Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven

What Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven does

Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven (LES) is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting) founded in 2016 and headquartered in Rotterdam, operating as a national expertise center on dying and end-of-life. Its mission is to reintegrate dying into Dutch society by making knowledge, wisdom, and experience about the dying process broadly accessible, addressing widespread unfamiliarity and fear with the topic. The organization was founded by four women — Ineke Visser (Koedam), Els den Outer (deceased), Lyda Westenbrink, and Ineke van der Ouderaa — and holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status, which makes donations tax-deductible and confirms its public-benefit orientation. It operates without government subsidies and is governed by a voluntary board, with a Comité van Aanbeveling that includes prominent Dutch figures such as Rudolf Westendorp, Pim van Lommel, Annemiek Schrijver, Adelheid Roosen, and Huub Oosterhuis.

LES delivers a platform-plus-modules offering centered on its Academy, which runs a Post-HBO Intensive 'Omgaan met Sterven' (47 study points from V&VN; additional accreditations from Register Verpleegkundig Specialisten, SKGV, NAVU, and Register Vaktherapie) and a 4-day 'Levenseinde Rituelen' specialization. Its core intellectual property is the Seven-Layer Approach to Dying (Zeven-Lagen Benadering) developed by Ineke Visser, a framework covering physical, emotional, mental, spiritual, relational, divine, and consciousness dimensions. This methodology underpins the Academy, the 7-part 'Leven met Sterven' podcast, the Drempel magazine, published books ('Sterven', 'Licht op Sterven'), and the 'Leven met Sterven' online community platform, which offers elearning, webinars, masterclasses, and a knowledge bank. The 'Naasten nabij' workshop portfolio is delivered at 7-9 locations across the Netherlands for family members and loved ones, with an in-company variant. The organization also operates a webshop and organizes the annual Nationale Dag Aandacht voor Sterven on May 24.

Revenue is generated from five streams: (1) course and workshop fees from the Academy and Naasten nabij workshops, (2) webshop sales of books, magazines, card sets, and guides, (3) one-time donations (€10-€50) and 5-year periodic gift agreements processed via Mollie, (4) freemium community membership on the Leven met Sterven platform, and (5) legacy giving. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on content marketing, a podcast, a monthly newsletter, the Nationale Dag Aandacht voor Sterven event, the upcoming Jubilee Symposium in September 2025, and a December 2025/January 2026 'Tientje voor 10 jaar' small-donation campaign tied to the foundation's 10th anniversary in 2026. The customer base spans five segments — family members of dying individuals, healthcare professionals, terminal care volunteers, caregivers newly required to demonstrate baseline end-of-life knowledge (since 2020), and the general public interested in death awareness — with no enterprise contract concentration.

Name

Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven

Legal name

Stichting Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven

Website

https://landelijkexpertisecentrumsterven.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 2016 that provides education, training, and community resources on dying and end-of-life. It serves family members, healthcare professionals, terminal-care volunteers, and the general public through its Academy, the 'Leven met Sterven' community platform, and a network of workshops across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

End-of-Life Education and Palliative Care Training

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Support Services (6117)

SIC

Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Family Caregiver Coaching, Education & Support (HSABAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bereavement & Grief Support Services (Family Aftercare) (HSABAFAI), Caregiver Support, Coaching & Training (HLADALAG), Behavioral Health & Counseling (Social Work, Psychology, Substance Use CE) (EDAAALAD)

Keywords

• End-of-life education
• Terminal care training
• Palliative care workshops
• Death awareness community
• Bereavement support resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Oosterbeek

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Educational Programs and Training: Revenue from post-HBO level courses (Intensive 'Omgaan met Sterven'), specializations, and workshops offered through the academy.
2. Webshop Sales: Sales of books, magazines, card sets, and guides published by the organization.
3. Donations and Grants: Funding from individual donors, foundation grants, and periodic gift agreements (5-year donation commitments). The organization operates without government subsidies to maintain independence.
4. Community Membership: Free community membership with elearning and video content access, with potential premium offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven delivers education, training and community engagement around the dying process in the Netherlands. Its core offerings include post-HBO Academy programs (the Intensive 'Omgaan met Sterven' and 'Levenseinde Rituelen' specialization), the Naasten nabij family workshop available at 9 regional locations, the 'Leven met Sterven' online community platform with elearning, webinars and a 7-episode podcast, a webshop of publications and the Drempel magazine, all grounded in the proprietary Seven-Layer Approach to Dying developed by founder Ineke Visser.

