Dutch
KNOWLEDGE MAP Back to overview

Circular Economy

What is steward-ownership?

Tessa Bloembergen - Noorderwind
Geschreven samen met: Tessa Bloembergen Facilitator, Circular Designer & Innovatiegids bij
Noorderwind

Circular Ambition

Thanks to impact startups VanHier, Fairm, BlueBlocks and Hollands Wol Collectief, along with startup supporter Noorderwind and expert organisation We Are Stewards, a small breakthrough has been achieved on the bumpy road towards a circular economy. Through a co-creation trajectory, made possible by the Province of South Holland, they developed a guide full of concrete (legal) tools to help circular startups secure their impactful mission for the long term with steward-ownership.

The ambition of the startups is to have a circular manufacturing industry by 2030 that fully utilizes green residual flows and has a measurable impact on CO2 reduction. One of the barriers the startups face is choosing a business model that aligns with the impact they want to make. How do you make that choice and when? And what (practical and legal) aspects are involved?

 

Building Block for the Circular Economy

Steward-ownership revolves around the idea that those involved in a company—the stewards—are responsible for the management and continuity of the enterprise. This means the focus isn’t solely on profit maximization but also on long-term goals, sustainability, and preserving the company’s mission. In short, an essential building block for the circular economy!

 

Implementing Steward-Ownership for Startups

The guide assists startups in step-by-step implementation of steward-ownership as a business model. “Steward-ownership really adds value in today’s economy only when a company is successful, but you want to intervene in your business model before that point,” says Marc Postel, co-founder of Fairm. “Currently, there is a lack of good explanations on how to implement this in a way that fits the early stages; before this collaboration, there were no good legal documents for startups to establish their choice for steward-ownership without immediately setting up the entire legal structure.” This documentation now exists and includes:

  • A how-to document: practical tools for startups to integrate steward-ownership into their business.
  • A steward-ownership commitment letter: a contractual agreement between the founders of a startup and their investors. 

 

Klaske Postma, founder of VanHier (manufacturer of biobased sheet materials from residual streams), confirms that the documentation aids in implementing the model: “The main decision we made during the process was that we wanted a business model based on steward-ownership, but that now is not yet the time. The solution in the form of a ‘commitment letter’ works very well.Het Hollands Wol Collectief is immediately starting with the commitment letter: “It fits exactly with the phase we are in,” says Janne de Hoop.

 

Collectively breaking down barriers

More and more knowledge is becoming available about circular models and solutions,” says Sanne Mylonas, one of the founders of Noorderwind. “The problem is that this knowledge is still very fragmented or only accessible through paid experts.” The co-creation process focuses on collectively overcoming barriers and sharing the outcomes and lessons open source. “This way, both the pioneers participating in the process and those facing similar barriers can develop their companies faster,” says Mylonas. Noorderwind, along with impact startups and experts, will also tackle other barriers and themes in similar co-creation processes.

 

Accelerating Transition through Collaboration

The co-creative collaboration between the parties and the support from the Province of South Holland proved crucial for the success of the process. Circular economy is a key focus in provincial policy. The province promotes innovation and collaboration in this area. “We see that circular entrepreneurs encounter obstacles to scaling up,” says Marloes Arkesteijn, transition manager at the Province. “It’s a shame in many ways if everyone has to reinvent the wheel. As a province, this process has enabled us to give a push to collectively overcoming bottlenecks. It’s great to see how a small group of collaborating startups are paving the way for future circular entrepreneurs. This accelerates the transition to a circular economy.


More information:

We Are Stewards: https://wearestewards.nl/how-to-voor-startups/

Noorderwind: https://community.noorderwind.co/c/free-resources/het-pad-naar-stewardownership-voor-startups