Kickstart School

What Kickstart School does

Kickstart School is a Netherlands-based language training institution founded in 1999 and headquartered in The Hague, specializing in Dutch and English language instruction. The school delivers a CEFR-aligned curriculum spanning beginner (A0) to advanced (C1+) levels through three modalities: face-to-face classes at its The Hague campus, fully online courses via the proprietary KickstartNet platform, and hybrid formats that combine in-person and remote instruction. Course tracks are organized into group courses, private and small-group instruction, exam preparation (Inburgering, NT2 Programma I and II, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge), youth programming including the Dutch Kids Club and Summer Day Camps, and supplementary offerings such as Grammar Bootcamp, Conversation Cafes, and online writing modules.

The school's underlying technology is the KickstartNet online learning platform, a proprietary system that hosts course materials, online modules, hybrid components, and self-serve enrollment. KickstartNet enables fully online, globally accessible delivery alongside the domestic physical campus in The Hague, effectively converting a single-location school into a dual-channel distribution footprint. Operational differentiators include small cohort sizes (maximum 8 for remote, 10 for in-person), native-speaker teaching staff, and custom-developed instructional materials organized into clearly leveled course series (Starterpack, Stepping Stone I-V, Step Up, Advanced).

Revenue is generated primarily through tuition fees paid by individual adult learners, with pricing structured around course packages — the standard A0-to-A2 package is priced at 840 EUR for two 24-hour courses, with private and exam-preparation courses at higher per-hour rates. The go-to-market is direct-to-consumer, driven by information sessions (both in-person and online), the kickstartschool.nl website, and online enrollment. A dedicated B2B channel, Kickstart for Companies, addresses corporate clients with named customers including Nestlé and Emery. The customer base spans individual adults (primary), corporate and business clients, kids and teens, and au pairs.

Name

Kickstart School

Legal name

Kickstart School

Website

https://kickstartschool.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1999

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Kickstart School, founded in 1999 in The Hague, delivers Dutch and English language courses across CEFR levels A0 to C1+ via face-to-face, online, and hybrid formats. It serves individual learners, corporate clients, and youth through group, private, exam-prep, and Kids Club programs powered by its proprietary KickstartNet platform.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Language Education Services

NAICS

Language Schools (611630), Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth & Teen Language Camps (Summer/Winter) (EDAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Dutch language courses
• English language training
• Exam preparation courses
• Corporate language training
• Online language learning

Headquarters

HQ city

The Hague

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Language Course Fees: Revenue generated from paid language courses including group courses, private courses, exam preparation courses, and courses for children and teens.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Kickstart School is a language training school based in The Hague, Netherlands that delivers Dutch and English language courses to individuals and corporate clients. The school offers structured CEFR-level group courses (A0 to C1/C2), one-on-one private lessons, exam preparation (Inburgering, NT2 Programma I and II, IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge), specialized programs for children and teens, summer day camps, and corporate language training. Courses are delivered face-to-face at the campus, fully online, or in hybrid form using the school's proprietary KickstartNet learning platform.

Product overview

Kickstart School is a language education provider offering face-to-face courses in The Hague and online instruction, with a comprehensive portfolio spanning Dutch and English language programs. The core offerings include Dutch Group Courses (A0-C1) and English Group Courses (Pre-Intermediate to Advanced), supported by Private Courses for personalized instruction, Exam Preparation courses (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge, NT2, Inburgering), and specialized programs for children and teens including the Dutch Kids Club immersion and literacy series. The school's proprietary KickstartNet online learning platform enables hybrid and fully online delivery. Additional offerings include Support Courses (Grammar Bootcamp, Conversation Cafes), Writing Courses, Summer Intensive Programs, and corporate training through Kickstart for Companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KickstartNet: Online learning platform for Kickstart School's language courses

