What Gemeente Midden-drenthe does

Gemeente Midden-Drenthe is a Dutch municipality (local government entity) headquartered in Beilen, province of Drenthe, Netherlands, formed in 1998 through the merger of the former municipalities of Beilen, Smilde, and Westerbork. It serves approximately 33,000 residents across multiple villages (Beilen, Westerbork, Smilde, Bovensmilde, Hooghalen, Witteveen, Nieuw-Balinge) under statutory authority for local governance. The municipality operates a multi-portal digital infrastructure spanning at least eight specialized domains: the main citizen portal (middendrenthe.nl), iBurgerzaken for civil affairs, Open.middendrenthe.nl for open government data, Raad.middendrenthe.nl for the municipal council, middendrenthe.archiefweb.eu for digital archives, Burgerpanel for citizen surveys, Sportief for swimming pool booking, and Woningbouwkaart (launched June 2025) for housing project transparency. Integration with national systems includes DigiD for citizen authentication and LTC Andes for cable/pipeline permits.

The business model is non-commercial: revenue derives from national government allocations (Algemene Uitkering), local taxes (OZB, afvalstoffenheffing, rioolheffing, toeristenbelasting, forensenbelasting, hondenbelasting, BIZ contributions), and modest permit fees. Published fees include €693.55 for full alcohol permits, €41.95 for sandwich board permits, €27.55 for lottery permits, and tiered precario tax ranging €555-€2,090 annually for market stalls. Service delivery occurs through the Beilen municipal office (Monday-Friday 8:30-14:30) and the milieustraat environmental waste facility. Governance comprises a 23-member municipal council, three commission committees (Zorg & Welzijn, Algemeen Bestuur, Ruimte & Groen), and an Audit Office (Rekenkamer). The mayor is Jan Zwiers, with a new coalition installed July 2025.

Distinctive civic infrastructure includes the Kinderraad (Children's Council of 16 students), the Kinderburgemeester programme (Rian Hunze 2024, Silvi Szarzec 2025), Platform Inclusie (disability advisory panel aligned with UN CRPD), and the Democracity educational programme in partnership with ProDemos. The municipality is currently managing fiscal pressure from the national 'Ravijn' funding gap, with €900,000+ in budget cuts proposed for the 2026 Kadernota.

Name

Gemeente Midden-drenthe

Legal name

Gemeente Midden-Drenthe

Website

https://middendrenthe.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Gemeente Midden-Drenthe is a Dutch municipal government entity serving approximately 33,000 residents across villages in Drenthe province, providing statutory local services including permits, taxes, social support, waste management, and housing through a multi-portal digital infrastructure and the Beilen municipal office.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government / Municipal Administration

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512), Solid Waste Landfill (562212)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741), Refuse Systems (4953)

akta.pro primary industry

Solid Waste & Recycling Services Administration (BPAIACAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Land Administration & Cadastral Services (Public Land Records, Parcel Management) (BPAIANAH), Local Education Authorities & Municipal Education Offices (EDADABAD), Government Public Health Grantmaking & Program Offices (HLAJALAA)

Keywords

• Municipal government services
• Local administration services
• Civil affairs management
• Municipal permit services
• Public sector governance

