Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma

What Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma does

Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma (HWBP) is a public-sector infrastructure alliance, not a commercial entity, jointly governed by Rijkswaterstaat and the Unie van Waterschappen and comprising all 21 Dutch regional water boards (Waterschappen) plus Rijkswaterstaat. Its mission is to reinforce approximately 1,400 kilometers of primary dikes and approximately 400 sluices and pumping stations across the Netherlands over a 30-year horizon, with the goal of bringing all primary water defenses to current flood safety standards by 2050. The program is publicly funded through the Delta Fund (Deltafonds) and the Rijksbegroting, with Rijkswaterstaat's national dike projects funded 100% by the national government and water-board projects receiving subsidies from the program.

The program's core 'products' are program-management tools and knowledge resources rather than commercial technology: an interactive projectenkaart tracking nearly 100 active dike reinforcement projects, a Kennisbank of project methodologies, the Referentiekader projectaanpak and accompanying Rekentool for cost benchmarking, the Verzoek tot Mutatie (VtM) formulier for semi-annual scope/time/budget change reporting, and an annual calendar. Supporting publications include the Dijkwerkersmagazine, Projectenboek, and the 'Dijken voor beginners' book, alongside a citizen-facing 'Alles over dijken' microsite. The alliance operates on principles of solidarity, best-for-program, and reliability, with day-to-day execution led by a programmadirectie of approximately 65 FTE under a programmabestuur with two representatives each from Rijkswaterstaat and the water boards.

HWBP has no commercial revenue model; pricing is non-applicable in the traditional sense. The program uses a subsidy-based mechanism, with project cost benchmarks set against an average of €7.0 million per kilometer of reinforced dike at 2014 price levels and a target throughput of 50 km of compliant dike per year. In late 2025, the program concluded a herijking (recalibration/reassessment) whose results are now being implemented. HWBP does not sell products, does not have private shareholders or external investors, and its only customer segments are its public executing partners — the 21 waterschappen and Rijkswaterstaat — together with residents and local stakeholders affected by dike projects.

Name

Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma

Legal name

Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma

Website

https://hwbp.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma (HWBP) is a Dutch government alliance program uniting all 21 water boards and Rijkswaterstaat to reinforce approximately 1,400 kilometers of primary dikes and 400 sluices and pumping stations by 2050, publicly funded through the Delta Fund.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Flood Protection Infrastructure Program

NAICS

Water, Sewage and Other Systems (2213), Administration of Air and Water Resource and Solid Waste Management Programs (924110), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

SIC

Water Supply (4941), Water, Sewer, Pipeline, Comm & Power Line Construction (1623)

akta.pro primary industry

Water Resources, WASH & Integrated Water Management (BPADALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Water Supply & Wastewater Utilities Administration (BPAIACAG), Environmental & Social Management Plans (ESMP) / Mitigation Monitoring (EUAHAAAG)

Keywords

• Flood protection program
• Dike reinforcement infrastructure
• Water safety alliance
• Public infrastructure coordination
• Hydraulic engineering projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public infrastructure program funding: HWBP is a publicly funded government program. The program office is funded by the Delta Fund (Deltafonds) and the national budget (Rijksbegroting). The 21 water boards receive subsidies for dike reinforcement projects from the program. Rijkswaterstaat's national dikes are financed 100% by the national government. No commercial revenue is generated.
2. Long-term public investment program: The HWBP has a long-term recurring program commitment spanning approximately 30 years, with the goal of making all primary flood defenses compliant by 2050. Annual budgets and multi-year programming cycles are used to allocate funds.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma (HWBP) is a Dutch government alliance program that subsidizes, guides, and monitors the reinforcement of approximately 1,400 km of primary dikes and roughly 400 sluices and pumping stations across the Netherlands over a 30-year period, with the goal of bringing all primary water defenses to current flood-safety standards by 2050. The program office (programmadirectie) allocates Delta Fund subsidies to the 21 regional water boards and 100% national funding to Rijkswaterstaat, while providing program guidance, quarterly monitoring, cost benchmarking via the Referentiekader projectaanpak, and knowledge sharing across the alliance.

