BuSO De Wissel

What BuSO De Wissel does

BuSO De Wissel is a publicly funded special secondary education institution (buitengewoon secundair onderwijs) operated by the Province of Limburg in Belgium, headquartered at Arbeidsstraat 66 in Genk, with additional campuses in Bilzen, Ter Heide Zonhoven, and Ter Heide Genk. The school delivers four distinct educational forms — OV1, OV2, OV3, and OV4 — serving students aged roughly 13–21 with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder (type 9), behavioral challenges, and multiple disabilities. Class sizes are deliberately small at 4–8 students, supporting individualized orthopedagogical action plans and an on-site multidisciplinary care team (zorgteam) covering ergotherapy, kinesitherapy, speech therapy, nursing, psychology, and orthopedagogy. Its director is Sandra Simons.

The product surface spans OV1 (general/social education for protected or semi-independent living), OV2 (work-preparation training for supported employment), OV3 (vocational training with tracks in wood, metal, hospitality, hair care, and welding, plus dual learning and an ABO integration year), and OV4/De Wissel ASSist (the regular secondary curriculum adapted for students with autism spectrum disorder, with three finality tracks: throughflow, double finality, and labor market). Technology adoption is modest and commodity-based: Smartschool for parent/student communication, Google Analytics for website analytics, Microsoft Forms for event sign-ups, and references to the NaarSchoolInVlaanderen capacity portal. There is no proprietary technology platform or AI component.

BuSO De Wissel is financed through the provincial government of Limburg rather than commercial revenue. The school charges a nominal €50 annual enrollment fee covering tuition, gym clothing, and work clothing, plus an optional €4 per warm meal on the Zwartberg campus; school transport is free. Distribution is entirely physical across the four campuses, and enrollment is gated by mandatory CLB (Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding) referral reports. The institution operates an ecosystem of partnerships with CLB Limburg, Ter Heide care centre, VDAB (Flemish employment service), PSSB, and regional companies/sheltered workshops for work placements, but has no commercial customers, no private investors, and no external ownership structures.

Name

BuSO De Wissel

Legal name

Provincie Limburg

Website

https://de-wissel.be

Company type

Public

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

BuSO De Wissel is a publicly funded special secondary education institution operated by the Province of Limburg in Belgium, delivering OV1–OV4 programs to students with intellectual disabilities, autism, and behavioral challenges across four campuses in Limburg.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Education Transportation & Accessibility Services (EDAJAKAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Special Needs / Paratransit Student Transportation Services (EDAEADAH), Special Needs Student Transportation (Door-to-Door & Route Services) (EDAKAOAA)

Keywords

• Special secondary education
• Special needs education
• Vocational training programs
• Autism spectrum support
• Multidisciplinary care services

Headquarters

HQ city

Genk

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. School Fees / Tuition: As a public provincial school under Provincie Limburg, BuSO De Wissel charges a nominal enrollment fee of €50.00 per school year, which covers tuition, gym/work clothing, and basic materials. The school does not generate commercial revenue; it is publicly funded by the province of Limburg.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

BuSO De Wissel is a public provincial school delivering buitengewoon secundair onderwijs (special secondary education) across four educational forms (OV1, OV2, OV3, OV4) for students with intellectual disabilities, autism spectrum disorder, behavioral challenges, and multiple disabilities. Instruction is delivered on-site at four campuses in Limburg, Belgium, with small class sizes (4–8 students), individualized orthopedagogical plans, and an integrated multidisciplinary care team (ergo, kine, speech, nursing, psychology).

