NCR

What NCR does

NCR (Nationale Coöperatieve Raad) is the Dutch national association of and for cooperatives, operating as a vereniging (membership association) headquartered in Houten, Netherlands. The organization serves Dutch cooperatives — spanning agricultural, financial services, insurance, education, public services, and consumer sectors — with a portfolio that includes the bi-monthly Coöperatie Magazine, the tiered Coöperatie Academie training programs (basic, advanced, expert, e-learning, in-company), the Coöperatiecheck suitability assessment tool, the Coöperatie Code governance framework, and the Coöperatiepodcasts. Its commercial and content offering is rounded out by an annual Nationale Coöperatiedag (National Cooperative Day), monthly consultation hours ("Spreekuur") for starting cooperatives, member working groups, and recurring international study trips. NCR is affiliated with the International Co-operative Alliance (ICA), positioning it as the Dutch gateway to a global cooperative network of roughly 3 million organizations and 1 billion memberships.

The organization's revenue model is built on three streams: recurring membership fees from cooperative organizations (with free access for employees and officials of member cooperatives), magazine subscriptions (€35/year excluding VAT for non-members), and fees for training and professional education services. NCR does not sell a unified technology product; its "platform" consists of a content website, member portals, digital and print publications, and event programming. Named member cooperatives span large enterprises such as Royal FloraHolland (€11B annual product throughput), DELA (5.58M insured), Coöperatie VGZ (4.1M members), Coöperatie Koninklijke CRV (21,442 members), KIEN (ICT cooperative for education), ParkeerService (government parking cooperative for 14 municipalities), and CNB (1,253 flower bulb members).

NCR is a small organization (1-10 employees) with no disclosed revenue, no funding rounds, and no parent company. Its strategic posture is defensive-consolidative — protecting its position as the central knowledge hub for Dutch cooperatives through codified standards (Coöperatie Code), recurring flagship events, expanding educational depth, and lightweight pre-formation tools (Coöperatiecheck, Spreekuur) to capture new cooperative formation before competitors. Its market tailwind is favorable: the number of registered Dutch cooperatives grew from 5,007 in 2010 to 9,539 in May 2024, and cooperatives represent 15-18% of Dutch GDP with dominant positions in agriculture (68%) and insurance (56%).

Name

NCR

Legal name

Nationale Coöperatieve Raad

Website

https://cooperatie.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1934

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NCR (Nationale Coöperatieve Raad) is a Dutch membership association founded in 1934, providing governance guidance, training, publications, and advisory services to cooperatives across the Netherlands.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Houten

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: NCR generates revenue through membership fees from cooperative organizations. NCR members receive access to publications, training, events, and advisory services.
2. Magazine subscriptions: The Coöperatie magazine is available by subscription. NCR members receive free subscriptions; non-members pay €35 per year (excluding 9% VAT).
3. Training and education services: NCR offers training programs including basic courses, advanced courses, expert programs, e-learning, and in-company training sessions for member cooperatives.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

NCR (Nationale Coöperatieve Raad) is a Dutch membership-based association that supports cooperatives with governance guidance, training, publications, and member-focused advisory services. Its core offerings include the Coöperatie Magazine, the Coöperatie Academie training and education programs, the Coöperatiecheck suitability assessment, the Coöperatie Code governance guidelines, podcasts, and a range of events including the annual Nationale Coöperatiedag. NCR connects cooperatives across sectors so they can learn from one another and access centralized knowledge, model documents, benchmarking data and advisory resources.

Product overview

NCR (Nationale Coöperatieve Raad) is an association for cooperatives in the Netherlands, not a technology product company. It provides informational services, publications, and support for its member cooperatives rather than a unified software product or platform. Its offerings include the Coöperatie Magazine (a professional journal), the Coöperatie Academie (training and education programs), the Coöperatiecheck (advisory assessment tool), the Coöperatie Code (governance guidelines), and the De Coöperatiepodcasts (audio content series). These services are designed to support, educate, and connect cooperatives rather than serve as a technical product offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coöperatie Magazine A bi-monthly professional journal published by NCR that provides background information and analyses on cooperative entrepreneurship, covering themes such as member involvement, financing, and governance. Available in print and digital; free for NCR members, €35/year (excluding 9% VAT) for non-members. Audience: cooperative board members, management, and supervisors.
• Coöperatie Academie (Cooperative Academy) Training and education programs for cooperative members and officials, delivered via basic courses, advanced courses, expert programs, e-learning, and in-company training sessions at NCR facilities or member locations. Audience: cooperative board members, supervisory directors, executives, and employees of member cooperatives.
• Coöperatiecheck A free assessment tool that helps groups, organizations, and start-ups determine whether the cooperative legal form is suitable for their enterprise or initiative. Audience: prospective cooperative founders and initiatives considering the cooperative model.
• Coöperatie Code A set of principles and guidelines for cooperative governance and best practices published by NCR as a reference framework for cooperative boards and executives.
• De Coöperatiepodcasts An audio content series / podcast featuring discussions on cooperative topics including trust persons, CSRD, and cooperative governance.
• Annual Nationale Coöperatiedag (National Cooperative Day) Annual flagship congress and symposium organized by NCR that brings Dutch cooperatives together for debate, networking, and vision formation. Includes international study trips and General Meeting/symposium components. Audience: members, board members, executives, and supervisory directors of Dutch cooperatives.

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• International Co-operative Alliance (ICA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNCR is connected to the ICA, which is one of the oldest NGOs in the world, established in 1895. The ICA represents approximately 3 million cooperatives worldwide with about 1 billion memberships. NCR participates in the international cooperative movement and aligns with the ICA principles.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Co-operatives UK: UK trade body for cooperatives offering member services, policy advocacy, events, and education. Functionally equivalent to NCR, providing a strong benchmarking peer for membership-model design and service portfolio.
• Cooperatives Europe: The European regional umbrella for cooperatives, directly analogous to NCR at the continental level. Both serve as advocacy, knowledge-sharing, and convening bodies for cooperative enterprises; NCR participates in Cooperatives Europe events such as the Coop Anniversary Awards.
• Coop FR (Coopération agricole / Les Coopératives de France): French federation of agricultural and food cooperatives, providing advocacy, training, and member services to French cooperatives. Comparable to NCR's role for Dutch cooperatives, with similar GTM (events, publications, training).
• DGRV (Deutscher Genossenschafts- und Raiffeisenverband): Germany's national cooperative apex association providing audit, advisory, training, and advocacy services to cooperatives. Closely comparable to NCR in mission, structure, and service mix at the national-association level.
• Legacoop (Lega Nazionale delle Cooperative e Mutue): Italy's main cooperative association, representing and serving member cooperatives across sectors with training, advocacy, and consulting. Closely analogous to NCR in service portfolio and constituency.

Regional players

• Euresa: European network of cooperative enterprises focused on economic and social initiatives. Thematically adjacent to NCR's cooperative-development mission and operates across multiple EU member states.
• European Association of Cooperative Banks (EACB): Pan-European trade association for cooperative banks. Comparable apex-body model to NCR, though financial-services-focused; useful as a benchmark for cross-border member engagement and advocacy infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• International Co-operative Alliance (ICA): Global apex body for cooperatives (~3M cooperatives, ~1B memberships) and a formal partner of NCR. Operates the same membership/advocacy model one tier above NCR, providing comparable services (principles, research, convening) at worldwide scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cooperatie

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 NCR