Secrid | Five years of supporting designers and giving them a platform

Before founding Secrid (known for its cardholders), René van Geer and Marianne van Sasse ran a design agency for twenty years. During that time, they saw just how much influence designers have on what the industry ultimately produces. But they also recognised how much promising ideas and designers need support and visibility. At the same time, they noticed that clients rarely asked what happens to a product once it is no longer in use.

Since 2017, Secrid has donated 1% of its annual turnover and more than 10% of its profits to projects that help tackle this issue. Since 2022, these contributions have been channelled through the Secrid Impact Fund. In collaboration with Dutch Design Foundation, they created what has now become a well-established platform for emerging talent: the Secrid Talent Podium.

For Secrid's founders, Dutch Design Foundation (DDF) was a natural partner in their search for an organisation to join forces with. According to Van Geer, DDF knows who is active in the Dutch design sector and brings together a valuable network, expertise and visibility. For Secrid, it was important that the initiative did not become a marketing project where major brands simply came to showcase their work.

The collaboration began in 2022, when Secrid entered into a partnership with DDF and What Design Can Do, driven by a shared belief that creativity is essential for a more sustainable industry and better products. According to Van Geer, the focus had to be on substance: genuine talent with groundbreaking ideas. Designers who just need that extra bit of support.

Each year, input from DDF helps shape a longlist of more than a hundred projects. Secrid and DDF then jointly select the most promising designers, who are ultimately given a place on the Secrid Talent Podium during Dutch Design Week.

DDF is also part of the jury. “At Dutch Design Foundation, they have followed the development of many designers over the years. This gives them insight into who has been struggling to make progress and who is really pushing forward. Many of the projects we come across have been in development for years. We see ourselves as just one step in a much longer journey,” Van Geer adds.

The selection also aims to represent a broad range of fields, from energy and building materials to fashion, food and healthcare.

“We see it as a platform for hope,” says Van Geer. “There's already so much negative news. It's wonderful to see how creative people, with all their enthusiasm, energy and imagination, can bring about positive change.”

To date, 46 designers have received support from the fund. There are too many inspiring examples to mention, but a few are worth highlighting.

One is Emy Bensdorp, who took part in the Talent Podium in 2023 with Claybens. Through this project, she developed a technique to transform PFAS-contaminated clay soil into 100% clean bricks. During Dutch Design Week 2023, she connected with the municipality of Doetinchem, which subsequently launched a pilot project with her. The idea didn't come from the brick industry, but from a creative outsider who had spent years developing it. Exactly the kind of fresh perspective Secrid hoped to encourage when the collaboration began.

Tom van Soest and Ward Massa are two other designers who received support from the fund. They participated in the Secrid Talent Podium in 2022 with StoneCycling, which they went on to develop into FRONT, an initiative aiming to become a leading platform for sustainable building materials in Europe. Van Soest now focuses on material research through his studio Blended Materials.

Bas Timmer of Sheltersuit, who also participated in the first Talent Podium, launched his own limited-edition collection with Secrid in 2024. For every wallet sold, €10 goes to the Sheltersuit Foundation. Secrid also launched a research project with Luc van Hoeckel (Super Local, 2023) and the Back to Nature Foundation in Kenya, exploring how to design a product together with local communities using locally available materials.

After five editions, the Secrid Talent Podium has built a strong reputation. Van Geer has noticed that selected designers are increasingly attracting the attention of funding organisations such as Stichting DOEN, Triodos Bank and Rabobank Foundation.

“Suddenly, a multiplier effect emerges,” says Secrid's co-owner. “With support from larger funds, designers can make an even greater impact.” With 46 designers supported so far, that impact has already become significant.

Meanwhile, Secrid is looking ahead. Following its first five editions, the brand is evaluating the Talent Podium and exploring how to develop it further.

“We want to strengthen our role in connecting designers with coaching and funding opportunities,” says Van Geer. “Because that's how we can really help promising design projects move forward.”

For the 2027 edition, an open call will be introduced for the first time, allowing designers to apply directly.