Outward Bound Netherlands
Outward Bound Netherlands is a 1961-founded Dutch non-profit foundation delivering outdoor experiential education programs for secondary school youth, young adults, and young professionals, integrating the VIA Character Strengths framework as part of the global Outward Bound International network of 34 schools.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1961
- HeadquartersNoordwelle, Netherlands
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Outward Bound Netherlands does
Outward Bound Netherlands (Stichting Outward Bound Nederland) is a Dutch non-profit foundation founded in 1961 that delivers outdoor experiential education programs to youth, young adults, and young professionals in the Netherlands. It operates as the Dutch member of the global Outward Bound International network of 34 schools, and integrates the VIA Institute on Character strengths framework with positive psychology methodology as the foundation of its instructional model. The foundation serves secondary schools, individual youth participants, school staff, and young professionals, with reference clients including international schools such as the American School of Paris.
The organization runs four core programs: the Skills for Life™ course (8 days, ages 13-18), Skills for Life™ Summer Camp (14 days, ages 16-24), Skills for Work™ course (6 days, ages 18-26), and the Strong Schools™ Programme (1-3 day professional development for school staff). Delivery is operated through in-house certified trainers, each with documented VIA Character Strengths profiles, and is constrained to group bookings of 10-12 participants with a cap of four groups per week. Programs are reportedly booked up to a year in advance.
Revenue is generated from participant course fees across the residential programs and from fees for the Strong Schools™ professional services delivered to school staff. Distribution is primarily through Dutch secondary schools, educational institutions, and individual bookings, with limited cross-border reach into European international schools. The organization holds CRKBO accreditation (Dutch short vocational education register) and is accredited by the International Award for Young People, and maintains partnerships with Staatsbosbeheer, Schoon Zeeland, Sport Institute Netherlands, and British Canoeing. The foundation has 30+ employees; specific revenue, growth rate, and headcount trend data are not disclosed.
Outward Bound Netherlands firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Outward Bound Netherlands
- Legal name
- Stichting Outward Bound Netherlands
- Website
- https://outwardboundnetherlands.com
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1961
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Outward Bound Netherlands is a 1961-founded Dutch non-profit foundation delivering outdoor experiential education programs for secondary school youth, young adults, and young professionals, integrating the VIA Character Strengths framework as part of the global Outward Bound International network of 34 schools.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Outward Bound Netherlands industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Outdoor Experiential Education
- NAICS
- Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Overseas Summer School Programs (Secondary) (EDAIAHAC), Field Schools & Experiential Academic Programs (Archaeology, Ecology, etc.) (EDAIAIAG)
Keywords
Where Outward Bound Netherlands is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Noordwelle
- HQ country
- Netherlands
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
Outward Bound Netherlands business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Course Fees: Fees for educational outdoor courses targeting youth, young professionals, and corporate clients. Course fees are determined based on number of days, location, special requirements, and number of participants vs instructors. Minimum group size of 10, maximum 12 participants per group.
- Strong Schools Programme: Three-day programme for school leaders and staff to implement character strengths and positive education in classroom practice, with post-course coaching and online resources access
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Skills for Life Course - 8 days for ages 13-18 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Summer Camp - 14 days for ages 16-24 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Skills for Work Course - 6 days for ages 18-26 |
| Unit Pricing | Multi-year contract | Strong Schools Programme - 1 to 3 days for school leaders and staff |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels5 records
Outward Bound Netherlands product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Outward Bound Netherlands delivers multi-day outdoor experiential education courses for institutional clients, combining adventurous journeys and facilitated problem-solving with Positive Psychology and the VIA Character Strengths framework to build resilience, wellbeing, and life skills in young people aged 13-26 and school staff. Courses are sold to groups of 10-12 participants per instructor, with programmes ranging from 1 to 14 days including the Skills for Life™ Course, Summer Camp, Skills for Work™ Course, and Strong Schools™ Programme.
