KEI-week

What KEI-week does

KEI-week is a non-profit student introduction week organization based in Groningen, Netherlands, operated by the independent foundation Stichting KEI since 1969. Its core product is an annual 5-day introduction event (the 2026 edition scheduled for August 10-14, 2026 under the theme "Chapter KEI – Write Your Own Story") serving 5,500+ first-year students from the University of Groningen, Hanzehogeschool, Stenden, AVAG, and multiple mbo institutions, plus 1,200+ senior students who serve as KEI-leaders and crew members. The foundation also serves transfer/master students, international students (placed in mixed Dutch/English groups with a dedicated International Welcome event), and students with accessibility or support needs.

The technology stack underpinning the event comprises the Tactile cashless payment system — wristband-based purchases at bars and food trucks with auto-refund of unused balances, accessible via mobile app — and the Appademic group formation and application management platform, which matches participants on interests, age, gender ratio, and study preferences. Supporting products include a mobile app (iOS and Android), an annual online KEI-Brochure, a WIG-Booklet introducing student associations, and a WIG-Guide with practical orientation information. Operations are run by a 7-person full-time Executive Board (annual rotating terms), a General Board (highest governing body), an Advisory Council, and 14 specialized crews (EHBO, BULK, TAP, PAND, ACQUISITIE, MEDIA, EVENT, NIGHT, DECO, GREEN, PROMO, etc.) engaging 200 core volunteers and 1,000+ annual contributors.

The business model combines three revenue streams: (1) ticket sales to participants via the Tactile platform with Early Bird discounts of €10 and external Final Festival tickets at €22.95; (2) corporate partnerships and sponsorships with companies such as Heineken (core beverage partner), Domino's Pizza, ABN AMRO, Belsimpel, Bozu, and PALACE, offering visibility to the 5,500+ first-year audience and 1,200+ senior students; and (3) merchandise sales including branded t-shirts. The organization holds Green Key Gold sustainability certification (2017-2023) and won the 2022 "Most Sustainable Introduction Time" award. Go-to-market is event-driven (open days, social media on Instagram/Facebook/TikTok/LinkedIn, flyers, newsletters) and community-led, leveraging KEI-leader networks and partnerships with all major Groningen educational institutions for participant acquisition.

Name

KEI-week

Legal name

Stichting KEI

Website

https://keiweek.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

KEI-week is a Groningen-based non-profit foundation that organizes an annual 5-day introduction event for 5,500+ first-year students from local universities and mbo institutions, supported by Tactile cashless payments, the Appademic matching platform, and a network of 1,000+ student volunteers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Student Orientation Services

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Academic Enrichment Camps (General Studies) (EDAMALAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

Keywords

• Student introduction week
• Orientation event services
• Cashless event payments
• Student life orientation
• University welcome program

Headquarters

HQ city

Groningen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Ticket Sales: KEI-week sells tickets to incoming students (KEI-lopers) for participation in the 5-day introduction event. Early Bird tickets offer a 10 euro discount. Additional tickets sold for external visitors to Final Festival and Afterparty.
2. Corporate Partnerships & Sponsorships: Commercial partnerships with local Groningen companies provide revenue and in-kind support. Partners receive visibility to 5,500+ first-year students and approximately 1,200 senior students. Partnership opportunities include booth presence at events, KEI-TV episodes, and advertising on screens.
3. Merchandise Sales: Sale of KEI merchandise including t-shirts and other branded items during the event week.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KEI-week is an annual five-day orientation program for first-year students in Groningen that introduces them to student life, the city, and their academic institutions through parties, workshops, performances, and city tours. The foundation supplements the main event with year-round student-focused services, including a mobile app for schedules and cashless payments, a crew program for senior students, and a WIG (group formation) booklet and guide.

Product overview

KEI-week is an annual student introduction week organization in Groningen, Netherlands. The core offering is the 5-day introduction event (August 10-14, 2026) featuring daily programming for first-year students. The organization operates through multiple interconnected programs: the Executive Board manages overall operations; the KEI-week App and Tactile cashless payment system handle participant experience; the Crew Program engages over 1,000 volunteers across 14 specialized crews; and supporting materials like the KEI-Brochure, WIG-Booklet, and WIG-Guide provide orientation information. The 2026 theme is 'Chapter KEI – Write Your Own Story.'

