digilink drenthe

What digilink drenthe does

Digilink Drenthe is a private Dutch organization operating as one of the recognized "digitale werkplaatsen" (digital workshops) in the national Dutch SMB digitalization network. Founded in 2021 and headquartered across three locations in the Drenthe province (Emmen, Assen, and Hoogeveen), it connects small and medium-sized business (SMB/MKB) entrepreneurs with MBO and HBO students who deliver practical digital projects under teacher and expert supervision.

The company's service model centers on six modules covering the SMB digitalization journey: "Basis op Orde" (IT infrastructure assessment and quick-win security/connectivity fixes), "Online Marketing" (SEO, advertising, social, content), "Slimmer met Data" (data analysis, governance, and system advisory), "Realisatie Online" (website, app, UX, and conversion work), "Ik Wil Het Zelf Leren" (mini-courses for entrepreneurs paired with a student project), and "Ik Heb Een Idee" (concept-to-solution development support). A three-step workflow (online sign-up, project assignment with student matching by education level, ongoing iteration via weekly Teams coordination) operationalizes delivery. There is no proprietary software platform; the technology substrate is student labor supervised by educational staff, with a referral handoff to a network of specialized ICT, software, and online marketing partners for follow-on delivery.

Commercially, Digilink Drenthe functions as a government- and educationally subsidized services provider under the Dutch digital workshops construct. Pricing is not publicly disclosed and is positioned as below-market for SMBs that lack internal IT capacity. Revenue mechanics are professional services delivered at subsidized rates, with referral-driven and case-study-driven demand generation and a lead-generation benchmark tool hosted on a third-party survey platform. Public case-study customers span micro and small organizations in construction/workwear, tourism/recreation, non-profit, and industrial cleaning, all served within the Drenthe region.

Name

digilink drenthe

Website

https://digilinkdrenthe.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Digilink Drenthe is a Dutch digital workshop in the Drenthe province that pairs SMB entrepreneurs with supervised MBO and HBO students to deliver subsidized automation, data, online marketing, and web projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Transformation Consulting

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Computer Systems Design and Related Services (54151)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Computer Programming Services (7371)

akta.pro primary industry

Digital Learning, EdTech Enablement & Connectivity for Education (BPADAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA), Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

Keywords

• Digital transformation services
• SMB digital consulting
• Student-led IT services
• Automation consulting
• Business process automation

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Government-funded educational service: Digilink Drenthe operates as one of the digital workshops (digitale werkplaatsen) in the Netherlands, funded through educational initiatives to provide affordable digital solutions for SMBs using student labor supervised by teachers and experts.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Digilink Drenthe is a digital workshop that matches SMB entrepreneurs in the Drenthe province with MBO and HBO students supervised by teachers and experts. The students deliver practical digital solutions in automation, data analysis, online marketing, and web/app development. Entrepreneurs receive affordable, supervised support for digital challenges they cannot address with internal resources.

Product overview

Digilink Drenthe operates as a digital workshop connecting SMB entrepreneurs with mbo and hbo students for digitalization projects. The company offers six distinct service modules: Basis op Orde (IT infrastructure assessment and optimization), Online Marketing (digital marketing strategy and execution), Slimmer met Data (data analysis and management), Realisatie Online (web/app development), Ik Wil Het Zelf Leren (entrepreneur training), and Ik Heb Een Idee (concept development support). These services are delivered through student projects supervised by teachers and experts, providing cost-effective digital solutions to small businesses that lack internal IT resources.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Basis op Orde

Quantifiable outcome

• Businesses can achieve process automation and digital improvements that were previously blocked by cost or expertise gaps
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Educational institutions (MBO and HBO)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with MBO and HBO educational institutions to source talented students who are supervised by teachers and experts. Students gain practical experience while providing affordable digital services to SMBs.
• Alfa CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpecific reference to Alfa College as the educational partner providing students for a website development project for Voedselbank Noordenveld. Students were supervised by their teacher during the project.
• Digital Werkplaatsen (Digital Workshops Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigilink Drenthe is one of the digital workshops (digitale werkplaatsen) operating in the Netherlands, part of a national initiative to promote digitalization among SMBs.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Digitale Werkplaatsen (National Network): National network of regional digital workshops in the Netherlands of which Digilink Drenthe is a member chapter. Uses the same MBO/HBO student-delivery model to serve SMB digitalization needs across other provinces, making it the closest structural and operational comparable.

Broad incumbents

• NLdigital: Dutch trade association representing the broader digital sector, including IT service providers serving SMBs. Operates at industry-association scale rather than direct service delivery, but overlaps in advocating SMB digitalization capability in the Netherlands.
• Microsoft for Business SMB: Global incumbent offering packaged SMB digitalization tools, partner enablement programs, and subsidized onboarding for small businesses. Competes indirectly by reducing the need for intermediated service providers like Digilink Drenthe.

Others

• Techleap.nl: Publicly-backed Dutch tech ecosystem organization supporting startups and SMBs with digital capability-building, funding access, and scale-up programs. Adjacent ecosystem enabler rather than direct competitor, but shares the policy mission of accelerating Dutch SMB digitalization.

Regional players

• Brainport Industries: Regional high-tech manufacturing cluster organization in the Eindhoven region that helps SMB suppliers digitize, automate and innovate. Similar SMB digitalization mission but anchored in manufacturing rather than generalist SMB services and based in a different region.
• Novel-T: Innovation hub in the Twente region connecting students, researchers, and entrepreneurs for technology adoption and venture creation. Comparable student-to-SMB matching model but with a stronger focus on tech ventures rather than operational SMB digitalization.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/digilink-drenthe

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 digilink drenthe