoedvrijwilliger (national volunteer vacancy and development platform) — supplemented by the Verhaal van Gelderland multi-format project (website, book series, podcast, VR game, photography, fold-out cards, and audio tours organized through a 7×7 thematic/time matrix). The organization also delivers training programs, advocacy services, the biennial Gelderse Roos Prize, the international The Future is Heritage youth network, oral history projects, public archaeology coordination, and heritage participation initiatives. The portfolio connects heritage organizations, volunteers, and the public through digital platforms and physical programming, unified under the mission 'Samen verleden toekomst geven' (Giving the past a future together).
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- MijnGelderland: Digital heritage platform showcasing Gelderland's history through routes, stories, highlights and interviews
- CollectieGelderland
- Verhaal van Gelderland
- Erfgoedvrijwilliger
- Gelderse Roos Prijs
- The Future is Heritage
Products and services
- MijnGelderland Heritage Platform Heritage platform of Gelderland presenting Gelderse history through routes, stories, showpieces, interviews, cultural agenda, and historical organization listings. Offers content marketing, social media promotion, and newsletter distribution for heritage organizations. Members can post organizations, submit stories, and access API for embedding content. Reaches nearly 500,000 annual visitors with over 1 million page views and around 4,000 stories.
- CollectieGelderland Collection Platform Digital collection registration and presentation platform for Gelderland's heritage collections. Supports objects, visual materials, audio and video materials, and publications. Currently presenting over 500,000 objects, attracting tens of thousands of visitors annually, and linked to Europeana, Collectie Nederland, and Netwerk Oorlogsbronnen.
- Erfgoedvrijwilliger Platform National volunteer platform for the heritage sector, supporting heritage organizations in recruiting volunteers, strengthening the field, and stimulating heritage participation. Features a vacancy bank, training and coaching, and an 'Online ontmoeten en ontwikkelen' program developed with OPEN (Overleg Provinciale Erfgoedinstellingen Nederland).
- Verhaal van Gelderland Heritage Project Multi-format provincial history project comprising a website, four-volume book series (2022), podcast, photography project, printed fold-out cards with heritage location maps, audio/media tours (Erfgoedtour), VR game, and course offerings. Organized through a 7x7 matrix of 7 time periods and 7 themes creating 49 narrative nodes connected to museums and collections.
- Schatkamers van Gelderland VR Game Virtual reality game developed in 2021 with Het Nieuwe Kader. Players discover Gelderland's story jumping through seven time periods from prehistory to the 20th century. Deployed via physical VR booth installation at heritage organizations across the province.
- Verhaal van Gelderland Podcast Podcast series hosted by René Arendsen visiting museums across Gelderland, speaking with experts and covering themes and time periods. Season 4 (2026) features 9 episodes covering museums including Stoomgemaal De Tuut, Kasteel Rosendael, Museum Kinderdorp Neerbosch, Museum Villa Mondriaan, Elisabeth Weeshuis Museum, and Museum Het Pakhuis.
- Training and Scholing Programs Various training programs and courses offered by Erfgoed Gelderland including collection registration (KLEKSI), oral history ('Aan de slag met oral history'), sustainable digitization ('Duurzaam bewaren van je digitale collectie'), risk management for collections, and exhibition preparation. Free for cooperative members.
- Advisory and Process Guidance Services Support and advisory services for museums, historical societies, and heritage organizations including collection management advice, process guidance, project coordination, and sector advocacy for the approximately 250 member organizations of the Erfgoed Gelderland cooperative.
- Gelderse Roos Prijs Heritage Award Biennial heritage prize awarded since 2017 for inspiring heritage projects with impact. Current edition (2026) focuses on 'Verborgen verhalen' (Hidden Stories). Prize amount of EUR 2,500. Includes jury prize and public vote, with video portraits of nominees produced by Erfgoed Gelderland.
