Two years ago, the Forus Foundation, together with Rocket Minds as part of the development team, started automating subsidies for the Groningen municipality Zuidhorn.

In this, the ideology of blockchain technology is used to automate the validation and dissemination of government subsidies. This system is fraud proof and does not require a central party anymore. Altogether it has become an innovative system that can disseminate government welfare in a faster, safer, and cheaper manner.

The “Kindpakket” (Childpackage) system that Forus and Rocket Minds have developed has drawn a lot of media attention. Underneath you will read about the articles that commented on this innovative software solution.

Kindpakket in the media

During their broadcast, NPO Radio 1 spoke about Blockchain technology, the system behind bitcoin and other cryptocurrencies, that is being experimented with in Dutch governments. In this, the Groningen municipality Zuidhorn has realized the first tangible result of the Netherlands by disseminating “Kindpakket,” extra money for low-income families, via a system that uses the ideology behind blockchain.

For more information, you can listen to the complete broadcast on NPO Radio 1.

EenVandaag

EénVandaag went into depth about the Kindpakket system and wrote that we’re currently in the holy grail of the technology world, not “in Silicon Valley” but in Zuidhorn, a municipality with barely 20.000 citizens. By granting about 80 households with around 200 children a QR-code, these parents can buy necessary items at 12 different stores in Zuidhorn. In order to receive their payment, these shop owners now simply scan personalized QR-codes. The database that is linked to these codes keeps track of the code’s validity for the respective shop and what the current balance of the welfare recipient is. Consequently, there is no actual money distribution needed anymore, which ensures that welfare grants cannot be spent on products such as liquor or cigarettes.

Click here to read more about the blockchain experiments in other municipalities.

De Groene Amsterdammer

De Groene Amsterdammer writes that in their application of the kindpakket, the Netherlands has reached ahead of renowned blockchain hubs such as Dubai and Singapore. There are currently running 30 different blockchain experiments across Dutch municipalities and ministries, but none have gotten as far as municipality Zuidhorn yet. In an interview with 33-year-old Kindpakket recipient Rylana, the difference with other government subsidies became apparent: whenever anything changes in her income situation now, Rylana has to check all her papers to find out whether or not she might get too much or too little from other sources. Rylana explains that if she makes just 1 mistake, there is a chance that she has to pay all her subsidies back – an extremely inconvenient system indeed.

However, as the ministry of Economic Affairs explains, the ideology behind blockchain facilitates trust in a digital form, and therefore people like Rylana will not have to make their own calculations anymore. Everything is effectively managed by an algorithm that allows Rylana and her peers to shop for their necessary items while shop owners are ensured of valid payments.

Click here to read the complete article about the mindset behind blockchain technology

Kindpakket Award

DRTV Noord writes that this special edition of the “Kindpakket”, which supports children living in poverty, has gotten the municipality Zuidhorn a nomination for the “Gemeente Pioniers Award 2018.” By managing this welfare system via blockchain technology, municipality Zuidhorn does not have to be the central hub anymore. The announcement of municipality Zuidhorn as winner of the 6 nominated parties at the congress “Back to the Future” in Utrecht has put the technology of the Kindpakket in the spotlight.

The complete article can be found on RTV Noord

From municipality to pioneer is what Gemeente Pioniers appraisingly wrote about municipality Zuidhorn when it won the jury prize for the Kindpakket. The jury was very impressed by the progressive and user-friendly system that developers Forus and Rocket Minds created and they thanked them for their invaluable contribution.

Click here to read the complete article about the mindset behind blockchain technology