Product overview

BuSO De Wissel is a school for special secondary education (buitengewoon secundair onderwijs) operated by the Province of Limburg, offering four distinct educational forms (opleidingsvormen) across multiple campuses in Genk, Bilzen, and Ter Heide. OV1 provides general/social education for independent or sheltered living; OV2 combines social education with work training for supported employment; OV3 offers vocational training with hands-on tracks in hospitality, wood, metal, hair, and more, including dual learning and an ABO transition year; OV4 (De Wissel ASSist) delivers the regular secondary curriculum with autism-focused support and three finality tracks (throughflow, double finality, labor market). A multidisciplinary care team (zorgteam) with ergo, kine, speech, nursing, and psychology staff supports students across all forms. The school also integrates with Smartschool (LMS), Google Analytics, Microsoft Forms, and the NaarSchoolInVlaanderen capacity portal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Opleidingsvorm 1 (OV1) OV1 provides general and social education for students with moderate to severe intellectual disabilities or complex support needs, preparing them for as independent a life as possible in a protected living environment. Focus areas include self-reliance, communication, sensory-motor development, and social skills in the contexts of housing, work, and leisure. Offered in type 2, 4, and 9 variants at campuses Zwartberg and Ter Heide.
• Opleidingsvorm 2 (OV2) OV2 combines general and social education with work training for students with mild intellectual disabilities, preparing them for employment in a supported work environment. The curriculum is organized around three pillars: Living, Working, and Leisure. Training includes practical skills in sectors such as assembly, packaging, maintenance, green services, wood workshop, and logistics.
• Opleidingsvorm 3 (OV3) OV3 provides vocational training for students aged 13–21 with learning or behavioral difficulties. The program combines practical, hands-on training in sectors such as hair care, hospitality, wood, metal, and welding with general education, and includes an observation year, dual learning tracks, and an ABO integration year. Offered at campus Zwartberg.
• ABO (Alternerende Beroepsopleiding / Labor Market Preparation) ABO is an optional integration phase for OV3 students who have already obtained a qualification certificate. It consists of one full school year combining three days of company internship with two days of school-based support, aimed at transitioning students from school to the regular labor market.
• Duaal Leren (Dual Learning) Dual learning is a vocational training track within OV3 where students aged 15+ combine learning at school (2 days/week) with working at a company (3 days/week). Students earn wages, build social rights, and parents retain child benefits. Programs include green and garden management, and fast food worker.
• Opleidingsvorm 4 (OV4) — De Wissel ASSist OV4 delivers the regular secondary education curriculum with adapted support for students with autism spectrum disorder (ASS) and underlying issues. Offered in type 9 across two campuses: Bilzen (De Wissel ASSist, first opened September 2019) and Zwartberg. Three finalities are offered: throughflow (doorstroom), double finality (dubbele finaliteit), and labor market-oriented (arbeidsmarktgericht).
• Zorgteam (Multidisciplinary Care Team Services) A multidisciplinary care team offering on-site services including ergotherapy, kinesitherapy, speech therapy (logopedie), nursing, student guidance, and orthopedagogy/psychology, providing individualized support tailored to each student's educational and developmental needs across all four educational forms.

Quantifiable outcome

• ABO (integration year) project: €500 support for successful completion; school targets minimum 80% throughput rate from ABO to employment
• +2 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• PSSB (Provinciale Stichting voor Secundair onderwijs in de Bereidingsschap)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2019Campus Bilzen (De Wissel ASSist) operates on the PSSB campus in the Appelboomgaardstraat, providing shared facilities and a small-step transition environment for students moving between special and mainstream secondary education.
• Vrij Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding Limburg (CLB, Hasselt)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe CLB (Student Guidance Centre) is the designated referral body for students seeking admission to BuSO De Wissel. CLBs issue the mandatory enrollment report ('verslag') and attestation required for access to special secondary education. The school works closely with CLB Limburg for student intake, guidance, and ongoing support.
• Ter Heide ZorgcentrumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTer Heide is a care centre for persons with multiple disabilities. De Wissel's Ter Heide Zonhoven and Ter Heide Genk campuses are integrated within or closely partnered with the Ter Heide care centre, providing education to students who primarily reside there. Jointly designed educational trajectories are developed in consultation with the care centre.
• VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling en Beroepsopleiding)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorABO (Arbeidsmarkgerichte Bereidingsopleiding / Labor Market Preparation) students must be registered as job seekers with VDAB. VDAB facilitates the transition from school to employment for OV3 ABO graduates.
• Companies and sheltered workshops for work placements/stagescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOV2, OV3, and ABO students undertake work placements and internships ('werkplekleren', stages) in companies and sheltered workshops (maatwerkbedrijven) across sectors including assembly, packaging, maintenance, green services, wood workshops, logistics, and food service.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Regional players

• Bartiméus: Dutch foundation providing education, care and support to people who are blind or visually impaired, including those with additional disabilities. Comparable because it pairs special-education curricula with integrated multidisciplinary care teams for a defined disability cohort.
• 's Heeren Loo: Large Dutch care and support provider for people with intellectual disabilities and complex care needs, offering day activities, residential care and education-aligned programs. Comparable because it delivers a multidisciplinary care-plus-education operating model for a similar special-needs population in the neighboring Netherlands.
• Kentalis: Dutch organization providing education, care and services to people who are deaf, hard of hearing, or have communication difficulties. Comparable because it operates dedicated special-education schools for a defined disability cohort in a neighboring country, sharing the special-needs school operating model.
• Koninklijke Visio: Dutch organization supporting people who are blind or visually impaired, including special education, rehabilitation, and residential/day programs. Comparable because it combines specialized education with multidisciplinary care for a specific disability population, similar to BuSO De Wissel's OV1–OV4 specialization.

Others

• Vrij CLB Limburg: The mandated Flemish Student Guidance Centre for Limburg province that issues the enrollment reports ('verslag') required for access to special secondary education. Comparable as an essential ecosystem enabler gating enrollment into BuSO De Wissel and coordinating ongoing student support.

Broad incumbents

• Provincie Antwerpen - Departement Onderwijs: Flemish provincial government body operating a network of provincial schools including special secondary education in Antwerp province. Comparable because it is a sibling Flemish provincial education provider with overlapping BuSO offerings, sharing funding model and governance structure.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Busodewissel
• Instagraminstagram.com/buso.de.wissel
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/buso-de-wissel

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 BuSO De Wissel