Our story

Bringing the fast-evolving IT world within your reach

In a world where IT developments are advancing rapidly, LINKIT helps organizations bridge the gap in the fast-evolving IT landscape. We make todays and tomorrow’s IT accessible for organizations, enabling them to grow and achieve their ambitions.

Realizing business ambitions

As an independent and privately owned IT partner, we make an impact with digital innovation, driven by the best knowledge in our expertise areas of low-code, cloud, data engineering, and functional consultancy We assist companies that want to stay ahead by tackling challenges in business automation, IT modernization and providing additional execution power with staffing of IT professionals.

Combining curious people, high-quality knowledge, and LINKIT’s innovative and sustainable solutions makes us unique as an IT partner. Through our 4D approach, our ecosystem, and proven execution power, we have secured a leading position in the market, earning the trust of clients such as Lidl, ASML, and KLM for over 25 years.

Our services

To realize your digital ambition, you need the right knowledge, people, solutions, and execution power. Whatever IT challenge you face, LINKIT can help you achieve this ambition.

Basis for preparation

The sustainability statements in this report are prepared on a consolidated basis, covering the parent company, LINKIT enterprise B.V. (“LINKIT”), and its subsidiaries controlled directly by LINKIT. The scope aligns with our financial statements and includes our own operations as well as activities across our value chain, including upstream, downstream, and internal processes.

The application of policies, actions, metrics, and targets varies depending on each topic. Details can be found in the relevant sections of this report.

We report on disclosures related to specific circumstances alongside the relevant disclosures.

Where estimates have been used, the methods and any associated uncertainties are detailed in the relevant sections of this report.

Any future restatements will be reported alongside the relevant data and determined based on their significance.

Management responsibilities

Diversity of the Advisory Board and Board

Information on the diversity of the Advisory Board and Board, including the gender breakdown of both groups, is provided in the Social section of this report.

Addressing sustainability matters within LINKIT

The organization, through our CEO, is kept informed on a quarterly basis, with sustainability matters addressed in both strategic reviews and daily operations. The CSRD Team plays an active role in overseeing these topics, ensuring that sustainability risks, opportunities, and impacts are consistently monitored and reported.

The key processes for addressing sustainability matters include:

Q1: Annual reporting

In the first quarter, the Board reviews and approves the Annual Report. This report provides stakeholders with an overview of sustainability progress, policies, actions, and related metrics or targets.

Q2: Gap analysis

The Board and the CSRD Team analyze the gaps between our current performance and established sustainability goals, defining long-term priorities.

Q3: Target update

We update our sustainability goals based on the latest data and insights. As we learn from our ongoing initiatives, we monitor if our targets remain ambitious yet achievable.

Q4: Reporting updates & impact review

During the fourth quarter, the CSRD team reviews updates on the material IROs, assessing how they impact the reporting scope. The team ensures all relevant ESRS standards, disclosures, and data points are included in the data collection process. Additionally, the CSRD team reviews the actions taken this year and sets its goals for the next.

Our full workforce stays informed on sustainability initiatives through quarterly updates in our Clubday Update and newsletter, ensuring transparency across the company.

Incentive schemes

There are currently no formal incentive schemes, related to sustainability performance, in place at LINKIT. We focus on integrating sustainability into our overall business strategy and monitor our performance through regular reporting and oversight by the Board and the CSRD Team.

Sustainability reporting risk management

Following our pre-implementation of CSRD in 2023, we have strengthened our internal control systems for sustainability reporting in 2024 while staying adaptable to the evolving regulatory environment brought on by the omnibus laws. We continue to use CSRD as our foundation but are actively evaluating the new regulations to determine necessary adjustments. Our expanded internal controls aim to minimize risks related to data accuracy, completeness, and compliance, and are reviewed regularly in close collaboration with our internal data owners.

Our primary risk remains data availability from our value chain, where we lack direct control, so our CSRD Team is mapping out Scope 3 data requirements and building robust collection processes. As regulations evolve, we will refine our approach to external assurance to ensure full transparency and accountability.

Strategy, business model and value chain

LINKIT delivers business automation, IT modernization and staffing solutions for a wide range of clients, including private enterprises and public institutions. Our value chain spans upstream suppliers, our own operations, downstream clients, and broader outcomes, ensuring the delivery of high-quality digital solutions.

