Bolster Boost

Pride, job satisfaction, and a strong company culture – these are what make Bolster a great and enjoyable place to work! We are officially recognized as a World-class Workplace 2024-2025, the largest independent quality mark for excellent employers in the Netherlands. This recognition is based on employee feedback, and we are proud to see that our team rates Bolster higher than the industry average.

With an Employee Net Promoter Score (eNPS) of 36, we far exceed the benchmark of 13. This means our employees highly recommend Bolster as an employer – a clear sign that we have created a workplace where people feel at home and can grow.

What makes Bolster such a great place to work?

• Pride in Bolster and our shared achievements
• An inspiring work environment with excellent facilities
• A strong sense of connection with our company culture
• Enjoyment in work and collaboration with colleagues

We are pleased to have found a good place for our leftover keyboards by donating them to Primary School De Vlaamse Reus in Amsterdam. With this donation, we hope to contribute to an inspiring learning environment where technology plays a supportive role.

A small step for us, but hopefully a big step for the young talents growing up with the tools of the future.

Sometimes, a little magic is all it takes to bring a smile to someone’s face. We are proud to announce our new partnership with Foundation Magic Care, an initiative that brings moments of wonder and joy to children in vulnerable situations.

Magic for growth and confidence
Magic Care is a dedicated group of fifty passionate magicians who volunteer their time to support children facing illness, disabilities, or challenging home environments. By teaching them magic tricks, they not only introduce children to a fun and engaging hobby but also help boost their confidence and social-emotional development. A small gesture with a significant impact.

A magical collaboration
The children Magic Care works with need bright spots in their daily lives. While their challenges cannot simply be wished away, the personal attention and enchanting performances of the magicians offer them moments of joy and a sense of empowerment. Bolster is proud to contribute to this mission and support Magic Care in creating unforgettable experiences for these children.

We look forward to this partnership and to bringing many smiles to children’s faces together. Want to learn more about Magic Care’s work? Visit their website and discover how magic can change lives!

On January 21, 2025, we organized a webinar for our portfolio companies in response to various questions about ESG communication. During the webinar, we covered topics such as the importance of ESG communication, where to start and the steps companies can take.

Our key message? Do what aligns with your business, communicate about it, and do so in the right way.

Our former portfolio company, Market Food Group, shared an inspiring story about their sustainability journey. What started with some resistance evolved into meaningful progress, positively impacting both employees and customers. Their sustainability report, which outlines the steps MFG has taken and the benefits they have gained, can be accessed here: Sustainability Report 2024.

Together with our portfolio companies, we remain committed to ESG and strive for transparent and honest communication. ESG is not just a responsibility; it is also an opportunity for growth and connection.

At Bolster, we believe in the importance of sustainable business practices, and we strive to make conscious choices in our investments and partnerships. This is why we have partnered with Regreener to offset our remaining CO2 emissions.

Regreener is committed to certified climate projects, such as forest restoration in Zambia and regenerative reforestation in Brazil. These projects strengthen ecosystems, support local communities, offset CO2 emissions, and increase biodiversity.
Our investment is specifically focused on the restoration and preservation of the Katingan peatland area in Indonesia, a project that contributes to biodiversity and the conservation of critical natural habitats.

With Regreener, we have found a trusted partner that creates impact through certified projects worldwide.

Our investor VP Capital publishes an annual progress and portfolio report in which the ESG performance of its investments, including Bolster and our portfolio companies, is assessed by ESG specialist Holtara.

For us, responsible investing is not about checking boxes; we believe in investing in long-term relationships and building sustainable value creation. This report reflects our joint efforts and is therefore much more than a formal document.

We are proud to share that this year we achieved a score of 8 out of 10. The highlights from the report are:

• As an organization, we have made positive and significant progress in monitoring and reporting on ESG factors for ourselves and our portfolio companies.
• We have joined the UNPRI and received a B rating in our first year.
• The score of our first fund has increased from 7.1 to 8.2, and the score of our second fund has risen from 7.3 to 8.5.
• Together, we continue to work on sustainable initiatives that positively impact our world.

Read the full report here.

Kwabo has received the BSCI certificate for the production of floor covering materials. The BSCI certificate is issued to companies committed to corporate social responsibility and improving working conditions in the global supply chain. Sustainable production and efficient recycling of raw materials is one of Kwabo’s priorities. The entire production process, from raw material to finished product, takes place at in-house production facilities. Kwabo produces floor covering material from exclusively high-quality residues from the clothing industry in an optimized fine-dust-free production process that generates little or no waste. Fine dust is harmful to one’s health and Kwabo is one of the few floor covering material producers that filters it out of the product.

