Stichting NNOW

What Stichting NNOW does

Stichting NNOW (Northern Netherlands Offshore Wind), operating as NNOW, is a Dutch non-profit foundation established in 2010 that functions as the recognized cluster organization for the offshore wind supply chain in Northern Netherlands. Founded through a partnership between regional development agencies NOM, Energy Valley (now New Energy Coalition), and NHN, the organization serves approximately 80-85 member companies — predominantly SMEs — along with governments and intermediaries active or aspiring to be active in offshore wind across the provinces of Groningen, Friesland, Drenthe, and Noord-Holland (working area Noord-Holland Noord). Its core activities include networking facilitation, supply chain capability mapping across Development, Construction, and Operation & Maintenance phases, R&D and business development support, joint promotion and acquisition activities, and workforce development.

The organization's primary operational infrastructure is a comprehensive Offshore Wind Supply Chain framework that categorizes member capabilities into tiered phases with color-coded coverage status, enabling visibility into cluster gaps and strengths. NNOW has also developed the Course Offshore Wind (Leergang Offshore Wind) educational program in partnership with the University of Groningen and Hanzehogeschool to address regional workforce needs, with the 2025 edition expanded to cover battery and hydrogen topics. The organization is headquartered in Eemshaven (a key offshore wind logistics hub) with a registered office in Groningen, and maintains an operational footprint across the Eemshaven, Harlingen, and Den Helder corridor.

NNOW operates a subscription-based membership revenue model with annual fees of €350 (excluding VAT, 2022 rate), billed each January regardless of mid-year joining, with cancellation requiring two months' written notice before fiscal year-end. The organization's go-to-market combines community-led direct membership enrollment (limited to regional companies) with event-driven engagement, including network days such as WAB/NNOW and participation in international industry conferences including WindEnergy Hamburg, Husum Wind, and Offshore Energy OEEC. Distribution is supported through newsletter, LinkedIn, and the nnow.nl website. NNOW is governed as a cooperative foundation with no parent company and is supported by a network of 15+ strategic partners spanning education, government, port authorities, and industry platforms.

Name

Stichting NNOW

Legal name

Stichting NNOW

Website

https://nnow.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting NNOW is a Dutch non-profit cluster organization founded in 2010 that supports ~80-85 SME member companies in the Northern Netherlands offshore wind supply chain through networking, supply chain mapping, business development, and the Leergang Offshore Wind educational program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Industry Cluster Services (Offshore Wind)

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Offshore Wind Project Development & Leasing (EUAMACAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Offshore Wind & Marine Spatial Planning Regulation (EUAMANAM)

Keywords

• Offshore wind cluster
• SME supply chain
• Industry network services
• Workforce training
• Renewable energy cluster

Headquarters

HQ city

Eemshaven

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: NNOW generates revenue through annual membership fees from SME companies, governments, and intermediaries in the offshore wind supply chain. Membership provides access to networking, knowledge sharing, joint promotion/acquisition activities, and business development support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

NNOW operates a membership-based cluster organization that connects approximately 80–85 SME companies, governments, and intermediaries active or interested in the offshore wind supply chain in Northern Netherlands. Core deliverables include an Offshore Wind Supply Chain mapping framework across Development, Construction, and Operation & Maintenance phases, joint promotion and acquisition support, R&D and business development facilitation, networking events, and the Course Offshore Wind (Leergang Offshore Wind) educational program developed with regional knowledge institutions.

Product overview

NNOW (Northern Netherlands Offshore Wind) is a foundation/cluster organization that supports SMEs in the offshore wind supply chain in Northern Netherlands. The organization does not offer a unified software product or platform; rather, it provides membership-based networking services, educational programs, and supply chain coordination for offshore wind industry companies. Its primary offerings include a network cluster connecting approximately 80-85 member companies, the Course Offshore Wind (Leergang Offshore Wind) educational program developed with knowledge institutions, and supply chain positioning services. The organization facilitates business development, knowledge exchange, promotion, and R&D accommodation for its member companies operating in the offshore wind sector from bases in Eemshaven, Harlingen, and Den Helder.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• NNOW Cluster Membership Annual membership providing SME companies and intermediaries in the Northern Netherlands with networking, knowledge sharing, joint promotion and acquisition support, R&D collaboration, and business development facilitation across the offshore wind supply chain.
• Course Offshore Wind (Leergang Offshore Wind) Educational program (Leergang Offshore (Wind) Energy) co-developed with the University of Groningen (RUG) and Hanze University of Applied Sciences to train qualified personnel for the offshore wind sector, covering topics such as wind energy and adjacent themes including battery and hydrogen.

