Vredenburg 40, hotspot for social enterpreneurship

Hotspot for social entrepreneurship

Vredenburg 40 was formerly known as the Vinkepand and later became known as the Staffhorst music shop. Today, this is the location of the Social Impact Factory: the national hotspot for social entrepreneurship in the centre of Utrecht.

The idea for the Social Impact Factory was conceived during Social Enterprise Day 2014 at NUtrecht. This event brought together a large number of people who want to make a social impact with their project or business. What they did was not driven by a desire for profit, but by a desire to find solutions to current problems in society.

During this event, the added value of bringing together a diverse group of people became clear. How wonderful would it be if inspiration and enriching each other's networks were not linked to an event but took on a permanent form?

The first step was the establishment of the Social Impact Factory Foundation: a platform where parties can meet and collaborate on social issues. The ambition did not stop there: how wonderful would it be if we could establish the national hotspot for social entrepreneurship at a prime location in Utrecht?!

What began as an idea in 2014 is now a reality: the national hotspot for social entrepreneurship at Vredenburg 40, in the centre of Utrecht.

A location with a rich history

The building where the Social Impact Factory is located has a rich history. Vredenburg 40 is a listed building on the corner of Vredenburg and Catharijnekade. The building is also known as the ‘Vinkepand’. In 1857, the building was constructed as a residential complex in the neoclassical style. This is approximately 10 years after the demolition of the Catharijnepoort. The building contained five spacious flats, each with its own entrance. Willem Gerard Brill lived in one of the houses, followed by Abraham Kuyper.

In 1890, the building was given a commercial function. The Waltmann & Co estate agency began operating in the building, and in 1910, De Kroon restaurant established itself on the Vredenburg side. Five years later, in 1915, the clothing shop of the Vinke Brothers took most of the building in use (this is where the nickname “Vinkepand” comes from). The Vinke Brothers had the building tiled with green tiles. Sixty years later, in 1975, Vinke departed and furniture shop De Kleine Beurs established itself at this address.

The municipality sold the building to Muziek Staffhorst in 1989 for the symbolic sum of 1 guilder, on condition that Staffhorst would restore the building. The green tiles that Vinke had installed were removed by Staffhorst and the plaster was restored. In 2001, the building was designated a national monument. In 2007, the municipality repurchased the property, and in 2009, Staffhorst, which had since been taken over by the Raf chain, departed.

Fully refurbished co-working location

Following extensive renovations in 2016, the Social Impact Factory moved into the building in early 2017. Since then, Vredenburg 40 has been thé hotspot for social entrepreneurship in Utrecht.

Spread over three floors, you will find 2,500 m² of flexible and permanent workspaces, meeting rooms, and event spaces. De Utrechter has been located on the ground floor since 1 October 2017.