BEDRIJFSBUREAU ENERGIE SAMEN BV

Their core work

Energie Samen is the operational office behind the Dutch energy cooperative movement, supporting citizen-led energy communities in organizing collective energy initiatives. They bring practical expertise in community building, cooperative governance, and citizen engagement to EU research projects focused on the energy transition. Their work centers on translating academic research into actionable frameworks that help local energy cooperatives engage consumers, implement demand response schemes, and deliver non-energy services. They serve as the bridge between grassroots energy democracy movements and the structured world of EU-funded innovation.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Their early work (2016-2019) focused on foundational energy cooperative support through REScoop Plus and the technical side of demand response via FLEXCoop. By 2021, the focus shifted decisively toward energy citizenship, community building, energy democracy, and prosumer empowerment — reflecting the broader EU policy push toward active citizen participation. The progression shows a clear arc from technical cooperative operations to a politically and socially engaged vision of community-driven energy transition.

Moving toward broader community empowerment frameworks that go beyond electricity — expect future work in multi-vector energy communities and citizen-led climate action.

How they like to work

Always a participant, never a coordinator — they contribute domain expertise on energy cooperatives rather than leading technical research. With 45 unique partners across 16 countries, they operate in large, diverse European consortia typical of CSA and RIA projects. This makes them an accessible and experienced consortium partner who knows how to deliver within complex multi-country projects without needing the spotlight.

Broadly connected across 16 countries with 45 distinct consortium partners, indicating deep integration into the European energy community research ecosystem. Their Dutch base and cooperative roots likely give them strong ties to the REScoop.eu network and its member organizations across Europe.

What sets them apart

Energie Samen represents the organized Dutch energy cooperative movement — they are not a consultancy observing communities from outside, but the operational arm of actual cooperatives. This gives them authentic grassroots credibility that is rare among EU project partners, where community engagement is often theoretical. For any consortium needing genuine citizen energy participation and real-world cooperative networks, they bring both the know-how and the actual community connections.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SCCALE 203050
  Their largest-funded project (EUR 279K), focused on the ambitious goal of scaling citizen-led energy action across Europe through 2030 and 2050 milestones.
• FLEXCoop
  Combined energy democracy with technical demand response — an unusual pairing that bridges cooperative governance with smart grid technology.
• ACCEPT
  Expanded scope beyond electricity into non-energy services and multiple energy vectors, signaling the organization's evolution toward broader community service models.