Ministerie van de Toekomst

What Ministerie van de Toekomst does

Ministerie van de Toekomst (Ministry of the Future) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation (Stichting) established in 2021 that promotes long-term, intergenerational thinking and responsibility through community-based deliberation methodologies. The organization serves Dutch municipalities, community groups, cultural institutions, nature conservation bodies, and citizens, operating through a hybrid model of 13 paid staff and 400+ volunteer "Ministers of the Future" who facilitate "cathedral thinking" (kathedraaldenken) in their own spheres of influence. Its core product is the Plekberaad methodology, a place-based deliberation framework that convenes local stakeholders to make decisions oriented toward long-term futures, supported by the DIY Toolkit, Waardenkompas values instrument, and Forecasting/Backcasting exercises.

The organization has expanded its offering with AI-powered interactive experiences called Ancestors and Ancestors Junior, which use generative image AI (delivered through partnership with Smartphone Orchestra) to help participants visualize future descendants. Other products include the Motie van Vertrouwen democracy game, the Baken van Hoop (Beacon of Hope) community intervention program, and bespoke Plekberaden delivered for hire. The foundation operates primarily across the Netherlands with active presence in Friesland, Brabant, and Gelderland, and co-initiates national coalitions such as the Lokale Democratie Coalitie.

The business model is donation- and grant-funded, with VriendenLoterij Fonds named as a funder and ANBI (public benefit) status obtained in September 2025 enabling tax-deductible donations. Limited commercial revenue is generated through facilitation services. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed, but the scale of paid staff and volunteer infrastructure suggests annual operating revenue below $1M, with growth primarily signaled through partnership cadence, product launches, and geographic expansion rather than financial metrics.

Name

Ministerie van de Toekomst

Legal name

Stichting Ministerie van de Toekomst

Website

https://ministerievandetoekomst.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Ministerie van de Toekomst is a Dutch nonprofit foundation promoting long-term intergenerational thinking through community deliberation methodologies like Plekberaad, AI-powered Ancestors experiences, and a 400+ volunteer network across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Civic Participation and Community Facilitation Services

NAICS

Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPADABAG

Democracy, Human Rights & Governance Assistance

Business & Public Services/International Organizations & Development/Bilateral Development Agencies & Aid Programs

Keywords

• Community facilitation services
• Future thinking workshops
• Citizen engagement programs
• Democratic deliberation methods
• Long-term planning methodologies

Headquarters

HQ city

Netherlands

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Individual and organizational donations: Accepts donations from individuals and organizations. As an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling - Public Benefit Organization), donations are tax-deductible for Dutch taxpayers.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Ministerie van de Toekomst (Stichting) is a Dutch nonprofit foundation that develops and disseminates facilitation methodologies for long-term thinking and intergenerational deliberation. Its core service is the Plekberaad — a structured community meeting format in which residents deliberate on the long-term future of a place (street, neighborhood, region) using time-travel exercises, forecasting, and backcasting. It also distributes a free DIY Plekberaad Toolkit, runs AI-powered interactive experiences (Ancestors and Ancestors Junior), and produces creative interventions such as the Motie van Vertrouwen democracy game and the Baken van Hoop village beacon.

Product overview

Ministerie van de Toekomst operates as a bottom-up movement (zwerm) that provides facilitation services, methodologies, and interactive experiences for long-term thinking and democratic participation. The core offering consists of the Plekberaad methodology—a community deliberation format for long-term planning—supplemented by the DIY Plekberaad Toolkit for self-organization. Interactive AI-powered experiences like Ancestors and Ancestors Junior enable participants to envision future scenarios. Creative interventions such as Motie van Vertrouwen and Baken van Hoop use art and dialogue for civic engagement. Regional and theme-based circles (Regio-cirkels and Thema-cirkels) organize local communities around future-oriented topics. The organization does not sell a software product; rather, it provides facilitation methods, downloadable resources, and organized events for future thinking.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Named customers7 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability3 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

19 partnerships are on record, tiered core, important and supportive.

