PROO
PROO is a Dutch non-profit foundation governing 20 public primary and special education schools in Leiden and Leiderdorp, serving families with children aged 4–12 and funded primarily through Dutch government education allocations.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersLeiderdorp, Netherlands
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What PROO does
PROO (Stichting Openbaar Primair en Speciaal Onderwijs Leiden Leiderdorp) is a Dutch non-profit foundation that serves as the governing body for 20 public primary and special education schools (18 regular and 2 special-needs/Cluster 4 schools) serving families in the municipalities of Leiden and Leiderdorp in South Holland. The organization employs 434 staff as of December 2025 across its school network and central staff office (Stafkantoor) in Leiderdorp, and operates a diverse portfolio of pedagogical approaches including Montessori, Jenaplan, Unit education, international, and profile schools (sports, science & technology, English/VVTO), as well as dedicated provision for gifted students (Nova departments). Beyond school-based delivery, PROO provides education to children staying at the Rosa Manus women's shelter four mornings per week and supports community initiatives such as the Leidse Kinderraad.
The foundation's technology stack centers on internal operational systems rather than commercial products. Core digital infrastructure includes PROOShare (a SharePoint-based collaboration platform), Visma for HR and payroll, and internally developed tooling led by the ICT department. Most notably, in April 2026 PROO launched Brain Buddy, an AI assistant developed in-house by ICT-manager Rutger van Bostelen, featuring role-based personas with pre-configured prompts for educational and administrative tasks; this was paired with the 'Aan de slag met AI' employee training program. The organization also operates PROOcast (a podcast series launched March 2025) and PROO Academie (a professional development platform).
PROO's revenue model is anchored in Dutch government education funding (Rijksoverheid), allocated per enrolled student, with additional contributions from municipal partners (Gemeente Leiden, Gemeente Leiderdorp) and regional educational cooperation bodies (PPO Regio Leiden, Samenwerkingsverbanden). Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer: families enroll children through individual school admissions processes, supported by open days during the Week van Openbare Scholen. Supplemental benefits include the PROOFit collective sports scheme (with Go-Vital, offering ~40% tax advantage), partnership-based teacher housing via SHWJ, and disability insurance via Loyalis. Active strategic moves include the August 2025 merger of Montessorischool Apollo with De Astronaut (SCOL) and the pending August 2026 acquisition of Basisschool Elckerlyc from MZH.
PROO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- PROO
- Legal name
- Stichting Openbaar Primair en Speciaal Onderwijs Leiden Leiderdorp
- Website
- https://prooleiden.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- PROO is a Dutch non-profit foundation governing 20 public primary and special education schools in Leiden and Leiderdorp, serving families with children aged 4–12 and funded primarily through Dutch government education allocations.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
PROO industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Primary Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling) (EDAJAKAE)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education (BPADAKAB)
Keywords
Where PROO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Leiderdorp
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices22 records
Markets served
PROO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales
Revenue model
- Government Education Funding: PROO receives public funding from the Dutch government (Rijksoverheid) for providing primary and special education services. This is the primary source of funding for the organization's operations.
- PROOFit Sports Scheme: Collective sports agreement with Go-Vital offering group discounts at affiliated sports schools. Employees can exchange gross salary for sports subscription benefits, providing approximately 40% tax advantage.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
PROO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
PROO is a non-profit foundation governing twenty public primary schools located in Leiden and Leiderdorp, Netherlands — eighteen regular primary schools and two special education (Cluster 4) schools serving children aged 4-12. The foundation delivers inclusive public primary education across diverse pedagogical approaches including Montessori, Jenaplan, Unit education, internationally-oriented schools, gifted Nova departments, and profile schools focused on sports, science/technology, and English/VVTO. PROO also operates supplementary programs such as the PROOFit collective sports scheme, employee professional development through PROO Academie, internally-developed AI tooling (Brain Buddy), and provides education to children in the Rosa Manus women's shelter.
Product overview
PROO (Stichting Openbaar Primair en Speciaal Onderwijs Leiden Leiderdorp) operates as an educational foundation managing 20 public primary schools (18 regular and 2 special education schools) in Leiden and Leiderdorp. The organization provides core educational services through its school network and supports staff with technology products including Brain Buddy (an internally-developed AI assistant), PROOcast (podcast series), PROO Academie (training platform), and PROOShare (internal collaboration portal). The product portfolio centers on educational service delivery enhanced by AI-powered tools and professional development resources.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Brain Buddy: AI tool developed specifically for PROO by ICT-manager Rutger van Bostelen, featuring various 'Brain Buddies' such as an educational assistant or administrative assistant with pre-set prompts.
- PROOcast
- PROOAcademie
- PROOFit
Products and services
- Public Primary Education Services Public primary education (basisonderwijs) for children aged 4-12, delivered through 18 regular public primary schools across Leiden and Leiderdorp. Schools span diverse pedagogical approaches including Montessori, Jenaplan, Unit education, internationally-oriented schools, Nova departments for gifted students, and profile schools focused on sports & movement, science & technology, and English/VVTO. Services are government-funded and free at the point of use for resident families.
