What Amal vzw does

Amal vzw (legal name: Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering Gent vzw) is a Belgian non-profit organization headquartered in Ghent that functions as the mandated civic integration agency for the Ghent region (postal codes 9000-9052). Operating under Flemish government mandate for approximately 50 years (formerly under the name IN-Gent), the organization delivers a structured four-step civic integration programme for newcomers, covering orientation to Belgium and Flanders, Dutch language learning, work and study guidance via VDAB, and social participation activities. Supporting services include Dutch language courses (A1-C1), a certifying Dutch language test (€180), social orientation lessons in participants' native languages, buddy-matching programmes, school-finding assistance, diploma recognition support, post-integration coaching (Coachpunt), and free social interpreting and translation.

The organization employs approximately 93 staff supplemented by more than 100 active volunteers annually, and operates from two offices on Kongostraat 42 and Blekerijstraat 55 in Ghent, with service delivery conducted primarily by appointment. Amal has no proprietary technology platform; delivery is human-led and personalized through multilingual staff and free on-demand interpreting. The organization maintains WCAG 2.1 Level AA accessibility compliance aligned with the European Accessibility Act.

Amal's revenue model combines recurring public funding (Flemish government mandates, City of Ghent subsidies, European Social Fund grants) with one-time course and test fees (€180 per Dutch or social orientation course, €180 for the certifying language test, with exemptions for low-income and certificate holders). GTM is sales-led via direct appointments, partner referrals (VDAB, OCMW, asylum centers, schools), and a multilingual website and social media presence. Customer segments include primary newcomers to Ghent, secondary foreign-language speakers seeking certification, and tertiary organizational clients purchasing language, diversity, and interpreting services.

Name

Amal vzw

Legal name

Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering Gent vzw

Website

https://amal.gent

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Amal vzw is a Belgian non-profit civic integration agency serving newcomers to Ghent through Dutch language courses, certifying language tests, social orientation, employment guidance, and participation programmes, funded primarily by the Flemish government, City of Ghent, and EU grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government-funded integration services: As a Flemish government-mandated integration agency (Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering), Amal receives public funding from the Flemish government, the City of Ghent, and European Union sources (European Social Fund) to provide integration and civic integration programs.
2. Course fees: Fees charged for Dutch language courses and social orientation courses, with exemptions for low-income participants and integration certificate holders.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Amal vzw is a non-profit association (vzw) based in Ghent, Belgium, providing government-mandated civic integration (inburgering) services to newcomers. Its core offerings include Dutch-as-a-second-language (NT2) courses, civic orientation programs, employment and participation guidance, social interpreting, and diversity training delivered to both individuals and organizations.

