SPINSELS

What SPINSELS does

Spinsels is a Dutch social design bureau (sociaal ontwerpbureau) founded in 2020 and headquartered in Nijmegen, Gelderland. The firm researches complex societal challenges and co-designs interventions with affected stakeholders, applying a five-phase Design Thinking methodology ("Ontwerpende Aanpak") augmented by arts-based qualitative research methods such as storytelling, pop-up living rooms, and mini-exhibitions. Its delivery is anchored by a four-person named team — Bas (community builder), Charlotte (social designer), Maarten (public administrator and anthropologist), and Niels (philosopher and zen monk) — whose deliberately diverse disciplinary backgrounds are positioned as a core differentiator.

The company monetizes through commissioned professional services engagements rather than product sales. Its service portfolio comprises three core offerings: co-creative solution design, qualitative "living world and impact" research, and the Academie voor impactmakerij (an academy program for youth). It supplements these with cultural initiatives — the Spin-it! Podcast on Spotify, the Tweedekants donation collective (approximately 250 members donating €2/month), and co-created installations such as Slapen tussen het Erfgoed at Museumpark Orientalis — that double as demonstration artifacts for prospective clients. Pricing is project-based and quote-driven, with multi-year contract cadences typical of public-sector commissioning.

Spinsels' go-to-market is sales-led and direct, targeting Dutch municipalities, educational institutions, housing corporations, and cultural/nonprofit organizations primarily across Gelderland, with isolated engagements in Tilburg and Arnhem. Named clients include Gemeente Nijmegen (multiple projects), SSH& housing corporation, Radboud Universiteit, Rijnijssel College, four Gelderland municipalities (Elburg, Lochem, Montferland, West Betuwe), Museumpark Orientalis, and Huis van Compassie. The firm is privately held, founder-led, with no disclosed external funding, parent company, or stock-market presence.

Name

SPINSELS

Legal name

Spinsels

Website

https://spinsels.org

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Spinsels is a Dutch social design bureau in Nijmegen that researches societal challenges and co-designs interventions with affected stakeholders for Dutch municipalities, universities, housing corporations, and cultural organizations using Design Thinking and arts-based qualitative methods.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijmegen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Commissioned Projects: Project-based consulting engagements with government bodies, educational institutions, housing corporations, and community organizations to research and design solutions for societal challenges. Projects vary in scope from small interventions to large system changes.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Spinsels is a social design bureau that investigates complex societal challenges and designs innovative, co-created solutions together with affected stakeholders including students, policymakers, newcomers, and elderly residents. Its core offering comprises three commissioned services — co-creative solution design, living-world and impact research using arts-based methods, and an academy for impact makers that empowers young people to act creatively on societal issues — delivered to municipalities, universities, housing corporations, and nonprofit organizations.

Product overview

Spinsels is a social design bureau offering three core services: Co-creative Design (bringing stakeholders together to design solutions), Living World and Impact Research (qualitative research with creative methods), and the Academy for Impact Makers (youth empowerment program). The company also runs various societal initiatives including the Spin-it! Podcast, Tweedekants donation collective, the Slapen tussen het Erfgoed experience, and the Expositie Tussen Wal & Schip exhibition.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• De Spin-it! Podcast: A podcast series exploring how creativity in the workplace stimulates innovation, discussing the role of creativity in guests' work and its impact on work motivation.
• Tweedekants

Products and services

• Co-creatief ontwerpen (Co-creative Design) A commissioned service that brings together affected people to collaboratively design solutions to complex societal challenges, ranging from small interventions to large system changes. Target users are government bodies, educational institutions, housing corporations, and nonprofit organizations seeking stakeholder-inclusive design outcomes.
• Leefwereld- en impactonderzoek (Living World and Impact Research) A qualitative research service using creative methods such as storytelling, pop-up living rooms, and mini-exhibitions to make hidden impact visible and to understand underlying structures and needs. Target users are policymakers, program managers, and organizations seeking deep qualitative insight into the lived experiences of their target groups.
• Academie voor impactmakerij (Academy for Impact Makers) A program that empowers young people to work on societal issues through personal development, teaching them to act creatively in connection with themselves and a rapidly changing society. Target users are municipalities, schools, and youth-serving organizations seeking to build civic capacity and engagement among young people.

