The Beach | design with / in community

Name

The Beach | design with / in community

Legal name

The Beach

Website

https://thebeach.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation and government funding: The Beach is a foundation (Stichting The Beach) that operates primarily through grants and funding from Dutch foundations and government bodies. Funding sources include AFK (Amsterdam Fund for the Arts), Mondriaanfonds, Oranjefonds, Cultuurfonds, Fonds voor Cultuurparticipatie, Stimuleringsfonds voor de Creatieve Industrie, and Gemeente Amsterdam.
2. Space rental income: Rental of workspaces, workshop areas, and meeting rooms including The Garage, Atelier, and Office spaces. Also venue rental for cultural events at Garage Notweg.
3. Catering services (Wilde Chefs): The Wilde Chefs collective provides catering services. The neighborhood restaurant operates bi-weekly at €8 per person.
4. Workshop fees: Training, workshop programs, and tailored sessions on sustainist design offered for individuals and organizations.
5. Event and conference fees: Mini-conference events with pricing: €50 for individuals (incl. Sustainist Design Guide), €110 for companies (excl. VAT).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The Beach is a non-profit foundation and community-led social design hub located at Garage Notweg in Amsterdam Nieuw-West. It delivers co-design projects, training, workshops, and community programs using its proprietary sustainist design methodology to address social and ecological challenges in the Wildemanbuurt neighborhood. It also generates income through workspace rental (The Garage, Atelier, Office), a neighborhood restaurant (Buurtrestaurant), catering (Wilde Chefs), and sale of publications.

Product overview

The Beach is a workshop and hub for sustainist design in Amsterdam, operating since 2009. It is not a software product but rather a community organization offering co-design projects, workshops, and programs focused on social and sustainable innovation. The portfolio includes Sustainist Design Practice/Toolkit (methodology services), youth programs (Gangmakers, Cultuurcoaches), community programs (Creatieve Huiskamer, Wilde Chefs, Atelier Naturelle, Buurtverbinders, Familiecuratoren), research projects (Verbeelding in Transities, DESIRE), space rental, and publications. All offerings are social/community services rather than technology products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Sustainist Design Practice: Co-design methodologies and tools for social and sustainable living environments.
• WESHARE
• Gangmakers
• Wilde Chefs
• Creatieve Huiskamer
• Atelier Naturelle
• Four Siblings
• Familiecuratoren
• Buurtverbinders

Products and services

• Sustainist Design Practice

Quantifiable outcome

• Since 2009, The Beach has been continuously operating co-design projects in the Wildemanbuurt, indicating long-term sustainable impact
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments7 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

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• European Commission (DESIRE project)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022The Beach and Samenwonen-Samenleven (SW-SL) are Amsterdam partners in the DESIRE project, one of the European Commission's six New European Bauhaus lighthouse demonstrators. The project focuses on creating sustainable, attractive, and inclusive urban spaces with citizens, artists, urban planners, and knowledge institutions across 5 countries.
• Gemeente Amsterdam / AFK / MoccacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Pilot Cultuurcoach (since August 2020) - collaboration between municipality, Amsterdam Fund for the Arts, and Mocca. The Beach provides cultural coaches to schools (IKC het Talent and Lukasschool) as part of Regeling Cultuurcoach 2021-2024.
• UrbaniahoeveminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2013Since 2013, The Beach became Urbaniahoeve's local partner in the Foodscape Wildeman project, focusing on food and landscape in the neighborhood.
• Waag Society, Steim, MediamaticcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Since 2012, Waag Society, Steim, Mediamatic and The Beach collaborate on the topic of Media & Crafts, exploring intersections of technology and traditional making.
• Sustainism LabcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSustainism Lab collaborates on the Sustainist Design Practice, sharing knowhow and developing tools and methodologies. The lab was founded by Michiel Schwarz (co-author of Sustainist Manifesto) and is central to The Beach's theoretical framework.
• Amsterdam Smart CityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmsterdam Smart City and The Beach develop programs that involve people and parties in the Wildeman neighborhood in making Amsterdam smart in many ways.
• Ymere, StadgenootminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing corporations partnering in neighborhood ecology projects, supporting sustainable neighborhood development in Wildemanbuurt.
• Goods DesignminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudio space sharing and knowledge/skills exchange between Goods Design and The Beach.
• Ponec de WinterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArchitectural firm with experience in transformation projects. Part of neighborhood ecology initiative focusing on spatial quality and shared places.
• Stadsdeel Nieuw-WestcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal district authority partnering on neighborhood ecology projects and various community initiatives in Amsterdam Nieuw-West.
• HvA, AHK, Gerrit Rietveld Academie, Hogeschool InhollandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHogescholen (universities of applied sciences) partnering in the SPRONG research project Verbeelding in Transities. Lectoren supervise practical research combining creative methods with employment support.
• Samenwonen-Samenleven (SW-SL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmsterdam partner in the DESIRE European project, working with the WESHARE coalition in the Wildeman neighborhood on co-design processes.
• WESHARE coalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition in the Wildeman neighborhood responsible for co-design process in DESIRE project, representing local residents and organizations.
• Stadsboerderij OsdorpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity farm partnering on Four Siblings garden project and Atelier Naturelle's tea growing and harvesting activities.
• De StadsgroenteboerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Four Siblings project, collaborating on sustainable agriculture and local food distribution.

