What Gemeente Westerkwartier does

Gemeente Westerkwartier is a Dutch municipal government (gemeente) located in the province of Groningen, Netherlands, formed on January 1, 2019 through the merger of the former municipalities of Grootegast, Leek, Marum, and Zuidhorn together with the Middag area. It administers statutory public services for residents, local businesses, and visitors across 41 villages and neighborhoods, with a workforce of 501-1,000 employees operating from a headquarters in Zuidhorn and branch offices in Grootegast, Marum, and Leek. Its operational identity is captured in the municipal DNA of "Dichtbij, Nuchter, Ambitieus" (close, down-to-earth, ambitious).

Service delivery is anchored on a unified digital citizen portal (westerkwartier.nl) with DigiD-authenticated self-service, supplemented by telephone (14 0594), WhatsApp, in-person appointments, and BuitenBeter-powered neighborhood reporting. Core service lines include civil registry and identity documents, Wmo/Jeugd social support, waste and recycling (two milieustraten, including milieupas-controlled facilities at Grootegast and Indaver Vagroen in Oldekerk), spatial planning and building permits, local taxation (OZB, afvalstoffenheffing), neighborhood mediation (Buurtbemiddeling), and community development through a Team Leefbaarheid of five regionally-assigned advisors. The technology stack is standard municipal infrastructure: BRP population registry, DigiD SSO, ReadSpeaker for accessibility, SIManalytics Tag Manager, Leaflet mapping, and PIN-based payments at recycling centers.

The entity is publicly owned and tax-funded; it is not a commercial enterprise and reports no revenue. Regulated fees are charged for specific services per the Legesverordening 2025 (e.g., passports €42.35-€86.85, marriages €110.10-€1,046.45, milieustraat bulky waste €16.50-€33.00 per cart). Most citizen-facing services are free at the point of use. Marketing is service-awareness-driven via website, Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, digital newsletter, and direct community outreach rather than commercial promotion. Quality is governed by a published Kwaliteitshandvest committing to response time standards (e.g., 2-hour WhatsApp SLA, 2-day email SLA, 98% complaint resolution within 6 weeks).

Name

Gemeente Westerkwartier

Legal name

Gemeente Westerkwartier

Website

https://westerkwartier.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

Gemeente Westerkwartier is a Dutch municipal government in Groningen province, formed in 2019 by merging four former municipalities, delivering statutory public services (civil registry, social support, waste management, permits) to residents and businesses across 41 villages via a digital portal and four branch offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Administration

NAICS

Executive, Legislative, and Other General Government Support (9211), Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administrative and Support Services (561)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Public Health & Human Services Administration (BPAIACAK), Economic Development & Business Licensing (Local) (BPAIACAN), Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ)

Keywords

• Municipal public services
• Civil registry administration
• Waste management services
• Local government permits
• Social support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Leek

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Municipal Taxes and Levies: Revenue from local taxes including onroerendezaakbelasting (OZB), afvalstoffenheffing (waste levy), and other municipal levies. The municipality also collects fees for services such as marriage ceremonies, passports, driver's licenses, and building permits as regulated by the Legesverordening (Fees Ordinance).
2. Waste Disposal Fees: Revenue from milieustraat (recycling center) usage fees charged for grofvuil (bulky waste), tuinafval (garden waste), and asbest (asbestos) disposal. Fees range from €8.00 to €33.00 depending on waste type and volume.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Gemeente Westerkwartier is a Dutch municipal government that administers statutory public services including civil registry (births, deaths, marriages, identity documents), local tax collection (OZB, waste levies), waste management (milieustraten recycling centers and afvalkalender), social care under Wmo and Jeugdwet frameworks, building and environmental permits, spatial planning, and community development through village budgets and liveability advisors. Services are delivered via the westerkwartier.nl digital portal, four physical service offices, WhatsApp, and telephone support to approximately 41 villages in the Groningen province.

