NIZU (netwerk informele zorg Utrecht)

What NIZU (netwerk informele zorg Utrecht) does

NIZU (Netwerk Informele Zorg Utrecht) is a non-profit network organization based in Utrecht, Netherlands, that coordinates informal care — voluntary, unpaid support in healthcare and social domains — across the city. It serves as the connecting layer between help-seeking Utrecht residents (including those with psychological vulnerabilities, homelessness history, non-congenital brain injury, or intellectual disabilities) and a broad network of approximately 60 organizations delivering informal-care services. Seven core partners (Al Amal, Handjehelpen, Humanitas Utrecht, Present Utrecht, Taal Doet Meer, U Centraal, VC Utrecht) sit in a kerngroep governing the network, and NIZU also participates in the Thuis in je Wijk consortium of 34 organizations.

The organization's core operational assets are its Ambassadeurs Informele Zorg — field-based ambassadors active in all Utrecht districts — and its website (nizu.nl), which provides a thematic directory of informal-care offerings (activities, care circles, youth services, mentoring, language support, practical help, transport, and more). Supporting products include the Maatjesfolder, a downloadable referral guide for mentor/match programs, and the Maatjeskaart predecessor. The technology layer is intentionally minimal: a content-website with Google Analytics for measurement and no proprietary software, API, or AI components. The site's purpose is discovery and referral routing, not transaction processing.

NIZU's business model is subsidy-funded rather than revenue-generating. The Gemeente Utrecht allocates 15.2 million euros annually for social-basis initiatives, with many NIZU-affiliated organizations drawing on this pool; the organization's own operating revenue is not publicly disclosed. End-user services are generally free, with occasional small personal contributions requested. Go-to-market is community-led: the ambassador network serves as the primary distribution channel to formal-care professionals (buurtteams, huisartsen, POH's, GGZ, welzijn organizations), supported by monthly newsletters, a LinkedIn presence, and at least four thematic network meetings per year hosted at partner locations. NIZU has no parent company, no subsidiaries, no equity funding, and operates as an independent collaborative network.

Name

NIZU (netwerk informele zorg Utrecht)

Legal name

Netwerk Informele Zorg Utrecht

Website

https://nizu.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2018

Operating status

Operating

Short description

NIZU is a non-profit network organization in Utrecht, Netherlands that coordinates approximately 60 informal-care organizations, connecting help-seeking residents with volunteer-driven health and social support services through district-based ambassadors and a thematic website directory.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Care Coordination Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Behavioral Health & Cognitive Support Coordination (Dementia, Depression, SUD) (HSABAIAF)

Keywords

• Informal care coordination
• Volunteer network services
• Social care matching
• Community care network
• Voluntary support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Municipal Subsidy: NIZU and its member organizations receive funding through municipal subsidies. The Gemeente Utrecht (Municipality of Utrecht) has allocated 15.2 million euros annually for projects and initiatives that contribute to a strong social foundation, which many NIZU-affiliated organizations utilize.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NIZU operates as a coordination network that connects Utrecht residents with a help question and formal care professionals to approximately 60 volunteer organizations and initiatives providing informal care (voluntary work in healthcare). The network provides district-based ambassadors active in all Utrecht neighborhoods, a thematically organized online directory of offerings, downloadable resource guides such as the Maatjesfolder, and participation in the Thuis in je Wijk collaborative initiative to support vulnerable residents including those with psychological vulnerabilities, homelessness history, non-congenital brain injury, or intellectual disabilities.

Product overview

NIZU (Netwerk Informele Zorg Utrecht) is a network organization rather than a traditional product company. It operates as a coordination platform connecting organizations, initiatives, and volunteers providing informal care (vrijwilligerswerk in de zorg) in the city of Utrecht. The core offering includes the NIZU Network Platform for thematic access to volunteer services, the Aanbod op Thema directory organizing offerings by themes, the Ambassadeurs Informele Zorg ambassador program providing local neighborhood support, the Maatjesfolder resource guide for mentor programs, and participation in the Thuis in je Wijk collaborative initiative. The organization focuses on connecting formal care professionals with informal care options to support vulnerable residents.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NIZU Network Platform Network coordination platform connecting approximately 60 organizations and initiatives providing informal care (volunteer work in healthcare) in Utrecht, offering thematic access to volunteer services and ambassador support for both help-seeking residents and formal care professionals.
• Aanbod op Thema (Offer by Theme) Searchable directory organizing informal care offerings by themes including activities, special meeting places, care circles, target groups, finances, youth services, arts, mentoring programs, migration support, caregiver support, personal development, practical help, communal dining, language/digital skills, transport, and volunteering.
• Ambassadeurs Informele Zorg (Ambassadors for Informal Care) Ambassadors operating in all Utrecht neighborhoods who connect care seekers with appropriate informal care options, participate in case consultations, and provide guidance to formal care professionals.
• Maatjesfolder (Mentors Folder) Downloadable guide cataloging organizations offering various mentor/match programs, including Big Friends, Humanitas programs, and peer support initiatives for different target groups.
• Thuis in je Wijk (At Home in Your Neighborhood) Collaborative initiative involving 34 organizations helping residents with psychological vulnerabilities, homelessness history, acquired brain injury, or intellectual disabilities feel at home in their neighborhoods through support services and meeting places.

