Stichting ELBHO

What Stichting ELBHO does

Stichting ELBHO is an independent Dutch non-profit foundation (stichting without profit motive) headquartered in Haarlem and registered with the Kamer van Koophandel Amsterdam under dossier number 67815626. Founded in 2017, it operates as the sole independent certification body for internship companies in Dutch higher education (HBO/WO), conducting telephone intakes and on-site audits to grant the 'ELBHO Erkend Stagebedrijf hbo/wo' certification mark. Its protected trademarks—ELBHO®, ELBHO Erkend Stagebedrijf hbo/wo®, and CISHE®—are registered at the Benelux Bureau voor Intellectueel-Eigendom. The foundation's primary products are the ELBHO Bedrijvenregister (the national register of 1,000+ recognized internship companies), the hbo-stagemarkt.nl vacancy platform with SURFconext/eduID SSO and a real-time sync API for company career sites, and the MijnELBHO company portal. Adjacent services include the CISHE supervisor certification program (delivered via training partners Soliede Opleidingen and Praktiz), stagemarkten (internship fairs), webinars, a quarterly newsletter, the Meldpunt Stagemisbruik reporting point, and the ELBHO Studiefonds scholarship fund.

The business model is a non-profit fee-for-service structure: recognized companies pay a €195 one-time recognition procedure fee (VAT exempt) and a recurring €350 annual administrative fee (VAT exempt) that covers all recognitions and vacancies regardless of volume. The foundation receives no government subsidy. Go-to-market combines direct sales by Erkenningsadviseurs, on-site audits, event-driven stagemarkten at hogescholen (notably Hogeschool Inholland), an ambassador referral program, and content marketing (blog, podcast, webinars, newsletters). The foundation is governed by a two-person Raad van Bestuur (Thijs Otter as Bestuursvoorzitter/directeur-bestuurder and Layla Otter-Zwart as Financieel Directeur-bestuurter), advised by a Raad van Toezicht & Advies, and operated by a six-person team. In November 2025 the foundation participated in the signing of Stagecode hbo by Vereniging Hogescholen, VNO-NCW, MKB-Nederland, and NRTO, cementing its position as the de facto quality standard for HBO internships in the Netherlands.

Name

Stichting ELBHO

Legal name

Stichting Erkenning Leerbedrijven Hoger Onderwijs

Website

https://elbho.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting ELBHO is an independent Dutch non-profit foundation that certifies and audits internship companies for higher education (HBO/WO), operating the national ELBHO Bedrijvenregister, the hbo-stagemarkt.nl vacancy platform, and CISHE supervisor certification for companies, students, and educational institutions in the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Quality Assurance / Internship Certification

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Back-Office Administration & Shared Services (HR, Payroll, Finance/AP/AR) (EDAEALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Identity & Access Management (SSO/MFA) for Education (EDAFALAI)

Keywords

• Internship quality recognition
• Higher education accreditation
• Internship company audits
• HBO WO internship certification
• Internship market platform

Headquarters

HQ city

Haarlem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Administrative Fee: Companies pay €350 per year (VAT exempt) for ongoing recognition status, certificate, branding rights, and access to hbo-stagemarkt.nl platform. Fee is irrespective of number of recognitions or placed vacancies.
2. One-time Recognition Procedure Fee: One-time fee of €195 (VAT exempt) for the recognition procedure and audit. Covers the initial evaluation and onboarding process.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stichting ELBHO is an independent Dutch foundation that recognizes and audits companies offering HBO (higher professional education) and WO (university) internships. It maintains the national ELBHO Bedrijvenregister (company register), operates the hbo-stagemarkt.nl internship vacancy platform, and provides a CISHE certification for internship supervisors. Recognition grants companies access to the national register, the internship marketplace, and supporting tooling such as MijnELBHO.

Product overview

Stichting ELBHO is an independent certification body that recognizes internship companies for higher education (HBO/WO) in the Netherlands. The core offering consists of the ELBHO Bedrijvenregister (company register), hbo-stagemarkt.nl (internship vacancy platform), and MijnELBHO (company portal) - all interconnected to connect recognized companies with students and educational institutions. Additional services include the ELBHO Gecertificeerd Bedrijfsbegeleider certification for supervisors, stagemarkten (career fairs), the Meldpunt Stagemisbruik (abuse reporting), ELBHO Studiefonds (scholarship), webinars, and the recognition/audit procedure for companies seeking ELBHO status. The organization operates on a non-profit basis, funded by annual administrative fees (€350/year) from recognized companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELBHO Bedrijvenregister: The national register for recognized internship companies in higher education (HBO/WO)
• hbo-stagemarkt.nl
• wo-stagemarkt.nl
• ELBHO Gecertificeerd Bedrijfsbegeleider (CISHE)
• Meldpunt Stagemisbruik
• ELBHO Studiefonds