Product overview

Amal vzw (Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering Gent) is a public service organization, not a traditional software product company. Their offering consists of integration and support services for newcomers to Ghent, centered around the Civic Integration Programme (Inburgeringstraject) - a structured 4-step programme covering orientation to Belgium/Flanders, Dutch language learning, work/study guidance, and social participation. Supporting services include Dutch language courses and certification testing, social orientation lessons, participation programmes, buddy matching programmes (2Run, Digiduo, Duoprint, Samen Gentenaar, Tandem), school finding assistance, post-integration coaching (Coachpunt), and professional interpreting/translation services. The organization operates exclusively by appointment and serves residents of Ghent (postal codes 9000-9052).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dutch-as-a-Second-Language (NT2) Courses Government-recognized Dutch language training (NT2) required as part of civic integration, delivered to adult newcomers in Ghent at a standardized fee of approximately €180 per course, with exemptions available for lower-income participants.
• Civic Orientation Program Structured civic orientation covering Belgian society, rights and obligations, labor market, housing, education, and healthcare, designed to help newcomers complete the Flemish inburgering trajectory.
• Social Interpreting Services Professional interpreting in social, healthcare, legal and municipal settings, providing multilingual bridging between newcomers and Dutch-speaking service providers.
• Employment Guidance and Participation Programs Coaching, job-readiness support, and civic participation initiatives that help newcomers move from language training into sustainable employment and community engagement.
• Diversity Training for Organizations Customized training and advisory services that help employers, schools, and public institutions work effectively with culturally diverse teams and newcomer populations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Successful completion of civic integration programme leads to certificate that reduces B1 Dutch course fees
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVDAB is the Flemish Employment Service that Amal collaborates with to help integration programme participants find employment. Participants are required to register with VDAB within 2 months of signing their integration contract. VDAB provides job search support, vocational training, and employment counseling services.
• JobteamcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJobteam is co-funded by Flanders and the European Social Fund. It helps people in difficult situations find their way to employment. Every resident of Ghent should have the opportunity to take steps towards the labour market, even if they still need support.
• Stad Gent (City of Ghent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe City of Ghent partners with Amal to provide sufficient, accessible, and diverse integration offerings. Together they ensure that every newcomer in Ghent can follow a participation trajectory that matches their needs, interests, and life circumstances.
• Atlas (Antwerp integration agency)minorOthersAtlas performs integration and civic integration functions for the city of Antwerp, serving as a regional counterpart to Amal's services in Ghent.
• Agentschap Integratie en InburgeringminorOthersThe Integration and Civic Integration Agency performs integration functions for Flanders and Brussels, serving as the regional counterpart to Amal's services in Ghent.
• Huis van het Nederlands BrusselminorOthersThe House of Dutch in Brussels provides Dutch language learning services for those in Brussels, serving as a regional resource for Dutch learning.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding): The Flemish Public Employment Service and a core strategic partner of Amal. Comparable in its role guiding newcomers into employment, but operates across all job seekers in Flanders rather than the integration-specific niche, making it a broader incumbent that overlaps with Amal's employment guidance function.
• Caritas International Belgium: Belgian branch of an international NGO providing refugee and migrant support services including reception, orientation, and social guidance. Comparable target population and humanitarian-services mission, but with broader geographic and thematic scope than Amal's Ghent-only civic integration mandate.
• CAW – Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk: Flemish network of general welfare centers offering psychosocial and social services. Adjacent to Amal's integration work, with overlapping client populations (newcomers and vulnerable groups) but a broader welfare mandate rather than language/integration specialization.
• Agentschap Integratie en Inburgering: The Flemish and Brussels-level integration and civic integration agency. It oversees the broader integration policy framework in which Amal operates and is identified in source data as a regional counterpart for Flanders/Brussels, making it the umbrella peer in the same regulated niche.
• Refugee Council Belgium (Vluchtelingenwerk): Belgian NGO advocating for and supporting refugees and asylum seekers, including orientation services. Operates in the same integration ecosystem as Amal but focuses on rights advocacy and broader support rather than formal civic integration programming.

Direct peers

• Atlas (Integratie & Inburgering Antwerpen): Atlas is Antwerp's regional civic integration agency, performing the same Flemish integration mandate as Amal but for a different city. Source data explicitly cites Atlas as Amal's regional counterpart, making it the most directly comparable operating peer.
• Ligo – Centrum voor Basiseducatie: Flemish network of basic-education centers offering low-threshold Dutch language and literacy courses to adults. Provides overlapping second-language instruction services for newcomers, partially substituting for Amal's Dutch course offering in the broader Flemish adult-education system.
• Huis van het Nederlands Brussel: Brussels-based Dutch language learning provider referenced in Amal's source data. Comparable offering (Dutch instruction and certification) for newcomers, but serving a different region — making it a direct functional peer and regional alternative.

Regional players

• OCMW / CPAS (Public Center for Social Welfare): Belgian municipal social welfare bodies that, per source data, refer clients to Amal. They overlap with Amal on social guidance for vulnerable newcomers (income support, housing, healthcare access) but operate a different statutory mandate.
• BON – Brussel Onthaal Nieuwkomer: Brussels new-arrival reception desk providing first-line integration intake and orientation services analogous to Amal's 'new in Ghent' function. Comparable target population and service model, but operating in the Brussels-Capital Region.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgMifabrYAfnIMotQbGcs_Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/Amal.Gent.vzw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/amalgent
• Instagraminstagram.com/amal.gent

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Amal vzw