Jonge Helden Academie

What Jonge Helden Academie does

Jonge Helden Academie (JHA) is a Dutch youth education and career-guidance offering operated by Verschilmakers Groep BV, a private limited company (KVK: 85480827) founded in 2014 and headquartered in Nijmegen, Gelderland, Netherlands. The flagship product is the Tussenjaarprogramma, a small-group gap year program (maximum 15 participants per group) that delivers one guided day per week over a minimum six-month period to help young people aged roughly 16-25 make informed study and career decisions. The program is priced at €549 per month (including VAT) for the 2025/2026 season, with an optional digital environment fee of up to €25 per month and a €50 discount for six-month upfront payment. Two physical cohorts operate in Nijmegen and Enschede, with biannual start dates in September and February.

The company's business model is direct-to-consumer: prospective participants register online, attend a free informational webinar, and enroll in a fixed location and start date. Beyond the Tussenjaarprogramma, Verschilmakers Groep runs an individual trajectory program (Individueel traject), the MDT 'Ontdek je volgende stap' (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) initiative, change management training (Training Verandermanagement), team development (Teamontwikkeling), societal change advisory (Maatschappelijke veranderopgaven), and the GWW Academie focused on the Ground, Road, and Water construction sector. These B2B and adjacent professional services diversify the revenue base beyond the youth gap year flagship.

The organization employs 8 people, has no external investors or disclosed funding rounds, and operates without any AI or proprietary technology stack. Marketing channels include the verschilmakers.nu website, LinkedIn, Instagram, free webinars, and a dedicated parent-communication page. The legal entity address is Winselingseweg 16, 6541 AK Nijmegen, with a second operational site at Roomweg 167d, 7523 BM Enschede.

Name

Jonge Helden Academie

Legal name

Verschilmakers Groep BV

Website

https://jongeheldenacademie.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Jonge Helden Academie, operated by Verschilmakers Groep BV in the Netherlands, runs a small-group gap year program (Tussenjaarprogramma, €549/month) for young people aged 16-25 to support study and career decisions, alongside B2B change management training and team development services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education and Career Coaching

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Management Consulting Services (54161)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Structured Gap Year Programs (Multi-Sector & Rotational) (EDAIAGAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Change Management for Operations Transformations (EDABAKAM), Stakeholder, Communication & Change Management (EDABAHAF)

Keywords

• Youth gap year programs
• Career coaching services
• Change management training
• Team development services
• Personal development coaching

Headquarters

HQ city

Nijmegen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Program Subscription Revenue: Monthly subscription-based revenue from the Tussenjaarprogramma at €549 per month (incl. VAT) for the 2025/2026 season. Additional revenue from digital environment usage fees up to €25 per month. Early payment option for 6 months upfront with €50 discount.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Jonge Helden Academie delivers a structured Tussenjaarprogramma (gap year program) for young people aged roughly 16–25, providing one fixed day per week of personal guidance, group exercises, and employment support, with subscription pricing of €549 per month (incl. VAT) for season 2025/2026 at two locations in Nijmegen and Enschede. The program uses small group cohorts (max 15) and aims to equip participants with at least 26 documented arguments supporting their future study or career choice. The parent organization Verschilmakers also offers individual trajectories, change management training, team development, societal change consulting, and a GWW sector academy.

Product overview

Jonge Helden Academie, operating under the Verschilmakers brand, is a Dutch education and career coaching organization offering youth development programs. The core product is the Tussenjaarprogramma (Gap Year Program), complemented by MDT Ontdek je volgende stap and Individueel traject for personalized guidance. Verschilmakers also provides professional services including Training Verandermanagement (Change Management Training), Teamontwikkeling (Team Development), Maatschappelijke veranderopgaven (Societal Change Challenges), and GWW Academie for sector-specific training. The Tussenjaarprogramma is the primary youth-focused offering with group-based and individual pathways, providing personal coaching one day per week to help young people aged approximately 16-25 discover their educational or career direction.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Tussenjaarprogramma: A gap year program designed to help young people discover their next step through personal guidance, group work, and exploration of interests and career options.