Product overview
Outward Bound Netherlands is an outdoor experiential education organization offering a portfolio of character development programmes. The core offerings include four main courses: Skills for Life™ Course (8-day youth programme ages 13-18), Skills for Life™ Summer Camp (14-day programme ages 16-24), Skills for Work™ Course (6-day programme for young workers ages 18-26), and Skills for Work Leadership™ Course/Strong Schools™ Programme (1-3 day programme for school staff). All courses are grounded in the science of character strengths and positive psychology, using outdoor adventures and facilitated activities to develop resilience, wellbeing, and personal growth. The organization also offers password-protected Pro Course and Pro Resources for professional development.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Skills for Life™ Course: A challenging course for young people aged 13–18, lasting 8 days, aimed at helping students recognise and apply their unique character strengths through outdoor adventures.
- Skills for Life™ Summer Camp
- Skills for Work™ Course
- Strong Schools™ Programme
Products and services
- Skills for Life™ Course An 8-day outdoor experiential education course for young people aged 13-18, helping students recognise and apply their unique character strengths through adventurous journeys and facilitated problem-solving activities. Sold to schools and educational institutions as a group programme.
- Skills for Life™ Summer Camp A 14-day immersive summer camp for young people aged 16-24 featuring outdoor activities such as sailing, camping, and navigation to develop character strengths and resilience. Delivered to group bookings of up to 12 students per instructor.
- Skills for Work™ Course A 6-day outdoor-based professional development course for young people aged 18-26 in early employment, focused on understanding, developing, and applying character strengths at work for peak performance and wellbeing. Sold to employers as a group programme.
- Strong Schools™ Programme (Skills for Work Leadership™) A 1-3 day programme for school leaders and staff to build the knowledge, skills, and confidence to implement character strengths science and positive education in teaching and learning, including post-course coaching and access to online resources.
- Pro Course Professional development course (password protected) for educators and professionals seeking advanced training in Outward Bound methodologies.
- Pro Resources Professional resources and materials for educators and professionals implementing Outward Bound programmes in their own settings.
Quantifiable outcome
- Up to 6 times more engaged employees when using strengths at work
- +6 more outcomes
Companies that use Outward Bound Netherlands
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
Outward Bound Netherlands technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
Outward Bound Netherlands partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Outward Bound InternationalcoreOutward Bound Netherlands is proud to be part of Outward Bound International, a membership organisation of the worldwide Outward Bound network consisting of 34 schools. This affiliation provides international standards, quality assurance through external examinations every two years, and access to global best practices in outdoor experiential education.
- International Award for Young PeoplecoreThe Skills for Life course is accredited by the International Award for Young People, providing third-party validation of programme quality and outcomes for participating youth.
- CRKBOcoreOutward Bound Netherlands holds CRKBO (Centrale Register Kort Beroepsonderwijs) accreditation as an educational institution, meeting quality standards for vocational and short-term education in the Netherlands.
- British CanoeingminorOfficial delivery partner for British Canoeing programmes, enabling certified canoeing, kayaking, and sailing activities as part of the outdoor education curriculum.
- VIA Institute on CharactercoreOutward Bound Netherlands uses the VIA Character Strengths Survey to measure participants' 24 character strengths and create unique profiles. Participants access the survey via VIA Character website, integrating assessment data into course design.
- StaatsbosbeheerminorEnvironmental education partner providing access to natural environments for outdoor courses and wilderness experiences in Dutch forests and natural areas.
- Schoon ZeelandminorRegional environmental partner in Zeeland supporting environmental learning components of courses in the coastal region.
- Sport Institute NetherlandsminorPartner organisation providing additional sports and physical activity expertise to support the wellbeing components of programmes.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights4 records
Outward Bound Netherlands competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Outward Bound USA: The U.S. member school of the same Outward Bound International network, offering multi-day outdoor experiential character development courses for youth and adults. Closest direct comparator by mission, methodology, and programme structure.
