Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland (VVGN)

What Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland (VVGN) does

VVGN (Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland) is the Dutch national scientific association for addiction medicine physicians registered with KNMG (Verslavingsarts KNMG) and residents (aios) in addiction medicine, founded in 1985 and representing approximately 200 members across the Netherlands. It functions as a beroepsvereniging (professional association) rather than a commercial entity, with a small staff of 9 employees and a volunteer board chaired by Wilco Sliedrecht.

Its core deliverables are non-technological but operationally critical to the specialty: it co-authors 50+ clinical guidelines and instruments used across Dutch healthcare, operates a mandatory five-year quality evaluation (kwaliteitsevaluatie) cycle tied to RGS re-registration, accredits ~20 continuing education symposia per year, hosts the JVVG junior association for residents, and represents the profession in national policy (Tweede Kamer, VWS) and international bodies (ISAM, EUFAS). Its flagship products include the Zakboek Verslavingsgeneeskunde handbook (June 2025), the Kennisbank knowledge portal, and co-organization of the ISAM 2026 Global Congress in Rotterdam. NOVA at Radboudumc in Nijmegen is the sole national training pathway, with VVGN holding substantial influence over the curriculum and certification standards; 15 new residents started in September 2025 and 33 subsidized training positions are available for 2026.

VVGN's business model is membership-subscription based: individual physicians and aios pay annual dues, with 61% of members fully reimbursed by their employers per a December 2024 survey. Revenue is supplemented by training fees (e.g., ICT Procesbegeleiderstraining at €375 incl. VAT) and event/congress income. Members receive additional services through a 2022 partnership with LAD, including collective professional liability insurance, 20 hours/year of legal support, CAO representation, and KNMG affiliation. The organization is governed as a vereniging with no parent company, no equity investors, and no subsidiaries, and its operating scope is single-country (Netherlands) with selective international engagement through ISAM and EUFAS.

Name

Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland (VVGN)

Legal name

Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland

Website

https://vvgn.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Dutch national scientific association for addiction medicine physicians KNMG and residents (aios), founded 1985. Develops clinical guidelines, accredited continuing education, quality evaluation for re-registration, and represents approximately 200 members in policy and research.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Utrecht

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: The VVGN is a membership-based professional association funded by annual subscriptions from approximately 200 addiction physicians KNMG and residents in addiction medicine. Members pay dues which are partially reimbursed by employers for 61% of respondents (per 2024 survey). The VVGN has a combined membership arrangement with LAD (Landelijke vereniging van Artsen in Dienstverband) since 2022.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels10 records

Core offering

The VVGN (Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland) is the Dutch national scientific association for addiction medicine physicians (Verslavingsartsen KNMG) and residents in addiction medicine. It delivers a portfolio of member services including accredited continuing education symposia, a five-year quality evaluation program tied to KNMG re-registration, co-authorship of 50+ clinical guidelines and instruments, a knowledge bank, and representation in national health policy. The association also co-organizes the ISAM 2026 Global Congress and supports the NOVA training program at Radboudumc.

