Invest-NL lays the foundation for a nationwide approach to renovating 10,000 school buildings

The approach was developed through three years of intensive collaboration with the Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW), the PO-Raad, VO-raad, the Association of Netherlands Municipalities (VNG), the Ruimte-OK Knowledge Centre and dozens of market parties.  

The Netherlands faces a huge challenge in educational accommodation. A large proportion of the approximately 10,000 school buildings have a poor indoor climate, are insufficiently sustainable or are not suited to modern education. Making all school buildings future-proof is estimated to require tens of billions of euros in investment. 

Not just a financing problem 

Previous studies showed that the problem is not solely financial in nature. School boards and municipalities often organised accommodation projects separately from one another, resulting in lost knowledge, projects that were difficult to compare and missed economies of scale. 

"The challenge was not just financing, but above all organising collaboration, developing standards and creating a market in which investments could actually be deployed," says Jules Hercules, thematic lead for the built environment at Invest-NL. 

From standalone projects to a professional market 

As part of the Educational Accommodation Programme, Invest-NL therefore developed, together with partners, an integrated approach covering the full life cycle of educational accommodation: from policy-making and investment decisions to design, delivery and management. In addition, 27 tools were developed, including standards for forms of collaboration and a methodology that allows the circular residual value of buildings to be incorporated into financial models. 

Foundation for scaling up and financing 

The approach and solutions are intended to contribute to fundamental change in the sector. Standardisation, better data and collaboration will create a more predictable market in which projects can be grouped and scaled up more easily. Greater efficiency and effectiveness will reduce the costs of this huge challenge.  

By improving the quality of buildings, further professionalising the sector and collaborating at scale, the programme is also laying the foundations for future investment by institutional parties, such as pension funds. 

Example of market development 

The products delivered through the Educational Accommodation Programme make a substantial contribution to making the renewal of school buildings financeable. By removing structural barriers and creating the conditions for a well-functioning market, societal challenges can be financed more effectively.  

The approach is now also seen as an inspiration for other societal sectors, such as healthcare real estate and other social property. 

As of 1 January 2026, the Ruimte-OK Knowledge Centre is responsible for the further implementation and development of the Educational Accommodation Programme.