The Buurkracht Foundation, a non-profit social enterprise and network organization, believes in the power of neighbors to make their neighborhood more beautiful, greener, more pleasant and more sustainable together. We help neighbors throughout the Netherlands to discover and strengthen their buur-kracht (neighbour-power). We do this by bringing them together in citizen collectives and supporting them with practical tips and powerful tools, such as communication tools, an interactive online platform and personal guidance. In collaboration with municipalities, provinces, and as part of the Participatiecoalitie (including also LSA bewoners, Energie Samen, Natuur en Milieufederaties en HIER) we increase citizens participation, social resilience and quality of life in neighbourhoods throughout the Netherlands. Over time we aim to build strong citizen collectives and neighborhood networks that work together with municipalities in a structural partnership. 

Buurkracht initiates about 75 new citizen collectives every year, support them to engage their neighbors ​and ​develop into a structural organization. (Part of) these 75 can serve as a living lab for the longitudinal study in WP6-2.  

Buurkracht commits to 

• Provide a coordinator and single point of contact for the PhD​ for WP 6-2.​ 
• Provide ‘warm’ access to initiators and communities. 
• Collect and provide neighborhood specific statistics and characteristics. 
• Collect and provide statistics and characteristics on citizen initiatives and the initiators/leaders of the initiative. 
• Identify comparable control communities. 

Based on our 10-year experience in forming citizen collectives, supporting them to engage their neighbors and helping them to develop into a structural organization we can develop and provide training on: 

1. Team building: Building and maintaining effective teams within CCs. 
2. Culture and identity: collectively defining a shared identity, formulating the mission or goals of the CC, discuss values and expectations. 
3. Communications as a tool to strengthen the community: developing and deploying (digital channels) to involve members and introducing discussion starter packs. 

Additionally, Buurkracht will promote and encourage its large network of citizen collectives to join these, and other trainings developed in ECCO. Buurkacht can disseminate outputs developed with the ECCO project in its large network of citizen collectives. Either through newsletters, via webinars or (social media) publications, but most likely translated into tooling, communication materials and step-by-step plans. 

Cooplink is an association of housing cooperatives and represents over 190 housing initiatives, either established or in formation. The main goal of the organization is to strengthen the movement by sharing knowledge. They organize events and (online) meet-ups accessible for members and non-members where housing initiatives can share practical knowledge and exchange experiences. On their website, the knowledge base is a great resource for housing initiatives in all stages. Cooplink represents the interests of housing cooperatives with politicians, financiers and other parties. Through these activities, Cooplink paves the way for other initiatives, so that it becomes increasingly easier to realize a shared housing dream.

Cooplink commits to supporting WP4-3 data collection on housing collectives as well as making staff members available for expert interviews. In addition, Cooplink will activate the association’s members to participate in ECCO research activities e.g. the co-development of tools. Lastly, Cooplink develops and provides a training for starting collectives on how to form a successful team.

The cooperative Energie Samen represents the energy cooperatives and initiatives in the Netherlands as an umbrella organization. In 2023, there were in total 714 energy cooperatives in The Netherlands and the estimated number of members and/or project participants were 131,000. Energie Samen influences policy to strengthen the position of energy communities in the energy transition. They do this mainly nationally and, where necessary, at provincial and local level. To ensure each local energy initiative has sufficient knowledge to make projects successful, the Energie Samen Academie was launched, not only relevant to citizen initiatives, but also to governments and other partners in the energy transition. As a learning network of citizen initiatives, they are constantly developing and disseminating knowledge.

Energie Samen commits to contributing to WP4-1 and WP6-1 to leverage its knowledge on the role of citizen collective in transitions. Furthermore, it will activate its members to co-develop the tools within ECCO and encourage them participate in the relevant trainings. The association itself will develop and hold a training on self-governance and the role of the individual member and committees of a citizen collective in the governance of the organization. This training can be tailored to specific governance aspects of specific sectors in a second training module depending on the needs of the participating citizen collectives.

Febecoop is a Belgian organization that promotes and supports the development of cooperative enterprises. It offers consultancy, training, and advocacy to help establish and manage cooperatives, emphasizing sustainable and socially responsible business practices. 

Febecoop commits to engage in various ways. Members of the organization are available for expert interviews, and it will leverage its committed network of member cooperation to co-develop ECCO outputs. Lastly, it will develop and provide a training on conflict resolution within citizen collectives.