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• KEI-week Introduction Event A five-day orientation program held each August/September in Groningen for incoming first-year students, featuring parties, workshops, performances, city tours, and group-formation activities designed to introduce new students to student life and the city.
• KEI-week Mobile App

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,500+ first-year students served annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Akkoord van GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal Groningen initiative represented in the partner section, promoting city-wide collaboration
• Domino's PizzaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFood partner for the event, providing catering options during KEI-week activities
• HeinekencoreGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage partner providing drinks for events, with sustainability focus
• BozuminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBeverage brand partner featured at Final Festival
• BelsimpelminorGTM or Marketing PartnerGroningen-based company partner
• University of Groningen (RUG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary educational institution partner, one of the top 100 universities worldwide with 34,000 students
• Hanzehogeschool GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor educational institution partner with 30,000 students, 227+ years old
• Stenden University of Applied SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational institution partner for the introduction week
• TV GroningenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal media partner for event coverage
• PALACE GroningenminorGTM or Marketing PartnerNightclub venue partner for Afterparty event
• ABN AMROminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBanking partner for the event
• Tactile B.V.coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides cashless payment system and ticketing/registration platform for KEI-week. Handles participant registration, wristband payments, and refund processing.
• Appademic B.V.coreTechnology or IntegrationProvides group formation platform and application management system. Processes data for creating optimized KEI-groups based on interests, age, gender, and study preferences.
• GROENNcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMentorship program founded by organizers of various Groningen festivals, advises on sustainable choices for KEI-week
• Suikerunie/SuikerterreinminorOthersVenue provider for Final Festival at the sugar factory grounds location

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Kick-In (University of Twente): Annual two-week introduction for new students at University of Twente in Enschede. Directly comparable as a multi-day student orientation event at a Dutch higher-education institution with similar team, sponsor, and participant structures.
• UIT Week: Introduction week in Utrecht for incoming students at Utrecht University and HU University of Applied Sciences. Same operating model as KEI-week: student-run non-profit, August orientation, mixed educational institution coverage, corporate sponsorship structure.
• ISWI (Wageningen): Introduction week for Wageningen University & Research incoming students. Same operating model as KEI-week: student-run non-profit foundation organizing a multi-day orientation with sponsors and ticketing in August.
• TOP Week (Tilburg): Introduction week for new students at Tilburg University and other Tilburg-based institutions. Directly comparable as a Dutch student city orientation event with similar volunteer-run structure and corporate sponsorship model.
• HOPE (Amsterdam): Introduction period for University of Amsterdam students. Direct comparable to KEI-week in mission (orienting first-year students to a major Dutch student city), organizational structure (student board, volunteers, sponsors), and timing (late August).
• EL CID: Student introduction week in Leiden, Netherlands, organized by Leiden University student foundation. Directly comparable to KEI-week in structure (annual multi-day orientation, student-run board, similar sponsorship and ticketing model) and target audience (incoming first-year students at a major Dutch university city).
• BOOT (Rotterdam): Introduction period for new students at Erasmus University Rotterdam and Rotterdam University of Applied Sciences. Directly comparable to KEI-week in scale, target audience, and orientation programming.

Others

• Appademic: Technology partner that provides KEI-week's group formation and application management platform. Relevant adjacency as a vendor/enabler whose software could power similar orientation programs at other universities if it were to expand beyond its current client base.
• Tactile Events: Provider of the cashless payment and ticketing platform that KEI-week uses for participant wristbands and ticket sales. Comparable as an enabling technology layer serving Dutch student and festival events with similar participant-scale infrastructure.

Broad incumbents

• Erasmus Student Network (ESN): Europe-wide non-profit network supporting international student mobility and integration across 40+ countries. Comparable to KEI-week in its mission of orienting international students, but operates at continental scale rather than a single city.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/keiweek
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stichting-kei
• Instagraminstagram.com/keiweek
• TikToktiktok.com/@keiweek

Compliance2 records

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 KEI-week