What WIJ Groningen does

WIJ Groningen (legal name Stichting WIJ Groningen) is a Dutch non-profit foundation (stichting) founded in 2018 that delivers neighborhood-based social support services to all inhabitants of the municipality of Groningen. It operates 13 WIJ-teams distributed across the districts of Beijum, Corpus den Hoorn, De Wijert, Haren, Hoogkerk, Korrewegwijk, Lewenborg, Oosterparkwijk, Rivierenbuurt, Schilderswijk/Centrum, Selwerd, Ten Boer, and Vinkhuizen, with a combined headcount of approximately 619 staff. The foundation executes statutory tasks on behalf of the municipality under the Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning (Wmo) and the Jeugdwet (Youth Act), supplemented by specialized work on gas-extraction earthquake impact in Ten Boer, financial counseling (GeldWIJs), social prescribing (Welzijn op Recept), independent client support via MEE Noord, and youth and parenting programs such as KIES, Rots & Water, Druk & Dwars, and Geweldloos Verzet / Verbindend Gezag.

The core product surface is the WIJ-team neighborhood model: walk-in offices open without appointment, home visits (keukentafelgesprekken), telephone and email intake, and an outbound community activity calendar. Supporting 'products' are mostly program templates rather than technology: JIMbasis (7-day blended training) and JIM Masterclass via the WIJ Academie, the Rots & Water and Druk & Dwars curricula, KOPP/KOV discussion groups, and a joint safe-neighborhood drop-in with police and enforcement. There is no proprietary software platform; delivery is human-led by professionals and volunteers. Distribution is through physical neighborhood offices, a multilingual website, social channels (Instagram, Facebook, X, LinkedIn, YouTube), a media contact, and a dense referral network that includes GGD, Huisartsen, UWV, Groningse Kredietbank, Humanitas, housing corporations, district nursing, VNN, and library partners.

The business model is commission-based: WIJ Groningen is funded by the municipality of Groningen to perform Wmo, Jeugdwet, and related social-domain tasks; the municipality retains decision rights over care allocations through beschikkingen. All resident-facing services are provided free of charge, and revenue is not publicly disclosed. The organization is governed by a sole-member Raad van Bestuur chaired by Mirjam Kuin and a five-member Raad van Toezicht chaired by Mattias Gijsbertsen; it is not venture- or PE-backed, has no parent company, and has no disclosed subsidiaries. The WIJ Academie represents a modest adjacent training-revenue stream, but the organization's economic center of gravity remains the municipal commissioning contract.

Name

WIJ Groningen

Legal name

Stichting WIJ Groningen

Website

https://wij.groningen.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Stichting WIJ Groningen is a non-profit foundation that delivers free, neighborhood-based social support services across 13 districts of the municipality of Groningen on behalf of the city government under the Wmo and Jeugdwet. It serves all ~200,000+ residents with WIJ-teams, financial counseling, youth and parenting programs, and professional training via the WIJ Academie.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Other Individual and Family Services (624190), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)

Keywords

• Social welfare services
• Community support
• Youth services
• Elderly care
• Family support

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Municipal Government Funding: WIJ Groningen is a foundation (stichting) that receives funding from the municipality of Groningen (gemeente Groningen) to perform tasks within the social domain, including the Wet maatschappelijke ondersteuning (Wmo), the Jeugdwet (Youth Act), and related services. The organization advises the municipality on social support needs and the municipality makes decisions on care allocations through official documents (beschikkingen).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

WIJ Groningen is a Dutch non-profit foundation (stichting) that provides community-based social support services to residents of the municipality of Groningen. The organization delivers social domain services across neighborhoods, supporting youth, families, the elderly, and residents facing social or financial challenges through accessible local offices and home visits.

Product overview

WIJ Groningen is a foundation operating 13 neighborhood-based WIJ-teams that provide free, walk-in community support to all residents of the Groningen municipality. The organization offers a diverse portfolio of services including: community support teams across 13 districts; financial advisory services (GeldWIJs) at multiple locations; professional training programs through the WIJ Academie; youth programs including resilience training, KIES groups for children in divorce situations, and support for children with parents experiencing mental health or addiction issues; parent training programs including Druk & Dwars and Geweldloos Verzet; specialized services for earthquake-affected areas; and social prescribing through wellbeing coaches. All services are provided free of charge without appointment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• WIJ Academie: The training institute of WIJ Groningen, offering professional development and training programs for practitioners.

Products and services

• Youth Services
• Family Support Services
• Elderly Care Support
• Neighborhood Social Welfare
• Financial and Debt Support

