Proeftuin Ruwaard

Name

Proeftuin Ruwaard

Legal name

Stichting Robuust Groep

Website

https://proeftuinruwaard.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Health and Welfare Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGABAL

Infrastructure, Housing & Community Development

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/International Development & Poverty Alleviation

Keywords

• Integrated neighborhood care
• Social welfare innovation
• Community health initiatives
• Area-based financing
• Collaborative care models

Headquarters

HQ city

Oss

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Subsidy (Wmo and municipal funding): The municipality of Oss provides a five-year subsidy from Wmo (Social Support Act) funds to participating organizations in Proeftuin Ruwaard. The experiment started January 1, 2018.
2. Ministry of VWS Subsidy: The Dutch Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport (VWS) provides a three-year subsidy to the municipality of Oss and health insurer CZ for their neighborhood-oriented approach in the Ruwaard district.
3. Health Insurance Contributions: Health insurers CZ and VGZ participate in the joint budget arrangement, contributing to the integrated funding model for neighborhood-based care and welfare.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Proeftuin Ruwaard is a community-based social innovation initiative that delivers integrated care, welfare and neighborhood development in the Ruwaard and Ussen neighborhoods of Oss, Netherlands. It uses the Samenwerkwijze (Collaboration Method) — an action-learning approach centered on residents' own questions — to coordinate cross-organizational case handling, area-based financing, a resident-managed community center (Ons Huis van de Wijk), and ongoing learning sessions across residents, professionals, managers and executives.

Product overview

Proeftuin Ruwaard is a single, unified community-based social innovation program rather than a platform with modular products. It encompasses several interconnected programs: the Samenwerkwijze (Collaboration Method) as its core approach, Ons Huis van de Wijk as a resident-managed community center, Gebiedsgericht financieren as an area-based financing experiment, Leergeschiedenis for action-learning methodology, and Micro-analyses for measuring social return. All programs share the same goal of achieving a vital neighborhood where residents experience better (positive) health at lower costs, working through the principles of 'anders denken, doen en organiseren' (different thinking, doing, and organizing).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Samenwerkwijze (Collaboration Method) Collaborative methodology centered on three core questions — What do I want? What can I do? What do I need? — that places the resident's question at the center rather than organizational offerings, enabling cross-organizational, person-centered solutions for residents of the Ruwaard and Ussen neighborhoods.
• Ons Huis van de Wijk (Our Neighborhood House) Resident-managed community center at Wijkhuis De Haard (Brederostraat 46, Oss) offering meeting spaces, group activities, and connections between people, organizations and initiatives in the Ruwaard district. It hosts more than twenty group activities per week ranging from eating groups to card clubs, sewing workshops and walking groups.
• Gebiedsgericht financieren en organiseren (Area-based Financing and Organization) Area-based financing experiment using a unified neighborhood budget that combines Wmo (Social Support Act), welfare, and related budgets, allowing professionals to collectively decide on resource allocation based on residents' needs rather than organizational supply.
• Leergeschiedenis (Learning History) Action-learning methodology conducted through regular learning sessions across four levels — residents, professionals, managers and executives — documenting lessons learned and enabling continuous improvement of the integrated approach.
• Micro-analyses Measurement tool for social return on investment that makes the effects of interventions on resident well-being and societal costs transparent through case-by-case micro-analyses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Residents experience better (positive) health at lower costs
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Gemeente Oss (Municipality of Oss)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of Oss is a key partner providing Wmo funding and policy framework. It participates in the joint budget arrangement and supports the integrated approach to neighborhood care and support.
• CZ (Zorgverzekeraar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth insurer CZ participates in the joint neighborhood budget and receives subsidy from Ministry of VWS alongside the municipality for the neighborhood-oriented health approach.
• VGZ (Zorgverzekeraar)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth insurer VGZ participates in Proeftuin Ruwaard, working alongside CZ, the municipality, and care providers to deliver integrated, person-centered care.
• BrabantWonencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing corporation contributing to the integrated approach, including participating in case handling where housing issues affect resident wellbeing.
• Brabant ZorgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider participating in the Samenwerkwijze and joint budget arrangement for integrated neighborhood care.
• Ons WelzijncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWelfare organization contributing social workers and coordinating community activities, including hosting the learning community at their location.
• GGZ Oost-BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMental health organization participating in integrated case handling and the joint approach to neighborhood care and support.
• GGD Hart voor BrabantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal Health Service contributing public health expertise and activities to the community center.
• PanteincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider participating in the integrated neighborhood care approach.
• UnikcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare/welfare organization contributing to the integrated approach and participating in learning sessions.
• InterzorgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealthcare provider participating in the joint approach to neighborhood care.
• Avans Hogeschool Den BoschminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity of Applied Sciences whose students form learning communities working on social issues in the neighborhood, contributing to the initiative while gaining practical experience.
• Tranzo (Tilburg University)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific center of Tilburg University that measures the results of the experiment alongside Avans Hogeschool.
• R44 (Re-integratiebureau)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReintegration bureau that provides tailored learning and work placements with coaching, supporting the pathway to paid employment for long-term unemployed residents.
• Novadic-KentronminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerExpert center for addiction care in Brabant that organized the theater performance 'Hunker' to raise awareness about addiction and reduce stigma.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Movisie: Dutch knowledge institute for social development. Comparable as an ecosystem actor that documents, disseminates, and advances community-based social innovation models similar to Proeftuin Ruwaard's.

Broad incumbents

• Sensire: Large Dutch home care and welfare organization providing nursing, domestic support, and community living services. Overlaps with several of Proeftuin Ruwaard's partner organizations (e.g., BrabantZorg) in the integrated neighborhood care space.
• ActiZ: Dutch trade association for care and welfare providers. Comparable as an institutional counterpart shaping the integrated-care, area-based financing agenda that Proeftuin Ruwaard operationalizes on the ground.

Direct peers

• Buurtzorg Nederland: Dutch community-based home care organization built around self-managed teams and person-centered care. Highly comparable to Proeftuin Ruwaard's philosophy of trusting frontline professionals and centering residents' own questions over institutional offerings.
• Incluzio: Dutch social services organization that integrates welfare, care, and neighborhood support at the local level. Comparable to Proeftuin Ruwaard's multi-organization, community-led integrated service model.
• Vitaal Vechtdal: Dutch regional initiative focused on preventive health and wellbeing in the Vechtdal area. Operates a similar neighborhood-based, multi-party prevention coalition structure to Proeftuin Ruwaard.
• Vitaal Twente: The other of the first two national Prevention Coalitions designated by the Ministry of VWS alongside Proeftuin Ruwaard. Operates a comparable neighborhood-oriented, prevention-focused approach in the Twente region.

Emerging players

• Southcentral Foundation (Nuka System): Alaska-based integrated community health system widely cited as a benchmark for population-health, customer-owned, relationship-based primary care. Conceptually aligned with Proeftuin Ruwaard's resident-centered, integrated-financing model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/proeftuin-ruwaard

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Proeftuin Ruwaard