In order to uncover the extensive and varied maritime history of the Netherlands, the Cultural Heritage Agency of the Netherlands (Rijksdienst voor het Cultureel Erfgoed, RCE) has invited volunteers and students to conduct regional research in 2020 and 2021. This '13 Provinces' project focuses on local stories of the twelve provinces of the Netherlands and the North Sea. In the near future the Dutch Heritage Act will be amended to offer volunteers more research possibilities.

With this project, the RCE wants to stimulate research on maritime heritage. The research results of the 13 Provinces project have been added to MaSS for knowledge exchange.'