What Stichting Steenbreek does

Stichting Steenbreek is a Dutch nonprofit foundation (stichting) headquartered in Amersfoort, founded around 2015, that mobilizes public-sector and civil-society stakeholders to reduce paved and sealed surfaces in Dutch gardens and public space and to expand urban greenery. Its network encompasses 200+ municipalities, 5 housing corporations, 10 water boards, and more than 50 organizational partners, with leadership including Director Roel van Dijk, Treasurer Magdaleen Timmermans, Advisor Bert Griffioen, and staff member Maurits von Heijden. The organization marked its 10th anniversary in 2025.

The foundation's product surface consists of coalition-building tools and recurring national campaigns. Core deliverables include the Steenbreeknet intranet that links participating municipalities and partners; the Steenbreek Atlas and Kansenkaart, which map depaving and greening opportunities; the Steenbreektrofee award recognizing exemplary projects; the Tuinrangers volunteer initiative; and recurring campaigns such as Erfparadijzen, Plant je Mee, and the NK Tegelwippen national tile-lifting competition. The most technically distinctive product is the Nationale Groendakmeting, which uses AI image recognition applied to satellite imagery to assess green-roof potential across more than 11 million Dutch buildings.

Stichting Steenbreek's revenue model is that of a Dutch public-benefit foundation: membership and partnership contributions from municipalities and partner organizations, supplemented by subsidies and grants (likely from national and provincial government). Distribution and go-to-market rely on direct institutional relationships and coalition activation rather than commercial sales, with campaigns serving as the primary citizen-facing engagement channel.

Name

Stichting Steenbreek

Legal name

Stichting Steenbreek

Website

https://steenbreek.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stichting Steenbreek is a Dutch nonprofit foundation that mobilizes 200+ municipalities, water boards, housing corporations, and partner organizations to reduce paving and expand urban greenery across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Greening and Environmental Nonprofit Services

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Administration of Environmental Quality Programs (9241)

akta.pro primary industry

Pollution Prevention & Toxics Reduction (BPAGAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainable Cities, Urban Development & Green Infrastructure (BPADALAL), Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

Keywords

• Urban greening programs
• Green infrastructure initiatives
• Biodiversity and climate adaptation
• Municipal sustainability networks
• Community gardening campaigns

Headquarters

HQ city

Amersfoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership & Partnership Fees: Stichting Steenbreek operates as a nonprofit foundation supported by participating municipalities, provinces, housing corporations, water boards, and organizational partners. Revenue appears to come from membership/participation fees from municipalities and organizations that join the Steenbreek network.
2. Subsidy & Grant Programs: The organization coordinates and supports subsidy programs for vergroening projects, including subsidies for rainwater disconnection, green roofs, and facade gardens. Partners like provinces and waterboards provide funding for these initiatives.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stichting Steenbreek is a Dutch nonprofit foundation that supports municipalities, partner organizations, and residents with communication, knowledge sharing, and citizen participation programs aimed at reducing paved surfaces and increasing greenery in gardens, streets, and public spaces. Its core offerings include the Steenbreeknet intranet for member municipalities, the Steenbreek Atlas & Kansenkaart mapping tool for analyzing paving levels, and coordinated campaigns such as Tuinrangers, Erfparadijzen, NK Tegelwippen, and Plant je Mee.

