Decide how funds are spent and keep full control of their purpose
Ensuring children have access to healthy school meals is a national priority in the Netherlands. In 2023, the Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science allocated €100 million to ensure children from low-income households have access to healthy school meals.
Families could receive support through free school lunches or a prepaid grocery card. These funds are earmarked, meaning they can only be spent on school meals, giving clear purpose and control.
We partnered with the Netherlands Red Cross to deliver a modern prepaid grocery card programme using programmable money. This solution replaces traditional store-specific food cards, reduces administrative pressure on schools, and gives families more freedom and dignity when buying healthy food.
The Netherlands Red Cross is part of the global Red Cross network and supports people in need across the country. It provides help in emergencies and ongoing challenges such as food insecurity.
Through the Schoolmaaltijden (School Meals) initiative, families receive prepaid grocery cards that are easy to use, reduce administrative work for schools, and ensure children can access the meals they need to learn effectively.
Previously, the Netherlands Red Cross used store-specific food cards. These were limited, time-consuming and difficult to manage. Families could only use them in certain stores and had no easy way to check their balance. Scaling the programme while keeping track of the earmarked funds was a challenge.
Together with the Netherlands Red Cross, we introduced prepaid VISA debit cards connected to a multilingual digital wallet. Cards are reloaded twice a month and allow families to check their balance anytime.
We manage the regulated financial infrastructure, giving the Red Cross full control and transparency over how the earmarked funds are spent. Families gain flexibility, schools and the Red Cross save time, and the process remains secure and compliant.
Together, the Netherlands Red Cross and Intersolve turned a limited, store-specific card system into a flexible and future-proof grocery card solution. Earmarked funds are managed securely and transparently, while families gain freedom and dignity, and schools and the Red Cross can focus on impact instead of administration.
-geconverteerd-van-jpg.webp)
.png)