Stichting Eropaf!

What Stichting Eropaf! does

Stichting Eropaf! is a Dutch non-profit foundation (stichting) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Amsterdam at De Buurtzaak – Ru Paré Community. The organization provides court-appointed protective guardianship (beschermingsbewindvoering) to individuals who have lost financial autonomy due to debt, addiction, mental health issues, physical or intellectual disability, or major life events such as illness or divorce. It operates two service lines: Eropaf! Bewindvoerders, the main court-appointed guardianship practice, and Eropaf! Ondersteuning, a sub-brand that deliberately serves harder-to-place clients including people with addiction, no fixed address, or those exiting incarceration. A team of seven bewindvoerders (six active after the June 2026 retirement of co-founder Elles Visser) plus financial administration staff and a three-person board delivers services across Amsterdam, Utrecht, Rotterdam, Krimpenerwaard, Zeist, and West- en Midden-Brabant.

The business model is anchored in government-regulated trusteeship fees paid per client, supplemented by modest revenue from research publications and practical guides sold directly to municipalities, housing corporations, and social service organizations. No proprietary technology platform exists; service delivery is relationship-intensive — home visits, court filings, debt restructuring, and amicable debt settlement (minnelijke schuldregeling). Beyond direct service, Eropaf! runs a research and publications arm that has produced the category-defining Handreiking Voorkomen Huisuitzettingen (now in its third edition, April 2025) and the Handreiking Wonen met begeleiding (November 2025), alongside evaluation research for the Thumbs Up, Way Up! training consortium funded by the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment since 2019.

The go-to-market motion is community- and referral-led: clients are sourced through municipalities, social district teams (buurtteams), HVO-Querido, direct court appointments, and an inbound eviction hotline (meldpunt huisuitzettingen). Marketing is earned-media-driven — VNG-hosted webinars, quarterly newsletters, anonymized client testimonials, and conference/webinar presentations by co-authors Marc Räkers and Catelijne Akkermans — rather than paid acquisition. The foundation is GDPR-compliant (AVG), audited by the Landelijk Kwaliteitsbureau under the Besluit Kwaliteitseisen, supervised by Rechtbank Amsterdam, and carries professional liability insurance across all guardians.

Name

Stichting Eropaf!

Legal name

Stichting Eropaf!

Website

https://eropaf.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Stichting Eropaf! is a Dutch non-profit foundation that delivers court-appointed protective guardianship (beschermingsbewind) and publishes policy guides on eviction prevention for vulnerable individuals, municipalities, and housing corporations across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Community Housing Services (62422), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mortgage Delinquency & Foreclosure Prevention Counseling (FSAEAFAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Counseling, Foreclosure Prevention & Loss Mitigation Programs (FSALAKAM)

Keywords

• Protective guardianship services
• Debt counseling services
• Eviction prevention research
• Social work publications
• Financial administration services

Headquarters

HQ city

Amsterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Bewindvoering services (beschermingsbewind): Eropaf! provides court-appointed protection trusteeship (beschermingsbewindvoering) for individuals who have lost financial autonomy due to debt, addiction, mental health issues, or other vulnerabilities. Revenue is generated through government-mandated trustee fees paid by clients or reimbursed via municipal social support schemes. The organization also publishes handreikingen (practical guides) and research publications for municipalities and social work organizations, generating some ancillary income.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Stichting Eropaf! provides court-appointed protective guardianship (beschermingsbewindvoering) and support services for vulnerable individuals facing financial instability due to debt, addiction, mental health issues, or homelessness. The organization also conducts research and publishes practical guides (handreikingen) on preventing evictions and integrating financial support into social care, targeted at Dutch municipalities, housing corporations, and social service organizations.

Product overview

Stichting Eropaf! operates as a social services organization offering two main services: Eropaf! Bewindvoerders (protective guardianship services) and Eropaf! Ondersteuning (support services). The organization provides professional guardianship for people with financial difficulties, helping them regain control over their finances and lives. Their approach emphasizes personal connection, temporary support aimed at restoring independence, and acceptance of clients others may reject (those with addiction, intellectual disabilities, or homelessness). Alongside direct services, Eropaf! produces research publications and practical guides including the Handreiking Voorkomen Huisuitzettingen (Guide to Prevent Evictions) and Handreiking Wonen met begeleiding (Guide to Housing with Support), which disseminate their methodology and findings across Dutch municipalities, housing corporations, and social service organizations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Eropaf! Bewindvoerders Protective guardianship (beschermingsbewindvoering) services for people with financial difficulties. Guardians manage finances on behalf of clients, aiming to restore independence. Services include debt restructuring, payment arrangements with creditors, and minnelijke schuldregeling (amicable debt settlement). The team consists of seven professional guardians serving different geographic areas across the Netherlands.
• Eropaf! Ondersteuning A sub-brand of Eropaf! providing support services to people facing financial difficulties, including those with addiction, mild intellectual disabilities, or those made homeless. Offers a more inclusive approach, accepting clients that other guardianship organizations may reject.
• Handreiking Voorkomen Huisuitzettingen A guide on preventing evictions due to rental arrears, intended for municipalities, housing corporations, care organizations, and other stakeholders. Describes the 'ontruimingszeef' (eviction filter) model showing phases where intervention can prevent eviction. Available in printed and digital PDF formats.
• Handreiking Wonen met begeleiding A guide helping housing corporations, care organizations, and municipalities apply the separation of housing and care (scheiden van wonen en zorg). Describes three contract variants: regular rental contract, tri-party agreement, and intermediate rental.
• Naar nul huisuitzettingen – Zo doe je dat! Publication arguing that reducing evictions due to rental arrears to near zero is realistic through proper organization of prevention, early detection, and collaboration. Available as PDF download.
• Bewindvoering bij Eropaf! – Betrokken bewind door een professionele vriend Publication describing how Eropaf! provides guardianship from a perspective of social involvement and respect for the client, centered on the concept of the 'professional friend' (professionele vriend). Available as PDF download.
• Thumbs Up! Evaluatieonderzoek Evaluation research of the Thumbs Up, Way Up! training program for social professionals aimed at behavioral change in problematic families. A collaborative initiative of Uitvoeringsbrigade, VU-ADRIBA, Publieke Versnellers, and Stichting Eropaf!.
• Financiële veiligheid bij huiselijk geweld Article discussing how professionals in women's shelters lack sufficient attention for financial matters. Financial dependency on ex-partners and debts make it harder to build independent lives from shelter. Authored by Ans Oudejans with contributions from Imelda Diepstraten and Catelijne Akkermans. Available as PDF download.

