What Practical Learning Foundation does

Stichting Praktijkleren (Practical Learning Foundation) is a Dutch non-profit stichting (foundation) founded on 1 July 2006 through the merger of three predecessor bodies — BIT, CGL, and EBA — under a mandate from virtually all Dutch ROC schools (MBO, secondary vocational education). It is owned by, and operates for, all 37 regional ROC training centers in the Netherlands, with an additional footprint in Flanders (Belgium) through partner schools including GO! and Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen. The organization develops vocational learning materials and examination instruments across 12+ educational domains (ICT, Commerce, Retail, Business Services, Security, Events, VeVa, Public Safety, Niveau 2, Leidinggeven op basis van vakmanschap, Specialist Entrepreneur, and Entree), reaching approximately 60,000 students daily with a portfolio of more than 250 learning materials.

The core offering is built on three pillars: Leermiddelen (learning materials co-created with vocational teachers and industry professionals), Examens (practical, knowledge, and skills examinations administered through the Praktijkmeter digital assessment tool that replaces paper-based Word/Excel forms), and Training & Advies (professional development for teachers and managers). Supporting products include the Academy Support Centre (ICT certification pathways with Microsoft/Certiport and Palo Alto Networks), Digitale Vaardigheden examinations with InAspire, Maatwerk (custom development), and LinkedIn Learning integration for Flemish schools. The underlying platform runs on TYPO3 CMS with integrations to Entree/Kennisnet for SSO across 38+ ROCs, Salesforce/Pardot for CRM/marketing automation, CMNTY for community, RemindoToets for digital knowledge testing, and TeamViewer for ICT helpdesk support. The organization maintains Hobeon, Eik, and ExSamen quality certifications and is GDPR-compliant.

The revenue model is fundamentally a collective licensing arrangement: schools with affiliation agreements receive access to learning materials (with student usage rights extending four years post-graduation), enabled by a Belastingdienst-recognized koepelorganisatie status that allows VAT-free product delivery within the affiliated network. Additional streams include examination instrument licensing, training and consultancy (in-house and open enrollment), and custom/maatwerk development. The Stichting employs a total of approximately 115 colleagues (60+ core staff plus detached teachers from affiliated ROCs) out of its Amersfoort headquarters (Disketteweg 11), and is governed by a Raad van Toezicht with a Directeur-Bestuurder (Erwin Pierik since January 2026, succeeding Michel Wouters who retired in 2025) and a Deelnemersraad representing all affiliated ROCs. The organization shares leadership and back-office services with sibling Stichting Consortium Beroepsonderwijs, and in 2024 governance was further consolidated under Stichting voor het Beroepsonderwijs governing all six related stichtingen through a single Raad van Toezicht.

Name

Practical Learning Foundation

Legal name

Stichting Praktijkleren

Website

https://stichtingpraktijkleren.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Stichting Praktijkleren is a Dutch non-profit foundation, owned by all 37 regional ROC schools, that develops and licenses vocational education learning materials, examinations, and teacher training across 12+ MBO domains, reaching ~60,000 students daily in the Netherlands and Flanders.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Computer Training (611420), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Curriculum, Lesson Planning & Instructional Content Platforms (EDAJAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Project, Process & Quality Certification Prep (PMP, PRINCE2, Lean Six Sigma, ITIL) (EDANAIAE)

Keywords

• Vocational education materials
• MBO learning content
• Digital examination tools
• Teacher training services
• Practical skills assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Amersfoort

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Learning Materials Licensing: Schools with a license agreement with Stichting Praktijkleren get access to digital learning materials. Students can use materials during their studies and for four years after graduation. The organization was recognized by the Dutch Tax Authority (Belastingdienst) as a umbrella organization enabling VAT-free delivery of products within affiliated schools.
2. Examination Instruments and Services: Supply of validated examination instruments (practical, knowledge, and skills exams) to affiliated MBO schools as part of the collective licensing arrangement.
3. Training and Consultancy: Professional development courses, training sessions, and masterclasses for teachers and school managers in MBO education. Includes both in-house training at schools and open enrollment sessions.
4. Custom/Maatwerk Products: Customized learning materials and examination products developed for specific school needs beyond standard offerings.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stichting Praktijkleren develops and licenses practice-oriented learning materials, examination instruments (practical, knowledge, and skills exams), and teacher training services for Dutch secondary vocational education (MBO). Delivered via the Praktijkmeter digital assessment platform and the stichtingpraktijkleren.nl portal, the offerings cover 12+ vocational domains including ICT, Commerce, Retail, Business Services, and Security, and are co-created with practicing vocational teachers and industry professionals.