Product overview

Landelijk Expertisecentrum Sterven operates a platform-plus-modules structure centered on its Academy, which delivers Post-HBO professional education on dying (the 'Intensive Omgaan met Sterven' and 'Levenseinde Rituelen' specialization). The Academy is complemented by the 'Naasten nabij' workshop for family members. A key digital pillar is the 'Leven met Sterven' community platform (including a 7-part podcast series, video elearnings, and masterclasses), which hosts the knowledge bank and offers free membership. The organization also operates a Webshop for books and publications, publishes the 'Drempel' magazine, and organizes the annual 'Nationale Dag Aandacht voor Sterven' on May 24.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Leven met Sterven: Community platform, podcast, and knowledge bank where people can share thoughts about dying and access elearnings and online meetings. The community focuses on the layered nature of dying and offers space for intimacy and connection.

Products and services

• LES Academy (Intensive Omgaan met Sterven and Levenseinde Rituelen)
• Naasten nabij Workshop
• Leven met Sterven Community Platform
• Webshop
• Drempel Magazine

Quantifiable outcome

• The Intensive 'Omgaan met Sterven' is accredited for 47 study points by Kwaliteitsregister V&VN
• +2 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• De Bergkerk (Amersfoort)minorOthersTraining venue partnership for academy programs. De Bergkerk provides physical space for educational courses and workshops in Amersfoort.
• De Pastorie (Hoogland)minorOthersTraining venue partnership for academy programs. De Pastorie provides physical space for educational courses in Hoogland.
• Kwaliteitsregister V&VNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional nursing association that has accredited the Intensive 'Omgaan met Sterven' program for 47 study points, enabling professional development recognition for nurses.
• Register Verpleegkundig SpecialistencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional registry for nursing specialists that has accredited the training program for 44 points, enabling continued professional education credit.
• Stichting Kwaliteitsregister Geestelijk Verzorgers (SKGV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional registry for spiritual caregivers that has accredited the program for 19.5 points across categories of Person and Work, Spirituality, and Professional Competence.
• NAVUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational accreditation body that has accredited the training program for 25 study points.
• Register VaktherapiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProfessional registry for art therapists that has accredited the training program for 75 study points.
• Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Authority)coreOthersAs an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling), the organization has special tax status. Donations are tax-deductible, and the organization is exempt from gift tax, enabling effective charitable giving.
• MarketResponseminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch firm commissioned to conduct public opinion research on the experience of dying in the Netherlands (2021 and 2018 studies).

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Hospice Foundation of America: Long-established US non-profit providing end-of-life education, publications, and professional programs. A broader incumbent operating across multiple end-of-life education formats, comparable in mission though with deeper resources than LES.
• Dutch Hospice Network (Netwerk Palliatieve Zorg): Dutch network organizations coordinating regional palliative care services including hospice and terminal care. Comparable in serving the same end-of-life ecosystem in the Netherlands, but with a clinical-service and coordination focus rather than LES's education-and-community focus.
• Center to Advance Palliative Care (CAPC): US-based organization providing palliative-care training and resources to clinicians and healthcare organizations. Comparable in delivering professional education on end-of-life topics, but operating as a broader healthcare-system-facing incumbent.

Direct peers

• Elisabeth Kübler-Ross Foundation: Global foundation continuing the work of Elisabeth Kübler-Ross on death, dying, and grief. Directly comparable in mission and founder-anchored methodology, though globally oriented rather than Dutch-focused like LES.
• Stichting Agora: Dutch national knowledge center for palliative care. Agora and LES both operate as non-profit education and awareness hubs serving Dutch professionals and the public on end-of-life topics, making them the closest direct peer in category and geography.
• Pallium Canada: Canadian non-profit focused on palliative-care education and professional training, including LEAP courses. Comparable to LES's Academy in mission and in offering accredited continuing education for healthcare providers, though scaled to a national level in Canada.
• Stichting Ambulance Wens: Dutch non-profit fulfilling last wishes for terminally ill individuals. While delivery is operational rather than educational, Ambulance Wens shares LES's donor-funded model, ANBI status, and focus on improving the end-of-life experience in the Netherlands.
• Stichting Palliatieve Zorg Nederland (PAL): Dutch palliative care foundation and knowledge platform (Palliaweb). PAL is directly comparable because it aggregates palliative-care education, professional training, and public-facing content in the Netherlands, overlapping with LES's Academy and community offerings.
• Dying Matters (Hospice UK): UK-wide coalition raising public awareness of dying, death, and bereavement. Closely analogous to LES's Nationale Dag Aandacht voor Sterven and community awareness work, though at a national-scale campaign level rather than a small foundation.
• The Conversation Project: US-based non-profit dedicated to helping people talk about end-of-life wishes. Direct overlap with LES's mission to reduce discomfort around dying and educate families about the dying process, though operating in the US rather than the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/landelijk-expertisecentrum-sterven

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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