Mainline foundation
Mainline Foundation is a Dutch non-profit founded around 1991 that delivers harm reduction services, professional training, policy consultancy, and field research to people who use drugs, healthcare institutions, governments, NGOs, and UN bodies across 56+ countries.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1991
- HeadquartersAmsterdam, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Mainline foundation does
Mainline Foundation (Stichting Mainline) is a Dutch non-profit harm reduction organization founded around 1991 and headquartered in Amsterdam at Frederik Hendrikstraat 111-115. The organization directly serves people who use drugs through field outreach, needle exchange, drug testing, and chemsex support, while also delivering professional training, policy advisory, and action research to governments, municipalities, healthcare institutions, NGOs, human rights organizations, and UN bodies. It operates in more than 56 countries, primarily across Europe (Netherlands base) and Africa (Nigeria, South Africa, Zimbabwe, Kenya, Tanzania, Mozambique).
The organization runs an integrated portfolio of products and platforms: the biannual Mainline Magazine (a 35-year publication), the Chemsex Magazine, the Chemsex.nl information hub, the Harm Reduction School e-learning platform (hosted on Teachable), the Poppi Drugs Museum (a social-enterprise spin-off), and structured training programs (substances knowledge, making contact, dealing with confused behavior, chemsex, and harm reduction). Its underlying technology is primarily content delivery and field-coordination rather than software platforms. Revenue is sourced primarily from Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) subsidies, supplemented by consultancy fees, training revenue, publication sales through a webshop, museum proceeds, and project grants from international programs such as Love Alliance.
In October 2024, the Dutch State Secretary Karremans announced complete reduction of the VWS subsidy that funds Mainline, which the organization has identified as an existential threat to its long-term operations. The organization is currently campaigning publicly to reverse the decision. Its leadership is in transition: Machteld Busz departed as Director in 2024 to become homelessness strategist at the Municipality of Amsterdam, with Ancella Voets appointed as Manager of Knowledge, Learning and Partnerships.
Mainline foundation firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Mainline foundation
- Legal name
- Stichting Mainline
- Website
- https://mainline.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1991
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Mainline Foundation is a Dutch non-profit founded around 1991 that delivers harm reduction services, professional training, policy consultancy, and field research to people who use drugs, healthcare institutions, governments, NGOs, and UN bodies across 56+ countries.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Mainline foundation industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Harm Reduction Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO), Behavioral Health & Substance Use Program Funding (Public Health) (HLAJALAI)
Keywords
Where Mainline foundation is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Amsterdam
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Mainline foundation business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Government Subsidies and Grants: Mainline's primary funding comes from public grant funds, including subsidies from the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS). The organization has been facing funding cuts that threaten its operations.
- Consultancy Services: Expert consultancy services provided to governments, municipalities, healthcare institutions, NGOs, human rights organizations, and UN bodies. Includes quickscans, advisory work, evaluations, material procurement, and action research.
- Training Programs: In-company training programs and open training sessions on harm reduction, substance knowledge, and related topics. Pricing varies by program.
- Publications and Products: Sale of Mainline Magazine, Chemsex Magazine, and educational materials through their webshop. Prices were recently increased due to rising shipping and printing costs.
- Poppi Drugs Museum: Social enterprise museum initiative. Profits from Poppi Drug Museum benefit Mainline's work.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | Multi-year contract | Harm Reduction Training (In-company) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Training: Middelenkennis (Substances Knowledge) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Training: Contact Maken (Making Contact) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Training: Omgaan met Verward Gedrag |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Training: Verslaving (Addiction) |
| Other | Multi-year contract | Spoorcursus: Chemsex |
| Unit Pricing | Pay-as-you-go | Publications and Magazines |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels8 records
Marketing channels10 records
Mainline foundation product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Mainline Foundation delivers practical harm reduction services and expertise for people who use drugs and the professionals who serve them. Its core activities include direct field outreach (needle exchange, anonymous drug testing, chemsex support), professional training programs in substances knowledge and communication techniques, expert consultancy and policy advisory for governments and international bodies, and a portfolio of educational resources including biannual magazines, online information hubs, and an e-learning platform.
Product overview
Mainline Foundation operates as a harm reduction organization providing a portfolio of educational services, publications, and direct support programs. The core offerings include the Mainline Magazine (biannual lifestyle publication for drug users), the Chemsex Magazine (specialized publication on chemsex), and the Harm Reduction School e-learning platform. Direct services include drug testing, needle exchange, and Chemsex.nl information hub. Training programs cover substances knowledge, communication techniques, and harm reduction approaches. The organization also provides consultancy services and houses the Poppi Drugs Museum as an educational initiative. The portfolio functions as interconnected harm reduction touchpoints rather than a unified software platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Mainline Magazine A lifestyle magazine published twice yearly for people who use drugs, offering current information about developments in the drug scene. Available free at distribution points and via the webshop.
- Chemsex Magazine
Quantifiable outcome
- Over 4,000 crack users interviewed for the OPAAK study in collaboration with Trimbos Institute
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use Mainline foundation
Customer profileNamed customers11 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Mainline foundation technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Mainline foundation partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Municipality of AmsterdamcoreMainline co-hosted the 'Dealing with Drugs' conference in Amsterdam with Mayor Femke Halsema. The conference explored regulation of the drug market.