Products and services

• Tussenjaarprogramma A gap year program for young people (approximately ages 16-25) providing personal guidance one fixed day per week, group-based coaching, self-discovery exercises, and employment support (CV writing, interview prep, job start assistance). Delivered in groups of maximum 15 participants at Nijmegen and Enschede locations, with a minimum 6-month duration and a goal of building at least 26 arguments to support the participant's chosen next step.
• MDT Ontdek je volgende stap A program under the MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) initiative that helps young people discover their next step, offered as an alternative or complementary youth program to the Tussenjaarprogramma.
• Individueel traject Individual trajectory program providing personalized one-on-one support for personal development and career guidance, available as an alternative to the group-based Tussenjaarprogramma.
• Training Verandermanagement Change management training program for organizations and professionals focused on managing organizational transformation and societal change.
• Teamontwikkeling Team development services aimed at enhancing team performance and collaboration within organizations.
• Maatschappelijke veranderopgaven Services focused on societal change challenges, addressing complex public interest issues that organizations and communities face.
• GWW Academie Academy focused on Ground, Road, and Water (GWW) infrastructure sector training, part of Verschilmakers' professional development offerings for the Dutch civil infrastructure sector.

Quantifiable outcome

• Participants develop at least 26 arguments to support their made choice

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) is a related but distinct program mentioned alongside the Tussenjaarprogramma. MDT ('Ontdek je volgende stap' / Discover your next step) is offered as an alternative program for young people, suggesting a collaborative or complementary relationship between the programs.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Up with People: Up with People runs cohort-based gap year programs focused on self-discovery, leadership, and career exploration for 18–22-year-olds. Pedagogically close to Verschilmakers' Tussenjaarprogramma in its structured cohort design and self-development orientation.
• Thinking Beyond Borders: Thinking Beyond Borders runs cohort-based gap year programs emphasizing self-discovery, community engagement, and exploration of interests — directly comparable in pedagogical approach to Verschilmakers' Tussenjaarprogramma.
• CIEE Gap Year: CIEE offers a recognized gap year program with structured cohort-based modules covering personal development, career exploration, and experiential learning. Operates a comparable subscription-style program targeted at school-leavers, similar in cohort structure to JHA's Tussenjaarprogramma.
• Rustic Pathways: Rustic Pathways provides service-learning and gap year programs for high-school and gap-year students, focused on personal growth and career exploration through structured projects. Comparable in cohort-based experiential design and target demographic to Verschilmakers.
• Global Citizen Year: Global Citizen Year runs a structured gap year program for high-school graduates combining self-discovery, career exploration, and project work — closely aligned to Verschilmakers' Tussenjaarprogramma in mission, cohort format, and target demographic (16–22-year-olds).

Emerging players

• Stichting JINC: JINC is a Dutch non-profit helping young people from disadvantaged backgrounds prepare for the labor market through career orientation, mock interviews, and job-readiness training. Comparable in mission (youth career development, ages ~16–25) and target demographic, but operates as a free/non-subsidized program for schools.
• Atlantis (Pre-Med Gap Year): Atlantis offers structured gap year programs for pre-health students combining shadowing and personal development. Comparable as a specialized cohort-style gap year program targeting school-leavers making career-path decisions, though focused on the medical track.

Broad incumbents

• Schouten & Nelissen: Schouten & Nelissen is a large Dutch corporate training provider with broad offerings in change management, leadership, and team development. Overlaps directly with Verschilmakers' Training Verandermanagement and Teamontwikkeling lines but operates at much greater scale and across a wider curriculum.
• ICM Opleidingen: ICM is an established Dutch professional development and management training provider delivering corporate change management, leadership, and team programs. Overlaps with Verschilmakers' corporate training portfolio but serves a much wider B2B audience across the Netherlands.
• GITP: GITP is a Dutch HR and organizational development consultancy providing assessment, coaching, and change management services. Comparable professional-services overlap to Verschilmakers' corporate training/team development practice, operating with deeper B2B scale and consulting breadth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat2 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/jonge-helden-academie
• Instagraminstagram.com/verschilmakers_groep

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 Jonge Helden Academie