Netwerk Groene Bureaus

What Netwerk Groene Bureaus does

Netwerk Groene Bureaus (NGB) is a Dutch trade association (brancheorganisatie) representing approximately 100-109 ecological advisory and research bureaus in the Netherlands, collectively employing around 2,300 ecological advisors (1,600 FTE) and accounting for roughly three-quarters of ecological advisors working at advisory firms nationally. The association's core function is quality assurance and advocacy: it develops and maintains standardized field protocols for species inventories (most notably the Vleermuisprotocol for bats and analogous protocols for fish, amphibians, reptiles, and birds), publishes safety guidelines, maintains a code of conduct and complaints procedure, and operates a membership testing regime. Recent technical output includes the December 2025 eDNA detection protocol for bats in buildings, developed with Waardenburg Ecology under commission from the Province of Utrecht, and the April 2026 update of the safety guideline 'Veilig en gezond werken'.

NGB is governed by an elected board drawn from member firms and operated through a small secretariat of approximately six staff led by a secretary; in October 2025 the association added its first dedicated Project Manager. The business model is subscription-based: member bureaus pay recurring annual membership fees, with candidate memberships available for firms not yet meeting full criteria. NGB does not disclose pricing or financials publicly. Revenue is diversified across roughly 109 member entities with no single dominant payer, and the association supplements core operations through project-level participation (e.g., advisory group seat in the €3M, four-year 'Biodiversiteit in beeld' PPS, 2024-2027) and partnerships with organizations including the Zoogdiervereniging, BIJ12/NDFF, Aeres Hogeschool, and the NEN standardization body. NGB protocols and standards are recognized by competent authorities for permit applications under the Nature Conservation Act, and NGB membership is increasingly incorporated as a procurement precondition by public clients, creating a de facto regulatory endorsement. A conflict exists between sources on founding year: firmographics data lists 1998, while the company-history narrative cites 2009 as the establishment date; the most recent, specific source supports 2009.

Name

Netwerk Groene Bureaus

Legal name

Netwerk Groene Bureaus

Website

https://netwerkgroenebureaus.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Netwerk Groene Bureaus is a Dutch trade association for ecological advisory and research bureaus, representing roughly 109 member firms and three-quarters of the country's ecological advisors at consultancies, funded by recurring membership fees and focused on standardized protocols, quality assurance, and sector advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological consultancy trade association services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

International Standards, Norms & Technical Regulatory Bodies (BPADAAAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Technical Committees, Working Groups & Expert Panels (BPADANAB), Environmental, Climate & Sustainability Standards & Reporting Cooperation (BPADANAI)

Keywords

• Ecological advisory association
• Species inventory protocols
• Bat research standards
• Environmental consultancy association
• Quality assurance standards

Headquarters

HQ city

Odijk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: As a professional industry association, Netwerk Groene Bureaus is funded primarily through annual membership fees from ecological advisory bureaus. No explicit pricing or revenue figures are publicly disclosed.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Netwerk Groene Bureaus is a Dutch trade association that provides quality assurance, standardized field protocols, a code of conduct, and a complaints procedure to ecological advisory and research bureaus. It sells membership to these bureaus, develops species-inventory and safety protocols (such as the Vleermuisprotocol and Richtlijn 'Veilig en gezond werken'), represents members in procurement and regulatory matters, and facilitates knowledge sharing through thematic meetings, courses, symposia and working groups. It does not sell ecological advisory services itself; its customers are the advisory bureaus that deliver these services in the Netherlands.

