Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle

What Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle does

Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle (SOOZ) is a Dutch nonprofit student advocacy federation based in Zwolle, Netherlands, representing MBO and HBO students enrolled across the eight institutions of the Zwolle8 collaboration (Artez, Deltion College, Landstede, Zone College, Cibap, Windesheim, KPZ, and Viaa), collectively covering 50,000+ students. Founded in 1983 per firmographic records (with policy plan documentation dating to 2017), the organization operates as a federation of member associations and individual members governed through a General Members Assembly (ALV), with a volunteer board of four rotating annually. SOOZ engages in structured dialogue with the Municipality of Zwolle and educational institutions on housing, education policy, student welfare, and municipal issues such as waste taxes, and is affiliated with the national Landelijke Studenten Vakbond (LSVb).

SOOZ delivers its mission through three core service products: Studentenbalie, a volunteer-staffed legal helpdesk assisting students with exam rights, rental contracts, and juridical issues; OERDOM, a portal aggregating Course and Examination Regulations links across Zwolle educational institutions; and Check je kamer, a housing resource aggregator linking students to local room-finding platforms. The underlying technology is modest: a WordPress-based website (sooz.nl) with Roundcube Webmail for internal email management, supplemented by social media channels (Instagram, Facebook) and a WhatsApp contact line. There is no proprietary software, API, mobile app, or integration ecosystem; the digital products function primarily as curated link directories and information hubs rather than transactional platforms.

SOOZ's revenue model consists of a one-time €10 individual student membership fee (valid for the duration of studies) and voluntary annual donations from non-student supporters, with no commercial products, sponsorships, or institutional funding disclosed. Membership confers access to activities, training, events, and speaking rights at the ALV. The organization operates without paid staff in management roles (board members are volunteers), with 6 total individuals involved in operations including board members, social media volunteers, Balie service desk volunteers, and Supervisory Board (RvC) members. Strategic partnerships include the municipality, the Zwolle8 institutions, Het Vliegende Paard (a student venue hosting activities), and Buro Ruis (event organizer), alongside informal sister-bond relationships with peer student advocacy bodies in Amsterdam, Groningen, Delft, The Hague, Nijmegen, Utrecht, Wageningen, and Maastricht.

Name

Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle

Legal name

Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle

Website

https://sooz.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle (SOOZ) is a Zwolle-based nonprofit student advocacy federation representing MBO and HBO students across 8 local educational institutions (50,000+ students), delivering legal aid, education regulation access, and housing resources through volunteer-led services and dialogue with the municipality.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Zwolle

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Individual Membership Fees: Students pay a one-time fee of €10 for their entire study period. This grants them access to activities, training, and events, plus speaking rights at General Member Meetings (ALV).
2. Donations: Non-students can become donors by paying an annual amount of their choice, in exchange for speaking rights at the ALV.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

SOOZ is a Zwolle-based student advocacy and representation organization that supports MBO and HBO students through direct services such as a legal helpdesk, an educational regulation portal, and housing assistance, alongside representation in policy discussions with educational institutions and municipalities. Membership is offered to individual students and to the participating educational institutions.

Product overview

Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle (SOOZ) operates as a student advocacy organization rather than a technology product company. Its services consist of member benefits and advocacy programs including: the Studentenbalie (a volunteer-run legal helpdesk), OERDOM (an educational regulations portal linking to institutional intranets), Check je kamer (a housing resource aggregator), and an individual membership program. The organization functions as a federation of student associations, representing both individual members and member organizations in Zwolle's student community.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Studentenbalie A legal helpdesk service for students at Zwolle-area MBO and HBO institutions, providing legal aid and guidance on study-related issues.
• OERDOM An education regulation portal providing guidance on Onderwijs- en Examenregeling (OER) and related educational regulations for students.
• Check je kamer A housing assistance program for students seeking accommodation in the Zwolle area, providing practical support with finding rooms and avoiding housing pitfalls.
• Individual Membership A paid individual membership program giving students access to SOOZ services and representation in policy discussions, governed by SOOZ's contribution/Membership regulations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Represents 50,000+ students across 8 educational institutions

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

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.