Quantifiable outcome

• 15.2 million euros annually allocated by municipality for social initiatives
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Stadsnetwerk Gelijke KansenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Stadsnetwerk Gelijke Kansen is a network focused on children and youth that connects organizations and initiatives providing extra support in schools, neighborhoods, and at home. They collaborated with NIZU on network meetings and the Maatjesfolder.
• Urban Minds UminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 30 June 2026Urban Minds U is a creative, low-threshold, and safe outlet with graffiti and other forms of street art for youth. NIZU organized a network meeting at their location, the graffiti garden.
• Thuis in je Wijk Consortium (34 organizations)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2023Thuis in je Wijk is a collaboration of 34 organizations including NIZU, municipality, Lister, DOCK, Leger des Heils, Kwintes, Abrona, Humanitas, and many others. They work together to ensure that vulnerable residents can participate in their neighborhoods. The collaboration agreement was signed on January 31, 2023.
• Al AmalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAl Amal is an independent organization that promotes the participation of residents with a migration background from the presentation approach. They are a core partner of NIZU and part of the kerngroep (core group).
• HandjehelpencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHandjehelpen provides support for children and adults with chronic illness, disability, or behavioral problems, also for families. They are a core partner of NIZU and part of the kerngroep.
• Humanitas UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitas Utrecht offers various forms of support including home administration, buddy programs, language partners, and support for people with NAH (non-congenital brain injury). They are a core partner of NIZU.
• Present UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPresent Utrecht organizes practical help through groups throughout the city. They are a core partner of NIZU and part of the kerngroep.
• Taal Doet MeercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTaal Doet Meer involves volunteers who contribute to strengthening the language skills of Utrecht residents from 0-100. They are a core partner of NIZU.
• U CentraalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerU Centraal provides practical help, training, and various support services for Utrecht residents. They also operate the Infopunt Informele Zorg (030-2361745). They are a core partner of NIZU.
• VC UtrechtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVC Utrecht (Vrijwilligerscentrale Utrecht) operates a vacancy bank for volunteer work and provides workshops and training. They are a core partner of NIZU.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Mezzo: Mezzo is the Dutch national association supporting informal caregivers (mantelzorgers) and informal-care organizations. Like NIZU, Mezzo exists to strengthen the informal-care ecosystem, but operates at national scope and a more advocacy/policy level rather than city-level service matching.
• Stichting Present: Stichting Present organizes practical volunteer help through local groups across multiple Dutch cities. It is comparable to NIZU in that it mobilizes volunteers for informal support and connects them with people in need, although its model centers on practical help rather than broader informal-care coordination.

Broad incumbents

• Movisie: Movisie is a Dutch knowledge institute for social development that advises municipalities, welfare organizations, and care providers on building strong social infrastructure. It overlaps with NIZU's mission of strengthening informal/social care but operates at a national policy and advisory level rather than city-level matching.
• Vilans: Vilans is the Dutch national knowledge center for long-term care, supporting professionals and organizations in nursing, disability, and elderly care. It is comparable as a sector infrastructure player but focuses on long-term formal care rather than volunteer-driven informal care.
• Sociaal Werk Nederland: Sociaal Werk Nederland is the professional association for social work and welfare organizations in the Netherlands. It is comparable to NIZU as a connector of welfare/social service providers, but at a national professional-association level rather than city-level informal-care coordination.

Others

• Verwey-Jonker Instituut: Verwey-Jonker Instituut is a Dutch research and policy institute studying social issues, including informal care, social cohesion, and vulnerable populations. It does not compete with NIZU but is an adjacent ecosystem participant whose research often informs the policy environment in which NIZU operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/42285147

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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Frequently asked questions about NIZU (netwerk informele zorg Utrecht)