How Progress Microfinance benefits SMEs in Europe – ORGA bouw, The Netherlands

Patrick Schreven, founder of ORGA bouw in the Netherlands, is specialised in bio-based construction and he gets his inspiration from nature to build houses, residential farms, dental care offices and a day-care building firmly integrated in its natural environment. The building projects carried out by ORGA bouw are addressing important environmental challenges through utilising sustainable and natural materials and reducing the ecological impact to a minimum. ORGA bouw was established in 2013 by Patrick, when Daan Bruggink, an influential Dutch eco-architect and founder of ORGA architect, was searching for ecological construction companies to carry out his biobased architectural concepts. In Patrick he found an ideal partner to collaborate with. The company gives a lot of thought to materials used in buildings to enable them to be more easily re-used rather than recycled. As such they construct with better designed reusable components from the start, in order to reduce the amount of waste. It is through their persistent belief in sustainable resources as a base for innovative construction, and the application of the key principles of circular economy, that the company is now ranked ninth among the Netherland’s 100 most innovative companies. In 2013, Patrick Schreven turned to Qredits, a nation-wide operating microfinance institution in the Netherlands, for an EU-guaranteed micro-loan (below EUR 25.000) backed by EIF under Progress Microfinance. The loan enabled Patrick to start his construction company, in the midst of the economic crisis. His goal was not only to build in an eco-friendly way, he also wanted to change the Dutch building industry. By using smart building methods he shows the possibilities of building “green” and still be affordable. ORGA bouw wants to take its vision of eco-building a step further: that is why Patrick is frequently giving lectures and workshops, sharing his know-how and experiences. He’s also continuously seeking ways to further innovate and as such he has partnered with manufacturers, universities and several technical colleges to research and develop sustainable and functional bio-based construction materials.

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