When the Belastingdienst (Dutch Tax Authority) began enforcing the rules on false self-employment, Stichting Cultuur Academy wanted to give both self-employed professionals and clients a clear picture of what was coming their way. “Case law on this is still relatively limited,” says director Esther Dikkers. “That’s exactly why it was important to bring different perspectives together.”

Thanks to the contribution, Cultuur Academy was able to bring in two lawyers from Dirkzwager and an HR expert. That meant the workshop could look at the topic from three angles: employment law, tax law and the employer’s perspective. “We were able to give participants a clear view of the available information, and of the dilemmas too.”

Esther hopes this kind of financial support will remain available in the future. “At Cultuur Academy, offering workshops and training is of course what we’re here for, but finding enough budget is always a struggle. A contribution like this gives us just that bit of breathing room to give important topics the attention they deserve and keep the quality high.”

Around half of Creative Works Regio Zwolle’s community are creative professionals. People with a passion for their craft, but for whom the organisational side of things sometimes takes a back seat. “They’re good at what they do, but anything to do with admin and organisation is less of a strength for some in this group.”

Through ZZP-Workshops, Lotte van Hal organised three workshops: on false self-employment and the Wet DBA, on AOV (income protection insurance), and on pension.

People found the workshops very worthwhile. What stayed with Lotte: students joined in too. “They said they want to enter the field better prepared.” And she saw something lovely happen during the workshops. “People went from a sense of embarrassment, ‘I haven’t sorted that out yet’, to relief. Like: ‘Oh, I can actually turn this into action pretty easily.'”

For Lotte, the outcome is clear: “Thanks to funding like this, we give makers the chance to learn more about their own entrepreneurship. That helps us strengthen creative makers in the Zwolle region.”

Stichting de Kubus needed to address false self-employment, but didn’t have enough expertise in-house to take it on alone. Through ZZP-Workshops, Jacqueline Leers applied for a contribution towards a workshop. The application went very smoothly.

The workshop, led by Janneke de Glas, was well received. Both employees and self-employed professionals were properly informed about false self-employment. “The goal of informing people has been achieved.”

CultuurSchakel noticed concern in the sector about false self-employment and the Wet DBA. Thijs Hazeleger wanted to give self-employed professionals in The Hague up-to-date information. Through ZZP-Workshops, he applied for a contribution towards an online webinar.

The webinar went well. Participants took away new insights into the legal aspects of false self-employment. “We achieved our goal of informing people.”

His tip for others: “An online webinar with experts is a great way to give self-employed professionals information on current topics. Make use of it.”

The circus sector works with a lot of self-employed professionals. When enforcement of the Wet DBA was tightened, uncertainty spread among circus schools, performers, companies and travelling tent circuses. Claudia Geubel wanted to keep Circuspunt’s members informed, from circus schools to touring tent circuses. “During the workshop, we learned that the Wet DBA isn’t new at all, but that enforcement was tightened.”

The application went smoothly. “An email, a phone call, a short description and budget, and a quick answer.” Platform ACCT also helped find an expert who knew the cultural sector well. “That was great, because it was exactly what we were looking for.”

The online workshop was carefully prepared: questions were gathered from participants beforehand, so the speakers could address them directly. The session was recorded, so members can watch it again whenever they like. A summary of the Q&A and the presentation were also shared with members. “Participants definitely gained knowledge, and the uncertainty has eased.”

An unexpected side effect: it was the first online expert session Circuspunt organised. “That has paved the way for recurring sessions on topics that matter in our field.”