Quantifiable outcome

• Number of evictions due to rent arrears in the Netherlands has shown a sustained declining trend for over ten years, partly attributed to the adoption of Eropaf!'s 'ontruimingszeef' (eviction filter) model.
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VNG (Vereniging Nederlandse Gemeenten)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe VNG invited Eropaf! authors Marc Räkers and Catelijne Akkermans to present the third edition of the Handreiking Voorkomen Huisuitzettingen at a public webinar on 16 April, validating the organization as a key policy partner for Dutch municipalities.
• Sterk HuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerImelda Diepstraten works as team leader financial services at Sterk Huis (women's shelter) while also serving as a bewindvoerder at Eropaf!. This dual role enables the integration of financial support services into women's shelter care at Sterk Huis.
• HVO-QueridocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHVO-Querido operates the mobile outreach team in Amsterdam that works with homeless individuals. Eropaf! bewindvoerder Hanna Nuesink collaborates closely with HVO-Querido's Thomas to provide protection trusteeship to street-based clients, supporting their path to permanent housing.
• Platform31minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlatform31 contributed expertise to the Handreiking Wonen met Begeleiding, a guide on separating housing and care contracts, developed by Eropaf! and published in 2025.
• MovisieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEropaf! researcher Catelijne Akkermans contributed to Movisie's 'Momentum voor de menselijke maat' publication, which featured the 'Van Overleven naar Leven' method developed with the Amsterdam municipality. Eropaf! is listed as a reference organization in this knowledge institution's work.
• Thumbs Up, Way Up! consortium (Uitvoeringsbrigade, VU-ADRIBA, Publieke Versnellers)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEropaf! is one of four partners in the Thumbs Up, Way Up! initiative, a training program for social professionals aimed at behavioral change in problem families. The consortium received funding from the Ministry of Social Affairs and Employment (SZW) since 2019.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stichting De Regenboog: Stichting De Regenboog is an Amsterdam-based foundation that runs outreach programs for people in vulnerable situations, including homeless individuals and those facing financial crises. Comparable to Eropaf! in target population and outreach-led service model, with overlapping referral relationships with Dutch municipalities.
• Schuldhulpmaatje: Schuldhulpmaatje is a Dutch national foundation that trains volunteers to coach individuals with debt problems toward financial stability. Directly comparable in mission (preventing financial deterioration and eviction risk) with a volunteer-driven delivery model that mirrors Eropaf!'s community-led GTM motion.
• Kwadraad: Kwadraad is a Dutch social support organization providing maatschappelijk werk, debt counseling, and family support services across South Holland. Comparable to Eropaf! in social-work delivery and vulnerable-population focus, with overlapping municipal contracting model.
• Sterk Huis: Sterk Huis is a women's shelter organization in Brabant where Eropaf! bewindvoerder Imelda Diepstraten serves as team leader financial services. Directly comparable in working with financially vulnerable women and integrating financial support into broader social care, with operational overlap through Eropaf!'s Brabant coverage.

Others

• Platform31: Platform31 is a Dutch knowledge platform focused on housing, spatial planning, and urban development. Comparable to Eropaf! as a research/publication partner in the housing and social domain and existing co-development partner on the Handreiking Wonen met begeleiding.
• Movisie: Movisie is a Dutch knowledge institute for social issues, publishing research and methodologies on social work. Comparable to Eropaf! as a content and research producer in the Dutch social domain and an existing collaboration partner (Eropaf! is listed as a reference organization in Movisie publications).
• Nibud: Nibud is the Dutch National Institute for Budget Information, providing financial education, budgeting tools, and policy advice on household financial resilience. Comparable to Eropaf! in addressing Dutch household financial vulnerability and serving as an authority on personal finance for vulnerable groups.

Regional players

• Stichting Woon (Amsterdam): Stichting Woon is an Amsterdam-based housing rights organization helping tenants facing eviction, rent disputes, and housing instability. Comparable to Eropaf! in eviction-premission focus and Amsterdam market presence, but with a legal-advocacy rather than trusteeship delivery model.

Broad incumbents

• Leger des Heils Nederland: The Salvation Army's Dutch branch operates nationwide social services including debt counseling, shelter, and reentry programs. Comparable in addressing financial vulnerability and homelessness but at substantially larger scale and broader scope, including national coverage that Eropaf! does not have.
• HVO-Querido: HVO-Querido is a large Amsterdam-based organization supporting people experiencing homelessness and housing insecurity, and is the organization from which Eropaf! originated via the De Vliegende Hollander initiative. Comparable in target population (homeless, vulnerable adults) but with a much broader service portfolio including housing, daytime activities, and reentry support.

Market position

Strengths1 record

Weaknesses1 record

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/srtichting-eropaf-

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Stichting Eropaf!