Sixty reuse organisations, 250 shops and a great deal of expertise that existed only on the shop floor. BKN wanted to turn that knowledge into a professional standard and, together with Ignite Group, found a route via the SLIM scheme for collaborative projects (SLIM: the Dutch subsidy for learning and development in SMEs).
„Without the knowledge of ‘grant-speak’ and the speed of action, we would never have pulled this off.“
Liza Hoefnagels·project manager of the Academie Kringloop Nederland
The project in detail
With 60 member organisations and 250 shops across the Netherlands, Branchevereniging Kringloop Nederland (BKN) is the driving force behind the professional reuse sector. The traditional image of the second-hand shop is firmly a thing of the past; partly thanks to a growing awareness among younger generations, the shops have grown into professional organisations where sustainability and social impact come together.
For BKN’s members, profit is not an end in itself but a means: every euro is invested in circular or social purposes. Think of creating workplaces for people who need extra support.
To live up to its ambitions as a frontrunner in the circular economy, BKN faced an important task: turning the informal knowledge on the shop floor into a professional standard.
“A lot is learned on the shop floor, for example about valuing unique products, but that knowledge transfer was often informal,” says Liza Hoefnagels, project manager of the Academie Kringloop Nederland. ‘’Setting up an education system on that scale takes considerable investment and capacity, certainly during the current phase of further development. We brought in Ignite Group so that a financial boost could turn our plans into reality, so that even in this sector with tight margins we can make this project a success on our own.’’
Together with Ignite Group, BKN found a solution partly in the SLIM scheme for collaborative projects. It allows BKN, together with five member organisations, to develop the online learning environment further. That environment offers practice-oriented e-learning modules on themes such as circular working and valuation. This system is the basis for the academy, and Liza compares it to a well-stocked toolbox: “Instead of every individual reuse shop having to reinvent the wheel, the system offers ready-made, professional instructions that everyone can get started with. The academy is built up in modules, so that staff with widely differing backgrounds can map out their own development path. That way everyone, whatever their starting level, can grow in his or her career.
The future plans for BKN are clear, according to Liza. ‘’We want to become less dependent on subsidies by anchoring the Academy in a social fund under the collective labour agreement. For specific innovative projects the door will of course remain open for Ignite Group. With the SLIM scheme for collaborative projects they really managed to surprise us, and I am extremely curious about what the future will bring!’’ With the Academy as a springboard, BKN is ready to keep professionalising the reuse sector and to achieve social and circular successes.
The decisive acceleration.
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The collaboration with Ignite Group got off to a flying start. In the initial phase, ample time was spent on the wishes, plans and ambitions of both BKN and a number of prominent member organisations.
Ignite Group explained clearly how the SLIM scheme for collaborative projects works and explored with the participants how the scheme fits the sector’s learning and development goals.
This created a solid link between the shared goals of the consortium and the differing needs and plans of the individual organisations.
On that basis, a project proposal was drawn up that does justice to the shared ambitions while leaving room for a tailored approach per organisation.
After the successful approval in August 2025, Ignite Group stayed involved as an expert and sounding board for the project administration.
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