onrendabel

Onrendabel is an adjective used in Dutch to describe something that is not financially profitable or viable. In economic and planning contexts, a project, investment, or activity is considered onrendabel when its expected costs exceed the anticipated benefits, making it unattractive from a financial standpoint. The term is often used in contrast with rendabel, meaning profitable or yielding a positive return.

Originating from the negating prefix on- and the word rendabel (from rendement, yield), onrendabel conveys a lack of economic yield. The concept is commonly applied in business planning, public policy, and project feasibility assessments to evaluate whether a venture should be pursued.

In practice, whether something is onrendabel is determined through financial analysis tools such as net present value (NPV), internal rate of return (IRR), payback period, and return on investment (ROI). If projected returns fail to cover capital costs, operating expenses, and required risk-adjusted returns, the option is deemed onrendabel.

Examples include a capital-intensive infrastructure project with a long payback period in a market with low pricing or volatile demand, or a manufacturing investment with high maintenance costs and uncertain future revenues. In such cases, alternative strategies, such as cost reduction, technological upgrades, or abandoning the project, may be considered.

See also: rendabel, niet rendabel, non-viable, economic feasibility. Etymology and usage notes: the term is chiefly found in Dutch-language economic and strategic planning literature.