• Cinekid FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaboration with Cinekid and Smartphone Orchestra to develop and premiere Ancestors Junior - an interactive AI-powered experience for children (8-14 years) on future thinking, premiered at Cinekid Festival 2025.
• Smartphone OrchestracoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partnership with artist Steye Hallema to develop Ancestors and Ancestors Junior - interactive experiences using AI and smartphones for future-oriented dialogue across generations.
• Brabants LandschapcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Collaborating on the future visioning of Oud Herlaer in the Bossche Broek nature area, developing the site as a harmonious art-landscape where ecology and contemporary art strengthen each other.
• Het Noordbrabants MuseumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Partner with Brabants Landschap in developing Oud Herlaer, bringing cultural perspective to landscape development and co-organizing Plekberaad consultations.
• Loom - Praktijk voor Culturele TransformatiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Cultural transformation practice (Katía Truijen, Mark Minkjan, Michiel van Iersel, Radna Rumping, René Boer) co-organizing Plekberaden with experimental formats for urgent societal questions.
• Wijkmakerij DukenburgcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Local initiative in Nijmegen neighborhood working on social innovation and broad prosperity, co-developing the Motie van Vertrouwen democracy game with youth participants.
• Fryslân BloeitimportantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Regional initiative on health, sustainable living, and community cooperation. Ministerie van de Toekomst participates with Baken van Hoop plekberaden in Friesland villages.
• Stichting Tussenland / Sijas de GrootcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Theatrical artist developing 'Baken' (Beacon) - a meters-high marker and theatrical prologue/epilogue for village plekberaden, creating new traditions of long-term thinking.
• Provincie FryslânsupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Provincial government partner in the Baken van Hoop initiative, supporting regional future-thinking activities.
• Bibliotheken Mar & FeansupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Library network participating in the Baken van Hoop plekberaden across Friesland.
• Museum Panorama MesdagsupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025The Hague museum hosting Plekberaad Doggersbank on North Sea future, providing venue and context for discussions on marine ecosystem.
• Ambassade van de Noordzee / Stichting DoggerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Foundation working on representation of Doggersbank interests in policy. Co-developing Plekberaad Doggersbank and School of Dogger Bank international program for ecosystem restoration.
• Impact024supportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Impact organization participating in Dukenburg coalition for social innovation.
• WEAll NederlandsupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Wellbeing Economy Alliance Netherlands participating in local democracy and social innovation initiatives.
• The Outsiders (kunstenaarscollectief)supportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Artist collective collaborating on Plekberaad Voedsellandschap (Food Landscape) with Haarlemmer Kweektuin.
• Haarlemmer KweektuinsupportiveGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025Urban garden hosting Plekberaad on local food landscape future.
• Kunstenaarscollectief De OnkruideniersupportiveStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Artist collective conducting field research during Oud Herlaer plekberaden.
• Bureau RuimtekoerscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Developed the original Motie van Vertrouwen game concept and collaborated on new versions for youth and democratic citizenship.
• Lokale Democratie Coalitie (LDC)importantStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024National network co-initiated by Ministerie van de Toekomst connecting local democracy initiatives including burgerberaden and future seats in municipal councils.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Fridays for Future: Youth-led climate movement emphasizing intergenerational thinking and long-term stakes. Comparable bottom-up movement mechanics, intergenerational framing, and youth engagement through events and partnerships.
• More in Common: International nonprofit working to bridge social divisions and strengthen democratic culture. Comparable mission to strengthen civic engagement and counteract polarization through dialogue.
• Extinction Rebellion: Global bottom-up movement of activists using creative interventions and civil disobedience. Comparable in its bottom-up volunteer movement architecture and creative intervention methodology, though focused on climate rather than long-term thinking broadly.

Direct peers

• Democracy International: European network advocating for transnational deliberative democracy including citizens' assemblies and EU-wide ballots. Comparable citizen deliberation and democratic innovation focus.
• G1000: Belgian-origin citizens' assembly movement that organizes large-scale deliberative democracy events. Directly comparable to Ministerie van de Toekomst's Plekberaad methodology and bottom-up civic engagement model.
• Sortition Foundation: UK-based nonprofit promoting citizens' assemblies and deliberative democracy. Shares the same citizens' council and democratic innovation focus as Ministerie van de Toekomst's Plekberaad method.
• New Democracy Foundation: Australian nonprofit developing and testing deliberative democracy tools including citizens' panels. Highly comparable to the facilitation and methodology work done by Ministerie van de Toekomst.
• Lokale Democratie Coalitie: National Dutch network co-initiated by Ministerie van de Toekomst connecting local democracy initiatives including burgerberaden. Direct peer and partner in the democracy innovation space.

Regional players

• Waag Futurelab: Dutch research and design organization focused on technology and society, including civic participation tools. Comparable as a Dutch civic innovation organization, though more tech-focused than Ministerie van de Toekomst's facilitation-first approach.

Others

• Smartphone Orchestra: Artistic collective developing the Ancestors AI experience with Ministerie van de Toekomst. A direct co-development partner whose AI-image-generation technology underpins the Ancestors Junior product.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ministerievdtoekomst
• Instagraminstagram.com/ministerievandetoekomst

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Ministerie van de Toekomst