Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO)

What Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO) does

Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO) is a Dutch non-profit association (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk) founded in 1866, headquartered in Bussum, North Holland, and dedicated to supporting public education in the Netherlands. The organization operates with approximately 35 employees and is governed by Chairman Marco Frijlink. Its mission is to increase engagement of staff, parents, and students at Dutch public schools through training, advisory support, and policy advocacy, operating under the motto "Samen leven, samen leren" (Living together, learning together).

VOO delivers a comprehensive portfolio of services centered on participation councils (medezeggenschap). Its product offering includes more than 25 courses covering MR (Medezeggenschapsraad), GMR (Gemeenschappelijke Medezeggenschapsraad), and OPR (Ondernemingsplanraad) council members at beginner, intermediate, and advanced levels, plus governance courses, school leadership courses, student council training, parent council programs, and TSO (midday supervision) volunteer training. Beyond courses, VOO operates a daily helpdesk, an advisory (Begeleiding) service, two online self-assessment QuickScan tools (Medezeggenschap and Kansengelijkheid), a knowledge bank (Kennisbank), newsletters, and a weekly video update (OnderwijsActueel). The underlying technology stack is minimal — these are primarily in-person courses supported by standard web content delivery, with no proprietary platform, API, app, or AI/ML components disclosed.

VOO generates revenue through a tiered membership subscription model (Personal, Medezeggenschap, Scholengroep, Ouderraad) on annual billing cadences, plus course and training fees where members receive a 15% discount. Pricing is not publicly disclosed for individual courses, and custom training is quote-based. The go-to-market is community-led, relying on website content, newsletters, news articles, and public education policy advocacy to acquire and retain members. The organization serves participation councils, parent councils, school leaders and administrators, student councils, and midday supervision volunteers across the Netherlands, with no disclosed international expansion.

Name

Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO)

Legal name

Vereniging voor Openbaar Onderwijs

Website

https://voo.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO) is a Dutch non-profit association founded in 1866 that supports public education through training courses, a helpdesk, advisory services, and advocacy for participation councils (MR/GMR), parent councils, school leaders, and student councils across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education Support Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Communications, Marketing & Government/Community Relations Administration (EDADAKAN)

Keywords

• Public education advocacy
• Participation council training
• School governance support
• Education membership services
• Parent council courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Bussum

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: VOO generates revenue through annual membership fees from individuals, schools, and parent councils. Members receive benefits including discounted courses, helpdesk access, and participation in member meetings.
2. Course and Training Fees: The organization offers paid courses and workshops for participation councils (MR/GMR), school leaders, and other school stakeholders. Members receive a 15% discount on these services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

VOO is a Dutch non-profit association that supports public education stakeholders by delivering training courses, a dedicated helpdesk, and advisory services tailored to participation councils (MR/GMR), parent councils, student councils, school leaders, and TSO (tussenschoolse opvang) volunteers. Its offerings are delivered through membership programmes (Personal, Medezeggenschap, Scholengroep, Ouderraad) and include assessment tools, newsletters, and video updates that translate Dutch education law and governance practice into practical support for school community members.

