De Puzzel
Gemeentelijke Basisschool De Puzzel is a publicly funded Flemish municipal primary school in Balen, Belgium, operating three campuses (Leefschool Vennen, Schoor, and 't Graantje) to deliver nature-based preschool and primary education, tuition-free, to local children aged roughly 2.5–12.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersBalen, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What De Puzzel does
Gemeentelijke Basisschool De Puzzel is a public municipal primary school operated by Gemeente Balen in the Flemish community of Belgium, registered with the Flemish Ministry of Education under institution number 9548. It serves preschool and primary-school-aged children across three distinct campuses in Balen: Leefschool Vennen (a nature-based kleuterschool for children aged 2.5–6 years at Papenberg 12), Schoor (the main primary school at Sint-Rochusstraat 91), and 't Graantje (an expanding primary school originally based in Gerheide that added a second grade in September 2023 and is currently being rebuilt, with students temporarily hosted at Kinderclub KIKOEN in Veststraat 46 under a daily bus-transport arrangement).
Its educational program is organized around the GROEN philosophy — Gemotiveerde ouders (Motivated parents), Respect, Ontdekkend leren (Discovery learning), Energierijke omgeving, and Natuurbeleving (Nature experience) — and prioritizes active learning, social-skill development, health, safety, and sustainable-development competencies. The school operates as a non-commercial government entity: it is publicly funded through the Flemish Ministry of Education and municipal subsidies, charges no tuition, and delivers services directly to enrolled families through its physical campuses. With roughly 32 staff and limited disclosed technology beyond a web-design partnership with Innomedio, De Puzzel's commercial profile is that of a stable, locally embedded educational institution rather than a scaling enterprise.
De Puzzel firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- De Puzzel
- Legal name
- Gemeentelijke Basisschool De Puzzel
- Website
- https://depuzzelsgv.be
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- Gemeentelijke Basisschool De Puzzel is a publicly funded Flemish municipal primary school in Balen, Belgium, operating three campuses (Leefschool Vennen, Schoor, and 't Graantje) to deliver nature-based preschool and primary education, tuition-free, to local children aged roughly 2.5–12.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
De Puzzel industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Primary Education
- NAICS
- Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Child Day Care Services (8351)
- akta.pro industry
- Public Elementary SchoolsCharter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models)Comprehensive ECE Curriculum Frameworks (Birth–5)
Keywords
Where De Puzzel is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Balen
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices3 records
Markets served
De Puzzel business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others
Revenue model
- Public Education Funding: As a municipal primary school (Gemeentelijke Basisschool), De Puzzel is publicly funded through the Flemish Ministry of Education and municipal government subsidies.
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels3 records
De Puzzel product offering
Product offeringCore offering
De Puzzel is a municipal primary school (Gemeentelijke Basisschool) in Balen, Belgium, operated by the municipality of Balen. It delivers publicly funded education to children from preschool (kleuterschool) through primary grades across three campus locations — Leefschool Vennen (nature-based kindergarten), Schoor (main primary school), and 't Graantje (multi-grade primary). The school follows a competency-based curriculum with a focus on active learning, social skills, health, safety, and sustainable development, anchored by the GROEN philosophy.
Product overview
De Puzzel is a municipal primary school (Gemeentelijke Basisschool) operating as a unified educational institution with three distinct locations: Leefschool Vennen (kindergarten with nature-based curriculum), Schoor (main primary school), and 't Graantje (primary school with multi-grade program). The school follows a competency-based approach focusing on active learning, social skills, health, safety, and sustainable development, with a symbolic 'puzzle' concept representing the daily work of building students' knowledge, insights, skills, and competencies.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Leefschool Vennen: A small school located in a spacious and green environment, focusing on kindergarten education with nature as the starting point for activities.
- Schoor
- 't Graantje
Products and services
- Leefschool Vennen A kindergarten/preschool program located in a green environment at Papenberg 12, 2490 Balen, focused on nature-based learning and active exploration for young children aged 2.5-6 years.
- Schoor The main primary school campus at Sint-Rochusstraat 91, 2490 Balen, offering primary education for school-age children covering the standard primary grade curriculum with active learning and competency-based approaches.