• Landelijke Studenten Vakbond (LSVb)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOOZ is affiliated with LSVb, the national student union. Through this federation, local student organizations across the Netherlands work together on shared local themes while maintaining their specific focus areas. SOOZ gains national-level influence through this membership.
• Gemeente Zwolle (Municipality of Zwolle)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOOZ maintains ongoing dialogue with the municipality on issues affecting students in Zwolle, including topics like waste taxes (afvalstoffenheffing) and student city initiatives.
• Zwolle8 Educational InstitutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration of 8 mbo and hbo institutions (Artez, Deltion College, Landstede, Zone College, Cibap, Windesheim, KPZ, Viaa) that jointly represent 50,000+ students in Zwolle. SOOZ works with these schools on student advocacy matters.
• Het Vliegende PaardcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent venue in Zwolle that serves as 'the second living room of studying Zwolle'. SOOZ organizes activities here including karaoke championships, cocktail courses, laser gaming, and end-of-year parties. The venue offers affordable food from €3.50 and meeting spaces for students.
• Buro RuisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEvent and party organization partner for Zwolse students. Organizes activities throughout the college year, partnering with SOOZ and Het Vliegende Paard for Studentstaddagen events.
• ASVA StudentenunieminorOthersStudent advocacy organization for UvA and HvA students in Amsterdam.
• SRVU-StudentenvakbondminorOthersStudent advocacy organization for VU students in Amsterdam.
• Groninger Studentenbond (GSB)minorOthersStudent advocacy organization for students in Groningen.
• VSSDminorOthersAssociation for Study and Student Interests in Delft, representing all students in Delft.
• Haagse Studentenvakbond (HSVb)minorOthersStudent advocacy organization for students in The Hague.
• Studentenvakbond AKKUminorOthersStudent advocacy organization for Radboud University and HAN students in Nijmegen.
• Studentenunie VIDIUSminorOthersStudent advocacy organization for UU and HU students in Utrecht.
• Student Alliance Wageningen (SAW)minorOthersStudent advocacy organization for WUR students in Wageningen.
• Maastrischtse Studentenraad (MSr)minorOthersStudent advocacy organization for students in Maastricht.
• Jongerenraad ZwolleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth council in Zwolle that SOOZ collaborates with on student welfare initiatives.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ASVA Studentenunie: Student advocacy organization for UvA and HvA students in Amsterdam. A direct city-level peer of SOOZ, offering comparable membership-based advocacy, legal helpdesk, and representation services in another Dutch student city.
• Student Alliance Wageningen (SAW): Student advocacy organization for WUR students in Wageningen. A sister bond under LSVb with the same single-city, member-driven advocacy structure as SOOZ.
• Studentenvakbond AKKU: Student advocacy organization for Radboud University and HAN students in Nijmegen. Direct peer with shared LSVb affiliation and an analogous focus on housing, education rights, and student welfare.
• Groninger Studentenbond (GSB): Student advocacy organization for students in Groningen. Sister bond of SOOZ with an analogous single-city structure, representing Groningen students in municipal and educational policy discussions.
• Maastrischtse Studentenraad (MSr): Student advocacy organization for students in Maastricht. Direct city-level peer within the LSVb sister-bond network, offering the same membership and representation model as SOOZ.
• VSSD: Association for Study and Student Interests in Delft, representing all students in Delft. Direct city-level peer with the same volunteer-led, membership-funded advocacy model as SOOZ.
• SRVU-Studentenvakbond: Student advocacy organization for VU students in Amsterdam. Sister bond of SOOZ providing comparable advocacy and member services at the VU campus in Amsterdam.
• Studentenunie VIDIUS: Student advocacy body for UU and HU students in Utrecht. Operates the same model of federated student representation, individual membership, and policy advocacy that SOOZ uses in Zwolle.
• Haagse Studentenvakbond (HSVb): Student advocacy organization for students in The Hague. Sister bond of SOOZ, operating the same single-city advocacy and member services model in a different Dutch student city.

Broad incumbents

• Landelijke Studenten Vakbond (LSVb): National Dutch student union federation of which SOOZ is a member. Operates as a broader incumbent across all Dutch university cities, providing the umbrella under which SOOZ and its sister bonds coordinate advocacy.

Market position

Strengths3 records

Weaknesses3 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/soozwolle
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/studenten-overleg-orgaan-zwolle

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 Studenten Overleg Orgaan Zwolle