Product overview

Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO) is a non-profit association dedicated to public education in the Netherlands. The organization offers a comprehensive portfolio of educational support services organized across multiple categories: (1) Medezeggenschap (Participation Council) Courses: A suite of 25+ courses for MR (Medezeggenschapsraad), GMR (Gemeenschappelijke Medezeggenschapsraad), and OPR (Ondernemingsplanraad) members, ranging from beginner to advanced levels, including MR Compleet, MR Plus, MR Start, MR Effectief, GMR courses, governance courses (Governance Plus, Governance Start, Governance Simulatiespel), and specialized topics like ARBO policy, finances, mergers, and child centers; (2) School Courses: Programs for student councils (Leerlingenraad Start), parent councils (Ouderraad Start), and midday supervision volunteers (TSO/Overblijf); (3) Support Services: Begeleiding (advisory counseling for participation council matters), Helpdesk (question-answering service), and QuickScan assessments (Medezeggenschap and Kansengelijkheid tools); (4) Communication Services: Newsletters and OnderwijsActueel (weekly video news updates); (5) Membership Programs: Tiered membership options (Personal, Medezeggenschap, Scholen/groep, Ouderraad) offering 15% discounts on courses and counseling, helpdesk access, annual participation day, and member meetings. The organization focuses on increasing engagement of staff, parents, and students at all schools through courses, workshops, counseling, and expert guidance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basiscursus voor de Medezeggenschapsraad (MR) Basic training course designed for members of the Medezeggenschapsraad (MR) at Dutch public schools, providing foundational knowledge of participation rights, council procedures, and school governance.
• Verdiepingscursus voor de Medezeggenschapsraad (MR) Advanced training course for experienced members of the Medezeggenschapsraad (MR), deepening knowledge of participation law, negotiation, and council strategy.
• Cursus voor de Gemeenschappelijke Medezeggenschapsraad (GMR) Training course targeted at members of the Gemeenschappelijke Medezeggenschapsraad (GMR), the joint participation council that represents multiple schools within a school group.
• Voorzitterscursus MR Training course designed specifically for chairs of the Medezeggenschapsraad, covering meeting leadership, agenda setting, and council chair responsibilities.
• Opfriscursus voor de MR Refresher course for members of the Medezeggenschapsraad (MR) who want to update and consolidate their participation knowledge.
• Basiscursus voor de Ouderraad Basic training course for members of parent councils (ouderraden) at Dutch public primary schools, covering parent engagement, council operations, and collaboration with the school.
• Verdiepingscursus voor de Ouderraad Advanced training course for experienced parent council (ouderraad) members, deepening skills in organising parent activities, fundraising, and engaging with school leadership.
• Cursus voor beginnende schoolleiders in het po Training course designed for newly appointed school leaders in Dutch primary education (po), covering leadership fundamentals and statutory responsibilities.
• Cursus voor aspirant schoolleiders Training course for aspiring school leaders preparing to take on a school leadership role in Dutch public education.
• Training voor TSO-medewerkers Training programme for staff and volunteers working in tussenschoolse opvang (TSO), the Dutch between-school care scheme, focused on operating TSO activities at Dutch public schools.
• Cursus voor leerlingen in de leerlingenraad Training course aimed at student members of the leerlingenraad (student council), introducing student participation rights and council work.
• VOO Helpdesk Member helpdesk that answers questions from participants in Dutch public education about participation law, council procedures, and school governance.
• Begeleiding (advisory trajectory) Personalised advisory and guidance service for VOO members, providing structured support for participation councils, parent councils, and school leadership on specific challenges.
• QuickScan QuickScan assessment tool used to evaluate the state of participation or governance within a school or council, producing a quick diagnostic for members.
• OnderwijsActueel video updates Regular video series from VOO presenting current developments, news, and practical updates in Dutch public education for members.
• Personal membership Individual personal membership tier providing access to VOO's training, helpdesk, advisory, and information services for individual members.
• Medezeggenschap membership Membership tier tailored for participation councils (MR/GMR), providing council-wide access to VOO training, helpdesk, and advisory services.
• Scholengroep membership Institutional membership tier for school groups (scholengroepen), providing centralised access to VOO services across multiple schools in the group.
• Ouderraad membership Membership tier for parent councils (ouderraden), giving parent councils access to VOO training, helpdesk, advisory, and information services.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Ouders & Onderwijs: Dutch national organization representing parents in education policy and providing support, courses, and advocacy for parent council members. Closely comparable to VOO as a membership-based education association serving parent and council stakeholders around school governance.
• VBS (Vereniging van Bijzondere Scholen): Dutch association for special/private schools, offering member services, advocacy, and governance support to a parallel school sector. Comparable to VOO in mission and member-association model, but focused on the bijzonder onderwijs segment rather than openbaar onderwijs.
• National PTA: US parent-teacher association with a membership-based model providing training, advocacy, and resources for parent leaders at schools. Structurally analogous to VOO's parent-council and medezeggenschap offerings across a different education system.

Broad incumbents

• PO-Raad: Sector organization representing primary-education school boards in the Netherlands. It operates at a broader, employer/board level than VOO but overlaps on governance training, advocacy, and serving as a central node for the primary-education community.
• VO-raad: Sector organization representing secondary-education school boards in the Netherlands. Similar in role to PO-Raad but for the secondary segment; engages on governance, medezeggenschap policy, and member services at a board/employer level rather than council-member level.
• AOb (Algemene Onderwijsbond): Largest Dutch trade union for education staff, providing membership services, training, legal support, and policy advocacy. Comparable to VOO as a large education membership body but with a broader union scope (HR, employment law, collective bargaining) rather than governance-focused.
• CNV Onderwijs: Dutch trade union representing education staff with member services, training, and policy advocacy. Overlaps with VOO in serving school-based members with courses and advice, but centered on employment/collective-bargaining issues rather than medezeggenschap governance.
• National School Boards Association (NSBA): US federation of school-board members offering training, advocacy, and governance resources. Comparable in mission (school-governance support) and member-association model, but at the board-member level rather than participation-council level.

Emerging players

• Learning Forward: International professional association for educators focused on professional learning and capacity-building. Overlaps with VOO on the training/certification side for education stakeholders, but serves individual educators rather than council volunteers.

Regional players

• Nederlandse Montessori Vereniging: Dutch association representing Montessori schools and educators, providing member services, training, and advocacy. Comparable as a Dutch education membership body supporting schools around a shared pedagogical and governance ethos, though focused on a specific school philosophy.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Vereniging Openbaar Onderwijs (VOO)