Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN)

What Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN) does

UNUN (Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network) is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting) established in 2022 and headquartered in Rotterdam, Netherlands, operating as a bilateral platform connecting Ukrainian and Dutch spatial professionals around the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine. Founded and launched publicly at the City Makers Congress in Rotterdam on November 4, 2022, by Ukrainian urban planner Oleksandra Tkachenko, the organization holds ANBI (Public Benefit Organization) status (KVK 94074798, RSIN 866626542) and is governed by a four-member board (Tkachenko as Chairwoman, Pavlo Gorokhovskyi as Secretary, Patrick Meijers as Treasurer, Elena Chevchenko as General Member). Its core offering is a knowledge-exchange and community platform rather than a software product: events and networking (symposiums, conferences, DUO lectures, studio visits to Dutch firms such as Felixx, HofmanDujardin, West 8, Kickstad), education and capacity building (including a TU Delft online course 'Tools for Postwar Urban Recovery: Ukraine' and a nine-part Urban Webinars series), and a Think Tank embodied in the long-term Panorama Ukraine project with IABR, CRa, Nieuwe Instituut, Vereniging Deltametropool, and funding support from the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science. Additional partners include VNG International (municipal capacity-building), PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency (housing policy), Breda University of Applied Sciences, and ReThink/EEN Ukraine (Venice Architecture Biennale 2025).

Revenue mechanics are consistent with a small Dutch foundation: tax-deductible donations under ANBI status, project funding from Dutch ministries, and in-kind contributions from institutional partners; no paid membership tiers, commercial pricing, or revenue figures are publicly disclosed. The customer base is not commercial but rather a professional community comprising architects, urban planners, landscape designers, policy makers, students (e.g., KNUBA, Kharkiv School of Architecture recipients of the 400 kg #ArchiLibrary book donation), Ukrainian municipalities, and partner NGOs such as CEDOS, Restart, Ro3kvit, and New Housing Policy. Distribution occurs primarily through digital channels (unun.nu, YouTube, LinkedIn), in-person events across Dutch cities (Rotterdam, Delft, Eindhoven, The Hague, Amsterdam, Diemen), and participation in flagship programs such as Rotterdam Architecture Month, Dutch Design Week, and the Venice Biennale.

Name

Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN)

Legal name

Stichting Ukraine – The Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN)

Website

https://unun.nu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

UNUN (Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network) is a Rotterdam-based Dutch non-profit foundation that operates a bilateral platform connecting Ukrainian and Dutch architects, urban planners, students, and municipalities around the sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine through events, education, and the Panorama Ukraine think tank.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Network Services (Urban Planning)

NAICS

Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (925120)

SIC

Services-Engineering, Accounting, Research, Management (8700), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

Technical Cooperation, Capacity Building & Policy Advisory Programs (BPADABAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

International & Comparative Education Policy Organizations (EDADADAL), Culture, Education & Heritage Intergovernmental Organizations (BPADAAAL)

Keywords

• Urban reconstruction network
• Spatial planning network
• Professional knowledge exchange
• Bilateral urban cooperation
• Architecture education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

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. Membership/Network Services: UNUN operates as a non-profit network platform funded through donations and potentially membership contributions. The organization holds ANBI (Public Benefit Organization) status in the Netherlands, making donations tax-deductible.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

UNUN operates a bilateral professional network platform connecting Ukrainian and Dutch spatial planning professionals (architects, urban planners, landscape designers, policy makers) to facilitate knowledge exchange and capacity building for Ukraine's sustainable post-war reconstruction. Its core offerings are organized around four pillars: Events & Networking (symposiums, conferences, studio visits, workshops), Education & Capacity Building (courses, webinars, online learning), a Think Tank / Panorama Ukraine long-term collaborative research project, and a Digital Library of recorded lectures and resources.

Product overview

UNUN (Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network) is an open community platform rather than a traditional technology product. It serves as a networking and knowledge exchange hub connecting Ukrainian and Dutch spatial professionals focused on sustainable reconstruction of Ukraine. The core offerings include: Events & Networking (symposiums, conferences, workshops, studio visits), Education & Capacity Building (courses, webinars, the TU Delft online course, and the Urban Webinars series), the Think Tank research program, and the Panorama Ukraine collaborative project. A Digital Library provides access to recordings and resources. The platform does not offer a unified software product but rather organizes collaborative programs, educational content, and networking events for urban planning and reconstruction professionals.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Panorama Ukraine: Long-term collaborative project with IABR, CRa, Nieuwe Instituut, and Vereniging Deltametropool, supported by Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), focusing on research by design for Ukraine's reconstruction.
• DUO Lectures
• Think Tank

Products and services

• Events & Networking Platform Organization of symposiums, forums, conferences, lectures, workshops, and studio visits for spatial professionals, students, and the general public, while also facilitating connections and collaboration among architecture industry professionals across the Netherlands and Ukraine.
• Education & Capacity Building Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• 600 participants engaged through Rebuild Green Hackathon developing proposals for bio-based construction in Ukraine
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and moderate.