Quantifiable outcome

• 120 participants engaged in wellbeing research across diverse socioeconomic backgrounds
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SpectrumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in research project on youth participation in local policy making across Gelderse municipalities. Spinsels collaborates with Spectrum to investigate how youth can take a structural and active role in policy formation.
• KuseemacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Jongerenparticipatie als toekomstbestendig beleid project. Collaborating to design a handbook and narrative methods for connecting life-world and system-world perspectives.
• TweedekantsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA collective initiated by Spinsels where members donate €2 monthly to effective charities, selected through online voting. Grown to approximately 250 members who have donated nearly €7,000 total.
• Huis van CompassiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization that organizes dialogue tables to connect people who don't normally meet. Spinsels collaborated on Polariseren? Echt niet! project to design tools connecting youth with dialogue tables.
• Museumpark OrientaliscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural heritage park where Spinsels co-created Slapen tussen het Erfgoed initiative. Five tipis, one yurt, and two ecocabins placed on the grounds for contemplative and creative purposes.
• Wereldkoks NijmegenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Verbind, Ontmoet, Ontdek project. Collaborated with MBO students to organize food-related activities that foster connection and meeting between newcomers and students.
• DIT CoachingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in developing Slapen tussen het Erfgoed concept. Collaborated with Spinsels and Museumpark Orientalis to create a space for contemplation and inspiration.
• Gemeente NijmegencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality client commissioning multiple projects including Project Mantra (wellbeing and culture participation) and Een Rechtvaardige Stad (spatial justice). Partnership involves significant public funding through prevention funds.
• SSH&coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing corporation commissioned Vuile Verantwoordelijkheid project addressing waste management at three housing complex locations. Partnership focuses on resident engagement and ownership of living environment.
• Radboud UniversiteitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research on how university programs can better prepare students for a changing society. Developed praatplaat, stappenplan, and toolbox for personal and professional development (PPO) curriculum design.
• SSH& complexencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree SSH& housing complexes participating in Vuile Verantwoordelijkheid project to reduce waste nuisance and increase resident ownership of living environment.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Waag Futurelab: Amsterdam-based social design and technology research bureau that runs participatory projects on societal challenges. Directly comparable as a Dutch social design bureau working on citizen engagement, public-sector innovation, and qualitative co-creation methodology.
• Kennisland: Dutch knowledge organization that connects learning, innovation, and societal transitions across government, education, and civil society. Comparable as a Dutch intermediary helping municipalities and institutions develop innovative, participation-driven policy approaches.
• STBY: Design research consultancy with Dutch roots working on participatory research and design-driven innovation for public and private clients. Comparable through its emphasis on qualitative, ethnographic-style research informing co-designed solutions.
• Butterfly Works: Amsterdam-based design studio focused on social innovation and co-creation with marginalized communities. Closely comparable to Spinsels' co-creative design and qualitative arts-based research methodology applied to societal challenges.

Broad incumbents

• IDEO: Global design consultancy famous for human-centered design and participatory research methodology. Comparable through Design Thinking application to public-sector and social challenges, though operating at vastly larger scale and broader remit.
• Movisie: Dutch expertise center on social issues, well-being, and civic participation funded primarily by the Dutch government. Comparable as a larger, established Dutch organization working on social cohesion and citizen participation but operating at much greater scale with subsidy-driven revenue.

Emerging players

• Dark Matter Labs: Design and technology studio focused on building alternative civic infrastructures and societal systems. Comparable through design-led, participatory approaches to public-sector transformation challenges, though oriented toward systems-level rather than community-level interventions.
• Forum for the Future: International non-profit that works with governments, businesses, and communities on sustainability and societal challenges through systems change. Comparable methodology and stakeholder mix, though operating at international scale rather than regional Dutch scope.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/spinsels

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 SPINSELS