- The Future is Heritage International Network International network for young heritage professionals, students, volunteers, and enthusiasts. Organized annually with conferences, field schools, and webinars. Supported by Europa Nostra and ESACH. Erfgoed Gelderland has been the primary instigator since 2021. Prior summits held in Berlin (2018), Athens (2019), Eindhoven (2019), online (2020), Arnhem (2021), Prague (2022).
- Oral History Project Interview technique project that provides a platform for personal and often unknown stories about heritage. Used in participatory processes to hear diverse perspectives. Training offered ('Aan de slag met oral history') covering all steps from planning to conducting and processing interviews.
- Sporen van Slavernijverleden (Traces of Slavery Heritage) Project making Gelderland's traces of the slavery heritage visible and preserved, including through oral history. Monthly 'Spoor van de Maand' (Trace of the Month) published since January 2020 in collaboration with Else Gootjes. Content featured in the mijnGelderland 'Sporen van Slavernijverleden' special.
- Publieksarcheologie (Public Archaeology) Public archaeology initiatives bringing together parties involved in archaeology and increasing awareness of archaeology among the Gelderland public. Coordinates National Archaeology Days (19-21 June 2026) with dozens of activities across the province.
- Belangenbehartiging (Heritage Sector Advocacy) Advocacy services for the Gelderland heritage sector, representing member organizations' interests at the provincial level and connecting with policy makers on heritage policy including the Omgevingswet (Spatial Planning Act).
Quantifiable outcome
- Nearly 500,000 annual visitors to heritage platforms
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Erfgoed Gelderland
Customer profileNamed customers7 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Erfgoed Gelderland technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration16 records
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
Erfgoed Gelderland partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Provincie GelderlandcorePrimary provincial government partner that provides funding and support for Erfgoed Gelderland's operations and projects including Verhaal van Gelderland. The province enables the cooperative structure and provides financial contributions for heritage sector support.
- Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed (NDE)coreActive collaboration to make platforms like MijnGelderland.nl and CollectieGelderland.nl NDE-compatible. Working on sustainable identifiers, linked open data, Termennetwerk, IIIF for image collections, and Datasetregister.
- The Future is Heritage PartnersminorInternational network including Europa Nostra, European Students' Association for Cultural Heritage (ESACH), and European Heritage Alliance. Erfgoed Gelderland has been primary driver since 2021.
- Erfgoed BrabantcoreCo-organizer of The Future is Heritage network since its founding in 2017. Collaborates on international heritage professional events and youth engagement.
- Erfgoedvrijwilliger.nl Partner OrganizationscoreOther provincial heritage houses united in Overleg Provinciale Erfgoedinstellingen Nederland (OPEN) for the Erfgoedvrijwilliger project. Platform grew into national volunteer matching service.
- MijnGelderland Content PartnersminorCollaborations with SpannendeGeschiedenis.nl, Canon van Nederland, regiocanons.nl, and local websites for content distribution and audience reach.
- Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel ErfgoedcoreCollaborating on development of shared thesaurus for agricultural collections. Joint initiative with provincial heritage houses. Erfgoed Gelderland serves as lead organization (penvoerder).
- Radboud UniversiteitminorCollaboration on research projects including Stallenplein project with Paleis Het Loo, involving student research assistance.
- Universiteit UtrechtminorCollaboration on research projects including student involvement in heritage research initiatives.
- Stichting RuimtekoersminorInitiator of Nieuwe Arnhemse Meisjes project, a co-creation heritage initiative featured in Gelderse Roos Prijs.
- WereldlabminorOrganizer of Sapa Punja exhibition with Stichting Hubungan Hatert Nijmegen, nominated for Gelderse Roos Prijs 2026.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Erfgoed Gelderland competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Europeana: EU-funded digital heritage platform aggregating collections from across Europe; Erfgoed Gelderland's CollectieGelderland feeds into Europeana, making it both an integration point and a potential alternative discovery layer that could bypass provincial aggregators.
- Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE): National Dutch cultural heritage agency of the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science, providing policy, grants, and collection standards across the country — a broader incumbent that Erfgoed Gelderland partners with (e.g., on the agricultural-thesaurus project) but does not specialize in a single province.