Headquarters

HQ city

Beilen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Municipal Taxes: The municipality collects various local taxes including Onroerendezaakbelasting (OZB), afvalstoffenheffing (waste levy), rioolheffing (sewage levy), toeristenbelasting (tourist tax), forensenbelasting, hondenbelasting (dog tax), and Bedrijven investeringszone (BIZ) contributions. These form the primary recurring municipal revenue.
2. Alcohol Permits: Fees collected for alcohol licenses: €693.55 for a full alcohol permit, €86.05 for a temporary alcohol exemption for events.
3. Sandwich Board / Three-Corner Sign Permits: A fee of €41.95 is charged per application for sandwich board or three-corner sign placement permits.
4. Cable and Pipeline Installation Fees: Fees for granting permission to utility companies to install cables and pipelines in public ground, ranging from €129.95 (traces up to 25m) to €966.50 (traces 1,500-5,000m), or €0.20 per metre for traces of 5,000m and over.
5. Mobile Stand / Market Stall Permits and Precario Tax: Non-commercial stand permits cost €43.40; commercial stand permits cost €118.65; electricity use costs €4.90 per day. Additional precario tax (land use on municipal ground) ranges from €555/year (1 day/week) to €2,090/year (5+ days/week).
6. Lottery Permits: A fee of €27.55 is charged for lottery permits up to €4,500 in prize value.
7. Noise Exemption Permits: A fee of €41.10 is charged for noise exemptions for construction and demolition work outside permitted hours.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gemeente Midden-Drenthe is a Dutch municipality providing all statutory local government services to residents and businesses in the province of Drenthe, including civil affairs registration, permits and licenses, local taxation, waste collection, social support (Wmo and Youth Act), spatial planning, public housing construction, and democratic participation. It operates a multi-portal digital infrastructure (middendrenthe.nl, iBurgerzaken, Open.middendrenthe.nl, Woningbouwkaart, Raad.middendrenthe.nl) alongside its physical municipal office and waste facility in Beilen, collecting municipal taxes (OZB, afvalstoffenheffing, rioolheffing, toeristenbelasting) and various permit fees to fund operations.

Product overview

Gemeente Midden-Drenthe operates a multi-platform digital service portfolio centered around its main citizen portal (middendrenthe.nl) supplemented by specialized platforms including iBurgerzaken for civil affairs, Open.middendrenthe.nl for open data, and Raad.middendrenthe.nl for council affairs. The municipality also offers dedicated portals for sustainability initiatives (Duurzaam Midden-Drenthe), housing mapping (Woningbouwkaart), and sports facilities (Sportief.middendrenthe.nl). Citizen-facing online permit application forms complement the service offering.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Open.middendrenthe.nl: Digital public information portal for open government data
• Webarchief
• Raad.middendrenthe.nl
• Middendrenthe.archiefweb.eu
• Burgerpanel.middendrenthe.nl
• Sportief.middendrenthe.nl
• Woningbouwkaart Midden-Drenthe

Products and services

• middendrenthe.nl Main Website Portal Primary municipal website portal providing comprehensive citizen services including waste collection schedules, permits, taxes, care and support, marriage services, moving, certificates, sports facilities, and youth education services for residents and businesses in Midden-Drenthe.
• iBurgerzaken Citizen affairs web platform for handling administrative matters such as address changes (verhuizing), births, and other civil affairs online for residents of Midden-Drenthe.
• Open.middendrenthe.nl Open data portal providing access to public government information and documents from the municipality for residents, businesses, and researchers.
• Woningbouwkaart Midden-Drenthe Interactive online housing map tool enabling residents to view housing projects across the municipality, providing transparency on construction developments in their neighbourhood.
• Mijn zaak Personal citizen portal for tracking and managing individual affairs with the municipality, providing a personalized view of municipal matters for each resident.
• Duurzaam Midden-Drenthe Sustainability initiative portal offering subsidies for garden or business sustainability improvements, EV charging station applications, energy savings assistance, and a local food platform called 'Eten van hier'.
• Raad.middendrenthe.nl (Municipal Council Website) Dedicated website for the municipal council providing news, meeting agendas, committee information, children's council, and council publications to enable democratic transparency.
• Sportief.middendrenthe.nl Digital swimming pool cash register system for booking and paying for swimming facilities and lessons at municipal swimming pools.
• Online Permit Application Forms Digital forms for applying for various municipal permits including sandwich board permits, alcohol exemptions, lottery permits, and loose market stall permits, replacing in-person applications.
• Municipal Council Meetings and Civic Engagement Programme Public council meetings, the Democracity educational programme with ProDemos for primary schools, the Kinderraad (Children's Council) of 16 students, and Platform Inclusie accessibility advisory panel enabling democratic and inclusive participation.
• Milieustraat Environmental Waste Facility Environmental waste collection facility at Eursing 2A, Beilen, operating Monday through Saturday 8:00-12:00 and 13:00-15:30 for residents to dispose of bulky waste, hazardous materials, and recyclable goods.