Product overview

Netwerk Groene Bureaus is a branch organization for ecological consulting firms, not a software product company. Its core offerings consist of standardized protocols for species inventory and monitoring (Vleermuisprotocol, eDNA protocols), professional guidelines (Richtlijn 'Veilig en gezond werken'), terminology standards (Definitielijst), and a code of conduct with complaint procedures. These products support quality assurance for approximately 100 member firms representing three-quarters of ecological consultants in Dutch consulting firms. The organization also facilitates knowledge sharing through courses, symposia, and theme meetings.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Soortinventarisatieprotocollen (Species Inventory Protocols) Standardized protocols for inventory and monitoring of protected species (bats, fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds) used by NGB member bureaus in the Netherlands, supporting permit applications under the Nature Conservation Act.
• eDNA Detection Protocol for Bats in Buildings Protocol and testing framework for environmental DNA detection of bats in buildings, providing an alternative inventory method for bat presence and a quality testing framework for evaluating eDNA detection methods.
• Richtlijn 'Veilig en gezond werken' (Safety Guideline) Standardized safety guideline for ecological field work by advisory bureaus, covering risk checklists and mandatory, guiding and recommended measures for water sampling, roadside and railway work, nocturnal bat research, demolition inspections, construction-site ecological guidance, and solo work.
• Definitielijst Netwerk Groene Bureaus Standardized terminology dictionary defining 15 commonly used ecological advisory product terms (such as quickscan and nature assessment) to create a clear and comparable understanding of advisory deliverables for consulting firms, clients and users.
• Gedragscode (Code of Conduct) Mandatory code of conduct for NGB members that describes how they must advise competently, responsibly, respectfully and with integrity on nature and landscape matters.
• Klachtenprocedure (Complaint Procedure) Formal complaints procedure open to clients and other stakeholders for addressing issues with NGB member consulting firms, including published rulings (uitspraken).
• NGB Membership (Brancheorganisatie lidmaatschap) Annual membership of the NGB trade association for ecological advisory and research bureaus in the Netherlands, providing access to quality tools, protocols, the code of conduct, complaint procedure, working groups, thematic meetings, NDFF access and procurement recognition.
• Cursussen en Symposia (Courses and Symposia) Educational courses and symposia for professional development of NGB members, including events on species management plans, invasive species, and biodiversity topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Approximately 100 ecological advisory bureaus representing three-quarters of all Dutch ecological advisors at advisory firms
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability2 records