Read more about our business

Our material IROs are primarily located within our own operations, for example, relating to our workforce. These operations are the foundation of our business model, driving the success of both our IT staffing services and project delivery.

In our upstream value chain, key dependencies include talent acquisition and suppliers of software that enable us to build and deliver our solutions. Downstream, our value chain encompasses the implementation of IT solutions by our clients, as well as the environmental impact of decommissioned hardware and resource use. Our business model and sustainability strategy are shaped by these dependencies, which are carefully considered during our DMA.

Interests and views of stakeholders

Staying connected with our stakeholders is essential to remaining relevant and effectively aligning our strategy with their expectations and needs. Our key stakeholders include employees, clients, and suppliers. Their insights help shape our strategy and drive targeted improvements in our operations. 

Each year, we conduct a comprehensive context analysis led by the Manager Quality & Security. This analysis examines changes in our market, customer expectations, legislation, and broader DESTEP factors. The results are presented to the Board during the Management Review. Based on these insights, necessary adjustments are made to our strategy and policies. Additionally, we continuously gather feedback through our LINKIT (Contractor) Survey, which is sent out during and after each assignment to assess the quality of our professionals and services. 

For our DMA, we conducted additional research, including an employee survey, a supplier and customer survey, and a sustainability analysis of our client base. Based on this research, we identified our material topics that influence our strategic decisions and how we create value within our organization and value chain. 

Within our own operations, we have started taking concrete steps to integrate sustainability structurally. We have signed the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DE&I) Charter and implemented a DE&I policy, we offer employees an open training budget and provide continuous security awareness training. Additionally, we have set a maximum CO₂ emissions threshold for leased cars and we invest in well-being initiatives and confidential advisors to nurture a healthy and safe working environment. 

Within our value chain, we are making progress in embedding sustainability. Currently, we do not have sustainability criteria for our upstream suppliers, but we have begun developing a sustainable procurement policy. In our downstream activities, such as IT staffing and projects in business automation and IT modernization, we aim to experiment with sustainable solutions that drive technological advancement while also considering social and environmental impact. 

In addition to the annual context analysis and Management Review, sustainability is explicitly discussed once a year in the meeting between the Advisory Board and the Board. The CSRD Team monitors progress and reports updates to the management team, while all employees are kept informed on a quarterly basis via our Clubday Update and Bits & Bytes events. This ensures that stakeholder interests are not only considered in policymaking but are also translated into our daily operations. 

Key stakeholders

Staying relevant in the rapidly evolving IT landscape is a priority to us. To achieve this, we seek input from our key stakeholders, whose insights and expectations shape our strategy and actions.

Double materiality assessment result

LINKIT’s identified IROs are directly linked to our core business model, which focuses on IT consultancy, services, and digital transformation. The material topics identified in this assessment are closely tied to our internal operations and extend to key stakeholders, including employees, clients, end-users, and suppliers. 

The material environmental IROs relate to the company’s resource consumption, carbon footprint, and responsible procurement. LINKIT operates in a low-emission sector compared to industries with direct production footprints, but its digital infrastructure and hardware use contribute to environmental impacts, including energy consumption and e-waste generation. We now actively mitigate these risks through maximization of car emissions and responsible waste management practices. However, the negative environmental effects of digital infrastructure extend beyond LINKIT’s operational boundaries, as global IT resource consumption and emissions are systemic challenges. 

From a social perspective, LINKIT’s material IROs largely revolve around employee well-being, diversity, and the ethical use of digital technologies. Sector-specific challenges, such as high workload, skills shortages, and inclusion gaps, are potential risks affecting workforce sustainability. To address these, LINKIT prioritizes talent development, dedicating a significant portion of employee time to upskilling and certifications. Additionally, ethical data management remains a core focus, ensuring compliance with evolving regulations and protecting user privacy. Our services contribute positively by driving digital inclusion and supporting public and private sector digital transformation. 

The financial materiality of these IROs is reflected in LINKIT’s risk exposure and resilience. Compliance with IT security standards and data protection regulations minimizes legal and financial risks. Investment in employee retention and training strengthens long-term competitiveness, reducing recruitment costs and enhancing service quality. The growing demand for sustainable IT solutions also presents market opportunities, reinforcing LINKIT’s strategic positioning. 