- National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS): U.S.-based global leader in wilderness education, offering multi-day outdoor expeditions focused on leadership, character and judgement. Highly comparable on outdoor expedition pedagogy and target audience of older youth and adults.
- Project Adventure: Experiential education organisation focused on adventure-based learning for schools and youth development organisations. Comparable methodology (experiential challenges, facilitated group work) and shared school/counsellor buyer base.
- Wilderness Foundation UK: UK charity delivering wilderness immersion and outdoor experiential programmes for youth, with a particular focus on vulnerable populations and personal development. Comparable mission, delivery model, and non-profit structure.
- Outward Bound UK: The UK member school of the Outward Bound International network delivering Skills for Life courses and corporate programmes built on the same VIA Character Strengths and Positive Psychology framework. Effectively a sister school operating a near-identical curriculum.
Broad incumbents
- Scouting Nederland: The largest Dutch youth outdoor organisation, delivering adventure-based personal development programmes through a nationwide volunteer-led network. Competes for Dutch youth engagement and outdoor activity time, but at much lower intensity and without the Positive Psychology / character strengths curriculum.
Regional players
- IVN Natuureducatie: Dutch nature and environmental education organisation providing outdoor learning programmes for schools and youth groups in the Netherlands. Overlaps on the outdoor field-based learning category and the Dutch school buyer base, though with a narrower environmental rather than character-development focus.
- Outward Bound Hong Kong: Hong Kong member school of Outward Bound International delivering similar experiential outdoor courses to schools and youth. Same network, brand and curriculum, but operating in a different geography and regulatory environment.
- Outward Bound New Zealand: New Zealand member school of the Outward Bound International network running multi-day outdoor personal development courses for youth. Sister school with identical curriculum approach but operating in a different market.
Others
- The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award: Global youth achievement award framework that accredits Outward Bound Netherlands' Skills for Life course. Operates as an adjacent credentialing and youth development ecosystem rather than a direct competitor, but addresses overlapping buyer (schools) and learner (13-24 youth) segments.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Outward Bound Netherlands social profiles
Digital presenceOutward Bound Netherlands compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance4 records
Outward Bound Netherlands financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Outward Bound Netherlands leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
Outward Bound Netherlands funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Outward Bound Netherlands M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Outward Bound Netherlands
What does Outward Bound Netherlands do?
Outward Bound Netherlands delivers multi-day outdoor experiential education courses for institutional clients, combining adventurous journeys and facilitated problem-solving with Positive Psychology and the VIA Character Strengths framework to build resilience, wellbeing, and life skills in young people aged 13-26 and school staff. Courses are sold to groups of 10-12 participants per instructor, with programmes ranging from 1 to 14 days including the Skills for Life™ Course, Summer Camp, Skills for Work™ Course, and Strong Schools™ Programme.
Is Outward Bound Netherlands a public or private company?
Outward Bound Netherlands is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Outward Bound Netherlands founded?
Outward Bound Netherlands was founded in 1961. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is Outward Bound Netherlands based?
Outward Bound Netherlands is headquartered in Noordwelle, Netherlands, in the Europe region.
How does Outward Bound Netherlands make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Course Fees are the primary driver. The others are strong Schools Programme.
Who are Outward Bound Netherlands's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Outward Bound USA, National Outdoor Leadership School (NOLS), Project Adventure, Wilderness Foundation UK and Outward Bound UK. Scouting Nederland is listed as a broad incumbent. Regional players are IVN Natuureducatie, Outward Bound Hong Kong and Outward Bound New Zealand. The Duke of Edinburgh's International Award is listed as an others.
Does Outward Bound Netherlands have an API?
No public API is recorded for Outward Bound Netherlands.
What industry is Outward Bound Netherlands in?
Outward Bound Netherlands's product category is Outdoor Experiential Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is THAAAOAA, Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning), with a secondary code of EDAIAHAC, Overseas Summer School Programs (Secondary). Its NAICS code is 611 and its SIC code is 8200.