What Focus Zwolle does

Focus Zwolle (legal name: Stichting Focus) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation (ANBI, RSIN 850854453) founded in 1995 by patients and family members as an information point at Franciscushof in Raalte, later relocating to Zwolle in the early 2000s and growing into a self-management and recovery center. From its single site at Zerboltstraat 63 in the Dieze-Oost district of Zwolle, it operates a portfolio of 13+ peer-support and creative programs including Herstel (recovery training), LEF (an eight-month experiential-expertise learning program), GGZ Voorlichtingspool, Meedoen (participation and reintegration coaching), Kunstatelier, Textielatelier, Schrijfcafe, Muziek, Praatjesmakers, Plantenasiel, Buurttuin, and De Winkel (a second-hand and vintage consignment shop).

The organization's core delivery model is experiential expertise (ervaringsdeskundigheid): people with lived experience of psychosocial challenges deliver training, counseling, and creative programs alongside professional staff. Reach is achieved through a WordPress website, social media (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), newsletter, and word-of-mouth community networks in the Zwolle/Overijssel region. It maintains core training collaborations with Trimbos Institute and HEE-team and is affiliated with NVZH (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Zelfregie en Herstel).

Revenue is generated through a mix of donations (ANBI-recognition facilitates Dutch tax-deductible giving), hourly room rental (€40–€60/hour across Kantine, Voorlichtingslokaal, and Vergaderlokaal), consignment sales at De Winkel, and assumed government/institutional funding tied to recovery and reintegration programming. The organization has 29 employees, no parent company, no institutional investors, and an unpaid voluntary board chaired by Dianne Burger, with no M&A activity or external funding rounds disclosed.

Name

Focus Zwolle

Legal name

Stichting Focus

Website

https://focuszwolle.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Focus Zwolle (Stichting Focus) is a Dutch ANBI nonprofit self-management and recovery center in Zwolle, founded in 1995, serving people with psychosocial vulnerabilities through peer-support, experiential-expertise training, reintegration coaching, and creative community programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Mental Health Recovery Services

NAICS

Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420)

SIC

Services-Specialty Outpatient Facilities, Nec (8093)

akta.pro primary industry

Mental Wellness & Resilience Education (Non-clinical) (EDAAAHAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Recreation Therapy, Stress Management & Mindfulness Programs (EDALAFAO), Mindfulness, Stress Management & Resilience Training (EDAMAIAD)

Keywords

• Peer support services
• Mental health recovery
• Community reintegration
• Experiential expertise training
• Nonprofit community programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwolle

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, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations: Focus Zwolle accepts donations as an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) recognized organization. The website has a dedicated donation section.
2. Space Rental: Rental of meeting spaces (Kantine, Voorlichtingslokaal, Vergaderlokaal) to external parties for meetings, presentations, and activities. Hourly rates ranging from €40-€60.
3. Consignment Sales: Second-hand clothing and vintage items sold on consignment at De Winkel. Sellers receive a portion of sale proceeds when items sell.
4. Government/Institutional Funding: As a recovery center with training collaborations with Trimbos Institute and HEE-team, Focus likely receives institutional funding or contracts.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Focus Zwolle operates as a self-management and recovery center delivering peer-led recovery training, creative ateliers (art, textile, writing, music), participation coaching, and experiential education services for individuals with psychosocial vulnerabilities. It also rents meeting spaces to external organizations and runs a second-hand consignment shop. All activities are delivered on-site at its Zwolle location and supported by collaborations with the Trimbos Institute and HEE-team.

Product overview

Focus Zwolle is a self-management and recovery center offering a diverse portfolio of social programs and community services. The organization operates as a unified platform providing recovery-focused activities (Herstel, LEF educational program), creative workshops (Kunstatelier, Textielatelier, Schrijfcafe, Muziek), community facilities (room rental, Buurttuin, Plantenasiel), participation coaching (Meedoen), and experiential education services (GGZ Voorlichtingspool). These programs are connected through a peer-support philosophy and shared goal of social inclusion for people with psychosocial vulnerabilities. The organization also operates De Winkel, a retail shop selling second-hand clothing and vintage items. All activities are designed to support personal recovery, social participation, and community integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Herstel (Recovery): Training, courses and support for recovery-oriented activities.
• Voorlichtingspool (Information Pool)
• Het Kunstatelier (The Art Atelier)
• Het Textielatelier (The Textile Atelier)
• De Winkel (The Shop)
• LEF (Learning Experience Focus)
• Het Plantenasiel (The Plant Shelter)
• De Buurttuin (The Neighborhood Garden)
• Muziek (Music)
• Schrijfcafe (Writing Cafe)
• Praatjesmakers (Talk Makers)