Products and services

• ELBHO Bedrijvenregister National public register of ELBHO-recognized internship companies in the Netherlands. Recognition status is granted upon completion of the ELBHO Erkenningsprocedure and signals to students and educational institutions that the host meets ELBHO's quality standards for HBO/WO internships.
• hbo-stagemarkt.nl Online internship marketplace where ELBHO-recognized companies publish HBO and WO internship vacancies and where students search for placements. The platform supports API-based vacancy syncing and SURFconext single sign-on for educational institutions.
• ELBHO Erkenningsprocedure (Recognition Procedure) Formal recognition and audit procedure for companies that offer HBO/WO internships. Companies apply and are assessed against ELBHO quality criteria; successful applicants enter the national register and gain access to ELBHO platform services. A one-time recognition fee of €195 plus an annual €350 administrative fee applies.
• MijnELBHO Online self-service portal for ELBHO-recognized companies to maintain their profile, publish and manage internship vacancies on hbo-stagemarkt.nl, and administer their recognition status.
• CISHE Certification Certification for internship supervisors at ELBHO-recognized companies, structured as a paid training/certification program that validates the competence of staff supervising HBO/WO interns.
• Stagemarkten In-person internship career fairs organized by ELBHO that bring ELBHO-recognized companies together with HBO/WO students seeking internships.
• ELBHO Studiefonds Study fund administered by the foundation to support HBO/WO students, complementing ELBHO's broader mission of improving the quality of higher-education internships in the Netherlands.
• Meldpunt Stagemisbruik Reporting channel operated by Stichting ELBHO through which HBO/WO students can report cases of internship abuse or unsafe internship conditions, supporting student protection and the integrity of the recognized-internship ecosystem.

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SURFconextcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnical integration enabling students to log in to hbo-stagemarkt.nl using their institutional SURF account. Provides single sign-on and automatic connection of basic student data (name, institution, email) to ELBHO platforms.
• Hogeschool InhollandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational partner for organizing stagemarkten (internship fairs). Multiple events organized at Inholland Haarlem location for Business Studies and Informatics programs. Student association Lepidoptera collaborates on events.
• Kennemer Inkoop PlatformcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerELBHO recognition can be used as SROI instrument for public procurement. Listed on Kennemer Inkoop Platform as approved vendor for socially responsible procurement and SROI compliance.
• Soliede OpleidingenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertified training provider delivering ELBHO Gecertificeerd Bedrijfsbegeleider (CISHE) certification program.
• PraktizminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCertified training provider delivering ELBHO Gecertificeerd Bedrijfsbegeleider (CISHE) certification program.
• Samenwerkingsorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven (S-BB)minorOthersS-BB handles MBO internship recognition in the Netherlands. ELBHO serves analogous function for HBO/WO. No formal partnership but reference relationship for companies operating in both segments.
• Haagse Aanpak Gelijke StagekansencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative initiative against internship discrimination in HBO. ELBHO participates in Manifestival annual event and promotes 'Wij Werken Actief Aan Gelijke Stagekansen' additional recognition layer.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• SURF: SURF is the collaborative organization for ICT in Dutch education and research, providing the SURFconext/eduID SSO infrastructure that ELBHO integrates with. It functions as a critical technology enabler for ELBHO's institutional distribution rather than a competitor.
• Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training): Cedefop is the EU agency supporting vocational education and training policy, including apprenticeship and internship quality frameworks across member states. It is a supranational policy and reference body adjacent to ELBHO's domestic quality assurance role, particularly relevant given Stagecode hbo's European alignment.
• Vereniging Hogescholen (VH): VH is the Dutch association of universities of applied sciences that co-signed the Stagecode hbo with ELBHO context. It is a sector association for HBO institutions rather than a competitor, but operates adjacently in setting higher education internship policy frameworks.
• Kennemer Inkoop Platform: Kennemer Inkoop Platform is a regional Dutch public-procurement cooperative that lists ELBHO recognition as an SROI instrument. It is a GTM/distribution partner rather than a competitor, but operates within the same SROI compliance value chain for Dutch public-sector procurement.
• Haagse Aanpak Gelijke Stagekansen: Haagse Aanpak Gelijke Stagekansen is a Dutch collaborative initiative against internship discrimination that ELBHO partners with for the Manifestival event and 'Wij werken actief aan gelijke stagekansen' recognition layer. It is an ecosystem/thematic partner addressing overlapping quality and inclusion concerns in HBO internships.

Broad incumbents

• Quality Assurance Agency for Higher Education (QAA, UK): QAA is the UK's independent quality body for higher education, including reviews of how institutions manage placements and work-based learning. While operating at a broader institutional level and in a different geography, QAA represents the same independent quality assurance function for higher education that ELBHO performs at the internship-company level.
• Nederlandse Raad voor Training en Opleiding (NRTO): NRTO is the Dutch trade association for private training and education providers, administering the CRKBO register and a quality code for member institutions. It overlaps with ELBHO in setting quality standards and certification for educational service delivery in the Netherlands, but operates as a broader industry body rather than a niche internship certifier.

Emerging players

• EQAVET (European Quality Assurance in Vocational Education and Training): EQAVET is the European reference framework for quality assurance in VET, providing quality indicators and a European credit transfer system relevant to cross-border apprenticeship and internship quality. ELBHO operates at the Dutch national level within the same quality assurance paradigm, making EQAVET a relevant framework-level comparator.

Direct peers

• Samenwerkingsorganisatie Beroepsonderwijs Bedrijfsleven (S-BB): S-BB is the direct Dutch counterpart to ELBHO, performing analogous recognition and quality assurance for MBO (vocational) internship companies, whereas ELBHO focuses on HBO/WO. Both operate national registers, grant protected quality marks, and adjudicate the 'Beste Leerbedrijf' / 'Praktijkopleider van het Jaar' awards, making S-BB the closest functional peer despite its different educational segment.
• Centraal Register Kort Beroepsonderwijs (CRKBO): CRKBO maintains a national register of private education institutions meeting quality standards, analogous to ELBHO's national register of recognized internship companies. Both serve as quality-verification gateways and gatekeepers for the Dutch education and training ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-elbho

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Stichting ELBHO