What Over Rood does

Over Rood (legal entity: Vereniging Over Rood) is a Dutch non-profit volunteer association founded in 2014 by Peter van Bergen, headquartered in Arnhem with 21 regional offices spanning the Netherlands. It provides free or municipally subsidized guidance to self-employed entrepreneurs (ZZP'ers) and small business owners facing payment arrears, debts, tax backlogs, administrative disorder, or business termination due to financial reasons. Service delivery is built on a peer-driven volunteer network of approximately 100+ active (ex-)entrepreneurs and financial specialists supported by nearly 200 trained trajectory managers, who guide clients through a proprietary five-step methodology (Support, Overview, Insight, Calm, Perspective). Underpinning the service is a custom forward-looking financial planning and administration software developed by the founder (with Grameen Bank input), together with a client tracking system (cliëntvolgsysteem). The organization has cumulatively supported more than 6,000 entrepreneurs and reported helping 1,127 in 2022, with a Deloitte-conducted impact measurement documenting measurable positive outcomes for 79% of clients.

The organization does not monetize end clients — pricing is free at intake and either free or subject to a modest own-contribution during the trajectory depending on the partnering municipality. Operating revenue (in the form of grants and trajectory funding) flows from more than 135 Dutch municipalities that both refer clients and co-fund trajectories, supplemented by donations and grants from OranjeFonds, ING, and Nationale Nederlanden, and from strategic partners including SchuldenLabNL (a national public-private anti-debt coalition with Queen Máxima as honorary chair) and asqin (a financial-expertise partner announced January 2026). Distribution is multi-channel: 21 physical offices, a national contact centre (phone, email, web form), organic social media, earned media coverage, and inbound municipal referrals. The organization holds a Verklaring Omtrent het Gedrag (VOG) compliance regime for all volunteers and employees and operates under a formal code of conduct (Gedragscode).

Following the 1 March 2025 departure of director Boris Wielinga, Over Rood is in an interim leadership phase under Acting General Director Coby Eestermans and Interim Operations Director Anne Bruinenberg, who are leading a professionalization effort to consolidate working practices, formalize strategic planning, and scale operations. As of the available data, no AI/ML capabilities, no public funding rounds, no subsidiaries, no M&A activity, and no patent portfolio are disclosed; technology is concentrated in the proprietary budgeting tool and client tracking system.

Name

Over Rood

Legal name

Vereniging Over Rood

Website

https://overrood.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Over Rood is a Dutch non-profit volunteer association that helps self-employed entrepreneurs and small business owners facing debt, tax arrears, or administrative backlogs through a free or municipally subsidized five-step guidance program delivered via 21 regional offices and 135+ municipal partnerships across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneur Financial Counseling

NAICS

Management Consulting Services (54161), Other Management Consulting Services (541618)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Prepackaged Software (7372)

akta.pro primary industry

Insolvency & Turnaround Advisory (SME/Mid-Market Debtor-Side) (FSAEAFAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Divestitures, Carve-Outs & Spin-Off Advisory (FSAEAGAL)

Keywords

• Entrepreneur debt counseling
• Financial guidance services
• Non-profit volunteer association
• Small business debt relief
• ZZP financial support

Headquarters

HQ city

Arnhem

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices21 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Municipal Partnership Funding: Over Rood receives funding through partnerships with municipalities across the Netherlands. Municipalities refer entrepreneurs to Over Rood and may cover costs for trajectories.
2. Donations and Grants: The organization receives support from foundations and corporate partners including OranjeFonds, ING, and Nationale Nederlanden.
3. Own Contribution (Variable): Some trajectories may require an own contribution depending on the municipality partnership and the entrepreneur's financial situation. After referral by municipality, a trajectory can be free or require own contribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Over Rood provides free, volunteer-based guidance and coaching to Dutch self-employed entrepreneurs (ZZP'ers) and small business owners experiencing financial difficulties, debt, administrative backlogs, or business termination. The core offering is a structured 5-step trajectory (Support, Overzicht, Inzicht, Rust, Perspectief) delivered by volunteer (former) entrepreneurs who work one-on-one with clients to restore financial stability, supported by Over Rood's proprietary financial planning software.