- Love AlliancecoreMainline developed a community assessment e-course within the Love Alliance program. Three selected Love Alliance partners engaged in the course: DAPHO (Nigeria), CRC (South Africa), and ZCLDN/AWA (Zimbabwe).
- JellinekcoreJellinek is a partner organization supporting Chemsex.nl, the neutral information hub about sex under the influence of drugs. They contribute to providing support and resources for the chemsex community.
- GGD AmsterdamcoreGGD Amsterdam (Municipal Health Service) is a partner supporting Chemsex.nl. They contribute healthcare expertise and help with distribution of Chemsex Magazine.
- Soa Aids NederlandcoreSoa Aids Nederland (STI AIDS Netherlands) is a partner supporting Chemsex.nl, contributing expertise in sexual health and STI prevention.
- Trimbos InstitutecoreTrimbos Institute is a research collaboration partner. Mainline conducted the OPAAK study in collaboration with Trimbos, interviewing over 4,000 crack users.
- Vrije Universiteit AmsterdamminorVU Amsterdam collaborated with Mainline on research into chemsex practices among transgender individuals in Amsterdam, conducted as part of a Master's program in Social and Cultural Anthropology.
- DAPHO (Nigeria)minorDAPHO from Nigeria participated in the Love Alliance community assessment e-course, conducting research on injection wounds among people who inject drugs in Gombe state.
- CRC (South Africa)minorCRC from South Africa participated in the Love Alliance community assessment e-course, conducting research on drug use among youth in Durban.
- ZCLDN and AWA (Zimbabwe)minorZCLDN and AWA from Zimbabwe conducted collaborative research on harm reduction intervention needs among youth, including young sex workers, who use drugs in Harare.
- CorrelationminorCorrelation is a European network for social inclusion and health that co-authored a commentary with Mainline published in the Harm Reduction Journal about the future of harm reduction.
- Various UN DepartmentscoreMainline works with various departments of the United Nations and stakeholders in HIV, drug policy, and harm reduction, providing expertise and consultancy.
Scale indicators6 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Mainline foundation competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Drug Policy Alliance: US-based drug policy reform nonprofit working at the intersection of public health, human rights, and drug policy. Comparable to Mainline as a mission-aligned NGO that influences government policy and runs education and advocacy programs.
- Release: UK charity providing expert drug advice, policy advocacy, and harm reduction services. Comparable as a European harm reduction organization with policy influence and direct services.
- International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD): Global peer-led network of people who use drugs advocating for health, human rights, and harm reduction. Highly comparable as a values-aligned, community-embedded harm reduction organization.
- Jellinek: Dutch addiction care organization partnering with Mainline on Chemsex.nl. Comparable as a Dutch addiction services provider; differs in being treatment-focused rather than harm-reduction-focused.
- Crew 2000: Scotland-based harm reduction charity delivering drug outreach, drug checking, and education. Directly comparable as a frontline harm reduction organization with field services and drug information resources.
- Correlation European Harm Reduction Network: European network for social inclusion and health that co-authored harm reduction commentary with Mainline. Directly comparable as a peer-level harm reduction advocacy and capacity-building organization operating in Europe.
- Soa Aids Nederland: Dutch sexual health and STI/HIV organization partnering with Mainline on Chemsex.nl. Comparable as a Dutch public health NGO addressing overlapping populations and harm reduction.
- Harm Reduction International: Global harm reduction NGO that, like Mainline, advocates for the health and rights of people who use drugs, provides policy expertise to governments and UN bodies, and operates internationally. Most direct global peer by mission and operating model.
- Trimbos Institute: Dutch research institute focused on mental health and substance use that collaborated with Mainline on the OPAAK study (4,000+ crack users interviewed). A peer in the Dutch harm reduction and addiction research ecosystem.
Peers
- National Harm Reduction Coalition: US-based harm reduction organization providing training, resources, and advocacy. Directly comparable to Mainline in providing harm reduction education, capacity building, and field expertise to professionals and communities.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Mainline foundation social profiles
Digital presenceMainline foundation financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Mainline foundation leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Mainline foundation funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Mainline foundation M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Mainline foundation
What does Mainline foundation do?
Mainline Foundation delivers practical harm reduction services and expertise for people who use drugs and the professionals who serve them. Its core activities include direct field outreach (needle exchange, anonymous drug testing, chemsex support), professional training programs in substances knowledge and communication techniques, expert consultancy and policy advisory for governments and international bodies, and a portfolio of educational resources including biannual magazines, online information hubs, and an e-learning platform.
Is Mainline foundation a public or private company?
Mainline foundation is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Mainline foundation founded?
Mainline foundation was founded in 1991. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Mainline foundation based?
Mainline foundation is headquartered in Amsterdam, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Mainline foundation make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Government Subsidies and Grants are the primary driver. The others are consultancy Services, training Programs, publications and Products and poppi Drugs Museum.
Who are Mainline foundation's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Drug Policy Alliance, Release, International Network of People Who Use Drugs (INPUD), Jellinek, Crew 2000, Correlation European Harm Reduction Network, Soa Aids Nederland, Harm Reduction International and Trimbos Institute. National Harm Reduction Coalition is listed as a peer.
Does Mainline foundation have an API?
No public API is recorded for Mainline foundation.
What industry is Mainline foundation in?
Mainline foundation's product category is Harm Reduction Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGACAE, Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services, with a secondary code of BPAGAEAO, Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services. Its NAICS code is 61171.