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• OWIC (Offshore Wind Innovation Center Eemshaven)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOWIC is a key strategic partner where initiators of the Offshore Wind course work together. OWIC brings together the province, knowledge institutes, and business community to advance offshore wind innovation in Eemshaven.
• AYOP (Amsterdam Offshore Renewable Energy Platform)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOffshore wind industry platform partnership for knowledge sharing and network collaboration across Dutch offshore wind regions.
• De Offshore Community RotterdamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Rotterdam's offshore community to connect Northern Netherlands companies with broader Dutch offshore wind ecosystem.
• IRO (Innovation for Renewable Operations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for innovation in renewable energy operations, supporting knowledge exchange and industry development.
• New Energy CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration with energy transition initiative for knowledge sharing and joint activities in sustainable energy development.
• NOM (Investment and Development Agency for Northern Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOM is one of the founding project team members (along with Syntens, Stichting Energy Valley) that established NNOW in 2010 to support business ambitions in Northern Netherlands offshore wind.
• NWEA (Netherlands Wind Energy Association)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with national wind energy association for industry representation and policy engagement.
• TKI Wind op Zee (Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation for Offshore Wind)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with national TKI for knowledge and innovation coordination in offshore wind.
• WAB (Westereems Offshore Wind Development)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint network days organized with WAB for knowledge sharing and international connections within the offshore windsector.
• HHWE (Harlingen Wind Energy)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership supporting offshore wind activities from the Harlingen port location.
• RUG (University of Groningen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner powering the Offshore Wind Course, contributing academic expertise to workforce development initiatives.
• Hanzehogeschool (Hanze University of Applied Sciences)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner powering the Offshore Wind Course, providing practical and applied research capabilities.
• Nationaal Programma GroningenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional development program partner supporting offshore wind education and training initiatives.
• Provincie GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvincial government partner co-initiating the offshore wind course and supporting regional development.
• Groningen SeaportscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPort authority partner providing logistics infrastructure and hosting offshore wind course sessions in Eemshaven.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• NWEA (Netherlands Wind Energy Association): National Dutch wind-energy industry association representing developers, suppliers and other stakeholders. Membership-based trade-association model similar to NNOW but national in scope and focused on policy/representation rather than regional SME cluster support.
• IRO (Innovation for Renewable Operations): National Dutch supply-chain cluster for the offshore energy and maritime sector with a much larger member base and broader geographic coverage. Comparable network-organization business model targeting offshore-wind and offshore-energy suppliers.
• TKI Wind op Zee (Top Consortium for Knowledge and Innovation for Offshore Wind): National Dutch public-private consortium coordinating knowledge and innovation programs for offshore wind. Operates at a higher (national policy/R&D funding) level than NNOW but shares the goal of building Dutch offshore-wind capability.

Others

• NOM (Investment and Development Agency for Northern Netherlands): Regional development agency that co-founded NNOW in 2010. Not a direct cluster competitor but a key institutional stakeholder and ecosystem supporter in the same Northern Netherlands economy.

Regional players

• New Energy Coalition: Northern Netherlands energy-transition coalition (formerly Energy Valley) and one of NNOW's three founding partners. Operates a broader energy-transition agenda across the same Northern Netherlands geography.
• HHWE (Harlingen Wind Energy): Harlingen-based offshore wind ecosystem partner of NNOW. Similar port-anchored cluster activity supporting offshore wind supply-chain companies in the Northern Netherlands.
• WAB (Westereems Offshore Wind Development): Eemshaven-based offshore-wind initiative co-organizing network days with NNOW. Comparable regional offshore-wind ecosystem player operating from the same Eemshaven hub.

Direct peers

• AYOP (Amsterdam Offshore Renewable Energy Platform): Regional Dutch offshore-renewables cluster for the Amsterdam/IJmond region. Directly comparable cluster-organization model focused on offshore wind and offshore renewables supply-chain development, listed by NNOW itself as a partner.
• OWIC (Offshore Wind Innovation Center Eemshaven): Innovation center co-located with NNOW in Eemshaven, bringing together province, knowledge institutes and business community for offshore wind. Strongly overlapping mandate and ecosystem but focused on R&D/innovation rather than SME membership.
• De Offshore Community Rotterdam: Rotterdam-based offshore energy cluster anchored in the Port of Rotterdam. Same cluster-organization business model serving offshore-wind supply-chain companies, but located in the Randstad rather than Northern Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nnow

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Stichting NNOW