The GEN-NL Eco Villages Network connects Dutch ecovillages and works on building and sharing knowledge and experience among its members through various means, such as training, webinars, networking events, and news updates. In addition, we represent their interests at both the national and international levels. 

GEN-NL commits to making staff available for expert interviews, activating the association’s members to participate in ECCO research activities and provide relevant case studies mainly in the domain Work & Income (WP5-1) and contribute to the data collection effort of WP4-3. In addition, GEN-NL provides training on community-building that supports collectives in developing into a cooperative group by practicing methods of communication, decision-making, and collaboration 

Humanitas is a nationwide organization that provides social support and care services, with a particular focus on individual empowerment and community building. Their initiatives cover a range of services, including elderly care, mental health support, youth guidance, and assistance with housing and homelessness. Humanitas emphasizes voluntary participation and mutual aid as core principles, allowing individuals to take control of their own lives with the support of a caring community. Their extensive network offers knowledge-sharing opportunities, workshops, and meet-ups that foster collaboration across the social care and housing sectors. 

Humanitas commits to contributing to the project by leveraging its extensive network and expertise in community building to facilitate collaboration between non-formal and informal community collectives (CCs) and local stakeholders. Their experience in empowering individuals through voluntary participation and mutual aid will provide essential support in developing inclusive governance models, ensuring that the voices of vulnerable populations are integral to the societal transitions being addressed (WP4-2). In addition, they will provide a training on the economic and financial management of citizen collectives. 

Knarrenhof® is a national foundation that helps self-reliant groups of people build their co-housing residence. There are now 107 initiatives active in the Netherlands, of which most are still in formation. Initially, Knarrenhof was meant for people over 45 years old who were looking to find age-resistant homes and warm communities. Now, Knarrenhof also builds multi-generational courts, a youth court and residences for families with disabled children. Knarrenhof first creates communities of like-minded people before developing the homes they will live in. Their wishes are then incorporated in the architectural design. Knarrenhof also finances the initial stages of research, location acquisition and plan development. They also guide groups on legal matters, negotiations, care and energy cooperatives, and purchasing. 

Knarrenhof commits to leveraging its expertise on collaborative housing solutions in multiple ways within ECCO. It will contribute to the data collection on collective housing in WP4-3 and will participate through expert interviews and providing cases in WP7-2 to research the interactions between local governments and citizen collectives. It will share relevant ECCO outputs and trainings with its members. In addition, Knarrenhof will provide a training for citizen collectives on policy and advocacy towards stakeholders. 

LaNSCO is the national network for social cooperatives, representing 21 members. Social cooperatives offer opportunities to people for whom the threshold to a permanent job or their own business is too high. As a foundation, LaNSCO connects, supports and strengthens social cooperatives throughout the Netherlands. Support can take the form of advice, mediation, coaching and practical tips. With plenty of experience working with municipalities, LaNSCO also takes on the role of coach to find the way to a successful cooperation. 

LaNSCO commits to making staff available for expert interviews, activating the association’s members to participate in ECCO research activities and provide relevant case studies mainly in the domain Work & Income (WP5-1 and WP7-3). In addition, LaNSCO provides training on impact measurement and evaluation for citizen collectives. 

The association Landelijk Samenwerkingsverband Actieve Bewoners represents 177 residents' initiatives throughout the Netherlands. From residents' companies to care initiatives and from energy cooperatives to community gardens and residents who fight against the loneliness of local residents. By organizing events, both online and offline, members have the opportunity to meet each other and exchange experiences. Recurring themes are, amongst others, community building, participation, local democracy, societal impact, management, and legal form. Advocacy also plays a big part in the activities of LSA. They stand up for the interests of residents’ initiatives by investigating important themes, putting them on the political agenda and discussing them with governments and other social organizations. 

LSA Bewoners commits to contributing to WP4-1, WP6-1 and WP7-3 by leveraging its extensive experience on coalition building and its broad network of citizen collectives engaging in societal transitions. The association will develop and provide a training on leadership skills for the management of citizen collectives. In addition, it engages its extensive network of citizen collectives to participate in ECCO research activities. 

The Dutch Council for Cooperatives (NCR) believes in the benefits of the cooperative model and operate on behalf of 128 cooperatives that are members of NCR. With a wide range of products and services, NCR supports its members in developing and strengthening their cooperative in practice. NCR guides and coaches’ directors and supervisors of cooperatives in the areas of cooperative management, cooperative strategy and member involvement. They organize meetings for members, including the annual National Cooperative Day. Through professional development activities and awareness, particularly among stakeholders, NCR strengthens the cooperative identity and provides the necessary preparation to seize opportunities and overcome the challenges ahead. 

