Business Club Steenwijkerland

What Business Club Steenwijkerland does

Business Club Steenwijkerland (BCS) is a private business association and member-funded networking organization serving approximately 350 small and medium-sized businesses located within the Steenwijkerland municipality in the Netherlands. The organization is structured around four interconnected service pillars: Belangenbehartiging (advocacy and lobbying vis-à-vis municipal government), Parkmanagement (management and security of certified business parks including KVO certification and collective camera surveillance), Kennis delen (knowledge sharing through Business Club Classes, whitepapers, and partnerships with Windesheim university and Kennispoort Regio Zwolle), and Netwerken (networking via recurring signature events such as the BCS Zomerbarbecue, Haringparty, Business Gala, Prinsjesdaglunch, Tour de BCS, and Bedrijvenproeverijen).

BCS generates revenue almost exclusively through annual membership fees comprising a fixed component of €335 plus a variable component of €18 per FTE (full-time equivalent employee), billed on an annual cadence. Beyond dues, BCS aggregates member demand to negotiate collective purchasing agreements — most notably with PM Energie for electricity and gas, PreZero for waste disposal, and Interpolis-Rabobank for insurance — producing cost savings (including 10-15% insurance premium reductions on KVO-certified parks and 80% energy volumes locked through 2028) that the organization states typically recoup the membership fee. BCS also operates the Bedrijvenregister, a local supplier-discovery tool aimed at increasing members' share of municipal procurement and tenders.

Governance is provided by a board composed of local entrepreneurs (chaired by Roel van Hoorn), supported by two dedicated account managers (Gerdi de Vries, Alko Tolner) who conduct free cost scans for prospective and existing members, and secretarial staff. BCS is a member of the broader Ondernemersplatform (OPS) coalition alongside eight other Steenwijkerland entrepreneur associations and co-initiates programs such as the Regionale Praktijk Academie (RPA) for vocational training. The organization is not a technology product; its underlying platform comprises a public website, email/newsletter distribution, a BCS mobile app for member communication, and event management infrastructure.

Name

Business Club Steenwijkerland

Legal name

Business Club Steenwijkerland

Website

https://bcsteenwijkerland.nl

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Business Club Steenwijkerland is a member-funded Dutch business association serving roughly 350 SMBs in the Steenwijkerland municipality via four pillars: advocacy, park management, knowledge sharing, and networking, supplemented by collective purchasing of energy, waste, and insurance.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Association & Trade Group Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialty Membership Clubs (Category-Focused) (CRAEADAI)

Keywords

• Business networking services
• Collective purchasing programs
• Business advocacy services
• Local business association
• Entrepreneur knowledge sharing

Headquarters

HQ city

Steenwijk

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from annual membership fees consisting of a fixed component of €335 per year plus a variable component of €18 per FTE (full-time equivalent employee). Members gain access to networking events, collective purchasing programs, advocacy services, knowledge sharing sessions, and park management support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Business Club Steenwijkerland (BCS) is a private membership-based business association serving approximately 350+ member companies in the Steenwijkerland municipality, Netherlands. The club operates across four pillars: belangenbehartiging (advocacy with local government), parkmanagement (business park management), kennis delen (knowledge sharing), and netwerken (networking). Members gain access to collective purchasing programs for energy, waste, and insurance, business networking events, and advocacy services that give them collective influence with municipal decision-makers.

Product overview

Business Club Steenwijkerland is a single, unified offering — a local business networking and advocacy organization rather than a software product or technology platform. It provides services through four interconnected pillars: Belangenbehartiging (advocacy and representation), Parkmanagement (management of business parks), Kennis delen (knowledge sharing), and Netwerken (networking events and activities). Supporting services include collective purchasing programs, account management, the Ondernemersplatform (entrepreneurs platform), and the Regionale Praktijk Academie (practical training academy). The organization functions as a membership-based business club connecting entrepreneurs with each other and with local government.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• BCS Membership (annual subscription)

