Groningen Werkt Slim

What Groningen Werkt Slim does

Groningen Werkt Slim is a publicly funded energy advisory initiative launched in 2019 and organizationally embedded within the Gemeente Groningen (municipality) and Provincie Groningen (province) in the Netherlands. Its mandate is to help small and medium-sized businesses (mkb-ondernemers) across all ten municipalities in the province of Groningen reduce energy consumption, generate renewable energy, and share energy resources, in service of the regional CO2-neutrality goal. The initiative operates with a core team of approximately 8 staff comprising energy advisors, regional aanjagers (facilitators for business parks), and project/communications support.

The service portfolio is structured around a free on-site Energie Adviesgesprek (energy consultation of up to 1.5 hours), supported by diagnostic and monitoring tools including the Warmtescan (infrared heat-camera imaging to identify heat loss), the P1 Meter (a smart-meter-connected device that integrates with the Homewizard Energy-app to provide real-time electricity and gas consumption data, including solar generation versus consumption), the Deur-dichtbordje (door-close signage for retail/hospitality), and advisory resources such as the 20 Quick Wins guide and the Stappenplan Verduurzamen Huurpanden (a step-by-step sustainability roadmap for tenants of rented business premises). The P1 Meter and Homewizard integration represent the most technically substantive components; beyond this, the offering is human-advisory-led rather than software-led.

The business model is fully non-commercial: all services, tools, and reports are provided at zero cost to SMBs, with operating costs funded by the municipality and province of Groningen as part of public policy. The organization has no external investors, no funding rounds, and no disclosed revenue. Distribution is primarily direct, with advisors conducting on-site visits, supplemented by regional aanjagers working on collective business-park projects, partnerships with four founding business associations (Bedrijvenvereniging Zuidoost, Bedrijvenvereniging WEST, Groningen City Club, VBNO), and integration with subsidy/financing providers (Fonds Nieuwe Doen) and the grid operator (Enexis) via the Groningen Stroomt Door consortium addressing grid congestion (netcongestie).

Name

Groningen Werkt Slim

Legal name

Groningen Werkt Slim

Website

https://groningenwerktslim.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Groningen Werkt Slim is a publicly funded energy advisory initiative of the Gemeente Groningen and Provincie Groningen that provides free, independent on-site consultations, heat scans, and P1 Meter energy monitoring to SMBs across the province of Groningen to support regional CO2-neutrality goals.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Energy Efficiency Consulting

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Net-Zero Assurance & Readiness Assessments (limited assurance prep, audit support) (EUABAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Scope 1–3 GHG Inventory Strategy, Data Governance & Controls (advisory) (EUABAKAD)

Keywords

• Energy efficiency consulting
• SMB energy advisory
• Public energy services
• Energy audit services
• Subsidy navigation

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Publicly Funded Advisory Services: Groningen Werkt Slim is fully funded by the municipality of Groningen and the province of Groningen as part of their goal to become CO2-neutral. All advisory services, tools (P1 Meters, heat scans), and reports are provided completely free of charge to SMB businesses in the province.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Groningen Werkt Slim is a free, independent energy advisory initiative for small and medium-sized businesses (mkb) in the province of Groningen, Netherlands. Funded by the municipality and province of Groningen, the organization provides on-site energy consultations, infrared heat scans, real-time energy monitoring through P1 Meters, subsidy navigation, and step-by-step sustainability guides at no cost to qualifying SMBs.

