Snijboon
Snijboon is a Utrecht-based social design consultancy that uses design thinking and co-creation to help Dutch government ministries, municipalities, educational institutions, and NGOs address complex societal challenges through project-based consulting, workshops, and training programs.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersUtrecht, Netherlands
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Snijboon does
Snijboon is a Dutch social design consultancy (sociaal ontwerpbureau) headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, operating as a small boutique firm of six core team members plus occasional interns. The company applies design thinking and co-creation methodologies — structured through phases of Preparation, Discovery, Focus, Design, and Development — to help Dutch government ministries, municipalities, educational institutions, and NGOs address complex societal challenges such as mental health, workplace safety, diversity and inclusion, and sexual harassment prevention. Its service portfolio includes design research, design sprints, co-creative brainstorming, expert safaris, meeting facilitation, user testing, and structured design thinking training programs delivered to government staff. Notable client-deliverable products include the 'Hoe Deel Ik?' mental health card game (developed with TNO and NJR) and the 'Route naar RI&E' digital tool for small entrepreneurs, both built through project engagements.
The firm supplements its consulting work with a modest content and tooling layer: a free Design Thinking e-book, a policy design guide ('Ontwerpen voor de Samenleving'), printable brainstorm cards, and the Transitietafel convening series co-founded with Greenberry. Revenue is generated almost exclusively through project-based professional services engagements with public-sector and institutional clients — no SaaS, licensing, or third-party distribution model is in evidence. The company holds no patents, has no external funding, and operates as a privately held independent firm owned by founder Ruud de Voys and partner Frouke Richter. Geographic scope is limited to the Netherlands.
Snijboon firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Snijboon
- Legal name
- Snijboon
- Website
- https://snijboon.nl
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Snijboon is a Utrecht-based social design consultancy that uses design thinking and co-creation to help Dutch government ministries, municipalities, educational institutions, and NGOs address complex societal challenges through project-based consulting, workshops, and training programs.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Snijboon industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Social Design Consulting
- NAICS
- Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Critical Thinking & Problem Solving (EDABAMAG)
Keywords
Where Snijboon is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Utrecht
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Snijboon business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting and Advisory Services: Project-based consulting engagements with government agencies, municipalities, educational institutions, and non-profits on complex societal challenges using social design methodology.
- Training and Coaching: Design Thinking training, coaching, and project guidance for the Leer- en Ontwikkelplein (Learning and Development Platform) of Dutch ministries. Includes coaching-on-the-job and custom study materials.
- Content/Downloadable Resources: Free downloadable e-books and resources (Design Thinking book, brainstorm cards) used for marketing and thought leadership, potentially serving as lead generation for paid services.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Other | One time/ perpetual license | Graduation Internship (Afstudeerstage) |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels6 records
Snijboon product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Snijboon is a Dutch social design bureau that delivers Design Thinking consulting, facilitation, and training to government agencies, municipalities, educational institutions, and non-profits tackling complex societal challenges. Core engagements include Design Research, Design Sprints, co-creative brainstorming, expert safaris, user testing, meeting facilitation, and Design Thinking training, supplemented by proprietary downloadable resources (e-books, brainstorm cards) used for thought leadership.
Product overview
Snijboon is a social design bureau (sociaal ontwerpbureau) based in Utrecht, the Netherlands. Rather than offering a single software product, Snijboon's portfolio consists of service offerings centered on Design Thinking and co-creation methodologies, supplemented by downloadable knowledge resources and physical/digital tools. Their core services include Design Research, Design Sprints, co-creative brainstorming facilitation, expert safaris, meeting organization, and user testing. These services are delivered as consulting and workshop engagements to government ministries, public institutions, and non-profit organizations. Snijboon also produces downloadable e-books (the Design Thinking Boekje and Ontwerpen voor de Samenleving) and print-ready Brainstormkaarten. Notable products developed in client engagements include the 'Hoe Deel Ik?' mental health card game and the Route naar RI&E digital tool. They also deliver Design Thinking training programs, including coaching-on-the-job and custom study materials.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Design Research (Onderzoek in de samenleving) A qualitative and exploratory research service that gathers meaningful insights about end-users' lived experience through in-depth interviews and immersive field work, typically delivered to government agencies, educational institutions, and non-profit clients.
- Design Sprint A focused, time-bounded (typically 4–5 day) intensive workshop methodology used to rapidly explore and prototype solutions to complex challenges with diverse stakeholder teams.
- Ontwerpende Aanpak Training (Design Thinking Training) Design Thinking training, coaching, and project guidance delivered to government employees through the Leer- en Ontwikkelplein (Learning and Development Platform) of Dutch ministries, including coaching-on-the-job, custom study materials, and a personal Design Thinking workbook.