Product overview

Over Rood is a volunteer-based Dutch organization offering a unified service to entrepreneurs facing financial difficulties. The core offering is a structured 5-step trajectory (Support, Overzicht, Inzicht, Rust, Perspectief) guided by volunteer (former) entrepreneurs who provide personalized coaching. The service includes a free introductory meeting, personalized trajectory guidance, and use of a client tracking system (cliëntvolgsysteem) for progress monitoring. Over Rood operates through approximately 21 local branches across the Netherlands, with services potentially varying by municipality partnership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• 5-Stappen Traject
• Gratis Kennismakingsgesprek

Quantifiable outcome

• 79% of helped clients showed measurable positive effects on macro- and micro-economic levels (Deloitte Impact Measurement 2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• asqincoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 January 2026Financial experts from asqin contribute their financial expertise on a voluntary basis during periods when they have no assignments. They help make numbers transparent, bring structure, and translate financial information into actionable insights.
• SchuldenLabNLcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchuldenLabNL was established in 2018 as a collaboration between public and private parties with the goal of making the Netherlands debt-free. Queen Máxima is honorary chair. Over Rood is one of the successful debt assistance methods supported by SchuldenLabNL.
• Stichting BKRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOngoing collaboration for publishing client stories and columns in BKR Inzichtelijk magazine. Several stories from Over Rood clients have been featured in this publication.
• Gemeente ArnhemcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipality partnership providing referrals and funding for local entrepreneurs in need
• Gemeente ApeldoorncoreGTM or Marketing PartnerMunicipality partnership with GROS Apeldoorn and Stimenz for local entrepreneur support
• Dutch Municipalities (135+)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerOver Rood works with more than 135 municipalities across the Netherlands who refer entrepreneurs and provide funding support

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Schuldhulpmaatje: Dutch non-profit that pairs volunteers with individuals facing financial problems to guide them through debt resolution. Closest comparable peer in volunteer-led debt counseling, though focused on consumers rather than entrepreneurs.
• SchuldenLabNL: Dutch public-private collaboration established in 2018 (with Queen Máxima as honorary chair) focused on preventing and solving debt problems in the Netherlands. Over Rood is one of the supported methods within SchuldenLabNL's portfolio, making it both a partner and a category peer in debt-prevention services.
• Qredits: Dutch microfinance institution providing loans and coaching to entrepreneurs who cannot access mainstream financing. Direct peer in the SME financial-assistance space, with an overlap on coaching services for Dutch entrepreneurs in distress.
• MKB-servicedesk: Dutch non-profit helpdesk providing free advice to SMEs and entrepreneurs on starting, running and (where necessary) closing businesses. Closely comparable in providing free, advisor-led guidance to Dutch SMBs, including turnaround scenarios.
• Budgetmaatjes: Dutch volunteer initiative that trains and matches volunteers ('budgetmaatjes') with households to help them manage finances and debts. Same volunteer-led, free debt-counseling model as Over Rood but targeted at consumers rather than entrepreneurs.

Regional players

• Prince's Trust: UK charity supporting young entrepreneurs with funding and mentoring, comparable in mission (entrepreneur-in-distress support) and in volunteer/methodology-driven delivery. Regional peer serving a different geography.
• SCORE: US-based volunteer network of experienced business mentors providing free advice to small-business owners. Closest international functional analogue: volunteer ex-entrepreneurs coaching SMBs in distress, though focused on the US market.

Broad incumbents

• Humanitas DMH (Schuldhulpverlening): Large Dutch welfare organization that includes debt counseling (schuldhulpverlening) among its services. Broader incumbent in the social-services space, with overlap on debt-resolution pathways used by entrepreneurs.
• Koninklijke NLCO: Dutch SME-sector organization providing advice, lobbying and support to entrepreneurs. Adjacent in offering professional SME advisory and crisis support at national scale.

Others

• Stichting BKR: Dutch credit registration bureau and a strategic partner of Over Rood (publishing client stories in BKR Inzichtelijk). Adjacent in the credit/debt space and closely connected to Over Rood's entrepreneur-debt work.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/overrood
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/over-rood
• Instagraminstagram.com/over_rood

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Over Rood