Product overview

Stichting Praktijkleren (Practical Learning Foundation) is a Dutch non-profit educational foundation founded in 2006 that develops and delivers a unified platform of vocational education products for the MBO (secondary vocational education) sector. Its core portfolio consists of three integrated pillars: Leermiddelen (learning materials), Examens (examinations), and Training & Advies (training and consulting), all built through co-creation with vocational school teachers and industry professionals. Supporting these are specialized sub-products including the Praktijkmeter (a digital practical exam assessment tool that replaces paper-based forms), the Academy Support Centre (ICT-specific certification support via Microsoft/Certiport), Digitale Vaardigheden exams (E-userskills certificates via partner InAspire), and LinkedIn Learning (bundled with licenses for supplementary video-based courses). The organization serves all 37 regional vocational schools (roc's) in the Netherlands and also operates in Flanders (Vlaanderen), reaching approximately 60,000 students, and offers custom development (maatwerk) as an add-on for specific school needs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Leermiddelen (Learning Materials) Practical, modular digital learning materials for MBO students across 12+ vocational domains (ICT, Commerce, Retail, Business Services, Security, Events, Public Safety, Specialist Entrepreneur, etc.), co-developed with vocational teachers and industry experts and licensed to affiliated ROC schools for student use during studies and up to four years post-graduation.
• Examens (Examinations) Validated mix of practical exams (proeve van bekwaamheid), knowledge exams, and skills exams for MBO students, including portfolio-based examinations for specialist programs. Designed to assess whether students can apply their training in professional practice and administered to affiliated ROC schools under collective licensing.
• Training & Advies (Training and Advisory) Professional development courses, in-house training, open-enrollment sessions, and masterclasses for MBO teachers, examination officials, and school managers, delivered in-person at the Amersfoort office and online, focused on practical use of Stichting Praktijkleren's methods and current vocational knowledge delivered by industry experts.
• Praktijkmeter Web-based digital tool for organizing, conducting, and signing practical and competency exams (praktijkexamens) in MBO education. Replaces paper Word/Excel assessment forms, enables setting up exam groups, importing student data, inviting (practical) assessors, conducting digital assessments and digital signing, and downloading finalized signed forms, and is accessible via a companion mobile app for assessors.
• Maatwerk (Custom Development) Bespoke development of customized learning materials and examination products for specific school needs beyond Stichting Praktijkleren's standard offerings, delivered using the organization's co-creation methodology with teachers and field/industry input.
• Academy Support Centre (ICT) Specialized ICT support centre run together with industry partners (Microsoft/Certiport, Palo Alto Networks, InAspire) that prepares ICT students for their professional future with industry-conform knowledge, skills, and certifications, including Microsoft/Certiport certification programs and Palo Alto Networks cybersecurity instructor training.
• Digitale Vaardigheden (Digital Skills Examinations) Digital skills examinations including the E-userskills certificate covering nearly all learning objectives for Applied Informatics, delivered in partnership with InAspire for both Dutch and Flemish secondary vocational schools.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60,000+ students use Stichting Praktijkleren materials daily
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• Palo Alto NetworksminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 April 2021Joint instructor training for Palo Alto Networks cybersecurity technologies organized with Stichting Praktijkleren as Academy Support Centre, providing certification pathways for ICT students.
• Fronteer EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 January 2021Fronteer Education partnership announced January 2021, focused on innovative education design in a rapidly changing professional landscape.
• 37 ROC Schools (Netherlands)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAll 37 regional ROC schools (Middelbaar Beroeps Onderwijs) in the Netherlands are affiliated members of Stichting Praktijkleren. Schools are both customers and co-development partners. They provide teacher expertise for material development, serve on the Deelnemersraad (participants council), and provide institutional representation. The collective structure enables VAT-exempt product delivery and shared cost of material development.
• Stichting Consortium BeroepsonderwijscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStichting Praktijkleren and Stichting Consortium Beroepsonderwijs share a common director-bestuurder (Michel Wouters from Feb 2023, then Erwin Pierik from Jan 2026), a shared Raad van Toezicht, and share services (Fac/HR/Fin/Marcom) as shared services. Both organizations are co-located at Disketteweg 11, Amersfoort. They serve complementary segments of Dutch vocational education.
• Bedrijfsleven (Business Community)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe business community (companies and industry organizations) actively contributes to the development of learning materials and examinations. Business input ensures materials simulate real-world professional situations as accurately as possible, making student assessments more practical and relevant.
• Kennisnet / Entree FederatiemajorTechnology or IntegrationKennisnet's Entree Federation provides single sign-on authentication for students and teachers from affiliated ROC schools. 38+ schools log in through this federation, enabling seamless access to Stichting Praktijkleren's platform.
• Academy Support Centre (ASC) PartnersmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Academy Support Centre is operated together with a number of partners. Its goal is to prepare ICT students for their professional future by supporting their education with materials, services, and market-conform knowledge, skills, and certifications.
• Collega Stichtingen (Fellow Foundations)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStichting Praktijkleren shares knowledge and information with fellow foundations to support each other. Part of a network of 6 related educational foundations serving Dutch and Flemish vocational education.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding): Flemish public employment and vocational training service. Comparable to Stichting Praktijkleren in delivering vocational training in Flanders, but state-operated and with a broader workforce-development mandate.
• Syntra (Flemish Entrepreneurship Trainers): Flemish vocational training organization for entrepreneurs and SMEs, providing practice-oriented courses. Comparable to Stichting Praktijkleren in practitioner-led vocational pedagogy but operating under a different institutional model in Flanders.
• Uitgeverij Coutinho: Dutch educational publisher specializing in MBO/HBO textbooks and learning materials. Comparable in size and focus to Stichting Praktijkleren but operating on a commercial basis across overlapping vocational domains.