Scale indicators5 records

Direct peers

• Impact Hub Amsterdam: Amsterdam member-based social innovation hub offering workspace, programs, and community for impact-driven entrepreneurs. Direct peer: comparable physical community hub offering space rental, workshops, and member-driven programs targeting social impact.
• Waag Society: Amsterdam-based social design and technology organization operating as a workshop and R&D lab. Direct peer: The Beach has collaborated with Waag since 2012 on Media & Crafts, and both organizations operate physical community workshops applying co-design methodologies to social challenges.
• Pakhuis de Zwijger: Amsterdam cultural platform and venue hosting programs on urban development, social innovation, and community building. Direct peer: comparable non-profit operating a physical hub for community-led programming, public events, and partner collaborations in Amsterdam.
• Kennisland: Dutch foundation focused on social innovation, knowledge sharing, and learning networks across the Netherlands. Direct peer: comparable non-profit operating with foundation and government funding on social innovation projects, often partnering with municipalities and academic institutions.
• STIPO: Dutch consultancy and platform for placemaking and urban social design. Direct peer: comparable Dutch organization applying design methodology to neighborhood-level social and spatial transformation, working with municipalities and housing corporations.
• Mediamatic: Amsterdam art and design foundation operating cultural programs, workshops, and community events from a physical venue. Direct peer: collaboration with The Beach since 2012 on Media & Crafts; comparable non-profit foundation model focused on community-engaged creative practice.
• Baltan Laboratories: Eindhoven-based art and technology research lab applying design methodology to societal challenges. Direct peer: comparable Dutch non-profit lab blending art, design, and research with community engagement and partner-driven project funding.

Broad incumbents

• Het Nieuwe Instituut: Dutch national museum and institute for architecture, design, and digital culture, based in Rotterdam. Broad incumbent: much larger institution advancing Dutch design discourse and methodologies; overlaps with The Beach's sustainist design work but at a national scale and with a curatorial rather than community-embedded remit.

Others

• CREATIVE INDUSTRIES FUND NL (Stimuleringsfonds): Dutch national fund supporting architecture, design, and digital culture. Others: not a direct operator but a key funder and ecosystem connector; The Beach has received Stimuleringsfonds grants, making it an institutional peer in the Dutch social design funding ecosystem.

Regional players

• Social Design Lab (Amsterdam University of Applied Sciences): HvA research group focused on social design practice and education in Amsterdam. Regional player: academic research counterpart to The Beach's community practice; The Beach is a partner in HvA's SPRONG project Verbeelding in Transities, making it the closest academic peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thebeach_design
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJRQQ23SBTHylj837Jrj7Yw
• Facebookfacebook.com/TheBeachForCreativeInnovation
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/the-beach-design-with-in-community
• Instagraminstagram.com/thebeach_ams

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 The Beach | design with / in community