As part of its evolving materiality assessment process, we are integrating ESG risk management into our governance structures, ensuring that sustainability is embedded in decision-making. The ongoing assessment of material IROs ensures that LINKIT remains proactive in identifying and addressing emerging risks while leveraging opportunities for sustainable growth.

Policy overview

Below you can find our most significant policies that help us manage our impacts, risks, and opportunities.

Climate change mitigation

As a growing IT service company, we acknowledge our responsibility to reduce the climate-related impact of our business activities. While our overall footprint is relatively limited, we find it important to explore and implement meaningful climate actions within our span of control.

We do not currently have a formal transition plan in place to ensure our strategy and business model align with this. That said, we’ve started laying the groundwork by assessing the best way forward, using the CSRD as a foundation.

At the end of 2025, we’ll kick off the development of our transition plan. This will include setting our climate goals for 2026 and identifying the key actions needed to get there. Our focus is on creating a clear, actionable roadmap to integrate climate mitigation into our business strategy and operations.

Climate related risks

As part of our 2023 DMA analysis, we have assessed potential climate-related risks or hazards. Based on this assessment, we consider our business model, assets, and locations to be exposed to a low level of climate-related risks. Our resilience to these risks is high, as our operations are not directly impacted by physical climate risks.  Additionally, we have not identified any physical risks related to our business model, locations, or business activities. Given the nature of our work and industry, we do not expect immediate exposure to significant risks that could disrupt our operations or financial performance. 

Our focus remains on the short- to medium-term impact, prioritizing the activities we understand well. While we currently have limited insights into potential value chain risks that could indirectly affect us, we now assess these risks as unlikely to have a material impact on our performance or financials. At this stage, we do not see our identified climate-related risks directly influencing our overall business model or strategy in the short- or medium-term. However, we remain committed to staying informed and adapting where necessary to align with evolving climate-related expectations.

Environmental policies

We do not have formal environmental policies in place at this moment. However, we recognize the importance of sustainability and are actively taking steps to reduce our environmental impact.

Our journey toward reducing carbon emissions is still in its early stages. We have accounted for Scope 1 and 2 emissions and are working towards expanding our efforts to include Scope 3. A particular area of focus is business travel, where we are currently researching requirements to ensure we make informed, effective choices for reducing emissions. 

While our approach is still developing, we are committed to integrating sustainability into our operations and continuously exploring ways to improve our environmental performance.

Before the implementation of CSRD, we had already taken steps to mitigate our environmental impact. We have limited emissions from lease cars, analyzed our building’s energy consumption, and implemented waste reduction measures.

Additionally, we are focusing on establishing a solid foundation for our reporting practices to ensure transparency and accountability in our climate efforts. Based on our current assessment, we do not anticipate the need for significant resource allocation to take the next steps in our climate action plans.

We have not yet established specific environmental targets. Towards the end of 2025, we will set concrete targets to guide our efforts in reducing our environmental impact.

The energy consumption and mix figures presented here are based solely on our Netherlands business activities, the largest share of our operations, as we work to complete the full scope of LINKIT enterprise.

Scope 1

Scope 1 covers direct emissions from our own operations, such as fuel in company-leased vehicles or heating in our offices. These are emissions we have the greatest control over, and therefore they’re a primary focus for reduction initiatives.

Accounting principles

Scope 1 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions refer to the direct emissions from sources that are owned or controlled by LINKIT. Direct GHG emissions comprise the sum of greenhouse gases, which are converted to CO₂ equivalents.

Scope 2

Scope 2 refers to indirect emissions associated with the purchase of electricity, steam, heating, or cooling. Although these emissions occur at the utility provider’s facilities rather than on our premises, they are part of our operational footprint.

Accounting principles

Scope 2 greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions refer to the indirect emissions resulting from the generation of purchased energy that is used by an organization. Scope 2 emissions occur at the facility where the energy is generated, thus being classified as indirect emissions. 

Scope 3

Scope 3 includes indirect emissions from our value chain, such as business travel, employee commuting, waste disposal, and procurement. While we recognize the importance of these emissions, we are still in the process of gathering comprehensive data for a full assessment. As we refine our methodologies, future reports will provide more detailed Scope 3 information.