• TU DelftcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partnership with TU Delft's Faculty of Architecture and the Built Environment to develop and deliver the online course 'Tools for Postwar Urban Recovery: Ukraine'. UNUN contributed to course development and co-facilitated the EXTREME Architecture course focused on reconstruction in Ukraine.
• International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary partner in the long-term Panorama Ukraine project, collaborating on research-by-design approaches to Ukraine's reconstruction. IABR moderates panel discussions and provides institutional framework for collaborative work.
• Dutch Board of Government Advisors (CRa)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates with CRa on the Panorama Ukraine project and co-organizes events such as the 'Recovery by Design' panel during Dutch Design Week. CRa contributes government advisory perspective to reconstruction discussions.
• Nieuwe InstituutcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Panorama Ukraine collaborative project, contributing to research and documentation of Ukraine's reconstruction needs and approaches.
• Vereniging Deltametropool (VDM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Panorama Ukraine project, contributing expertise in metropolitan spatial planning and Dutch urban development experience.
• VNG InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVNG International partners with UNUN on the 'Support for the Restoration of Local Self-Government and Recovery and Reconstruction of Communities in Ukraine' project, including the Spring-Summer School for Ukrainian local communities and urban development webinars.
• Breda University of Applied Sciences (BUAS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on reconstruction workshops for Ukrainian communities, including a week-long workshop developing community-driven visions for Novoselivka village. UNUN members Patrick Meijers and Pavlo Gorokhovskyi served as workshop guides.
• Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerProvides generous financial support for the Panorama Ukraine project and related initiatives, enabling UNUN's educational and knowledge-sharing programs.
• PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment AgencymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnered with UNUN on the Ukraine's Housing Recovery Forum, resulting in a bilingual report on housing policy and land in Ukraine. PBL published the report with support from the Embassy of the Kingdom of the Netherlands in Ukraine.
• College van Rijksbouwmeester & RijksadviseurscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated with UNUN on the Circular Threads workshop at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025 and DUO Lecture series, providing expertise in government architecture and spatial planning.
• Pakhuis de ZwijgermajorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorHost venue for DUO Lectures and discussion events in Amsterdam, providing physical space and audience access for UNUN programming.
• ReThinkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the Circular Threads workshop at Venice Architecture Biennale 2025, bringing together international experts on circular design and reconstruction.
• EEN UkrainemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Venice Architecture Biennale workshop program, contributing to international collaboration on circular economy approaches for Ukraine's reconstruction.
• Various Architecture StudiosmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost studios for UNUN visits including Felixx, HofmanDujardin, PosadMaxwan, WDJArchitecten, Diederendirrix, Inbo, Kokon, West 8, and Kickstad. These studios provide knowledge sharing and collaboration opportunities.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• CEDOS: Ukrainian think tank conducting research on social, economic, and urban-development topics. Cited as a UNUN partner; comparable as a Ukraine-based research/community platform producing policy-relevant outputs on urban issues.
• PBL Netherlands Environmental Assessment Agency: Dutch government strategic policy and research institute producing research on environment, spatial planning, and development. Partnered with UNUN on Ukraine housing-recovery research; comparable as a research/policy think tank producing strategic publications tied to spatial planning.
• VNG International: Dutch association of municipalities' international cooperation arm, partnering with UNUN on Ukraine local-government recovery programs. Highly comparable as a bilateral NL-UA capacity-building and reconstruction platform for municipal governance.
• Architecture Sans Frontières International: International network of architects and urbanists deploying built-environment expertise for humanitarian and development causes, with national chapters across Europe. Highly comparable to UNUN as a multilateral/multi-bilateral architecture-for-development network, though UNUN's mandate is narrower (NL-UA bilateral reconstruction).
• International Architecture Biennale Rotterdam (IABR): Rotterdam-based international biennale and research platform dedicated to design and urbanism, including reconstruction themes. Comparable mission in convening professionals around spatial challenges; UNUN's Panorama Ukraine project is co-run with IABR, reflecting deep functional overlap.
• Ro3kvit Urban Coalition for Ukraine: Ukrainian-led coalition of urban thinkers, architects, and policymakers focused on Ukraine's reconstruction. Directly comparable mission to UNUN's Ukraine-facing side; the two frequently collaborate, but Ro3kvit is rooted in Ukraine whereas UNUN is NL-based.

Emerging players

• Architecture Foundation (UK): UK charity convening public programmes, research, and education around architecture and the built environment. Comparable as a small-staff non-profit running events, lectures, and think-tank-style programming aimed at broadening architecture's public impact.

Broad incumbents

• UN-Habitat: United Nations agency for sustainable urbanization, active in post-conflict reconstruction and urban policy. Comparable in addressing urban planning capacity building for Ukraine, but operating at a global, multilateral scale rather than NL-UA bilateral.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): German federal development agency running large-scale reconstruction and governance programs in Ukraine, including municipal capacity building. Comparable as a bilateral technical-cooperation, capacity-building, and policy-advisory player, though GIZ is far larger and government-owned.
• Het Nieuwe Instituut: Dutch national museum, think tank, and platform for architecture, design, and digital culture. Functions as both a peer (UNUN's Panorama Ukraine partner) and a broader incumbent — it sits in the same Dutch architecture-policy ecosystem and engages with similar questions about reconstruction and spatial planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@unun_nu
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unun-nu

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ukraine - the Netherlands Urban Network (UNUN)