Others

• Kennisnet: Dutch public-sector organization supporting ICT in education, providing the Entree Federation single sign-on used by 38+ ROCs to access Stichting Praktijkleren. A key infrastructure enabler for the foundation's digital platform distribution.
• Microsoft / Certiport: Global ICT certification body partnered with Stichting Praktijkleren via the Academy Support Centre. Comparable as an adjacent ecosystem player enabling credentialing within the foundation's ICT training portfolio.

Broad incumbents

• Malmberg: Dutch educational publisher (part of Sanoma) covering primary, secondary, and vocational education. A broad incumbent in the Dutch educational publishing market that competes for MBO content and examination contracts.
• ThiemeMeulenhoff: Dutch educational publisher (part of VBK) producing textbooks and digital learning materials for secondary and vocational education. Overlaps with Stichting Praktijkleren in MBO content and digital learning.
• Noordhoff Uitgevers: Largest Dutch educational publisher covering primary, secondary, and vocational education. Competes with Stichting Praktijkleren in MBO materials but operates across a much broader portfolio including higher education.

Direct peers

• Boom Beroepsonderwijs: Major Dutch commercial publisher of vocational (MBO) educational materials and examinations. Direct competitor to Stichting Praktijkleren in content supply for Dutch ROCs, with similar domain coverage but commercial positioning.
• Stichting Consortium Beroepsonderwijs: Dutch vocational education foundation sharing a directeur-bestuurder, Raad van Toezicht, and Amersfoort office with Stichting Praktijkleren. Serves complementary segments of MBO and is the most directly comparable peer in mission, governance, and operational structure.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Practical Learning Foundation