Policies

We see our people as the most important asset of our business, and it’s an important task to look after them. Without our employees, our services simply couldn’t exist. The CSRD helps us to improve our care and create an excellent environment for our employees to thrive in.

To meet and excel the standards aligns with LINKIT’s pillar of staying relevant. Not only for our customers with the solutions we bring them, but for our own people as well. We want to make sure that our current employees, together with employees we will welcome in the future, feel safe and taken care off. We do not want to be just any employer, but one of the best in our field.

In the table below you’ll find our policies to manage workforce topics. These policies address the material topics that might have an impact on our employees. These policies and manuals show our dedication in creating and maintaining a safe and carefree work environment. We make sure that our policies fit our own standards and internationally recognized standards as well.

Engaging with our people

At LINKIT, our employees are Explorers, free to seek new solutions and push boundaries. We aim to provide an environment where development, excellence, and inspiration are the norm. We keep everyone informed about our company’s direction, and we equally value their input on how we work and where we’re headed.

Surveys

We use an annual Employee Satisfaction Survey to measure overall engagement and identify areas for improvement. This survey is facilitated by an external party to ensure confidentiality and provide honest feedback. The results guide our HR policies and help us create action plans that address our employees’ needs. Starting in 2025, we will also conduct a yearly CSR Survey each January, which allows us to measure work-related travel in line with mandatory reporting requirements, capture employees’ perspectives on key material topics, and gather suggestions for possible sustainability initiatives.

Events

To create a sense of unity, learning, and well-being, we organize several in-person gatherings. Each quarter, we hold Bits & Bytes sessions where the Board shares strategic updates and we take time together to socialize. We host weekly Clubdays at our office to bring employees together for collaboration and check-ins. Well-being events are another important part of our culture, offering informal settings for team building and strengthening our community. By combining regular communication with opportunities for feedback, collaboration, and personal growth, we strive to make LINKIT a place where everyone feels seen, heard, and empowered to explore new paths.

Channels to raise concerns

A safe work environment is important. That’s why we work hard to create one. If something turns out not to be safe, or if someone is not treated correctly, we want to hear about it. By sharing concerns, we can ensure a safe working environment together on all fronts.

LINKIT confidants

Our LINKIT confidants are trusted colleagues employees can talk to about any concerns. Their names and contact information can be found on our intranet and in our employee handbook. Each Confidant has been trained for this role. For each situation, they determine the most suitable approach and who needs to be involved. They operate independently from our HR team; HR only steps in if it’s necessary and requested. HR also makes sure we follow all Dutch regulations.

Whistleblower system

Our whistleblower procedure offers a secure way for employees to report serious concerns about illegal or unethical practices that could harm our organization or the public interest. In such cases, we treat every report confidentially, assess whether an independent investigation is warranted, and keep the person who reported the issue informed about the outcome. Individuals who submit a report in good faith and follow the proper steps are protected against negative consequences in their work.

IT Issue Mechanism

As an IT company, data security and privacy are naturally very important. That’s why we have various systems in place to safeguard our data and privacy.

If a data breach is discovered, or if there is a suspicion of one, we investigate immediately. We do what is needed to secure our data again and to comply with laws and regulations. Any data breaches are documented in a dedicated report.

Employees can find information about data security and privacy on the intranet, in the employee handbook, and in our IT code of conduct. We also offer courses through the Phished Academy, where every Explorer can learn about the laws and regulations around data security and privacy. Our Manager Quality & Security ensures we meet all legal requirements.

Managing impacts on our people

We do everything we can to create a comfortable, stimulating work environment where people feel good and genuinely want to be. That’s why our policies, procedures, and processes are designed to encourage positive outcomes and prevent negative effects.

To make sure we achieve this, we regularly ask our employees for feedback. We do this through employee satisfaction surveys, informal gatherings, and formal HR channels. We use this input to monitor the progress of our policies and to see whether our efforts align with our employees’ needs.

HR manages and oversees the channels and actions we use for this purpose. If necessary, they suggest new channels and implement them. Of course, we handle any data gathered through these channels in accordance with our privacy policy, treating all information with strict confidentiality. This way we create space for honest and constructive feedback.