Product overview

VVGN is the Dutch national scientific association of addiction medicine specialists (Verslavingsarts KNMG) and medical residents in addiction medicine. The organization functions as a professional membership body rather than a product company, offering its members access to the NOVA training program at Radboudumc, quality evaluation systems, accredited continuing education events, clinical guidelines development, and a comprehensive knowledge bank. Key offerings include the Zakboek Verslavingsgeneeskunde handbook, the JVVG junior association for trainees, and the annual ISAM congress partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• 15 new addiction physicians certified in 2025; 7 more in March 2026, from the NOVA Radboudumc program
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• Congress CarecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2024The VVGN signed a collaboration agreement with Congress Care on 16 December 2024 to prepare for the ISAM 2026 congress. Congress Care provides professional congress organization services for the 28th ISAM Annual Global Congress to be held 1-3 October 2026 in De Doelen, Rotterdam.
• Landelijke vereniging van Artsen in Dienstverband (LAD)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Since 2022, the VVGN has a collaboration agreement with LAD, giving VVGN members in employment also LAD membership and access to its full service offering including collective professional liability insurance, individual legal support (20 hours/year), career monitoring, CAO negotiation representation, and KNMG affiliation.
• International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VVGN co-organizes the ISAM Global Congress 2026 (1-3 October, Rotterdam) with ISAM. The VVGN is ISAM's first affiliate partner, reflecting shared commitment to educational transmission in diagnosis, treatment, management, and prevention of addiction. VVGN board member Dr. Hamad AlGhafri serves as ISAM President.
• Nederlandse Vereniging van Spoedeisende Hulp Artsen (NVSHA)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VVGN and NVSHA have entered into a collaboration to improve care for patients where addiction is a cause or contributing factor in acute illness, particularly in emergency departments (SEH). NVSHA Chair Dr. David Baden views the addiction physician KNMG as a strong complement to the emergency physician.
• Nederlandse Opleiding tot Verslavingsarts (NOVA) / RadboudumccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNOVA at Radboudumc in Nijmegen is the sole training institution for addiction physicians in the Netherlands. The VVGN collaborates closely with NOVA on training standards, curriculum development, and certification. NOVA head Mary Janssen van Raay serves on VVGN committees. The training program has produced graduates since 2010 (15 years in 2025).
• Akwa GGZmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAkwa GGZ publishes care standards (zorgstandaarden) for addiction and mental health conditions. The VVGN participates in working groups developing or revising care standards including alcohol, tobacco/nicotine addiction, depression, anxiety, ADHD, tapering antidepressants, and psychedelic-assisted treatment.
• Nederlandse Vereniging voor Psychiatrie – Verslavingspsychiatrie (NVvP)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VVGN and NVvP Verslavingspsychiatrie organize joint webinars on topics of mutual interest such as methadone-to-Suboxone conversion, cocaine pharmacotherapy, and compulsory addiction treatment. A follow-up joint webinar is planned for March 2026.
• Taskforce Alcoholvrije Start / Trimbos-instituutmoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VVGN participates in the Taskforce Alcoholvrije Start (under the Gezonde Start umbrella), contributing to campaigns promoting alcohol-free pregnancy from pre-conception through breastfeeding. This includes social media campaigns, professional education via factsheets and explainer videos, and collaboration with the Rookvrije Start and Mentaal Gezond taskforces.
• Partnership Stoppen met Roken (P-SMR)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerVVGN board member Niki Lijftogt represents the association in the Partnership Stoppen met Roken, which focuses on smoking cessation and tobacco addiction treatment. The partnership is working on revising the Zorgstandaard Tabaksverslaving.
• Alliantie Gezondheidsbescherming (Online) GokkenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerVVGN board member Niki Lijftogt represents the association in the Alliantie Gezondheidsbescherming focused on online gambling, due to the association's expertise in addiction. The alliance aims to protect people's health from gambling-related harms.
• European Federation of Addiction Societies (EUFAS)moderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerEUFAS is a umbrella organization of 34 scientific addiction societies across more than 20 European countries. The VVGN participates in EUFAS surveys on training needs and collaborates on harmonizing addiction research, policy, and care standards across Europe. Prof. Geert Dom (Belgium) has served as EUFAS President.
• Verslavingskunde NederlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVerslavingskunde Nederland is the umbrella organization for Dutch addiction treatment institutions. The VVGN collaborates with it on guidelines (e.g., Werkkaart Aanhoudende pijn en opioïden, Handreiking buprenorfine micro-inductie), policy advocacy, and the annual Festival van de Leefstijl. VkN Chair Gerard Niemeijer participated in the VVGN Lustrum Congress.
• Stichting Welzijn en Gezondheid (NISPA) / Verslavingszorg Noord Nederland (VNN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNISPA and VNN are collaborating with the VVGN on exploring psychedelic-assisted treatment for addiction. They are conducting surveys among healthcare professionals to assess the future role of psychedelic therapy in addiction care.
• ICARAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerICARA (International Consortium for Alcohol and other Drug use) organizes annual general meetings on prioritizing prevention in alcohol, tobacco, and other substance use. The VVGN participates in ICARA's international prevention efforts.
• SBOHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSBOH is the employer of aios verslavingsgeneeskunde (NOVA residents) and negotiates the CAO SBOH. The VVGN has a voice in CAO negotiations through the LAD and participates in training visits (ISAM Hamburg 2025). SBOH organizes the annual NOVA intake and lunch lectures about addiction medicine for its staff.
• Junior Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde (JVVG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJVVG is the junior association for aios verslavingsgeneeskunde, representing residents in training at NOVA Radboudumc. The VVGN supports and collaborates with JVVG on professional development, networking, and promoting the specialty. JVVG has its own elected board (2025: chairs Stijn Kluft & Fransje van der Horst).

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• European Federation of Addiction Societies (EUFAS): Umbrella of 34 European addiction scientific societies across 20+ countries. VVGN participates in EUFAS training-need surveys and policy harmonization, making EUFAS a regional-level peer with overlapping scope.
• Koninklijke Nederlandsche Maatschappij tot bevordering der Geneeskunst (KNMG): The Royal Dutch Medical Association, the overarching federation of medical professional societies in the Netherlands. VVGN members access KNMG affiliation via the LAD partnership, making KNMG the institutional incumbent peer.
• International Society of Addiction Medicine (ISAM): The global umbrella society for addiction medicine with which VVGN has a strategic affiliate partnership and is co-hosting ISAM 2026 in Rotterdam. ISAM is a broader, international incumbent that VVGN collaborates with rather than competes against.

Emerging players

• Trimbos-instituut: The Dutch national institute for mental health and addiction research. Trimbos co-publishes addiction care standards with VVGN (e.g., tobacco/nicotine) and operates as a peer-level research and policy knowledge center.
• Nederlandse Vereniging van Spoedeisende Hulp Artsen (NVSHA): Dutch Association of Emergency Physicians, with an active collaboration with VVGN on acute care for addiction-related presentations. NVSHA is an adjacent specialty society with overlapping patient population.

Direct peers

• American Society of Addiction Medicine (ASAM): The leading U.S. professional society for addiction medicine physicians, providing specialty certification, guidelines, and continuing education. ASAM is the most internationally recognized analogue of VVGN in terms of mission and member services.
• Landelijke vereniging van Artsen in Dienstverband (LAD): Dutch association for employed physicians, integrated with VVGN membership since 2022. LAD provides employment-law and CAO services that complement VVGN's specialty focus, making it a directly allied peer.
• Verslavingskunde Nederland (VkN): Umbrella organization for Dutch addiction treatment institutions, collaborating with VVGN on guidelines, policy advocacy, and the Festival van de Leefstijl. VkN represents the institutional side of the same specialty ecosystem.
• Nederlandse Vereniging voor Psychiatrie – Verslavingspsychiatrie (NVvP): The Dutch Association for Addiction Psychiatry, the closest direct peer to VVGN within psychiatry. NVvP jointly runs webinars and shares clinical territory (e.g., methadone-to-Suboxone conversion, compulsory treatment) with VVGN, making it the most direct comparable professional society.

Regional players

• Akwa GGZ: Dutch quality standards body for mental health and addiction care standards (zorgstandaarden). VVGN participates in Akwa working groups, making Akwa a domain-adjacent peer in the same Dutch healthcare standards ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vereniging-voor-verslavingsgeneeskunde-nederland

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 Vereniging voor Verslavingsgeneeskunde Nederland (VVGN)