Quantifiable outcome

• €900,000+ in proposed budget cuts for 2026 to address the 'Ravijn' fiscal challenge
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Binder 3D (Westerbork)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Binder 3D, an innovative 3D printing company based in Westerbork (within the municipality), was commissioned to manufacture the ceremonial chain of office for the Kinderburgemeester (Child Mayor). The chain was designed by Kinderraad member Feline and printed in nylon over 12 hours using powder-based 3D printing technology. The municipality intentionally chose a local innovative business for this project.
• ProDemos (The Hague)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025ProDemos is the national Dutch foundation for democracy and rule of law education. Gemeente Midden-Drenthe partners with ProDemos to deliver the Democracity educational programme — an interactive game where primary school students (groups 7 and 8) learn democratic decision-making by building a fictional city in the council chamber. ProDemos provides the game materials and facilitation (e.g., Marjolein Koning).
• Oekraïense Opvang (Ukrainian Refugee Housing)coreOthers · 1 January 2022Since March 2022, the municipality has been operating accommodation for Ukrainian refugees at the former dr. Nassau-college building in Beilen (capacity ~100 people), with additional satellite locations in Hooghalen, Smilde, and Witteveen. The accommodation is coordinated in partnership with national refugee reception services.
• Gemeente TynaarlominorOthersThe municipality collaborated with Gemeente Tynaarlo to observe the Democracity educational programme being delivered in the Tynaarlo council chamber, which inspired Midden-Drenthe to adopt the programme for its own primary schools.
• Publiek Vervoer Groningen/DrenthecoreOthersA shared municipal arrangement (gemeenschappelijke regeling) for public transport services covering the Groningen and Drenthe region, in which Midden-Drenthe participates.
• Stark (WMO Service Provider)coreOthersA shared municipal arrangement (gemeenschappelijke regeling) for social support and Wmo services under which Midden-Drenthe delivers care and support services to residents.
• Samen Drenthe (GGD Drenthe)coreOthersA shared municipal arrangement (gemeenschappelijke regeling) for public health services (GGD) in Drenthe, delivering health inspection, youth healthcare, and infectious disease control services across the province.
• KansspelautoriteitminorOthersThe national Gaming Authority (Kansspelautoriteit) is the competent authority for lottery permits with prize values of €4,500 or above. The municipality refers citizens to this authority for larger lotteries.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Gemeente Tynaarlo: Adjacent Drenthe municipality of comparable size and rural-urban mix; cited in the data as the source from which Midden-Drenthe observed the Democracity programme before adopting it. Direct peer in civic engagement and municipal service delivery.
• Gemeente Noordenveld: Neighbouring Drenthe municipality covering a similar mix of villages; closely comparable in scale, rural character, and service-portfolio breadth (permits, Wmo, jeugdhulp, taxes).
• Gemeente Hoogeveen: Larger Drenthe municipality with similar demographic and economic profile; comparable in operating the full local-government stack including housing development, social support, and waste management.
• Gemeente Westerveld: Neighbouring Drenthe municipality sharing rural characteristics and the same provincial governance context; useful peer for housing development, sustainability, and social support benchmarks.
• Gemeente De Wolden: Adjacent Drenthe municipality of comparable scale and rural-village composition; relevant peer for comparing digital service portals, housing pipelines, and Wmo/Jeugdhulp delivery.
• Gemeente Aa en Hunze: Adjacent Drenthe municipality; participates in the same shared arrangements (GGD Drenthe, Publiek Vervoer Groningen/Drenthe). Directly comparable in statutory scope and rural service delivery model.
• Gemeente Coevorden: Drenthe municipality in the southern part of the province; comparable in size and operating the full municipal portfolio including permits, taxation, and waste services.
• Gemeente Assen: Provincial capital of Drenthe and the largest municipality in the province; operates the same statutory functions (permits, social support, waste, taxes) but at greater scale. Useful comparator for service digitisation and shared-arrangement governance.

Broad incumbents

• Provincie Drenthe: Provincial authority overseeing Midden-Drenthe; operates overlapping capabilities in spatial planning, housing, and sustainability at a wider geographic scale. Useful peer for understanding higher-tier funding flows and shared-service governance.
• Gemeente Emmen: Largest municipality in Drenthe by population; broader incumbent operating the same statutory functions at scale and offering a benchmark for digital infrastructure investment and shared municipal arrangements.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights1 record

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/middendrenthe
• Facebookfacebook.com/gemmiddendrenthe
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/middendrenthe
• Instagraminstagram.com/middendrenthe

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Midden-drenthe