Products and services

• Dutch Group Courses Face-to-face and online Dutch language courses for adults organized by CEFR proficiency levels from A0 to C1, including the Starterpack, Stepping Stone series, Step Up, and Advanced Dutch courses.
• English Group Courses Face-to-face and online English language courses for adults at Pre-Intermediate to Advanced levels, including Pre-Intermediate English, Intermediate Communication, and Upper-Int./Advanced Communication.
• Dutch Private Courses One-on-one or small group Dutch lessons available for all proficiency levels from A0 to C1+, providing personalized instruction.
• English Private Courses One-on-one or small group English lessons for all proficiency levels from A0 to C2, providing personalized instruction.
• Dutch Exam Courses Dutch exam preparation courses for Inburgering (A2+), NT2 Programma I (B1+), and NT2 Programma II (B2+).
• English Exam Courses English exam preparation courses for IELTS (B2-C1), TOEFL (B2-C1), Cambridge Advanced CAE (C1), Cambridge First FCE (B2), and Cambridge Business BEC (B2-C1).
• Dutch for Teens and Kids Private Dutch lessons and summer day camps for children and teenagers at all proficiency levels (A0-C1).
• English for Kids and Teens Academic English courses and summer day camps for teenagers, including English Summer Day Camp for Kids (A2-B1) and English Summer Day Camp for Teens (B1-B2).
• Dutch Kids Club Face-to-face Dutch language immersion and literacy programs for young children, available for ages 5-8 with multiple levels including Immersion I, Immersion II, Literacy I, II, and III.
• Support Courses Supplementary Dutch language support courses including Grammar Bootcamp (A2-B1) and Conversation Cafe I and II for practicing speaking skills.
• Online Dutch Writing Courses Online Dutch writing skills courses at B1-C1 level and NT2 Programma II online writing course at A2-B1 level.
• Online English Writing Courses Online Business English writing course (B2-C1) and Academic English writing course (B2-C1) for professional and academic purposes.
• Brush Up Your Basic Dutch Online modules at A0-A1 level for brushing up basic Dutch language skills.
• Kickstart for Companies Corporate language training programs for businesses, offering Dutch and English courses tailored for company employees.
• Summer Courses (Dutch & English) Intensive summer language courses including Summer Day Camps for kids (A1) and teens (B1-B2), and pre-intermediate/intermediate (A2-B1) and upper intermediate/advanced (B2-C1) courses.

Quantifiable outcome

• Reach operational A2 level Dutch for 840 EUR (two courses of 24 hours each)

Named customers2 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

Feature1 record

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• inlingua: International language training franchise with corporate-focused programs in Dutch and English; overlaps with Kickstart's B2B training offering while operating at far greater scale across multiple countries.
• Kaplan International: Global English-language school with extensive exam preparation (IELTS, TOEFL, Cambridge) and corporate training; competes for the same English-learner and exam-prep demand that Kickstart addresses.
• Berlitz: Global language school chain offering private, group, and corporate instruction across many languages including Dutch and English; comparable in product mix and corporate training angle, with much wider geographic reach.
• British Council Netherlands: Official English-language teaching provider in the Netherlands offering group and exam-prep courses (IELTS, Cambridge); directly comparable to Kickstart's English exam-prep portfolio and international-learner base.

Emerging players

• Babbel: Subscription-based consumer language-learning app covering Dutch and English; an indirect substitute for entry-level self-study learners, particularly for lower CEFR levels where Kickstart's group courses compete on price.
• Duolingo: Free, gamified language-learning platform with a Dutch course and English course; serves as a low-friction substitute at A0–A2 levels and shapes consumer expectations about pricing for entry-level language learning.

Direct peers

• Taalthuis: Dutch language school offering face-to-face and online Dutch courses across multiple cities in the Netherlands; directly comparable course catalog (A0–C1, exam prep) and D2C model targeting expats.
• Talencentrum: Dutch language training provider offering courses and exam preparation across the Netherlands; overlaps with Kickstart on curriculum levels, exam prep, and corporate Dutch training offerings.
• Dutchies: Amsterdam-based Dutch language school providing group, private, and online Dutch courses for expats; competes with Kickstart on Inburgering and NT2 prep and shares the same international-student target market.
• Language Institute Regina Coeli: Well-known Dutch language institute located in the Netherlands offering intensive Dutch immersion programs for internationals; competes with Kickstart for the same expat and Inburgering learner base, particularly in the premium segment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kickstart-language-training

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 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 Kickstart School