Bolster and Movares have explored how Movares interprets sustainability. Bolster aims to be a reliable partner that proactively helps its participations to realise sustainable growth. Wouter Spaargaren, financial controller: “Companies that set high standards for sustainability are characterised by a lower risk profile and better long-term financial results, combined with a positive impact on society. We notice that Movares is intrinsically motivated on sustainability and has embedded it firmly in its business operations.” For example, Movares was the first company in the Netherlands to receive the Zero Waste certificate.

OGD ICT services is awarded best ICT employer in the Computable Employer Survey 2023. All participating companies in the employer survey were assessed according to sixteen criteria. The survey also gauged which different ICT areas the relevant parties are involved in and in which specific branches they are active. This included a calculation of what percentage of the staff focuses on specific branches and how this relates to the market. The sixteen sub-areas of the study have shown that OGD shows the greatest social commitment and that OGD offers the best training opportunities, company culture and working atmosphere. Colleagues and collegiality are praised by OGD’s employees.

Esschert Design has become a member of IKBINDRbusiness, a membership of IKBINDR by Twents Fonds voor Vakmanschap with which they contribute together to a positive learning culture and training of people up to and including MBO4 level. By investing in Level Long Development, Esschert Design contributes to addressing the shortages on the labor market in Twente and employees can continue to train in their field.

As part of our ongoing efforts to promote sustainable investing, Bolster Investment Partners has signed the United Nations-supported Principles for Responsible Investment (PRI) on August 25^th, 2022.

The UN PRI is an international global network of asset managers, owners and service providers working together to put responsible investment into practice. The principles, which are voluntary, aim to provide a framework for integrating environmental, social and corporate governance (ESG) considerations into investment decision-making and ownership practices.

Kwabo has received the GRS Certificate for its production of floor covering materials. The GRS certificate is issued to companies that ensure environmentally friendly and circular production as well as good and responsible working conditions. Sustainable production is one of the priorities for Kwabo. The entire production process, from raw material to finished product, takes place in Kwabo’s own factory. Creating no to little waste and fine dust-free production is one of Kwabo’s strength. Fine dust is harmful to one’s health and Kwabo is one of the few producers of floor covering materials that filters it out of the product. Kwabo’s latest product ‘Top Coat’ – a self-adhesive covering fleece – even uses 100% recycled material.

Forests are extremely important, yet we are losing them at an alarming rate. Forests provide food, water supply and are an important partner in the fight against climate change. For Esschert, nature is the greatest source of inspiration for all of their products. Esschert has recently become proud Business Supporters of the World Wildlife Fund and with their support, WWF gives forest back to the earth.

Oceanwide participated in the annual Association of Arctic Expedition Cruise Operators (AECO) Cleanup for Sarah this year for the fourth time. The Cleanup for Sarah is a commemorative event honoring AECO’s environmental officer Sarah Auffret.

Bakery ‘t Stoepje has committed itself to the National School Breakfast for the next three years. ‘t Stoepje is convinced that healthy food is incredibly important and that a healthy lifestyle starts with breakfast. Research has shown that when children learn at an early age what healthy food is, they consume more healthy food later in life. Bakery ‘t Stoepje wishes to contribute to the National School Breakfast to raise awareness of the importance of healthy breakfasts. A good start for every child!

By organizing the Bolster Bootcamp, the team is encouraged to exercise together every week. In addition to an improved fitness, it also provides even more group feeling!

The municipality of Enschede has again awarded the Werkpakt certification to Esschert Design.

The municipality of Enschede encourages social entrepreneurship and on developing sustainable solutions for (long-term) job seekers. As such, the municipality awards certifications to employers that recognize the talents of job seekers, offer them prospects in terms of employment, and translate these policies in successful and socially responsible entrepreneurship.

Since February, Bolster has been housed in a sustainably redeveloped office building. The building is equipped with triple glazing, climate ceilings and heat and cold storage.

The interior was also developed, manufactured and installed in collaboration with Finitouch, our partner for 100% energy-neutral office furnishing.

Market Food Group has started offering a corporate fitness plan to its employees by working together with numerous gyms in Bunschoten-Spakenburg. Moreover, Market Food Group aims to encourage cycling to work by offering its employees a lease contract for bicycles. Commuting to work by bike is not only great for employees’ health, but also for the environment!

