Ocean launches the Ocean Blue Fund in collaboration with Social Enterprise NL.
Amsterdam, 26 May 2021 – The first five brands to use the Ocean Blue Fund have been announced: MUD Jeans, LEEV, Qredits, Fairphone and The Flower Farm.
The goal of the Ocean Blue Fund is to help companies that make a positive impact to grow faster. By making a national media network available under special conditions. The Ocean Blue Fund is a long-term fund and has a minimum term of 3 years.
The reason for this new fund was the success of the SME Support Fund, which Ocean set up last year when the Corona crisis broke out.
Meindert van den Heuvel, managing director Ocean – “Last year, more than 250 enterprises used our SME Support Fund. Many of these enterprises were relatively young with ‘newer’ and ‘more sustainable’ propositions: from electric bicycles to convenience stores, from sustainable clothing to fairer food. Which at that moment certainly, but also in general, could use a helping hand. We now want to structurally provide that support, specifically for these enterprises.”
Ocean is working closely with Social Enterprise NL for this new fund. A foundation that connects and strengthens social entrepreneurs. To be eligible for the Blue Fund, enterprises must be affiliated with Social Enterprise NL and meet the membership criteria.
Stefan Panhuijsen, directeur Social Enterprise NL – “Thanks to the Blue Fund, social enterprises can increase their visibility and, as such, their impact. That’s extremely important, because now that the end of the corona crisis is in sight, we must not return to business as usual, but to an inclusive, poverty-free and circular economy. Social enterprises are at the forefront of this movement. We’re therefore very proud of the collaboration with Ocean.”
The Ocean Blue Fund’s launching partners come from different categories and are also in different phases of development. What they have in common is that their products help to solve a social problem. And they could use a reputation among the general public.
Marcel van Wing, founder The Flower Farm – “In the world of sustainable enterprises, it’s often very difficult to create the mass needed for a healthy business model. That’s a shame because only with volume does a sustainable initiative get the impact it deserves. That’s why the Ocean Blue Fund initiative is so good. It gives entrepreneurs the opportunity to grow to the scale necessary to be a healthy company.”
Companies that want to make use of the Ocean Blue Fund can contact Maurice Noten: maurice.noten@oceanoutdoor.nl.
For other questions, please contact Marlies Smits: marlies.smits@oceanoutdoor.nl of +316 1076 6161.
Ocean Outdoor Nederland
Ocean Outdoor Nederland is the market leader in Digital-Out-of-Home (read: DOOH), the fast-growing specialisation within Out-of-Home. With a national network of 190 locations and 331 screens along motorways and in the cities, we reach millions of people each day.
Ocean Outdoor Nederland attaches great importance to quality and innovation. That is why we continuously invest in the latest DOOH technology and research opportunities for advertisers, media agencies and contracting authorities.
Ocean Outdoor Nederland is part of Ocean Outdoor Limited with offices in the United Kingdom, Sweden, Finland, Denmark and Germany.
About Social Enterprise NL
Social Enterprise NL is a national network organisation and driver of the growing movement of social entrepreneurs who aim to improve the world with money as a means, not a goal. Social Enterprise NL connects and strengthens these social enterprises and ensures visibility and publicity, better laws and regulations and activation of stakeholders at municipal, regional and national levels.