What Gemeente Weststellingwerf does

Gemeente Weststellingwerf is a public municipal government entity in the province of Friesland (Fryslân), Netherlands, headquartered in Wolvega at Griffioenpark 1. The municipality was established in 1517 when the medieval grietenij of Stellingwerf split into Oost- and Weststellingwerf, and today it serves approximately 26 villages with a workforce of more than 340 colleagues organized into policy teams, area teams (gebiedsteams), and executive offices. Its services span civil registry (passports, identity cards, driver's licenses), social services (care, income support, youth and family), spatial planning, waste management, permitting, monument preservation (74 protected properties), municipal archive services, and various subsidy programs. The organization is governed by a 19-member gemeenteraad (municipal council) elected every four years, with executive power vested in a college van burgemeester en wethouders (mayor and four aldermen); a new coalition agreement for 2026-2030 was installed in June 2026.

The municipality operates a multi-channel service delivery model combining physical offices in Wolvega and Noordwolde (with extended Thursday hours and walk-in area-team consultations) and a digital self-service portal ('Mijn Weststellingwerf') integrated with national identity systems DigiD (citizens) and eHerkenning (businesses). Its technology infrastructure is standard public-sector IT: a SIMgroep-built website, Matomo/SIManalytics for web analytics, SiteImprove for performance monitoring, Zivver for secure email and file transfer, ReadSpeaker for accessibility, and Leaflet for geographic mapping. Compliance frameworks include the mandatory Baseline Informatiebeveiliging Overheid (BIO), AVG/GDPR, and the Wet open overheid (Woo).

Funding derives from local taxes (OZB property tax, sewage charges, municipal levies), national and provincial intergovernmental transfers, and standardized service fees (passport €88.65, identity card €80.10, driver's license €53.65, archive research €1.05 per A4 print / €27.50 per quarter hour). The municipality participates in regional partnerships including the OWO cooperation with Ooststellingwerf and Opsterland (joint archive services since 2015), the Economic Board Fryslân, Veiligheidsregio Fryslân, and holds a shareholding in OMRIN for waste management. Pricing is nationally regulated and non-negotiable across Dutch municipalities, eliminating price-based competition within the territory.

Name

Gemeente Weststellingwerf

Legal name

Gemeente Weststellingwerf

Website

https://weststellingwerf.nl

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Gemeente Weststellingwerf is a Dutch municipality in Friesland serving residents and businesses across 26 villages from its Wolvega headquarters, providing civil registry, social services, permitting, spatial planning, and waste management via physical offices and a DigiD-enabled digital portal.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Public Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (925), Administration of Urban Planning and Community and Rural Development (92512)

SIC

Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Works & Municipal Infrastructure (Streets, Stormwater, Facilities) (BPAIACAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Housing & Neighborhood Services (Local Housing Programs) (BPAIACAJ), Urban & Regional Planning (Land Use, Zoning, Master Planning) (BPAIANAD), Land Administration & Cadastral Services (Public Land Records, Parcel Management) (BPAIANAH)

Keywords

• Municipal public services
• Civil registry documents
• Local government administration
• Social domain support
• Spatial planning and permits

Headquarters

HQ city

Wolvega

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, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Local Taxes and Levies: Municipality collects property taxes (OZB), sewage charges, and various municipal levies from residents and businesses. Also provides subsidies for sports institutions, monuments, and cultural activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Gemeente Weststellingwerf is a Dutch municipality providing statutory local government services to residents and businesses across 26 villages in Friesland. Its core offerings include civil registry documents (passports, identity cards, driver's licenses), social domain support (care, income, youth services), spatial planning and building permits, waste management, municipal subsidies, monument preservation, and public administration through the Municipal Council and College of Mayor and Aldermen. Services are delivered via a municipal office in Wolvega, area teams in Wolvega and Noordwolde, and a digital self-service portal.