NCR commits to making staff available for expert interviews, activating the association’s members to participate in ECCO research activities. NCR will be involved in WP5-1 as advisor on collecting data on democratic decision making, based on their expertise in this domain. Furthermore, NCR will develop and provide an online checklist and training for starting CCs on the (dis)advantages of the legal form of a cooperative as well as in-depth training modules for existing cooperatives on the following subjects: cooperative governance, finance, cultural and legal values. In cases it proves desirable these training can be developed in e-learning modules. 

Social Impact Fund Rotterdam is an organization that invests in initiatives with a strong social impact in the Rotterdam area and is currently expanding into other Dutch cities. It supports projects that address societal challenges such as poverty, inequality, and environmental sustainability. By providing financial resources and guidance, the organization aims to foster positive social change and improve the quality of life for local communities. 

Social Impact Fund Rotterdam commits to providing a training for both citizen collectives and civil servants on these innovative interventions. Additionally, citizen collectives who have filled in the CollectiveKracht selfscan (WP) will be able to approach SIFR for additional funding who in turns uses the selfscan data as the basis for a first screening. The intervention developed by SIFR in collaboration with municipalities, e.g. ‘Paying for impact’ will serve as case studies in ECCO as examples of alternative, trust-based relationships between citizens and local governments. 

DuurzaamDoor is a multi-stakeholder knowledge and learning program of governments and social organizations. The program office is housed at the Netherlands Enterprise Agency. Aiming to accelerate sustainable developments, DuurzaamDoor contributes to transitions in society: the energy transition, the protein transition and the transition to a circular economy. DuurzaamDoor connects governments and social initiatives through learning and collaboration on themes as social innovation, Community of Practice, and sustainable development in education.  

DuurzaamDoor (RVO) commits to disseminating tools, findings and trainings of the ECCO project amongst its network of societal and governmental partners. Furthermore, it will help researchers identify relevant case studies for their research.

The municipality of Amsterdam commits to contributing to the ECCO project in several ways. It will provide input for training programs aimed at civil servants, ensuring that the content is relevant and practical. Additionally, the municipality will supply case studies on the focus topics of Income & Work, and Living & Environment, to support deeper exploration and discussion. Finally, Gemeente Amsterdam will help promote the training opportunities by disseminating them to the target audience, including both citizen collectives and civil servants, to foster collaboration and learning. Lastly, it will provide a member of the Policymaker Advice Board. 

The municipality of The Hague commits to contributing to the project by providing resources and facilitating meaningful connections between the various community-led collectives (CCs) and other local stakeholders. Their role in learning from and collaborating with CLRA projects will be central to developing inclusive governance models and exploring community-led policymaking in WP4-2. 

The municipality of Ghent participates with its department of Policy Participation policy. The Municipality of Ghent commits to providing input for training programs aimed at civil servants, ensuring that the content is relevant and practical. Additionally, it will co-organize a ECCO stakeholder event and participate in WP5-2 and WP7

The municipality of Rotterdam commits to providing expert knowledge and case studies on the following sub-WPs: 4-2, 6-1, 6-2, 7-1 and 7-2. In addition, it will develop and provides trainings for civil servants and provide 2 members of the Policymaker Advise Board. 

Stichting Landelijk Platform Buurt- en Wijkgericht Werken (LPB) is a national platform in the Netherlands dedicated to promoting neighborhood and community-oriented work. It serves as a hub for professionals, municipalities, and organizations involved in local community development. LPB focuses on sharing knowledge, best practices, and innovative approaches to strengthen community engagement and participation. The foundation supports initiatives that foster social cohesion, improve local services, and empower residents to actively contribute to their neighbourhoods. Through conferences, workshops, and publications, LPB plays a vital role in enhancing the effectiveness of community-oriented policies and practices across the country.

LPB commits to helping develop trainings for civil servants who (want to) work with citizen collectives to ensure the trainings match the needs of their members. Staff members will be available for interviews and cases will be provided from its extensive network of civil servants. In addition, LPB has committed to circulating the trainings and knowledge products from the ECCO project amongst its members granting ECCO access to the target audience of civil servants working directly with citizen collectives. Lastly, LPB will provide 1 member to the Policymakers Advice Board. 