Product overview

Groningen Werkt Slim offers a comprehensive suite of free, independent energy advisory services for SMBs in the province of Groningen. The core offering centers on the Energie Adviesgesprek, a personalized consultation that includes on-site visits and detailed reports. This is supported by diagnostic tools like the Warmtescan (thermal imaging) and the P1 Meter (real-time energy monitoring device), along with practical resources such as the Deur-dichtbordje signage and the 20 Quick Wins guide. Additional services include solar panel advice, subsidy guidance through the Subsidiematrix, and the Stappenplan for rental property sustainability. The organization operates as an initiative of the municipality and province of Groningen, with services fully funded by government to support regional CO2-neutrality goals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Energie Adviesgesprek (Energy Advice Consultation)

Quantifiable outcome

• A 15-year-old freezer in a restaurant consumed 2,230 kWh/year; replacement with a modern freezer (400-850 kWh/year) pays back within 1-2 years
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration1 record

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• GroBusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner in the Economic Board Groningen ecosystem, supporting the initiative's work with businesses.
• New Energy CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partner supporting energy transition initiatives in the Groningen region, collaborating with Groningen Werkt Slim.
• Programma Verduurzaming Bedrijventerreinen (PVB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment program (Rijksoverheid) from which the aanjagers (facilitators) operate. Guides collective sustainability work on business parks.
• All Groningse GemeentencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll municipalities in the province of Groningen (Eemsdelta, Groningen, Het Hogeland, Midden-Groningen, Oldambt, Pekela, Stadskanaal, Veendam, Westerkwartier, Westerwolde) collaborate with Groningen Werkt Slim to reach local businesses.
• Bedrijvenvereniging ZuidoostminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding business associations that initiated Groningen Werkt Slim in 2019.
• Bedrijvenvereniging WESTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding business associations that initiated Groningen Werkt Slim in 2019.
• Groningen City Club (GCC)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding business associations; GCC chairman Eric Bos actively promotes the P1 Meter to GCC members.
• Vereniging Bedrijven Noordoost (VBNO)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOne of the founding business associations that initiated Groningen Werkt Slim in 2019.
• Groningen Stroomt DoorcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration project in the municipality of Groningen involving all business associations, Hanze Entrance, and Enexis to address grid congestion (netcongestie) and map energy capacity usage by businesses.
• EnexiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrid operator (netbeheerder) participating in Groningen Stroomt Door consortium to address grid congestion and explore capacity solutions for businesses.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• KvK (Kamer van Koophandel): The Dutch Chamber of Commerce provides broad business advisory for SMBs including sustainability/energy topics. While not exclusively focused on energy, KVK is a national-scale delivery channel overlapping with GWS's SMB advisory function.

Direct peers

• Provincie Drenthe Energieloket: Drenthe's provincial energy service for SMBs, offering energy scans, advice, and subsidy support. Directly comparable as a neighboring Dutch provincial energy advisory initiative serving the same target market.
• Rijksdienst voor Ondernemend Nederland (RVO): The Dutch national agency that administers energy subsidies (EIA, ISDE, SDE++, MIA/Vamil) and provides sustainability advisory for businesses. RVO is the national-level analog to Groningen Werkt Slim, offering subsidized energy advice and subsidy navigation to Dutch SMBs.
• Energieloket Overijssel: A similar Dutch provincial/regional energy advisory program for SMBs in Overijssel, providing independent energy advice, scans, and subsidy guidance. Same free, government-funded service model targeting SMBs in a defined province.

Emerging players

• Milieu Centraal: Dutch environmental information organization providing energy and sustainability advice, primarily consumer-focused. Comparable as a publicly-funded Dutch entity translating sustainability knowledge to non-technical audiences, though GWS targets SMBs while Milieu Centraal targets households.
• Stichting Natuur & Milieu: Major Dutch environmental organization advocating for sustainability policy and supporting organizations on climate action. Comparable as a not-for-profit sustainability intermediary, though national in scope and less focused on direct SMB energy audit delivery.

Others

• New Energy Coalition: Northern Netherlands energy coalition supporting the regional energy transition. Already a strategic partner of GWS, the coalition works on broader energy-system innovation and acts as an ecosystem enabler rather than a direct SMB advisor.
• VNG (Vereniging Nederlandse Gemeenten): The national association of Dutch municipalities that helps coordinate local sustainability and energy policy. As a meta-organization, VNG enables municipal coordination similar to how GWS operates across Groningen's municipalities, but at a national scale.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/groningen-werkt-slim

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 Groningen Werkt Slim