Boost je Buurt 2022

Boost je Buurt is open to both starting and established entrepreneurs. If your business is already further along in its development (your business has existed for 3 years or more), you can only participate with a specific project that ties in with (or is part of) your existing business.

The challenge is only open to entrepreneurs (to be) based in Amsterdam.  The location of your business is leading. In the question ‘In which district is the business located?’ you have to fill in the district where your business is located. If you have not yet started your business and you are working on a business plan, select the district where you plan to base yourself. An exception to this is when you are working on an existing company from a home office in the city centre, for example, and offer products and/or services in the eastern part of the city: then select the eastern district.

One of the selection criteria is cooperation. In the selection, we look at the “extent to which the plan seeks or strengthens cooperation with other partners, for example stimulates entrepreneurs and/or residents of the district/neighbourhood to act in an impact-conscious manner”. The more concrete the cooperation, the greater the chance of being selected.

There are certainly companies that have succeeded in developing earning models that also benefit people with a small budget. Think, for example, of Boeren voor Buren, where people who have little to spend can buy food surplus from farmers around Amsterdam at a discount

More and more businesses are committed to a better world. In Amsterdam’s neighbourhoods the number of businesses working on challenges such as improving quality of life and the well-being of residents is growing. With the Boost je Buurt challenge, we want to further strengthen this entrepreneurship.

This is the second edition of the Boost je Buurt programme. Here you can read which entrepreneurs participated in 2021. In this article you can read who won the prizes.

In this article you can read who won development budgets.

No. To apply you need a completed application form (2,5 A4) and no detailed plan or pitch deck.

The application form is the guideline, it clearly indicates what information is needed. The challenge is also open to starters with a business idea. The more elaborate and well thought-out your plan is, the greater your chances of being selected. If your company is already somewhat further along in its development, you can only participate with a specific project.

You can only be selected if your project has a stand-alone revenue model. The Boost je Buurt programme focuses on entrepreneurs. A business model is one of the knock-out criteria in the selection. However, you can apply to other programmes. For example, in a number of city districts there is a budget campaign where initiatives can submit plans. See for example: https://westbegroot.amsterdam.nl/

Have you already participated in other programmes, such as the Business Model Challenge of Impact Hub The Netherlands? Then you can still participate in Boost je Buurt if your company is at a more advanced stage of development, you can only participate with a specific project. For questions about the entrepreneurial programme, please contact Charley Snoek of Impact Hub Nederland. Charley.snoek@impacthub.net

The training days are on Fridays from 9 am to 5 pm. Half of the day consists of training with a coach. The other half consists of workshops. You can find the overview in the timeline of the challenge. For additional questions about the entrepreneurship programme, you can also contact Charley Snoek of Impact Hub Netherlands.

As of 24 March 2022, Weesp will officially be part of the municipality of Amsterdam. In anticipation of this, entrepreneurs from Weesp can also participate in the Boost je Buurt 2022 programme.