Product overview

Gemeente Weststellingwerf operates as a traditional Dutch municipality providing a comprehensive suite of public services to residents across 26 villages. The municipality employs over 340 staff and offers citizen-facing services both online through its website portal and in-person at the municipal office. Core services include civil registry documents (passports, identity cards, driver's licenses), waste management, healthcare and income support, building permits, area team support services for youth and families, and subsidy programs. The organization is governed by the Municipal Council (Gemeenteraad) and executive College of Mayor and Aldermen (College van B&W). Digital services include appointment scheduling, online forms for damage claims, secure email via Zivver, and citizen authentication through DigiD and eHerkenning. Additional services encompass municipal archives, monument preservation, subsidy programs, and public decision transparency through council meeting broadcasts and decision lists.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Paspoort (Passport) Services Online and in-person services for applying for, renewing, and collecting Dutch passports including business passports, second passports, and emergency passports. Available to residents of Weststellingwerf.
• Identiteitskaart (Identity Card) Services Online and in-person services for applying for, renewing, and collecting Dutch identity cards for residents aged 12 and older, including expedited requests and fraud reporting.
• Rijbewijs (Driver's License) Services Online and in-person services for applying, renewing, and collecting Dutch driver's licenses including category extensions, health declarations, and replacement for lost/stolen licenses.
• Gebiedsteam (Area Team) Services Professional help services offering support in areas of youth and family, care, and work and income. Available at locations in Wolvega and Noordwolde with free walk-in consultations.
• Gemeentelijke Monumenten (Municipal Monuments) Protection, subsidy, and advisory services for 74 municipal monuments. Includes designation requests, renovation permits, solar panel guidelines, and maintenance subsidies.
• Gemeentearchief (Municipal Archive) Archive services preserving historical documents about persons, families, buildings, neighborhoods, and environment. Also houses archive of Opsterland municipality. Includes online historical research tools and on-site consultation.
• Subsidieregelingen (Subsidy Programs) Various subsidy programs including Village Fund, amateur arts subsidies, sports subsidies, social-cultural work subsidies, monument subsidies, and insulation action for homeowners.
• Mijn Weststellingwerf (My Weststellingwerf) Citizen portal providing access to various municipal services including appointments, digital newsletter subscription, and online municipal transactions.
• Schadeaangifteformulier (Damage Report Form) Online forms for citizens and businesses to report damage claims against the municipality. Available via DigiD for residents and eHerkenning for businesses.
• Klachten en Bezwaren (Complaints and Objections) Procedures for filing complaints about treatment by municipal officials, making objections to municipal decisions, and using the independent advisory committee.
• College van B&W (Mayor and Aldermen) Executive body consisting of the mayor and four aldermen responsible for preparing and executing council decisions, granting permits, and managing the civil service organization.
• Gemeenteraad (Municipal Council) Legislative body of 19 council members elected every four years. Sets policy frameworks, represents residents, and monitors executive implementation.

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration8 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, regional and minor.

• OWO Samenwerkingsverband (Ooststellingwerf, Weststellingwerf, Opsterland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThree municipalities collaborate in a partnership (OWO) for shared services including Documentaire Informatie Voorziening (DIV/archief), with shared archive facilities in Ooststellingwerf and Weststellingwerf. Partnership started informally in 2012 and was officially established in 2015.
• OMRIN (Afvalsturing Friesland NV)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality holds shares in OMRIN for waste management and circular economy services. Heidi den Hartigh serves on the General Meeting of Shareholders.
• Economic Board FryslânregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional economic development board involving Friesland municipalities for economic strategy and business development.
• OVEF (Onderwijs Vormingsinstituut)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partnership for youth development programs.
• PBOWminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional partnership for social welfare and care coordination.
• FUMOminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional environmental health organization.
• GR Sociale Werkvoorziening FryslânminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial employment service for Fryslân province.
• Fryslân WerktminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional employment initiative.
• Vereniging van Friese Gemeenten (VFG)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of Frisian municipalities for shared advocacy and best practices.
• Veiligheidsregio FryslânregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional safety and emergency response coordination.
• TresoarregionalStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional archive, library and museum institution for Friesland - 'treasure chamber of Fryslân'.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Gemeente Opsterland: Third OWO partner municipality collaborating with Weststellingwerf and Ooststellingwerf on shared DIV/archief services. Similar multi-village rural profile, administrative scale, and Friesland regional context.
• Gemeente Ooststellingwerf: Neighboring Friesland municipality and OWO partner since 2012/2015, jointly operating shared documentary information and archive services with Weststellingwerf. Closely comparable in size, rural character, service portfolio, and operational scale.

Others

• Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG): National association representing all Dutch municipalities, providing advocacy, knowledge sharing, and shared services such as the BIO compliance framework. Ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor; Gemeente Weststellingwerf engages via VFG (the Frisian chapter).

Regional players

• Gemeente Heerenveen: Larger neighboring Friesland municipality offering the same municipal service categories (documents, permits, social support, area teams). Serves as a relevant regional benchmark for service-delivery scale and Friesland-specific operating practices.
• Gemeente Smallingerland: Friesland municipality centered on Drachten, with comparable municipal office plus area-team structure and digital portal serving multiple villages within the same province.
• Gemeente De Fryske Marren: Friesland municipality formed in 2014 from a multi-village merger, sharing a comparable multi-village rural service-delivery model with Weststellingwerf but operating at roughly double the population scale.

Broad incumbents

• Gemeente Leeuwarden: Provincial capital of Friesland and the dominant incumbent in the region; offers the same municipal service categories but at materially greater scale, budget, and investment capacity, serving as a broad-incumbent reference point.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks2 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/westwerf
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/gemeente-weststellingwerf
• Instagraminstagram.com/gemeente_weststellingwerf

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 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 Weststellingwerf