Across Europe, business associations and SME networks face a similar challenge: navigating an increasingly dense and multi-layered policy environment spanning local, regional, national, and EU institutions. Limited resources make it difficult to keep pace with fast-moving regulatory changes while still providing clear, actionable guidance to members. The experience of MKB The Hague illustrates how even small teams can regain strategic control through structured political monitoring and AI-driven intelligence. Their approach shows a model that is directly applicable across EU markets, where proactive insight is becoming essential for effective advocacy.
In the heart of the political capital of the Netherlands, MKB The Hague works locally to represent the interests of medium-sized and small businesses. With a large and engaged network, MKB The Hague connects local entrepreneurs and makes their voice heard within the municipality and political landscape. In doing so, MKB The Hague advocates for the interests of The Hague’s business community on topics such as shopping areas, the labour market, sustainability, and mobility initiatives, including zero-emission zones. Through advocacy and the organisation of numerous knowledge-driven networking events, MKB The Hague aims to strengthen the entrepreneurial climate and the local economy. Chairman Pieter Scholten, with his extensive experience as an entrepreneur, knows better than anyone what business owners are dealing with. We sat down with him to discuss political monitoring and Polpo’s role in this process.
What exactly does MKB The Hague do, and what do you focus on?
MKB The Hague is an advocacy organisation created by and for entrepreneurs. Because the organisation consists of business owners, it knows precisely which issues genuinely matter to SMEs. The work is varied: from connecting entrepreneurs and policymakers to running lobbying projects. Pieter explains: “To improve the entrepreneurial climate in The Hague, as well as in border areas around South Holland, we lobby at three different levels. We lobby towards the municipality, the province, and we try to influence national policy wherever it is relevant. Thanks to our close lines of communication at all three levels, we can actively support both entrepreneurs and policymakers.”
How does political monitoring contribute to your goals?
“The purpose of political monitoring in our work is simple: we want to act proactively rather than reactively. As an organisation, you must be positioned at the front end if you want to represent interests effectively. When you are at the front end, a legislative proposal or motion does not take you by surprise, you are there when the discussions take place. This allows you to steer policy in time and avoid unwelcome surprises.” Pieter also stresses that MKB The Hague responds quickly to political developments, enabling members to stay informed about upcoming or changing regulations. Because the organisation deals with policy at different administrative levels, the amount of information and regulation quickly becomes complex. Precisely to translate that complexity into clear and practical information for entrepreneurs in The Hague, political monitoring is indispensable for MKB The Hague.
Which topics do you mainly monitor?
The board members of MKB The Hague are volunteers, and the office consists of a small team of 2.5 FTE. This means we must work smartly with the limited time and manpower available. That is why we focus mainly on the themes where we can make the greatest difference: our “hot topics.” These are subjects from MKB The Hague’s election manifesto that are monitored closely for five years. This way time is allocated as efficiently as possible. Pieter explains: “We closely monitor topics like accessibility, divided into issues such as road networks and international rail connections. Recently, zero-emission zones have been especially important for our members. These zones have a major impact on accessibility and the logistical operations of businesses in The Hague. Think, for instance, of the consequences for deliveries, fleet choices, and operational expenses. Monitoring helps us and other entrepreneurs quickly adapt and find solutions.”
How does Polpo support your political monitoring process?
“The biggest advantage Polpo offers us is time savings. Previously, our monitoring process was done manually. That meant manually going through all political agendas and gathering information from dozens of different websites.” Unsurprisingly, this took a great deal of time and manpower. Thanks to Polpo, the monitoring process is now much faster. For example, the smart AI filter delivers exactly the right information, eliminating the need for manual filtering. And it does not take long to get used to the tool: “even as a freewheeler, Polpo is easy and intuitive to use and customize.” On top of that, the AI summaries make it possible to understand the essence of complex content immediately.