The Dutch Ministry of the Interior and Kingdom Relations (MinBiZa) works on strengthening democracy, upholding fundamental rights and ensuring good governance. They protect the constitution and the agreements it contains. The ministry oversees the functioning of municipalities, public order, and security, as well as housing and urban policy. MinBiZa is committed to fostering good governance, safeguarding democratic values, and ensuring efficient public service delivery across the country and within the Kingdom's territories. The participating department is the ‘Democracy’ department. 

The Ministry of the Interior commits to providing input for WP5 and WP7 in the form of expert interviews. Furthermore, it will use findings from the ECCO project to inform its own policies, e.g. the CC monitor in WP3-1, and will alert the ECCO consortium to relevant policy developments. 

The department of Climate and Energy within the Ministry of Climate and Green Growth works primarily on policy and regulations that support clean, sustainable, and reliable energy for society. Moreover, it works on climate mitigation under the Climate Act. The government is required to draw up a Climate Plan setting out measures to ensure that the targets stipulated in the act are achieved. Citizens Collectives in the field of energy are playing a (potentially) serious role in climate mitigation and accelerating the transition to net zero. Therefore, the ministry is keen on supporting these collectives, as well as looking out for other citizen movements that support climate mitigation in areas such as food or kickstarting the circular economy. 

The Ministry of Climate and Green Growth commits to providing 1 member of the Policymakers Advice Board and will use the findings of ECCO, especially concerning the needs of civil servants of municipalities and citizen collectives, to inform future legislation or policy measures concerning the interaction between government and citizen collectives contributing to climate mitigation. 

The ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning works to develop adequate affordable homes and to make existing homes, offices and other buildings more sustainable. It does this together with provincial authorities, municipalities, housing corporations and commercial parties. The participating department is the department of housing. 

The Ministry of Housing and Spatial Planning commits to using the findings of ECCO, to inform future legislation or policy measures concerning the interaction between government and citizen collectives. It will contribute to ECCO through expert interviews and participation in co-creation workshops. 

The Council for Public Administration (ROB) is an advisory body in the Netherlands that provides independent advice to the government and parliament on issues related to public administration. It focuses on improving the effectiveness and efficiency of public governance, ensuring transparency, accountability, and citizen engagement. The Council evaluates policies, administrative structures, and governance processes to promote good governance and support democratic practices. Its recommendations aim to enhance the quality of public administration, contributing to a more responsive and resilient government. The Council plays a crucial role in shaping policies that impact the Dutch public sector. 

ROB commits to acting as a knowledge partner. This means that ROB will take part in roundtable discussions, interviews, knowledge session, stakeholder discussions etc. In addition, ROB would like to include the (interim) results of the ECOO research in their advisory work and reports, so that they can contribute to ECCO’s impact and visibility and at the same time build its own advice on sound scientific knowledge. In addition, the ROB will provide one member of the Legal Sounding Board.

The Association of Dutch Municipalities (VNG) is the interest group and knowledge platform for all Dutch municipalities. All 342 municipalities in the Netherlands are members of the VNG. The aim of the VNG is to bundle the strengths of municipalities and act jointly in the interest of the local government and its residents. They do this by exerting influence at a national level and focusing on social issues. As an advocate, VNG is committed to strong, local municipalities in which councils and boards work energetically for their residents. VNG also supports municipalities by facilitating knowledge sharing and provides other services that support municipalities in the execution of their work to ensure a connection with local practice. 

The VNG commits to utilising its existing expertise and municipal network to provide knowledge products related to government-citizen collective interactions, as well as incorporate findings from ECCO into future policy reports. Additionally, it will distribute ECCO tools, trainings, and knowledge resources among its members. The VNG will also provide feedback on the development of trainings for civil servants, ensuring they are tailored to meet the needs of this group. 

Voor Goed is the driving force behind social entrepreneurship in Rotterdam. They are there for all businesses that want to make a positive contribution to the city and its people. They build bridges between entrepreneurs and the municipality, connecting initiators, small and medium-sized enterprises, impact-driven companies, corporations, and residents of Rotterdam, in order to create even greater and lasting impact together.

Voor Goed commits to provide 1 member of the Policymakers Advice Board and will actively participate in WP5-1. Furthermore, it will provide trainings for both civil servants and citizen collectives on the basics of impact entrepreneurship and disseminate ECCO findings and activities via its network. Lastly, Voor Goed will take the findings of ECCO into account in its own work of broadening the scope of its activities to include entrepreneurial citizen collectives.