Product overview

Gemeente Westerkwartier is a Dutch municipal government offering a unified digital citizen portal (westerkwartier.nl) as its primary service channel, supplemented by physical municipal offices in four locations. The portal encompasses a broad portfolio of products organized into citizen-facing service categories: waste and environment management (Afval, Milieustraat), local taxes (Belastingen), sustainability programs (Duurzaamheid), social care and support (Zorg, inkomen en ondersteuning via Wmo, Jeugdhulp, Inkomen), livability and village budget programs (Dorpsbudgetten, Team Leefbaarheid), neighborhood reporting (Melding woon- en leefomgeving via BuitenBeter), administrative services (Verhuizing, Paspoort, Rijbewijs), online complaint and information request systems (Klacht indienen, Woo-verzoek), and municipal recognition programs (Onderscheidingen including Westerkwartje, Leefbaarheidsprijs, Sportprijs, Cultuurprijs). Residents can also contact the municipality via multi-channel options including phone (14 0594), WhatsApp, and in-person appointments. The portal is supported by accessibility tools (ReadSpeaker for text-to-speech), analytics (SIManalytics), and mapping (Leaflet).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Westerkwartier Citizen Portal (westerkwartier.nl) Primary digital citizen services portal of Gemeente Westerkwartier, providing online access to government services including waste management (afvalkalender, milieustraat), local taxes (OZB, WOZ), sustainability programs, social care (Wmo, Jeugdhulp, Inkomen), construction and housing, recreation and tourism, birth/death/marriage services, community budget initiatives (dorpsbudgetten), and neighborhood reporting tools. Available to all residents and businesses within the municipal boundaries.
• Melding woon- en leefomgeving (Neighborhood issue reporting via BuitenBeter) Online and mobile app reporting tool for residential and living environment issues such as litter (zwerfafval), broken sidewalks, broken streetlights (lantaarnpalen), and neighbor nuisance. Powered by the third-party BuitenBeter platform, available via web portal and free mobile app on Android and iOS for residents to view existing reports on a map and submit new ones.
• Multi-channel municipal contact service Contact services across multiple channels including telephone (14 0594 and 0594 551 551), email ([email protected]), WhatsApp (06 55 11 22 05), and in-person appointments at four municipal offices (Grootegast, Marum, Zuidhorn, Leek). Includes specialized lines for Wmo, Jeugdhulp, Inkomen, and Werk social support categories.
• Klacht indienen (Complaint filing system) Online complaint submission system for residents unhappy with the behavior of a municipal employee or official. Supports online form, written letter, and telephone complaint channels. Targets a 6-week resolution period, extendable by 4 weeks, with a documented 98% resolution rate within the standard period.
• Verhuizing doorgeven (Relocation notification) Digital service allowing residents to report a move (verhuizing) online using DigiD authentication. Reports can be submitted between four weeks before and five days after the moving date, with a five-day municipal processing commitment. Mandated under Dutch population registry (BRP) requirements.
• Milieustraat (Recycling center services) Waste disposal services at municipal recycling centers (Milieustraat de Tweemat in Grootegast and green waste partner location in Oldekerk). Accepts bulky waste (grofvuil, €16.50-€33.00 per cart), garden waste (tuinafval, €8.00-€16.00 per cart), and asbestos (€16.50-€33.00). Requires a milieupas (waste pass) for access. Specific fee structure per the Legesverordening 2025.
• Team Leefbaarheid (Livability team) and Dorpsbudgetten A team of five regional livability advisors coordinating community initiatives, managing village budgets (base €2,000-€2,500 depending on population, plus €1 per inhabitant), and serving as the first point of contact for village associations (dorpsverenigingen). Supports community-driven projects across all 41 villages of the municipality.
• Burgergerichte dienstverlening (Civil affairs services including marriage, passport, ID, driver's license) Statutory civil affairs services including marriage/partnership ceremonies (€110.10-€1,046.45 by location/day), national passports (€86.85 adult, €65.70 minor), Dutch ID cards (€78.50 adult, €42.35 minor), and driver's license issuance (€52.10 standard, +€39.65 expedited). Fees set per Legesverordening 2025.
• Woo-verzoek en informatieverzoek (Government information request system) Online system for filing Wet open overheid (Woo) requests for government information and personal information requests. Residents can submit requests via digital form or by letter. Responses provided within four weeks with a possible two-week extension per Dutch open government legislation.
• Kwaliteitshandvest (Quality Charter service commitments) Formal service charter outlining eight binding service standards: welcoming everyone, clear communication, accessibility, fast response times (WhatsApp within 2 hours during office hours, email within 2 working days), privacy respect, collaborative problem-solving, feedback collection, and soliciting ideas from residents. Promises 98% complaint resolution within 6 weeks.