Product overview

Stichting Steenbreek operates as a coordination and knowledge-sharing organization rather than a traditional software product company. Its portfolio consists of programs, campaigns, and tools focused on urban greening and climate adaptation. Core offerings include the Steenbreeknet intranet portal, the Steenbreek Atlas & Kansenkaart mapping tool, the annual Steenbreektrofee award, and program campaigns like Tuinrangers (volunteer garden advisors), Erfparadijzen (farm greening), NK Tegelwippen (paving removal), and Plant je Mee (autumn planting). The organization also supports the national green roof measurement research tool. These offerings work together as an ecosystem of services supporting municipalities, partners, and residents in greening Dutch gardens, streets, and public spaces.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Steenbreeknet Intranet portal providing participating municipalities and partner organizations with access to resources, communication materials, and collaboration tools for vergroening initiatives.
• Steenbreek Atlas & Kansenkaart Mapping and analysis tool that calculates paving ratios in Dutch gardens using the Steenbreek guideline (20% paving to 80% green for gardens above 15m²) and identifies opportunities for vergroening. Intended for municipalities, partners, and policy makers.
• Tuinrangers Volunteer garden ranger program providing free personalized greening advice to residents, with over 100 trained volunteers deployed across 16 Dutch municipalities.
• Erfparadijzen National campaign promoting nature-inclusive farming in rural areas through 'erfchecks' (farm property assessments) and expert Q&A sessions for landowners, in partnership with the Butterfly Foundation.
• NK Tegelwippen National campaign encouraging citizens to remove paving tiles and replace them with greenery, featuring competitive elements and free Tegeltaxi tile removal services through participating municipalities.
• Nationale Groendakmeting (Green Roof Measurement) First national baseline measurement analyzing over 11 million Dutch buildings using satellite data and AI image recognition to assess green roof coverage, developed with Rooftop Revolution and Natuur & Milieu.
• Steenbreektrofee Annual award recognizing Dutch municipalities and civil initiatives that demonstrate exceptional contributions to urban greening and biodiversity, awarded in categories for societal initiatives and professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• Steenbreek guideline recommends 20% paving to 80% green ratio for gardens above 15m²
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

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

• Vergroen je LevenmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021A social enterprise offering 'Tegeltje Groen' (Tile Green) - a ready-to-use set of four plants to replace terrace tiles with green. Vergroen je Leven is founded by Jacky Michels and Kitty Schieck. The partnership enables municipalities to offer citizens a low-threshold way to green their spaces.
• NL GreenlabelmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Partnership with NL Greenlabel for the Week van de Groene Tuin (Week of the Green Garden). NL Greenlabel founder Lodewijk Hoekstra collaborates on inspiring citizens to green their gardens, balconies, and streets.
• Van den Berk BoomkwekerijenminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020Tree nursery partner since September 2020. Van den Berk produces biological/organic trees and contributes to the biodiversity goals of the foundation.
• More than 200 Dutch MunicipalitiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of over 200 Dutch municipalities participating in the Steenbreek initiative. These municipalities receive communication support, knowledge sharing, and participation tools for greening their communities. Examples include Horst aan de Maas, Hoeksche Waard, Nijmegen, Laarbeek, and many others listed on the website.
• Housing Corporations (5)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFive housing corporations partner with Steenbreek for greening initiatives in social housing areas. These partnerships help implement vergroening projects in rental property neighborhoods.
• Water Boards (10 Waterschappen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTen water boards collaborate with Steenbreek on climate adaptation and rainwater management. These partnerships focus on reducing sewer overloading through decentralized rainwater management and green infrastructure.
• 50 Organizational PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA network of approximately 50 organizational partners supporting the Steenbreek mission. These include environmental organizations, nature associations, and green industry partners.
• Vogelbescherming NederlandmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBird protection organization collaborating on biodiversity in urban environments. Partnered on the conference 'Samen voor een groen en gezond Nijmegen' during European Green Capital 2018.
• IVN Natuureducatie and KNNVminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNature education organizations that bundle forces with Groei & Bloei and Stichting Steenbreek for the Nationale Tuinweek and De Levende Tuin theme.
• Stichting Present (Sociaal Tuinieren)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSteenbreek supports the 'Sociaal Tuinieren' (Social Gardening) initiative set up by Stichting Present, which helps vulnerable people have their neglected gardens sustainably renovated and maintained by volunteers.
• Gemeente NijmegenmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality of Nijmegen partnered with Steenbreek for Operatie Steenbreek Nijmegen. Provides subsidies for degreening gardens, rainwater disconnection, facade gardens, and green roofs.
• Meer Bomen NumajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Plant je Mee' campaign (October-November) for autumn planting. Meer Bomen Nu saves young trees from precarious locations and distributes them free to residents via local tree hubs.
• Gemeente Horst aan de MaasmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality with nearly 45,000 inhabitants across 16 villages. Implemented comprehensive tree policy including the 3-30-300 rule for new housing developments and protection of valuable tree structures.
• Waterschap Aa en MaascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWater board collaborating on the regenton (rain barrel) action in Oost-Brabant, providing subsidies for climate-adaptive living areas.
• Buitenkweek DelftminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFuture-proof nursery for perennial plants contributing to biodiversity. Located at BuitenLeeft estate in Delftse Hout, growing plants without chemical pesticides or fertilizers.
• IUCN NL, De Vlinderstichting, NIOO-KNAW, WURmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganizations connected to the documentary 'Onder het Maaiveld' - a three-year program on soil life and biodiversity. IUCN NL, Vlinderstichting (Butterfly Foundation), Dutch Institute for Ecology, and Wageningen University & Research.
• Provincie UtrechtmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvince of Utrecht provides subsidies for green initiatives including the 'Groene Kroon' prize worth 6,000 euros for biodiversity projects in built environments.
• TAUWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdvisory and engineering firm TAUW organizes webinars on heat stress prevention and climate-adaptive policy for municipalities.
• De VlinderstichtingmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerButterfly Foundation provides expertise for Erfparadijzen (Paradise Farms) campaign and Q&A sessions for landowners on nature-inclusive farming.
• Ada Wille (Nationaal Bio Bloembollenweekend)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiator of the National Bio Flower Bulb Weekend (first weekend of October), promoting organic bulbs for early spring bee and bumblebee food.
• Unie van Waterschappen, Entente FloralemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration since September 2018 with Unie van Waterschappen (Union of Water Boards) and Entente Florale Nederland on climate initiatives.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• Vogelbescherming Nederland: Dutch bird protection organization that has collaborated with Steenbreek on urban biodiversity (e.g., the European Green Capital 2018 conference in Nijmegen). Overlaps specifically on biodiversity in the built environment.
• IVN Natuureducatie: Dutch nature education organization partnering with Steenbreek on Nationale Tuinweek and De Levende Tuin. Comparable mission around citizen engagement with nature, with stronger focus on education programs and volunteer nature guides.
• Rooftop Revolution: Dutch green-roof initiative that co-developed the Nationale Groendakmeting with Steenbreek and Natuur & Milieu. Directly comparable as a niche advocacy organization pushing a specific vergroening sub-category (rooftops) to Dutch municipalities and building owners.
• Meer Bomen Nu: Dutch tree-redistribution initiative partnering with Steenbreek on the 'Plant je Mee' autumn planting campaign. Operates a volunteer-driven greening model comparable to Tuinrangers, but focused narrowly on saving and redistributing young trees.
• De Vlinderstichting: Dutch Butterfly Foundation providing expertise for biodiversity initiatives including Steenbreek's Erfparadijzen campaign. Specializes in pollinator and species-specific biodiversity, making it a focused overlap with Steenbreek's garden/farm vergroening work.