- Special Education Services (Cluster 4) Special education services (Cluster 4) for children with psychological or behavioral problems, delivered through PI-school De Brug in Leiden. The school is part of the national Passend Onderwijs framework and serves as a regional Cluster 4 provider, in partnership with regional educational collaborations and municipalities.
- Brain Buddy Brain Buddy is an internally-developed AI assistant tool created by PROO's ICT team for use by PROO staff. It features role-based 'Brain Buddies' (such as an educational assistant or administrative assistant) with pre-configured prompts to support daily tasks including lesson preparation, email writing, newsletter creation, worksheet development, and project structuring.
- PROOcast PROOcast is PROO's podcast series featuring stories from open public primary education, with interviews featuring school directors, teachers, education professionals, partners, and parents. Episodes cover topics such as early childhood education transitions, school-level initiatives, and educational partnerships.
- PROO Academie PROO Academie is an internal professional development and training platform for PROO staff, providing access to educational resources, training materials, and structured learning programs including the AI training program 'Aan de slag met AI'.
- PROOFit Sports Scheme PROOFit is a collective sports agreement program under which PROO employees can exchange gross salary for a sports subscription benefit through partner Go-Vital, offering access to group discounts at affiliated sports schools with approximately 40% tax advantage.
- Women's Shelter Education Program (Rosa Manus) PROO provides primary education 4 mornings per week to children residing at the Rosa Manus women's shelter, delivered in a safe classroom within the building. The program is funded through structural contributions from PPO Regio Leiden, Samenwerkingsverband Primair Onderwijs Duin- en Bollenstreek, Passend Onderwijs SWV Rijnstreek, and Gemeente Leiden.
Quantifiable outcome
- €7,441 raised for equal opportunities through sponsor run by Jenaplanschool De Dukdalf
- +1 more outcomes
Companies that use PROO
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
PROO technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration11 records
AI capability2 records
Feature2 records
PROO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
26 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- PCBO LeiderdorpcoreSchool boards PROO and PCBO Leiderdorp, along with childcare organization FloreoKids, signed the 'Bouwen aan sterke kindcentra' (Building Strong Children's Centers) covenant to more closely connect childcare and education in Leiderdorp.
- MZH (Stichting Montessori Onderwijs Zuid-Holland)majorMZH and PROO signed a letter of intent for the transfer of Elckerlyc school in Leiderdorp. The regular department of Elckerlyc will merge with Jenaplanbasisschool De Hasselbraam (PROO school), while the international department (Elckerlyc International School) continues independently.
- SCOL (Stichting Confessioneel Onderwijs Leiden)majorSCOL and PROO signed cooperation agreement for Montessorischool Apollo (PROO) and basisschool De Astronaut (SCOL) to merge into one inclusive primary school in Leiden Zuid-West. De Astronaut closed on August 1, 2025, with students moving to Montessorischool Apollo.
- PPO Regio Leiden (Passend Primair Onderwijs Leiden)corePartnership for providing education to children in women's shelter (Rosa Manus). PPO Regio Leiden provides structural funding along with other regional educational partnerships.
- Stichting Huisvesting Werkende Jongeren (SHWJ)coreSHWJ will help provide 10 homes per year for teachers under 28 years old seeking independent housing in the Leiden region (Leiden, Leiderdorp, Oegstgeest, Zoeterwoude).
- FloreoKidscoreChildcare organization partnering with PROO on children's center development in Leiderdorp.
- Rosa Manus (Women's Shelter)minorPROO provides education to children staying at Rosa Manus women's shelter, 4 mornings per week in a safe classroom within the building.
- Samenwerkingsverband Primair Onderwijs Duin- en BollenstreekcoreContributes to structural funding for education at women's shelter.
- Passend Onderwijs SWV RijnstreekcoreContributes to structural funding for education at women's shelter.
- Gemeente LeidencoreMunicipality contributes to structural funding for education at women's shelter and collaborates on various educational initiatives.
- Gemeente LeiderdorpcoreMunicipality collaborates with PROO on educational initiatives and housing for teachers.
- Go-VitalminorOrganization offering group discounts at affiliated sports schools through PROO's collective sports agreement (PROOFit scheme). Provides approximately 40% tax advantage for employees.
- LoyalisminorInsurance partner for disability insurance (AOV) for PROO employees. Provides income protection insurance with at least 20% premium discount and tax benefits.
- VismacoreHR and payroll systems provider used by PROO for employee management, salary administration, and cafetariaregeling (flexible remuneration scheme).
- Brasserie BuitenhuisminorVenue partner for PROO Onderwijsfestival 2026.
- Radio LEFminorPartner for PROOcast podcast production. Sanne van der Linden from Radio LEF presents the podcast series.
- Stichting Peuterspeelzalen Leiden (SPL)coreCollaboration on early childhood education and smooth transition from preschool to primary school, featured in PROOcast podcast.
- Gemeente LeidencoreMunicipality involved in cooperation between Montessorischool Apollo and De Astronaut merger and broader educational development in Leiden Zuid-West.
- Museum De LakenhalminorCultural partner where Lucas van Leyden students participated in Jan Steen exhibition as 'conservator for a day', creating etchings and writing texts.