- Co-creatieve Brainstorms Facilitated brainstorming sessions designed to generate creative ideas collaboratively with diverse stakeholders.
- Expertsafari Field visits and expert interviews to gather insights from practitioners and specialists outside the immediate stakeholder group.
- Testlabs & Feedbacksessies User testing sessions where end users evaluate prototypes and solutions, with feedback used to iteratively improve the design.
- Organiseren van Bijeenkomsten (Meeting Facilitation) Facilitation of targeted meetings bringing the right stakeholders together to build consensus, increase support, and enable co-creation across diverse participants.
Quantifiable outcome
- Developed 'Route naar RI&E' tool - a user-friendly Risk Inventory and Evaluation instrument for small entrepreneurs
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use Snijboon
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Snijboon technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature5 records
Snijboon partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Four partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- GreenberrycoreGreenberry and Snijboon co-founded 'De Transitietafel', an initiative bringing together stakeholders around complex social challenges. They have collaborated on multiple projects including OBA user research, Route naar RI&E tool development, and the Transitietafel event series. Greenberry is a regular partner in Snijboon's projects.
- Bibliotheek UtrechtminorHost partner for Transitietafel events at the Bibliotheek Utrecht Neude location.
- HKU (Hogeschool voor de Kunsten Utrecht)minorPartner in the Transitietafel initiative, contributing design students and creative expertise to social change projects.
- NJR (Nationale Jeugdraad)minorPartner in the 'Hoe Deel Ik?' mental health card game project, bringing youth perspective to the initiative.
Scale indicators3 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
Snijboon competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IDEO: Global design and innovation consultancy that pioneered design thinking and co-creation; offers the same design-sprint, prototyping, and human-centered methodology Snijboon deploys but operates at vastly larger scale across public and private sectors worldwide.
- Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF): Larger Dutch consultancy specializing in public-sector strategy and policy for ministries, regulators, and cultural institutions; competes for the same Dutch government mandates as Snijboon but at a much broader scale and service scope.
- Frog (frog design): Global design and strategy firm applying design thinking, research, and prototyping to products and services; comparable methodology to Snijboon but as part of a multinational portfolio serving Fortune 500 and large public-sector clients.
- BMC: Major Dutch consulting firm serving central government, municipalities, healthcare, and education with strategy, implementation, and interim-management services; overlaps with Snijboon's public-sector stakeholder facilitation work but as part of a much wider portfolio.
Direct peers
- STBY: Amsterdam/London design research agency specialized in qualitative design research, co-creation, and prototyping for public and corporate clients; closely aligned to Snijboon's design research and co-creative brainstorming methodology.
- Kennisland: Amsterdam-based organization focused on social innovation and learning; runs co-creation programs with Dutch public-sector and civil-society actors on complex societal challenges, overlapping directly with Snijboon's social design and stakeholder convening model.
- DRIFT (Dutch Research Institute For Transitions): Erasmus University-affiliated research institute in Rotterdam doing transition research and design-led interventions on sustainability and societal change; comparable as a Netherlands-based transition/social-design hybrid combining research, co-creation, and government engagement.
- De Argumentenfabriek: Dutch organization that helps public-sector clients structure complex policy issues through structured visual methods and workshops; comparable in facilitating meetings, structuring complexity, and serving Dutch ministries and public institutions.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Snijboon social profiles
Digital presenceSnijboon financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Snijboon leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles6 records
Snijboon funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Snijboon M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Snijboon
What does Snijboon do?
Snijboon is a Dutch social design bureau that delivers Design Thinking consulting, facilitation, and training to government agencies, municipalities, educational institutions, and non-profits tackling complex societal challenges. Core engagements include Design Research, Design Sprints, co-creative brainstorming, expert safaris, user testing, meeting facilitation, and Design Thinking training, supplemented by proprietary downloadable resources (e-books, brainstorm cards) used for thought leadership.
Is Snijboon a public or private company?
Snijboon is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was Snijboon founded?
Snijboon was founded in -1.
Where is Snijboon based?
Snijboon is headquartered in Utrecht, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Snijboon make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting and Advisory Services are the primary driver. The others are training and Coaching and content/Downloadable Resources.
Who are Snijboon's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IDEO, Andersson Elffers Felix (AEF), Frog (frog design) and BMC. Direct peers are STBY, Kennisland, DRIFT (Dutch Research Institute For Transitions) and De Argumentenfabriek.
Does Snijboon have an API?
No public API is recorded for Snijboon.
What industry is Snijboon in?
Snijboon's product category is Social Design Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDABAMAG, Critical Thinking & Problem Solving. Its NAICS code is 541 and its SIC code is 8742.