IVA Onderwijs

What IVA Onderwijs does

IVA Onderwijs is a Tilburg, Netherlands-based research and advisory firm operating in the Dutch education sector. Founded in 2013, the company identifies itself as a network organization built around four core researchers — Hans Mariën, Paula Willemse, Irma van der Neut, and associate Sanne Smeenk (operating through S2 Onderzoek & Advies) — augmented by a set of formal partner firms (S2 Onderzoek & Advies, Pyrrhula Research Consultants, DataIM, CentERdata). The firm delivers commissioned practical research at the intersection of science and practice, organized around six thematic service areas: Employee Research, Alumni Research, Brain Drain, Research-Based Design, Learning from Data, and Assessment & Examination, plus policy advisory services.

The underlying technology is methodological rather than software-based. IVA Onderwijs employs quantitative and qualitative research approaches including surveys, interviews, focus groups, and hybrid designs, and is differentiated by its access to CBS microdata files that combine diploma data with socio-demographic characteristics from the Municipal Basic Administration (GBA) for longitudinal analyses such as brain drain migration studies. The firm has developed validated, modular employee research instruments — covering satisfaction, engagement, vitality, and workload — that are reused across multiple Dutch universities. No proprietary software, AI/ML models, API, or mobile application products are disclosed; the organization operates as a services business rather than a product company.

Commercially, IVA Onderwijs generates revenue through project-based professional services engagements. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is likely custom-quoted based on scope, methodology, and client requirements. The go-to-market motion is sales-led and relationship-driven, with direct engagement of opdrachtgevers (commissioners) including Dutch universities (TiU, Leiden, UvA, VU, Utrecht, RUG, TU Delft, WUR, Radboud), HBO institutions (HvA, Avans, Fontys, HAN), MBO institutions, and government bodies (Provincie Noord-Brabant, Gemeente Breda), plus national coordination bodies (NRO, MBO Raad). Distribution is single-country (Netherlands), with growth driven by referrals, research publications, and direct client relationships.

Name

IVA Onderwijs

Legal name

IVA Onderwijs

Website

https://iva-onderwijs.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IVA Onderwijs is a Tilburg-based research and advisory firm that conducts practical, question-driven research for Dutch universities, HBO and MBO institutions, and government bodies, operating through a four-person core research team supported by network partners.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Research and Advisory Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700)

akta.pro primary industry

Due Diligence & Investigative Research (BPAHALAI)

Keywords

• Education research services
• Educational advisory
• Employee satisfaction research
• Alumni career tracking
• Brain drain analysis

Headquarters

HQ city

Tilburg

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and Advisory Services: IVA Onderwijs generates revenue through commissioned research projects and advisory services for educational institutions. Projects are conducted on a question-driven and solution-oriented basis, always based on the latest (scientific) insights. The company works with various opdrachtgevers including universities, HBO institutions, MBO institutions, and government bodies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

IVA Onderwijs is a practice-oriented research and advisory firm serving the Dutch education sector. It conducts commissioned, question-driven research at the intersection of science and practice, covering themes such as innovative education, examination quality, lifelong learning, employee satisfaction, alumni trajectories, and brain drain analysis. Engagements are delivered through a core team of researchers augmented by a network of partner organizations, and are typically commissioned by universities, HBO institutions, MBO institutions, sector bodies, and government organizations.

Product overview

IVA Onderwijs operates as a practice-oriented research and advisory organization (not a software product company) offering a portfolio of interconnected research services targeting the Dutch education sector. The core offering consists of specialized research services organized around six thematic areas: Employee Research (Medewerkersonderzoek), Alumni Research (Alumnionderzoek), Brain Drain Research (Braindrain), Research-Based Design (Onderzoekend ontwerpen), Learning from Data (Leren van data), and Assessment & Examination (Toetsing & Examinering). These services are delivered through a 'hard core' of four researchers who collaborate with network partners and are commissioned by educational institutions, government bodies, and research organizations. The organization combines scientific insights with practical application, integrating research, design, and development.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medewerkersonderzoek (Employee Research) Validated survey-based research service for measuring employee experience, satisfaction, engagement, vitality, and workload at universities. Includes digital questionnaires, reporting options (written reports or web applications), depth interviews, focus groups, and advisory services for result interpretation and implementation.
• Alumnionderzoek (Alumni Research) Research service tracking alumni trajectories and outcomes, including migration patterns and career pathways of graduates.
• Braindrain onderzoek (Brain Drain Research) Analysis of migration patterns of higher-educated professionals using CBS microdata files, combining diploma data with socio-demographic characteristics from municipal basic administration (GBA) to determine migration balances for regions and municipalities.
• Onderzoekend ontwerpen (Research-Based Design) Collaborative research approach combining investigation and design, including research workshops where researchers, teachers, and ICT experts jointly develop personalized education using evidence-informed methods.
• Leren van data (Learning from Data) Research focusing on management information needs of team leaders in MBO institutions, including development of operational steering indicators and facilitation of dialogue between information managers and team leaders.
• Toetsing & Examinering (Assessment & Examination) Research on examination practices and innovative approaches to diploma decisions in MBO, exploring the intersection of educational innovation and examination, including regulatory compliance analysis.
• Beleidsadvisering (Policy Advisory) Advisory services providing policymakers with information about the impact of innovative educational trajectories.

Quantifiable outcome

• Conducted brain drain research for Noord-Brabant province tracking migration patterns of higher educated alumni using CBS microdata
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• S2 Onderzoek & AdviescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerS2 Onderzoek & Advies is the research firm of Sanne Smeenk, who serves as associate researcher at IVA Onderwijs. Sanne specializes in quantitative research methods and works with large databases, particularly in employee experience and client satisfaction research at universities.
• Pyrrhula Research Consultants B.V.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPyrrhula Research Consultants B.V., operated by Dr. Henk Vinken, a cultural sociologist with extensive experience at the intersection of science, policy, and practice. Has conducted numerous research projects in arts, culture, education, and labor market areas.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights2 records

Direct peers

• Panteia: Dutch research and consultancy firm delivering applied research in labor market, education, and regional economic development. Comparable to IVA in methodology (mixed quantitative/qualitative), network model, and Dutch public-sector client base.
• CINOP: Dutch advisory and research organization specializing in vocational education (MBO) and the labor-market-education interface. Directly comparable to IVA's MBO assessment/examination and 'leren van data' workstreams.
• ResearchNed: Dutch research and advisory firm focused on higher education policy and student/alumni outcomes research. Closely comparable to IVA in serving Dutch universities with commissioned applied research, sector-specific benchmarks, and policy advisory work.
• Decisio: Amsterdam-based Dutch research and advisory firm focused on regional economics, labor market, and education policy. Comparable to IVA in brain-drain/migration research and in serving Dutch provinces and municipalities with policy-grade analysis.
• Dialogic: Nijmegen-based Dutch research and consultancy firm conducting practice-oriented social, economic, and policy research. Comparable to IVA through its question-driven methodology, network-of-researchers model, and mixed public/private client base.

Emerging players

• SEO Amsterdam Economics: Dutch economic and social research institute with overlap in labor-market and education economics research. Partially comparable to IVA through applied econometric methods and university/public-sector clients, though more academic in orientation.

Broad incumbents

• Berenschot: Major Dutch management consultancy with a dedicated education and public-sector practice. Comparable through advisory and applied research services for universities, though operating as a much broader generalist consultancy.
• Ecorys: Large Dutch-origin research and consulting firm with an established education and labor-market practice. Overlaps with IVA in education research and policy advisory, but operates at materially greater scale and broader sector scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iva-onderwijs

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 IVA Onderwijs