WTC The Hague Prinses Beatrixlaan 712 2595 BN Den Haag
Tel	:	070-344 15 44
Fax	:	070-385 35 31
Email	:	info@nchnl.nl
Web	:	www.handelsbevordering.nl

The Netherlands Council for trade Promotion (NCH) is one of the leading Dutch trade promotion organisations. The NCH was founded in 1946 by private industry people and operates since then as an independent private foundation (so it is not a government agency). Companies can become a member of NCH by entering one or more of the country business councils which work together with NCH in a federation. Ultimo 2002 NCH had in total approximately 800 corporate members, divided over about 60 business councils.

The main activities of NCH and its business councils are:

• organising information seminars and networking sessions about specific themes or countries.
• organising outgoing Dutch trade missions.
• organising programmes for incoming trade missions from other countries.
• organising Dutch participation at EU-sponsored trade programmes.
• organising Dutch participation at major international trade fairs.
• providing consultancy with regard to trade fairs.

Since NCH is not receiving government subsidies all activities have to be organised on a cost covering basis. Besides income earned by the above mentioned activities NCH receives income from membership fees and sponsorships.

In 2001 NCH and a group of Dutch Chambers of Commerce formed a strategic alliance with the aims of avoiding overlap in the national trade promotion programme and organising the joined activities in a more effective way (lower costs and higher income).

NCH is now in a process of expanding the number of regional business councils and reinforce the board of the business councils to make it to a network of leading Dutch business representatives. This world wide network of business councils under the umbrella of NCH is unique in The Netherlands and makes NCH different from other trade promotion organisations. Almost in every regional business council the Dutch government is represented by an observer in order to stimulate public-private cooperation in these councils.