Broad incumbents

• Natuurmonumenten: Largest Dutch nature conservation society managing nature areas and advocating for biodiversity. Overlaps with Steenbreek on biodiversity restoration in the built environment but operates at a substantially larger national scale.
• Natuur & Milieu: Major Dutch environmental NGO advocating for biodiversity, climate, and sustainable living. Co-partner on the Nationale Groendakmeting green-roof baseline with Steenbreek; competes for the same Dutch public and policy advocacy space at a much larger scale.
• Milieudefensie (Friends of the Earth Netherlands): Dutch environmental advocacy organization focused on climate, biodiversity and sustainability. Operates in the same Dutch environmental-NGO space as Steenbreek, targeting citizens and policymakers with awareness campaigns and policy advocacy.

Others

• Stichting Present: Dutch social-volunteering organization behind the 'Sociaal Tuinieren' program that Steenbreek supports. Adjacent rather than competing — provides the volunteer infrastructure for social-gardening projects that Steenbreek amplifies to its municipal network.

Direct peers

• NL Greenlabel: Dutch sustainability certification and platform for gardens and outdoor spaces, explicitly partnered with Steenbreek on 'Week van de Groene Tuin'. Operates a near-identical mission around citizen-facing greening and works with municipalities and consumers in the same garden/street vergroening space.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/operatiesteenbreek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/69933785
• Instagraminstagram.com/operatiesteenbreek/?hl=nl

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 Steenbreek