Quantifiable outcome

• 98% of complaints resolved within 6 weeks (extendable to 10 weeks)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration6 records

AI capability2 records

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• DynniqminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDynniq handles maintenance of public street lighting (lantaarnpalen) under contract with the municipality. They operate within agreed response times defined by the municipality, typically responding to outages within ten days.
• Indaver VagroenminorOthersWaste processing facility partner for green waste (groenafval) collection at Hoendiep z.z. 7a, Oldekerk location. Residents can only deposit green waste at this partner location.
• TOP GaarkeukenminorOthersPartner location for green waste collection jointly operated with Indaver Vagroen at Hoendiep z.z. 7a, Oldekerk. Residents of Westerkwartier can deposit green waste only.
• Sociaal werk De SchansminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial care referral partner for residents needing more help than family/neighbors can provide. Part of the municipality's social support network under the Wmo framework.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG): The Dutch national association representing all municipalities. Comparable as the industry-wide umbrella body that shapes the policy environment in which Westerkwartier operates, though it is an industry association rather than a competing service provider.
• Gemeente Groningen: Larger Groningen province municipality offering the same statutory services but at city-scale with a much broader portfolio and headcount. Overlaps on mandate but does not directly compete for Westerkwartier residents.

Direct peers

• Gemeente Het Hogeland: Adjacent Dutch municipality in northern Groningen, also formed through a 2019 merger of multiple predecessor municipalities. Directly comparable in size, governance model, rural-village composition, and statutory service mandate.
• Gemeente Midden-Groningen: Groningen province municipality also formed through a recent municipal merger (2018). Closely comparable in population scale, service portfolio, and post-merger integration profile.
• Gemeente Noordenveld: Rural Dutch municipality of comparable population size in neighboring Drenthe province. Comparable in offering the full range of Wmo, Jeugd, waste, and permitting services to a similar number of villages.
• Gemeente Tynaarlo: Drenthe province municipality of comparable scale (roughly 30,000-35,000 residents). Delivers the same statutory municipal services across multiple village centers with a comparable headcount profile.
• Gemeente Opsterland: Frisian municipality of similar population and rural character in the northern Netherlands. Operates the same statutory mandate (Wmo, Jeugd, civil affairs, waste) across multiple villages.
• Gemeente Achtkarspelen: Frisian municipality of similar size serving a comparable multi-village population. Operates the same statutory mandate and faces similar rural-municipality operational challenges.

Others

• BuitenBeter: Third-party SaaS platform used by Westerkwartier for citizen infrastructure reporting (Melding woon- en leefomgeving). Comparable as a technology partner/ecosystem player serving multiple Dutch municipalities.
• Dynniq: External contractor maintaining Westerkwartier's public street lighting infrastructure. Comparable as an outsourced operational service provider supporting Dutch municipal service delivery.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/gemeentewesterkwartier
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gemeente-westerkwartier
• Instagraminstagram.com/gemeentewesterkwartier
• Xx.com/GemWkwartier

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Gemeente Westerkwartier