Actions taken

• We have appointed new LINKIT confidants and provided them with the necessary training.
• We have conducted DE&I training for our leadership team, signed the Diversity Charter, and established a DE&I policy.
• We have developed a leadership training program that includes bias awareness.
• We have updated our health policy and communicated it across the organization.

Long-term goals

Looking ahead, we see it as our responsibility to promote equality and inclusion. In our workplace and across the industry. We recognize complex challenges such as the gender gap and issues around inclusion. Together with other players in the sector, we’re committed to contributing to solutions for these challenges.

The actions we took in 2024 will continue in the coming years, and we’ll keep monitoring their progress to ensure they have the positive impact we aim for. We also remain committed to training and developing our employees, as we see this has a very positive effect on our teams.

We work hard to guarantee good working conditions and to protect labor rights. However, we don’t report on specific measures here. Doing so would only show that we comply with regulations and human rights standards, without reflecting the real impact on our employees. We will maintain a high standard when it comes to a supportive workplace where everyone is treated fairly and with respect.

Targets

For better readability, our goals will be placed alongside the relevant data points.

Gender distribution in management

Age distribution

Social protection

We ensure that our employees are covered against loss of income due to major life-changing events, such as sickness, occupational injury, parental leave, and retirement, in accordance with employment terms and conditions described in employee handbooks and contracts.

Persons with disabilities

Due to legal restrictions under the EU General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) covering all EU member states and EEA countries, as well as similar principles of personal data protection through national legislation in the countries we operate in outside the EU and EEA, we are unable to report on the number of persons with disabilities within our organisation.

Training skills and development

Health and safety

The nature of our work does isn’t heavily physical. Therefore, our workplace is not characterized by frequent work-related injuries.

Sickness

Psychosocial safety

Family-related leave

Work-life balance

Pay equity

Total annual renumeration

Discrimination incidents reported and complaints filed

Business conduct policies and corporate culture

All information regarding our corporate culture can be found in the Explorer Guide. Our employee manual outlines our commitment to ethical standards, compliance with applicable legislation, and the values we share. This guide sets the foundation for integrity, responsibility, and transparency across our organization. All our policies are communicated and readily accessible to our workforce through regular Clubday updates and our intranet, ensuring everyone is informed and aligned with our expectations.

Whistleblower procedure

We believe in transparency and accountability. Anyone who becomes aware of potential or actual violations of LINKIT policies is encouraged to report these concerns through various channels, whether by speaking with a project or department manager, or by reaching out to our confidants. For serious issues, including violations of EU law under the Whistleblower Directive, our Whistleblower System provides an independent, autonomous, and fully anonymous channel to report misconduct such as corruption, bribery, fraud, sexual harassment, issues in public procurement, and environmental protection. Detailed information on the Whistleblower System, including a comprehensive description in our Whistleblower Policy, is available on our intranet for both our employees and relevant external stakeholders.

Information Security Policies

We stand for safe and reliable working. We handle data responsibly and believe it is important that our customers and employees trust us and our approach. Our information security policy helps us make this a reality. We protect information and personal data against threats, both internal and external, intentional and unintentional. In doing so, we safeguard the continuity and reputation of both ourselves and our customers, thereby preventing financial damage.

Available, reliable, and secure

The primary objective of our information security policy is to support our strategy. The policy does this in several ways:

• Thanks to the policy, our key applications and information are always readily available.
• The policy ensures that our data is reliable, enabling us to make sound management, financial, and commercial decisions and to report honestly and comprehensively.
• The policy ensures that personal data and competitively sensitive information remain confidential. We also extend this protection to our customers when necessary.

We actively ensure that our information security policy remains up-to-date, relevant, and fully complied with. Our policy is audited annually as part of our ISO27001 certification, and all employees receive regular training in our methods and procedures.

Engaging with consumers and end-users

We enjoy working together with our customers and suppliers. To ensure that they also commit to handling data with integrity, reliability, and safety, we have embedded several processes. These processes include agreements on transparency, guidelines on data handling in accordance with our privacy statement, and instructions on how privacy rights can be exercised.

Surveys

Through various surveys, we monitor our efforts and assess the reliability of our suppliers.