- 't Graantje A primary school campus with multi-grade offerings (including 3rd-4th grade since September 2023), temporarily relocated to Kinderclub KIKOEN at Veststraat 46 during new building construction, with bus transport provided daily.
Companies that use De Puzzel
Customer profileSegments3 records
Ideal customer profiles1 record
De Puzzel technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
De Puzzel partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- InnomediominorInnomedio is the web design partner responsible for the school's website (depuzzelsgv.be). They provide ongoing web design and maintenance services for the school's digital presence.
- Kinderclub KikoencoreTemporary facility arrangement during new building construction. All 't Graantje students relocated to Kinderclub Kikoen's facility at Veststraat 46 in Balen since September 2023. The municipality provides daily bus transport from St. janstraat 64 to the temporary location.
Recent moves4 records
Expansion highlights3 records
De Puzzel competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen: The umbrella organization for Catholic primary and secondary schools in Flanders, the largest K–12 education network in the region. Comparable as a similarly regulated K–12 provider serving Flemish families with publicly subsidized but independently operated schools, competing for the same enrollment pool.
- GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap: GO! is the Flemish community education network operating public primary and secondary schools across Flanders. It is comparable as a broader public-education incumbent delivering K–12 instruction under the same Flemish Ministry of Education framework that funds De Puzzel.
- Vrije Basisscholen (Free Subsidized Primary Schools network): Network of publicly subsidized 'free' primary schools in Belgium operating under the same pupil-weighted funding regime as municipal schools. Comparable as a parallel publicly funded primary-school provider serving Flemish communities, competing directly for local enrollment.
- Provinciaal Onderwijs Antwerpen (POA): Provincial education authority running subsidized primary and secondary schools in the Antwerp province, which includes Balen. Comparable as a publicly funded K–12 provider operating within the same Flemish regulatory and funding regime and serving overlapping regional families.
Emerging players
- European Forest School networks: Forest school movements across Europe deliver outdoor, nature-immersion early-childhood and primary education, often as alternative or supplemental programs. Comparable as an emerging pedagogical model that overlaps directly with De Puzzel's nature-based GROEN philosophy and could inspire or compete with its Leefschool Vennen concept.
Direct peers
- Steiner / Waldorf Schools in Flanders: Flemish Waldorf/Steiner schools deliver nature- and experience-based primary education with a comparable pedagogical philosophy to De Puzzel's GROEN approach. They are the closest direct comparables on nature-anchored, discovery-based early-childhood and primary pedagogy.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat3 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
De Puzzel social profiles
Digital presenceDe Puzzel financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
De Puzzel leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
De Puzzel funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
De Puzzel M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about De Puzzel
What does De Puzzel do?
De Puzzel is a municipal primary school (Gemeentelijke Basisschool) in Balen, Belgium, operated by the municipality of Balen. It delivers publicly funded education to children from preschool (kleuterschool) through primary grades across three campus locations — Leefschool Vennen (nature-based kindergarten), Schoor (main primary school), and 't Graantje (multi-grade primary). The school follows a competency-based curriculum with a focus on active learning, social skills, health, safety, and sustainable development, anchored by the GROEN philosophy.
Is De Puzzel a public or private company?
De Puzzel is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was De Puzzel founded?
De Puzzel was founded in -1. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is De Puzzel based?
De Puzzel is headquartered in Balen, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does De Puzzel make money?
One revenue line is on record: public Education Funding.
Who are De Puzzel's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen, GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, Vrije Basisscholen (Free Subsidized Primary Schools network) and Provinciaal Onderwijs Antwerpen (POA). European Forest School networks is listed as an emerging player. Steiner / Waldorf Schools in Flanders is listed as a direct peer.
Does De Puzzel have an API?
No public API is recorded for De Puzzel.
What industry is De Puzzel in?
De Puzzel's product category is Primary Education. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAJAAAB, Public Elementary Schools, with a secondary code of EDAJACAL, Charter Montessori/Waldorf/Classical/Expeditionary (Pedagogical Models). Its NAICS code is 6111 and its SIC code is 8200.