- Europa Nostra: Pan-European heritage organization and the parent partner of The Future is Heritage network that Erfgoed Gelderland stewards; comparable as a heritage convener but operating at continental rather than provincial scale.
- Museumvereniging: Dutch national museum association representing museum interests nationally, including the Museumnorm standard that Erfgoed Gelderland helps members implement; comparable as a sector-wide membership body but operating at national rather than provincial scale.
- Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed (NDE): National Dutch network for digital heritage, coordinating standards (IIIF, Termennetwerk, persistent identifiers) that Erfgoed Gelderland's platforms implement — a broader incumbent that sets the interoperability framework Erfgoed Gelderland operates within.
Direct peers
- Gelders Archief: Regional archive for Gelderland and a documented co-initiator of the MijnGelderland platform since 2005; comparable as a heritage institution providing collections access, training, and public engagement within the same geographic scope as Erfgoed Gelderland.
- Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland: Provincial heritage support organization in South Holland providing advisory services, training, and digital platforms to heritage institutions — directly comparable to Erfgoed Gelderland in mandate, structure, and member-service mix, just in a different Dutch province.
- Het Nieuwe Kader: Dutch creative studio co-developing digital and VR heritage experiences (including Schatkamers van Gelderland VR game with Erfgoed Gelderland); comparable as a heritage-content production partner that competes for similar museum and provincial digital-experience contracts.
- Erfgoed Brabant: Provincial heritage support organization in North Brabant, Netherlands, operating a cooperative model with member heritage institutions, providing training, advisory services, and digital heritage platforms — the closest structural analog to Erfgoed Gelderland and a documented co-organizer of The Future is Heritage network.
Emerging players
- DEN (Digitaal Erfgoed Nederland, now part of Kennisland): Dutch organization (now merged into Kennisland) focused on digital heritage innovation and policy; comparable as a digital-heritage enabler for cultural institutions, with overlapping themes (digitization, linked data) but a national innovation mandate rather than a provincial service mandate.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Erfgoed Gelderland social profiles
Digital presenceErfgoed Gelderland financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Erfgoed Gelderland leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles11 records
Erfgoed Gelderland funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Erfgoed Gelderland M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Erfgoed Gelderland
What does Erfgoed Gelderland do?
Erfgoed Gelderland is a foundation and cooperative of nearly 250 Gelderse heritage organizations that delivers training, advisory services, and process guidance to museums, historical associations, and heritage organizations. The organization operates digital heritage platforms (MijnGelderland, CollectieGelderland, Erfgoedvrijwilliger, Verhaal van Gelderland) for collection management, public storytelling, and volunteer recruitment, and advocates for the Gelderland heritage sector at the provincial level.
Is Erfgoed Gelderland a public or private company?
Erfgoed Gelderland is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Erfgoed Gelderland founded?
Erfgoed Gelderland was founded in 1957. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Erfgoed Gelderland based?
Erfgoed Gelderland is headquartered in Arnhem, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Erfgoed Gelderland make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Provincial Government Funding is the primary driver. The others are cooperative Membership Fees and project-based Grants.
Who are Erfgoed Gelderland's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Europeana, Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed (RCE), Europa Nostra, Museumvereniging and Netwerk Digitaal Erfgoed (NDE). Direct peers are Gelders Archief, Erfgoedhuis Zuid-Holland, Het Nieuwe Kader and Erfgoed Brabant. DEN (Digitaal Erfgoed Nederland, now part of Kennisland) is listed as an emerging player.
Does Erfgoed Gelderland have an API?
No public API is recorded for Erfgoed Gelderland.
What industry is Erfgoed Gelderland in?
Erfgoed Gelderland's product category is Heritage and Cultural Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAJADAI, Cultural Heritage Institutions (Archives, Historic Houses, Monuments Foundations). Its NAICS code is 7121 and its SIC code is 8200.