- Stichting Gehandicapten KwaleminorPROO supported this Kenyan foundation with €500 for transport costs during a work visit to Kenya to support education projects for children with disabilities.
- Stichting ResonansminorSpecial education foundation with shared mission beyond national borders, collaborates on international initiatives like Kenya work visit.
- MeerBomenNuminorNational organization that redistributes young trees and seedlings, provided trees for schoolyard greening at PROO schools.
- Stichting MoveminorPartner in Leidse Kinderraad initiative where De Dukdalf students designed a nature scavenger hunt in Polderpark Cronesteyn.
- SOL (School Outreach Leiden)minorPartner in Leidse Kinderraad initiative.
- Circus RavioliminorEntertainment partner for Montessorischool Apollo circus day event.
- DC-Dance LeiderdorpminorDance instructors who provided performances for OBS De Arcade's 20th anniversary celebration.
Scale indicators2 records
Recent moves9 records
Expansion highlights12 records
PROO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- FloreoKids: Childcare organization partnering with PROO on children's center (kindcentrum) development in Leiderdorp. Comparable as an adjacent Dutch child-development provider integrated with primary education through the same municipal ecosystem.
Direct peers
- PCBO Leiderdorp: Protestant-Christian primary education foundation in Leiderdorp that co-signed the 'Bouwen aan sterke kindcentra' covenant with PROO and FloreoKids. Operates a comparable small-scale Dutch primary school network in the same municipality.
- Stichting BOOR: Rotterdam-based public primary and special education foundation governing dozens of openbare basisscholen and special schools under a single bestuur. Closely comparable to PROO as a multi-school Dutch public primary education foundation with similar funding model and special-education portfolio.
- Stichting Montessori Onderwijs Zuid-Holland (MZH): South Holland Montessori school foundation that signed the letter of intent to transfer Basisschool Elckerlyc to PROO. Operates Montessori primary schools under a multi-school foundation structure comparable to PROO's Montessori schools.
- SCOL (Stichting Confessioneel Onderwijs Leiden): Confessional primary education foundation operating in Leiden that recently partnered with PROO on the Apollo-Astronaut integration. Operates a similar multi-school network in the same geography under a comparable Dutch school-board governance model.
- Stichting Resonans: Special education foundation collaborating with PROO on international initiatives such as the Kenya work visit. Comparable as a Dutch foundation specializing in special educational needs with a multi-school governance structure.
Broad incumbents
- POUW (Primair Openbaar Onderwijs Utrecht): Larger Utrecht-based public primary education foundation governing many openbare basisscholen. Comparable as a broader regional incumbent in Dutch public primary education with similar government funding model but larger geographic footprint than PROO.
- AWBR (Openbaar Onderwijs Amsterdam): Amsterdam public primary education foundation operating a large multi-school network. Comparable as a Dutch public primary education bestuur with the same funding mechanism and regulatory environment but at much greater urban scale.
Others
- Bazalt Groep: Dutch educational services organization providing professional development, coaching, and learning-support programs to primary schools. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem participant supporting Dutch primary education institutions like PROO with staff development resources.
- Topicus Education: Dutch education-software vendor serving primary, secondary, and special education institutions with administrative and student-information systems. Comparable as an adjacent technology provider operating in the same Dutch primary-education ecosystem that PROO participates in.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
PROO social profiles
Digital presencePROO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
PROO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
PROO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles15 records
PROO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
PROO M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about PROO
What does PROO do?
PROO is a non-profit foundation governing twenty public primary schools located in Leiden and Leiderdorp, Netherlands — eighteen regular primary schools and two special education (Cluster 4) schools serving children aged 4-12. The foundation delivers inclusive public primary education across diverse pedagogical approaches including Montessori, Jenaplan, Unit education, internationally-oriented schools, gifted Nova departments, and profile schools focused on sports, science/technology, and English/VVTO. PROO also operates supplementary programs such as the PROOFit collective sports scheme, employee professional development through PROO Academie, internally-developed AI tooling (Brain Buddy), and provides education to children in the Rosa Manus women's shelter.
Is PROO a public or private company?
PROO is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was PROO founded?
PROO was founded in -1. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is PROO based?
PROO is headquartered in Leiderdorp, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does PROO make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Government Education Funding is the primary driver. The others are PROOFit Sports Scheme.
Who are PROO's main competitors?
FloreoKids is listed as an emerging player. Direct peers are PCBO Leiderdorp, Stichting BOOR, Stichting Montessori Onderwijs Zuid-Holland (MZH), SCOL (Stichting Confessioneel Onderwijs Leiden) and Stichting Resonans. Broad incumbents are POUW (Primair Openbaar Onderwijs Utrecht) and AWBR (Openbaar Onderwijs Amsterdam). Others are Bazalt Groep and Topicus Education.
Does PROO have an API?
No public API is recorded for PROO.
What industry is PROO in?
PROO's product category is Primary Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAKAE, Behavioral & Social-Emotional Support (ABA, PBIS, Counseling), with a secondary code of BPADAKAB, Early Childhood Development (ECD) & Pre-Primary Education. Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.