What makes Lunch Bunch unique is that their intensive guidance on the work floor - as well as in the personal lives of their employees - ensures that the relapse rate is significantly lower than average solutions in the market. Besides leading to more (work) happiness for these people, this represents significant cost savings for the Municipality of Rotterdam. Finally, Lunch Bunch customers feel good about their orders because they directly contribute to 'Bread on the table for everyone' - the social enterprise's mission.

Robin has personally experienced how difficult it is to face barriers to the job market. After his own challenges with mental health, he understands the loneliness and hopelessness that can accompany such struggles. What stayed with him most from that dark period was the lack of support when he needed it most.

His life mission is therefore to ensure that as few people as possible have to experience what he went through. This personal commitment evolved into a healthy business model that combines delicious, eco-friendly meals with meaningful employment. Robin's unconditional approach to supporting his team members reflects his belief that everyone is valuable and deserves a chance to use their talents.

"Just when I thought I had nowhere left to turn, Lunch Bunch came into my life. After a period of rehabilitation, I am now training to become a Personal Social Care Counselor and can help people at Lunch Bunch who, like myself in the past, need support."

— Nadia, who now coaches others on the work floor

The company's impact extends beyond its social mission. Lunch Bunch is also committed to sustainability by minimizing food waste, using sustainable packaging materials, and incorporating eco-friendly and local ingredients throughout all their operations. By the end of 2023, Lunch Bunch had production locations in Feijenoord and the iconic Van Nelle Factory, serving companies across Rotterdam. Despite this initial success, Robin realized that scaling the business would require additional strategic expertise and significant investment to maximize both business performance and social impact.

After attending a Generous Minds presentation at Bakkie Impact Rotterdam in March 2023, Robin was impressed by our integrated approach that combines expertise ("Minds") with access to investments ("Money"). He made a "mental note" that this was exactly the kind of partnership and DNA that would be a good fit for Lunch Bunch. In October 2023, he reached out to Generous Minds to take Lunch Bunch to the next level.

The collaboration began with Generous Minds' signature Covestment process – an intensive, comprehensive evaluation of the enterprise from multiple perspectives. Led by Sabine Beuk, Petra Benes, and Jurek Hryniuk from Generous Minds, together with Robin and Sanne, a talented young Lunch Bunch employee, every aspect of the organization was examined. We identified what was already going very well, what could be improved, and made plans with several Minds who had the necessary expertise that Robin didn't have in-house.

Robin described the Covestment process as intensive but enormously valuable, as it provided Lunch Bunch with a framework to professionalize its operations. As an entrepreneur, you don't build in enough of this kind of 'valuable slowness.' But when you take the time for it, you discover how important it is to do this regularly.

The Covestment identified several key areas of focus:

• Financial structure: Developing a robust financial model to support expansion, led by Rebecca Irvine from Protiviti

• Legal framework: Upgrading legal structures to manage risks while safeguarding the social mission, with guidance from Paul Passenier at INC. Legal

• Impact measurement: Creating a Theory of Change to systematically track, monitor, and report social outcomes, developed by Pablo Groglopo, Ronald Lewerissa, and Jurek Hryniuk. This model is simultaneously linked to the financial model.

• Brand positioning: Strengthening Lunch Bunch's market differentiation, led by Jeroen Slappendel

• Growth strategy: Optimizing the go-to-market approach for scaling, with strategic input from Sabine Beuk

• Leadership development: Training a COO to complement Robin's visionary leadership, supported by Jan Willem Elffers and Denise Krul from Search4Better

• Digital infrastructure: Building the data-driven foundation needed for expansion, guided by Fer Kitzen

Generous Minds assembled this multidisciplinary team of experts to address each area, giving Lunch Bunch access to specialized knowledge that would normally be out of reach for a social enterprise of this size. The collaboration resulted in Lunch Bunch becoming investment-ready, which gave us the confidence to share Lunch Bunch with our Generous Money network. This quickly led to an introduction to the Social Impact Fund Rotterdam (SIF-R) in February 2024.

When Robin presented to SIF-R, the combination of his authentic personal story and the thoroughly prepared business case made an immediate impression. Bart Meijs, the director of SIF-R, noted that he had never seen an entrepreneur so well-prepared with such a strong business case and also considered Lunch Bunch investment-ready. Robin presents his story so openly and personally that it brought tears to the eyes of those present. A truly beautiful moment, in which we were reminded again how special it is to work with like-minded people for greater impact.

What followed was a funding journey characterized by transparency and alignment on equal terms. All parties agreed to establish conditions without the typical "negotiation room" – resulting in fair terms that Robin immediately accepted. According to SIF-R, it was the fastest and most pleasant negotiation process ever.

SIF-R made a Technical Assistance budget of €50,000 available for Lunch Bunch in November 2024, allowing the key improvements identified during the Covestment to be implemented.

The transition fund "Rotterdam de boer op!" showed interest in co-investing once SIF-R's funding was secured.

In March 2025, after 18 months of intensive collaboration, Lunch Bunch secured €565,000 in funding from SIF-R – positioning the company for significant expansion of both its business operations and social impact. The funding request also included the other focus areas with corresponding Minds plans, allowing Robin and his team to immediately continue with Lunch Bunch's further development.

Robin about our collaboration: For us at Lunch Bunch, it's about more than just delicious catering – we want to contribute to connection, community, and a more sustainable world with every meal. Generous Minds helps us sharpen that mission and truly bring it to life. Through their constructive questions and excellent collaboration, they've helped us clearly see what our impact is – and how we can increase it. They know how to translate our ideas into a concrete approach that works and fits us. What makes Generous Minds special is that they really stand beside you as an entrepreneur and help you make your goals clear and achievable. Thanks to their support, we know better where we want to go, how to get there, and we've found the necessary capital to realize our dream."

The investment has enabled Lunch Bunch to open two new locations: managing the canteen at the Van Nelle Factory and establishing a production facility at Hof van Charlois – previously a day activity center. These strategic expansions allow Lunch Bunch to create impact in some of Rotterdam's most vulnerable neighborhoods.

Looking ahead, Lunch Bunch plans to further expand throughout Rotterdam in 2025 while preparing to enter The Hague in 2026. With each new location, more employment and training opportunities will become available for people with anxiety and depression disorders and young adults from special education.

Generous Minds continues to play an active role, with the involved Minds completing their work. Hans van den Ende remains connected to Lunch Bunch as a Mind to maintain close alignment between Lunch Bunch and SIF-R and to ensure smooth implementation of the growth strategy. He is supported by Allan Kamp, a fellow Mind. We continuously assess what Robin can best handle himself, where we can leverage the network and expertise of SIF-R, and where to deploy our own Minds. Together, we constantly seek what works best to achieve Lunch Bunch's mission.

The Lunch Bunch story is a perfect example of the power of Generous Minds' Integrated Capital approach in supporting social enterprises. By combining strategic expertise across multiple disciplines with access to impact-focused capital, we help transform a promising local initiative into a scalable social enterprise ready for regional growth. For Robin, the journey has strengthened his confidence in Lunch Bunch's professional growth as a company.

We look forward to all the exciting next steps that Robin and his team will take!