Products and services

• Herstel (Recovery) Training, courses, and support focused on societal and functional recovery for individuals with psychosocial vulnerabilities.
• GGZ Voorlichtingspool (Mental Health Information Pool) A group of counselors and trainers with lived client experience in mental health and addiction care who provide education from experiential knowledge to organizations, professionals, and caregivers.
• Ruimte Huren (Room Rental) Rental of atmospheric spaces (Kantine, Voorlichtingslokaal, Vergaderlokaal) for meetings, presentations, gatherings, and activities at €40–€60 per hour.
• Kunstatelier (Art Atelier) Workshop space for amateur artists to develop creative talents through painting, drawing, and other creative activities, independently or with guidance.
• Textielatelier (Textile Atelier) Workshop for textile work including clothing customization and bag making, with basic materials provided for participants.
• De Winkel (The Shop) Physical retail store selling second-hand clothing on consignment, vintage items, vinyl records, and self-made art and jewelry from participants, open Tuesday–Friday 10:00–16:30.
• LEF - Leergang Ervaringsdeskundigheid Focus An eight-month learning program for developing experiential expertise (ervaringsdeskundigheid), with monthly knowledge sessions, reflection groups, and personal learning coaches.
• Meedoen (Participation) Low-threshold coaching and support project helping individuals overcome barriers to meaningful daily activities, volunteering, and (un)paid work.
• Plantenasiel (Plant Shelter) Shelter, rehabilitation, and adoption service for plants that can no longer be cared for, with drop-off and pickup available on Wednesdays and Fridays.
• Buurttuin (Neighborhood Garden) Community garden maintenance program for community members passionate about gardening who want to work together on the shared garden.
• Muziek (Music) Weekly music-making sessions for beginning and experienced musicians to play together in a relaxed setting on Friday afternoons.
• Schrijfcafe (Writing Cafe) Weekly creative writing sessions using the sprint method, held every Tuesday morning for people interested in conscious living and creative writing.
• Praatjesmakers (Chat Makers) Weekly Monday morning gatherings for casual conversation, games, and handicrafts in an informal social setting.

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Trimbos InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocus offers training courses developed and delivered by their own experiential experts. They also offer training in collaboration with the Trimbos Institute, a leading Dutch institute for mental health and addiction.
• HEE-teamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFocus offers training courses in collaboration with the HEE-team, providing recovery-oriented training and education.
• NVZH (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Zelfregie en Herstel)minorOthersStichting Focus is affiliated with NVZH, the Dutch Association for Self-management and Recovery, as indicated by their logo presence on the website.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Mediant: Mediant provides mental health and addiction services in Twente and the surrounding Overijssel region. Comparable to Focus Zwolle as a regional GGZ/herstel provider operating in the same Eastern Netherlands mental health landscape, though it operates more clinical services.
• Dimence Groep: Dimence is a major GGZ provider in Overijssel, the same province as Focus Zwolle, offering both clinical and recovery-oriented services. It is a regional peer because it operates adjacent mental health services in the same catchment area and competes for the same municipal and zorgkantoor funding.

Others

• Trimbos-instituut: Trimbos is the Netherlands' national knowledge center for mental health and addiction. It is a current partner of Focus Zwolle (training collaboration) and an adjacent ecosystem player, comparable as an enabler of recovery-oriented training but not a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• Kwintes: Kwintes is a Dutch organization supporting people with mental health challenges and psychosocial vulnerabilities through housing, participation, and recovery programs. It is a direct peer focused on the same vulnerable-persona segment as Focus Zwolle, with overlapping recovery and participation services.
• Allévo: Allévo is a Dutch social support organization offering participation, social activation, and welfare services for vulnerable populations. Like Focus Zwolle, it focuses on social participation and reintegration rather than clinical treatment, making it a direct peer in the broader social-care segment.
• Lister (Stichting Lister): Lister is a Dutch mental health organization offering supported housing and recovery-oriented services for people with psychosocial vulnerabilities. Like Focus Zwolle, it operates on a non-clinical, community-based model with peer support, making it a direct peer in the Dutch herstel/zelfregie category.

Broad incumbents

• GGZ InGeest: GGZ InGeest is a major GGZ provider in the Amsterdam region offering clinical and outpatient mental health services. Comparable to Focus Zwolle as a mental health provider in the Dutch system, but operates at much larger scale with a clinical focus rather than a peer-led recovery model.
• Mind (Stichting Mind): Mind is the national Dutch mental health association and advocacy body, formerly known as Fonds Psychische Gezondheid. It is a broad incumbent in the same Dutch mental health space as Focus Zwolle, with national reach and a broader portfolio around prevention, advocacy, and peer support.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/focuszwolle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/focuszwolle
• Instagraminstagram.com/focuszwolle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Focus Zwolle