Product overview

The Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma (HWBP) is a government alliance program (not a commercial technology product) operating the main hwbp.nl website and supporting tools. The core offerings include: the public-facing hwbp.nl website serving as the primary information portal about dike reinforcement; the interactive project map showing active projects; the Knowledge Bank (Kennisbank) with project guidelines; and educational publications including the Dijkenboek for beginners and Dijkwerkersmagazine. Supporting tools include the Reference Framework (Referentiekader) for project cost estimation, the Request for Modification form, and the annual calendar. All offerings serve the program's mission to strengthen approximately 1,400 kilometers of dikes and 400 sluices/gemaal (pumping stations) across the Netherlands by 2050.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma (HWBP) Dike Reinforcement Program A publicly funded dike reinforcement program providing subsidy allocation, program guidance, and monitoring to the 21 Dutch water boards and Rijkswaterstaat; targets 50 km of compliant dike per year at an average cost of €7.0 million per km (2014 price level), with all primary water defenses meeting flood-safety standards by 2050.
• Referentiekader Projectaanpak (Reference Framework for Project Approach) A reference framework with practical tools for project teams to estimate project cost levels and complexity before drafting a Project Plan; supports subsidy eligibility discussions between project teams and the HWBP program office.
• Interactieve Projectenkaart (Interactive Project Map) An interactive map service allowing citizens, stakeholders, and professionals to locate and explore nearly 100 active HWBP dike reinforcement projects across the Netherlands.

Quantifiable outcome

• Target of 50 km of primary water defenses meeting the flood safety norm per year
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 21 Dutch Water Boards (Waterschappen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAll 21 Dutch water boards are formal alliance partners in the HWBP. They own and manage regional primary water defenses and are the primary executing parties for dike reinforcement projects subsidized by the program. They participate in the HWBP's programming, reporting, and knowledge-sharing frameworks.
• RijkswaterstaatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRijkswaterstaat manages the national (Rijks) primary water defenses and is a core alliance partner in the HWBP. The HWBP program office guides and monitors RWS projects. National dikes receive 100% government funding. RWS participates in the program's reporting, review, and knowledge-sharing systems.
• Ministerie van Infrastructuur en Waterstaat (I&W) / Directoraat-generaal Water en Bodem (DGWB)coreOthersThe Ministry of Infrastructure and Water State (I&W) sets national water safety policy. DGWB is the policy directorate that serves as the formal commissioning party for Rijkswaterstaat's HWBP projects. The ministry oversees program execution via the Delta Fund and national budget.
• Unie van Waterschappen (Union of Water Boards)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Union of Water Boards is the collective body representing all 21 Dutch water boards. It co-employs HWBP staff and serves on the program board (programmabestuur), providing governance oversight and acting as an employer under the 'cao Werken voor Waterschappen' collective labor agreement.
• Market parties and contractorsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPrivate sector contractors and engineering firms carry out physical dike reinforcement works on behalf of the water boards and Rijkswaterstaat. The program uses various procurement and contract forms to engage market parties.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kystdirektoratet (Danish Coastal Authority): Danish national authority for coastal protection and flood defence. Comparable in mandate (national coastal/flood defence delivery), governance (national agency) and operating context (low-lying delta geography), though focused on coasts rather than river dikes.
• Unie van Waterschappen: The collective body representing all 21 Dutch regional water authorities. Co-governs HWBP via the programmabestuur and co-employs programme staff under the 'cao Werken voor Waterschappen', making it a direct partner/peer with shared mission and governance seat.
• Thames Estuary 2100: Environment Agency-led long-horizon flood-defence programme for the Thames estuary running to 2100. Comparable to HWBP as a multi-decade, publicly funded, alliance-based flood-defence programme with periodic adaptive planning reviews.
• Environment Agency (UK): UK government agency responsible for flood and coastal erosion risk management in England, operating a multi-decade asset-management programme for flood defences. Directly comparable to HWBP in mandate (national flood defence delivery) and operating model (programme-based, public funding, partnership with local authorities).

Others

• Deltares: Dutch applied research institute on water, subsurface and infrastructure. Functions as an ecosystem knowledge partner to HWBP (innovation, methodology, data) rather than a competitor; thematically central to the Dutch flood-defence stack.

Regional players

• Queensland Reconstruction Authority: Queensland state authority for disaster recovery and resilience infrastructure, including flood mitigation. Comparable as a public-sector programme entity coordinating multi-year, multi-billion flood-defence and resilience investment, though operating in a disaster-recovery rather than steady-state mode.
• Agence Française de Développement / French Water Agencies: French public financing and water management entities overseeing flood prevention and water-resource investment across France. Comparable in regional scope and public funding model, with similar large-scale infrastructure investment programmes for flood resilience.
• Bundesanstalt für Wasserbau (BAW): German federal waterway engineering and research institute supporting federal waterways, including flood-protection infrastructure. Comparable as a technical-knowledge peer in flood and water infrastructure engineering, though focused on waterways rather than dikes specifically.

Broad incumbents

• Rijkswaterstaat: The Dutch national agency for public works and water management, part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management. Rijkswaterstaat is a core alliance partner in HWBP and itself manages national primary water defences, making it the closest incumbent peer with overlapping but broader mandate.
• US Army Corps of Engineers: US federal agency responsible for flood risk management infrastructure, levees, and coastal protection under a multi-decade federal investment programme. Comparable as a broad incumbent with overlapping flood-defence delivery mandate and federal funding model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/dijkwerkers

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Hoogwaterbeschermingsprogramma