Quantifiable outcome

• Members can recoup their membership fee through savings on collective purchasing alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PM EnergiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing partnership for collective purchasing of electricity and gas. Multiple entrepreneur associations in Overijssel jointly purchase energy through this partnership. BCS members benefit from negotiated rates and professional energy market monitoring. Gerben de Boer of Kornelis Caps & Closures represents Steenwijkerland in the working group.
• PreZerocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for collective waste disposal services. PreZero handles all types of business waste for BCS members through the collective purchasing arrangement.
• Hoekstra BrandbeveiligingminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides fire safety equipment (fire extinguishers) and maintenance services to BCS members at discounted rates through the collective purchasing program.
• City Outdoor SignsminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorProvides business signage services for business parks in Steenwijkerland, included in the collective purchasing offerings.
• Interpolis - RabobankcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance partnership offering 10% discount on building, equipment (inventory and stock), and business interruption insurance premiums for businesses on KVO-certified business parks. Discount increases to 15% for businesses with collective camera surveillance. Interpolis also provides result participation payments to BCS for improving safety on business parks.
• Ondernemersplatform (OPS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition of entrepreneur associations in Steenwijkerland municipality including: Giethoorn Onderneemt (GO), Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN), KopTop, LTO, Steenwijk Vestingstad, Plaatselijk Belang Oldemarkt, Vollenhoofse Ondernemers Club (VOC), Zelfstandig-Met-Elkaar (ZME), and BCS. Meets at least four times per year to discuss matters affecting entrepreneurs in the region.
• Kennis Netwerk SteenwijkerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for knowledge sharing and exchange. Collaborates with BCS to initiate inspiring and useful meetings for entrepreneurs on practical topics relevant to local businesses.
• Kennispoort Regio ZwollecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional knowledge and innovation network. BCS collaborates with Kennispoort on entrepreneur events and initiatives such as the Innovatieprijs (Innovation Prize) of Regio Zwolle. Kennispoort also organizes the 'MKB-ondernemer van NU' (SME Entrepreneur of NOW) award competition.
• Move Digi / WindesheimminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Windesheim university of applied sciences. Students from Move Digi work on practical assignments for MKB (SME) businesses during semesters, addressing digital transformation challenges including AI applications, e-commerce, social media management, and cybersecurity.
• Regionale Praktijk Academie (RPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for vocational training and labor market participation. RPA, soon to be located in the station building of Steenwijk, offers practical training programs in installation technology, process technology, hospitality & recreation, infrastructure, and construction. Training is delivered through a combination of theoretical education at ROC and practical learning at participating companies.
• Gemeente SteenwijkerlandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partnership. BCS maintains regular executive meetings with municipal leadership (burgemeester and wethouders), annual exchanges with municipal council members, and weekly park manager meetings with municipal account managers. This has resulted in refined procurement policies and active labor participation programs.

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Vollenhoofse Ondernemers Club (VOC): Local entrepreneur association for Vollenhove businesses, also part of OPS. Direct peer operating the same localised business-club model in an adjacent village within the same municipality.
• Ondernemersplatform Steenwijkerland (OPS): Coalition of entrepreneur associations across Steenwijkerland in which BCS participates. Directly comparable as a higher-level umbrella performing the regional advocacy role BCS supports from one side, effectively BCS' parent meta-organisation.
• MKB-Nederland: National confederation of Dutch SMBs and entrepreneurs, providing advocacy, collective services, and policy representation. Directly comparable because BCS' central advocacy and collective-purchasing pillars mirror MKB-Nederland's national role, only at a municipal scale.
• Koninklijke Horeca Nederland (KHN): Royal Dutch hospitality industry association, a coalition partner of BCS in OPS. Directly comparable as a category-focused member organisation delivering advocacy, collective services, and networking to Dutch hospitality businesses, exactly the model BCS replicates at regional level.
• LTO Nederland: Dutch agricultural employers' organisation, also part of the OPS coalition. Comparable as a membership-based sectoral association offering advocacy, knowledge sharing, and collective services to a specific business community.
• Giethoorn Onderneemt (GO): Local entrepreneur association for businesses in Giethoorn, mentioned as an OPS coalition partner. Closely comparable as a smaller, locality-scoped business club providing the same advocacy, networking, and collective-services model as BCS in a neighbouring sub-region.

Broad incumbents

• VNO-NCW: Largest Dutch employers' confederation, representing companies across sectors. Comparable as the broad incumbent performing the same advocacy and networking role BCS plays locally, but at national scale and across a much wider portfolio.
• Kamer van Koophandel (KvK): Dutch Chamber of Commerce, providing registration, advisory, and business-support services to all Dutch businesses. Comparable as a publicly mandated membership-adjacent intermediary performing advocacy and knowledge-sharing functions BCS replicates locally.

Others

• Regionale Praktijk Academie (RPA) / Kennispoort Regio Zwolle: Regional innovation and training partners collaborating with BCS on knowledge sharing and SME digitalisation. Comparable as adjacent ecosystem players contributing to BCS' kennis-delen pillar, though not competitive membership organisations themselves.

Emerging players

• Business Network International (BNI) Netherlands: Structured referral-based business networking organisation with many local Dutch chapters. Comparable as a membership-based networking organisation targeting SMBs, but focused purely on referral generation rather than advocacy and park management.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/BCSteenwijk
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/business-club-steenwijkerland

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Business Club Steenwijkerland