Feature6 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Province of UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025The Province of Utrecht commissioned the NGB eDNA working group to develop a protocol for determining the presence of bats in buildings using eDNA. The research was conducted by Waardenburg Ecology and the protocol was refined in collaboration with working group members and an expert sounding board group. The province will work with NGB in the coming months on further implementation of the protocol.
• Witteveen+BoscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Witteveen+Bos is the lead party (penvoerder) for the €3 million 'Biodiversiteit in beeld' (Biodiversity in Image) PPS project. NGB participates in the advisory group and provides in-kind contribution through annual themed meetings. The project runs 2024-2027 and develops a standardized monitoring approach combining high-tech and traditional biodiversity monitoring methods.
• DeltarescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Deltares is one of the initiators of the 'Biodiversiteit in beeld' PPS project alongside Witteveen+Bos, part of a four-year €3M public-private partnership (2024-2027) for standardized biodiversity monitoring.
• BIJ12 (province implementing organization)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGB previously signed an agreement with BIJ12 to connect NGB members to the Nationale Databank Flora en Fauna (NDFF), giving members access to 95 million validated nature observations in the Netherlands.
• Nationale Databank Flora en Fauna (NDFF)coreTechnology or IntegrationNGB members receive access to the NDFF through an agreement with BIJ12. Members can query data directly and also enter their own field data. Members contribute to financing the NDFF as counterpart. The NDFF contains 95 million validated observations and is the most documented nature database in the world for any country.
• Zoogdiervereniging (Mammal Society)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Zoogdiervereniging collaborates with NGB on the Vleermuisvakberaad (Bat Expert Consultation) and the Vleermuisprotocol. Both organizations are involved in updating and maintaining species inventory protocols. The Zoogdiervereniging also adheres to the Vleermuisprotocol in its own field work.
• NEN Subcommissie 390 147 05 Aquatische ecologieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGB has formal representation in the NEN subcommittee for Aquatic Ecology. The subcommittee's scope covers normalization of methods for sampling and identifying water samples (fresh and marine water) to determine biological characteristics for Dutch national monitoring programmes and European Water Framework Directive compliance.
• Ecologica, Eco Reest, Habitus, Natuurbalans, Silvavir, Waardenburg Ecology (werkgroep 'Veilig en gezond werken')coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese six NGB member bureaus collaborated in the NGB 'Veilig en gezond werken' working group to develop the 2026 Safety Guideline. Additional input was provided by Ecogroen and Van Dijk Geotechniek & Milieu.
• Knowledge consortium (Wageningen Environmental Research, Naturalis Biodiversity Centre, IUCN NL, Schuttelaar & Partners, Deltaplan Biodiversiteitsherstel)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese organizations form the knowledge consortium for the 'Biodiversiteit in beeld' PPS project, alongside NGB's advisory group participation. The consortium covers environmental research, biodiversity, and conservation expertise.
• Aeres Hogeschool AlmereminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAeres Hogeschool Almere published a reader 'Natuurwetgeving en –beleid voor de Ecologisch Adviseur' for the minor 'Ecologisch advies', providing insight into part of the ecological advisory field. NGB contributed content and expertise.
• BNA, BNSP, NVTLminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNGB co-organized the 'Natuurinclusief stedenbouwkundig ontwerp als interdisciplinaire uitdaging' event (March 2018) with these professional associations: BNA (Architects), BNSP (Urban Planners), NVTL (Landscape Architects), recommended by BNA. The event explored collaboration between ecologists, architects, urban planners, and landscape architects on nature-inclusive design.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• VNO-NCW: Largest Dutch employers' federation. Comparable as a Dutch umbrella trade association that represents member businesses in policy and procurement, but at a substantially larger scale and broader scope than NGB's ecological-advisory niche.
• Koninklijke Bond van Nederlandse Architecten (BNA): Dutch trade association for architects. NGB has co-organised events with BNA on nature-inclusive design. Comparable as a Dutch professional association for advisory firms, but operating in a much larger sector (architecture) with broader commercial scope.
• Bouwend Nederland: Dutch construction and infrastructure employers' association. Comparable structurally as a Dutch sector trade association that negotiates on procurement, standards, and labour market issues, but operating in a much larger and more commercially significant industry than NGB.
• MKB-Nederland: Dutch SME employers' association. Comparable structurally as a Dutch trade association representing member firms in policy advocacy and standards development, but operating across all SMEs rather than specialising in ecological advisory.
• BNSP (Beroepsvereniging van Nederlandse Stedebouwkundigen en Planologen): Dutch association for urban planners. NGB has partnered with BNSP on interdisciplinary nature-inclusive design events. Comparable as a Dutch professional association for advisory practices, but with a broader urban-planning remit.
• NVTL (Nederlandse Vereniging voor Tuin- en Landschapsarchitectuur): Dutch association for landscape architects. NGB has partnered with NVTL on nature-inclusive design initiatives. Comparable as a Dutch professional association for advisory firms operating at the interface of spatial design and ecology.

Others

• NEN (Royal Netherlands Standardization Institute): Dutch national standards body. NGB has formal representation in NEN subcommittees (e.g., aquatic ecology). NEN is an enabler/infrastructure peer: NGB's protocols feed into NEN's standardisation work, making it a structurally adjacent organisation rather than a direct competitor.

Direct peers

• NL Ingenieurs: Royal Dutch association of independent engineering consultancy firms. Directly comparable as a Dutch trade association for advisory firms that sets quality standards, runs codes of conduct, and represents members in public procurement on similar structural lines as NGB.
• Vereniging van Bos- en Natuurterreineigenaren (VBNE): Dutch association of forest and nature area owners. Comparable as a Dutch sector association focused on nature conservation, with shared stakeholder overlap (provinces, waterschappen) and joint interest in nature legislation and biodiversity policy.
• VVM Netwerk voor milieuprofessionals: Dutch network association for environmental professionals. Closely comparable in mission to NGB: mobilising a community of advisors, organising knowledge sharing, and providing sector representation in environmental policy discussions.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/netwerk-groene-bureaus

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Netwerk Groene Bureaus