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

25 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Gemeente Groningen (Municipality of Groningen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary contractual partner. WIJ Groningen performs tasks in the social domain (Wmo, Jeugdwet) on behalf of the municipality. The municipality decides on care allocations through official documents (beschikkingen).
• GGD (Municipal Health Service)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on public health matters and health-related support services within the community.
• Huisartsen (General Practitioners)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral partners who direct patients to WIJ Groningen for social support services. Welzijn op Recept (Wellbeing on Prescription) program involves direct referrals from GPs.
• HumanitasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for various support services including: language support (Taalmaatjes), home support, administration help, and Mantelzorg (caregiver) support. Active in Informatieplein locations.
• Housing Corporations (Woningcorporaties)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on housing-related issues, including support for residents facing eviction or housing problems.
• GGDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHealth service partnership for public health initiatives and health-related community support.
• Wijkagenten (Neighborhood Police)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on neighborhood safety issues. Joint 'Inloopspreekuur veilige buurt' (safe neighborhood walk-in consultation) with Police, Handhaving, and Meldpunt Overlast & Zorg.
• Verslavingszorg Noord Nederland (VNN)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerReferral partner for addiction support services. WIJ teams refer residents with addiction issues to VNN.
• Instituut Mijnbouwschade Groningen (IMG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Inloop gevolgen gaswinning' (gas extraction consequences) walk-in service at Ten Boer, helping residents with questions about subsidies, damage reports, and housing sustainability.
• Nationaal Coördinator Groningen (NCG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the gas extraction consequences walk-in service, addressing earthquake-related issues in the region.
• Samenwerkingsverband Noord-Nederland (SNN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the gas extraction consequences walk-in service, providing support with subsidies and regional programs.
• MEE NoordmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides Independent Client Support (Onafhankelijke Cliëntondersteuning) since January 1, 2022, helping residents with complex questions about care, support, and participation.
• UWVmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner for financial consultation services (GeldWIJs). UWV staff present at financial walk-in consultations to help with work and income-related questions.
• Groningse Kredietbank (GKB)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive partner in financial consultation services (GeldWIJs) across multiple locations. GKB staff assist with financial advice, debt management, and budget counseling.
• Forum Bibliotheek (Library)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for Taalhuis (language house) services and various community activities. Libraries serve as locations for consultations and activities.
• OOG TVminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTelevision partner that produces short films about WIJ Groningen services and community impact.
• Wijkverpleging (District Nursing)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for home care coordination and support for elderly and vulnerable adults.
• Ouderenzorg (Elderly Care)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for elderly care services and support for seniors living independently.
• Specialistische Hulp (Specialized Care)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorReferral network for specialized care services. WIJ teams provide access to specialized care through their referral function.
• Stichting LeergeldminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for helping children from low-income families get compensation for school supplies, sports clothing, and memberships.
• Jeugdfonds Sport & CultuurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for providing children from low-income families with contributions for sports club memberships, lessons, or equipment.
• JeugdstemminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYouth support organization that provides a trusted person for young people who find it difficult to file a complaint.
• Zorgbelang GroningenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing support persons (vertrouwenspersonen) for adults and parents who find it difficult to file a complaint.
• Humanitas TaalmaatjesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLanguage matching program helping people learn Dutch through one-on-one matching with volunteers.
• Thuisin050minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorMunicipality department helping with integration (inburgering) for status holders and family migrants.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• MEE NL: MEE NL operates independent client support (Onafhankelijke Cliëntondersteuning) across the Netherlands, which WIJ Groningen explicitly partners with via MEE Noord for client support cases. MEE is the national umbrella for the broader client support function that WIJ Groningen's teams routinely escalate to.
• Humanitas DMH (now Philadelphia): Humanitas provides many of the specialized support services (language matching, caregiver support, home administration help) that WIJ Groningen partners with for delivery. Philadelphia (formerly Humanitas DMH) is a larger Dutch social services incumbent offering overlapping capabilities across in-home and residential support.
• Movisie: Movisie is the Dutch national knowledge institute for the social domain, sitting above municipalities and providers like WIJ Groningen. It defines and disseminates the methods (e.g., Welzijn op Recept, JIM-adjacent methodologies) that neighborhood teams like WIJ Groningen's implement operationally.
• Vilans: Vilans is the Dutch national knowledge center for long-term care, supporting Dutch care organizations including those delivering Wmo-aligned services. It functions as an enabling knowledge partner for the broader social/long-term care ecosystem that WIJ Groningen operates within.

Direct peers

• Ouder- en Kindteams Amsterdam: Amsterdam's neighborhood-based teams for youth, families, and light social support run on a closely comparable operational model to WIJ Groningen, with multidisciplinary front-line staff handling Wmo/Jeugdwet-adjacent cases at the neighborhood level on behalf of the Municipality of Amsterdam.
• Buurtteam Sociaal Utrecht: Utrecht's neighborhood-based social support teams offer the closest Dutch functional analog to WIJ Groningen — multidisciplinary, walk-in teams delivering Wmo and Jeugdwet-adjacent support across city districts on behalf of the Municipality of Utrecht. Both operate on the same low-threshold, neighborhood-anchored model with professional referrals and free access for residents.
• Sociaal Wijkteam Eindhoven (Lumens / WIZ): Eindhoven's neighborhood social teams under Lumens provide walk-in social support comparable to WIJ Groningen's WIJ teams, with multidisciplinary staff handling generalist social-domain intake and referral under a municipal commission from the Gemeente Eindhoven.
• Centrum Jeugd en Gezin (CJG): CJG locations across Dutch municipalities deliver neighborhood-anchored youth and family support that is a core part of WIJ Groningen's portfolio (Jeugdwet-aligned KIES groups, parenting support, Druk & Dwars, etc.). They overlap substantively on youth/family services and represent the wider national family of local CJG implementations.

Others

• Sociaal Werk Nederland: The Dutch trade association representing social work organizations including wijkteams comparable to WIJ Groningen. Sociaal Werk Nederland functions as the industry body for advocacy, professional development, and standards that frame the operating environment for neighborhood social support teams.

Emerging players

• Social Prescribing Service (UK NHS): The NHS Social Prescribing model offers the closest international functional analog to WIJ Groningen's Welzijn op Recept service. Both routes GP-referred patients with psychosocial needs into non-clinical community support, providing a useful international reference point for the social prescribing category WIJ Groningen operates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/wijgroningen
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@wijgroningen6738
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wij-groningen
• Instagraminstagram.com/wijgroningen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 WIJ Groningen