• We send the LINKIT Contractor Survey after each customer assignment, which provides insight into the quality of our service and our employees.
  • We ask every supplier to complete a survey.
  • For suppliers we have not previously worked with, we request data on both the supplier and the professional who will be engaged; for those we have worked with before, we only request information about the professional who is deployed.
• Self-Employed Contractor Survey
• Fee Party Survey.

Our Manager Quality conducts an annual context analysis, and based on its outcomes, we implement changes as needed. The context analysis and any potential changes are presented to the Board.

Accessibility

Digital accessibility is an important part of our work. During a product’s testing phase, we strive to involve end users in testing, as they are best placed to determine whether a product is truly accessible. We advise our customers to involve end users in the design and testing phases as well, especially for public products used by many people.

The project manager, together with the project team, reviews the feedback received from end users during testing and adjusts the product accordingly, if necessary. Even after delivery, we continue to advise our customers based on end user feedback.

Data leaks or cyber incidents

If a data breach or any other digital incident occurs, we take immediate action. Our protocols are triggered, and if necessary, we involve local authorities and the individuals impacted by the incident. If individuals wish, they can request LINKIT to delete their data in accordance with GDPR regulations, and we comply with such requests whenever possible.

Channels to raise concerns

We do everything we can to keep our customers and employees satisfied and our data secure. However, things don’t always go as planned. To address such issues, we have established a complaint procedure for general concerns and a reporting procedure for privacy matters.

Complaint procedure

Here’s how our complaint procedure works:

• A complaint can be submitted via email (klachten@linkit.nl) or through the form on our website.
• The complaint is assigned to the relevant account manager, who is responsible for resolving it.
• The person who submitted the complaint will receive an acknowledgment within one business day.
• Our account manager will contact the complainant by phone within three business days, or sooner if necessary, to discuss the required action.
• If the complainant is not satisfied with the actions taken, there are two avenues for escalation:
• Internal appeal: The complaint is discussed in full during the Management Team meeting, where the team also considers the customer’s viewpoint and proposed solution.
• External appeal: The complainant may escalate the dispute to a mediator or take it to court.

Channels to raise concerns

If there are concerns about the security of our data  or that of our customers, these can be raised in various ways:

• LINKIT can be reached by phone, email, or through the response form on our website, and a formal complaint can also be submitted.
• Often, customers are approached directly with concerns about information security. While this is not a requirement on our part, any questions raised by customers are forwarded to the project team and management.
• Customers and end users can also express their concerns via our whistleblower system. Whistleblower reports are handled by an external law firm, which ensures that the whistleblower is protected.

Data breach reporting law

Since January 1, 2016, the Data Breach Reporting Act has been in force. If a (security) incident creates a significant risk of violating someone’s privacy, LINKIT reports it to the Dutch Data Protection Authority (AP). This may involve the privacy of a LINKIT employee, a candidate, or an employee of one of our customers.

When an incident involves personal data, we act very carefully. Every LINKIT employee is responsible for identifying incidents, from the loss of a laptop or phone to noticing a virus, malware, or stolen account information. If personal data is involved, the incident must be reported to the Privacy Officer. Initially, we refer to this as a LINKIT privacy incident. The Privacy Officer investigates the incident, reviews all circumstances, and then determines whether it should be reported to the AP and to those whose data is affected.

Managing impacts on consumers and end-users

LINKIT is ISO27001 certified. To maintain this certification, we implement stakeholder and risk management, a quality management system, and robust security measures. In addition, we set objectives that align with our certification requirements.

This year, we have once again taken significant steps to enhance the security of our business processes. Two key improvements:

• Outsourced Identification Check (Identification Act): we have outsourced our identification check to a specialized organization, resulting in a safer exchange of personal data and a professional verification process.
• New Architecture Model: we have developed a model for all our applications to ensure scalability, security, and manageability. This serves as a reference model for future developments.

Additionally, improvements have been made to our current risk management process using the RAVIB (Risk Analysis for Information Security) risk list. This list links (cybercrime) threats to mitigating measures based on the ISO27001 standard.

We regularly train our employees through our Phished Academy, where they learn to recognize security threats. Every three weeks, our team receives new information and exercises in their inbox to ensure their knowledge stays up to date.

We expect everyone to contribute to working safely and responsibly at LINKIT. Thanks to these systems and procedures, we ensure that our employees remain informed, continuously develop their skills, and share any concerns.

Targets