SBB (The Dutch Foundation for Cooperation on Vocational Education, Training and the Labour market) has nominated Dinnissen Process Technology as one of the top 10 best technical student mentoring companies in The Netherlands in 2022. This prize has been facilitated by the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture, and Science. The winner of the Best Technical Student Mentoring award will be announced on May 16^th, 2022.

Bolster becomes an official CO2 partner of the Trees For All Foundation and has compensated its CO2 footprint since the privatization at the end of 2017. As a CO2 partner, Bolster contributes to the certified reforest projects of Trees For All, such as a reforestation project with local farmers in the Bolivian Amazon. For more information see treesforall.nl

In 2020, Bolster engaged ESG advisor MJ Hudson to jointly review the ESG policy, perform a baseline measurement and define objectives on the way to a sustainable future. Would you like to know more about our ESG policy? Check out bolsterinvestments.nl

The charcoal that Esschert Design introduces has come a long but “green” way. In Europe, there is an increasing demand for FSC®-certified charcoal from Namibia, because it is one of the most ecologically produced types of charcoal in the world. Esschert Design has had an official FSC® certificate since 2006 for now some 400 products made of wood and paper for which Esschert is re-tested every year. You can click on the following link for more information.

Quint (fourth consecutive year) and Careflex Zorg Groep (second consecutive year) have received the Best Workplace Award again! The employees score highest on mutual solidarity, on the sense of pride in the team and on fair treatment of people regardless of personal characteristics. For more information, visit Great Place To Work, Careflex Zorg Groep and Eraneos (former Quint).

As a partner of the Bart de Graaff Foundation, Bolster supports a ‘Bikkel’, a young adult with a physical disability, to start his own business. This year, Bolster supports Teun in setting up his company ‘the Champagne Baron’. The Champagne Baron imports exclusive organic and vegetarian wines, made by small artisan farmers from the Champagne region. For more information, visit champagnebaron.nl and order a bottle!

Careflex Zorg Groep started the development of Zorgcampus Breda in 2020. A location for the development of care initiatives in Breda with various flexible (meeting) rooms, nice workplaces and a brasserie as a warm-hearted centre. All this is run by a group of enthusiastic participants, with distance to the labour market, who gain work experience under supervision. For more information see link.

Bolster discouraged print use from its employees. Insights about the print usage per employee was distributed and the opportunity was created to buy a tablet at a discount. Which paid off, since the print usage per employee was reduced by 70% in the last three years!

From 12 to 14 July an IFS audit took place at Market Food Group. By obtaining the IFS 7 higher level certificate, Market Food Group shows that they continuously improve food safety and quality, and that this is also recognized by this standard. For more information visit Market Food Group en IFS.

Bolster encourages its team members to continue to develop their professional and social skills in the multifaceted world of investing. In 2021, Bolster recalibrated and expanded the training offer and the Bolster team members started a specially designed tailor-made training program.

Bolster strives to reduce its CO2 footprint. To achieve a reduction in CO2 emission, Bolster started switching to a fully electric lease car fleet. Since the beginning of 2021, the lease car fleet has been 100% electric.

Bolster recognizes that female investment professionals are underrepresented in leadership positions within private equity. That is why Bolster joins Level 20 as a mentor, a program to support the advancement of primarily female talent to the top of the sector.

Savills, the building manager of our office building SOM, has confirmed that our electricity will be provided with a green certificate ‘Dutch wind’ in 2021. The certificate provides a guarantee of origin on the electricity used by Bolster.

Quint, Careflex Zorg Groep and Ormit win the Best Workplace Award 2020 at the Dutch Great Place to Work award show! Quint won the award for the third consecutive year and Careflex won the award in the first year joining the program. A great achievement by the companies! For more information, visit Great Place To Work, Careflex Zorg Groep, Quint and Ormit.

As a partner of the Bart de Graaff Foundation, Bolster supports a ‘Bikkel’, a young adult with a physical disability, to start her own business. Bolster has supported Joyca in setting up her own company Planet Webdesign. Planet Webdesign advises, designs, optimizes and maintains WordPress websites.

As a partner of the Bart de Graaff Foundation, Bolster supports a ‘Bikkel’, a young adult with a physical disability, to start her own business. Bolster helped Snezana draft a business plan for Moving Castle, a transformation agency specialized in digital transformation and social innovation.

As a partner of the Bart de Graaff Foundation, Bolster supports a ‘Bikkel’, a young adult with a physical disability, to start her own business. Consequently, Bolster has helped Amy with her dog walking service West Dogs in Amsterdam. Amy now has several buses on the road.