Ministry of Education and Training

What Ministry of Education and Training does

The Flemish Ministry of Education and Training (Departement Onderwijs en Vorming) is the regional government authority responsible for administering, regulating, and funding the education system in the Flemish Community of Belgium. It sets policy, standards, and accreditation across primary, secondary, higher, and adult education, and operates as the policy and coordination layer over the Flemish public education ecosystem. The ministry is supported by core operating agencies including AGODI (Agentschap voor Onderwijsdiensten, education services administration), AHOVOKS (education services), Onderwijsinspectie (education inspection and quality assurance), and NARIC-Vlaanderen (National Academic Recognition Information Centre for foreign diploma equivalence).

The ministry's product and service portfolio is delivered primarily through digital portals. Core products include the Vlaanderen.be/onderwijs-en-vorming public information portal, NARIC-Vlaanderen for foreign diploma recognition (with tiered fees of EUR 119 for level recognition, EUR 238 for specific recognition, EUR 397 for doctorate recognition, and free processing for welfare recipients, job seekers, asylum seekers, and refugees), Digitaal leren (digital learning infrastructure), Vlaamse toetsen (standardized assessments), and the Higher Education Register. International-facing products include the Study in Flanders portal (showcasing 18 Flemish Higher Education Institutions offering English-taught programmes), Master Mind Scholarships, VLIRUOS scholarships for partnerships with Africa/Latin America/Asia, Erasmus+ mobility integration, the Flanders Trainee Programme (financial grants for internships at 100+ multilateral organizations including UN, EU, World Bank, WHO, OECD), and the Professional Card for Foreign Entrepreneurs (Beroepskaart). Distribution is regional via Flemish education institutions and global via diplomatic representations and multilateral partner networks.

The entity is wholly owned by the Government of Flanders (Vlaamse Overheid) and is publicly funded through government appropriations rather than commercial revenue. Customer segments split between primary constituencies (Flemish students, educators, and educational institutions served under statutory mandate) and secondary international constituencies (foreign students, foreign-qualified workers seeking recognition, and Flemish graduates pursuing multilateral internships). The ministry employs approximately 1,020 staff and operates from Brussels. Pricing is regulated: tuition is set by the Flemish government, NARIC fees are fixed by tariff, and study grants are means-tested. No commercial revenue is published and the entity is not a typical investment target — it is a sovereign regional government function with monopoly authority over education governance in Flanders.

Name

Ministry of Education and Training

Legal name

Departement Onderwijs en Vorming

Website

https://onderwijs.vlaanderen.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

The Flemish Ministry of Education and Training is a regional government authority that administers, regulates, and funds education across primary, secondary, higher, and adult levels in Flanders, Belgium. It operates digital portals including NARIC-Vlaanderen for foreign diploma recognition, Study in Flanders for international students, and the Flanders Trainee Programme for multilateral internships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education Administration

NAICS

Administration of Education Programs (923110), Educational Support Services (611710), Administration of Education Programs (92311)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), International Affairs (9721)

akta.pro primary industry

National/Federal Ministries & Departments of Education (EDADAAAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local/Municipal Education Offices & Inspectorates (EDADAAAC), Study Abroad Program Management & Administration (for Institutions) (EDAIAAAJ), Teacher Training & Language Teaching Certifications (e.g., CELTA/DELTA) (EDAIAEAI)

Keywords

• Public education administration
• Diploma recognition services
• Teacher certification
• International student mobility
• Education quality assurance

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

The Ministry of Education and Training administers and regulates the Flemish education system, providing government services spanning primary, secondary, higher, and adult education. It delivers foreign diploma recognition through NARIC-Vlaanderen, international mobility programs including the Flanders Trainee Programme and Study in Flanders, teacher training and certification services, scholarship administration, standardized student assessments, and digital learning resources.

Product overview

The Ministry of Education and Training operates a comprehensive digital portal (Vlaanderen.be/onderwijs-en-vorming) providing government services and information for education in Flanders. The portfolio includes the Flanders Trainee Programme for international internships with multilateral organizations, NARIC-Vlaanderen for foreign diploma recognition, digital learning tools, Flemish standardized tests, and various scholarship programs (Master Mind, VLIRUOS, Fayat). The education system services span primary, secondary, higher, and adult education with portals for enrollment, teacher training, job vacancies, and professional credentials. Supporting infrastructure includes the Higher Education Register and Study in Flanders portal for international students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Flanders Trainee Programme: A programme offering financial support for internships with multilateral organisations to young global citizens from Flanders
• NARIC-Vlaanderen
• Gelijkwaardigheidserkenning

Products and services

• Education and Training Portal (Onderwijs en Vorming) Official government portal providing comprehensive information about education and training in Flanders, covering primary, secondary, higher education, adult education, and lifelong learning.
• NARIC-Vlaanderen National Academic Recognition Information Centre providing official equivalence recognition for foreign diplomas, enabling international talent to work or study in Flanders. Recognition fees: EUR 119 for level recognition, EUR 238 for specific recognition, EUR 397 for doctorate recognition. Free for welfare recipients, job seekers, asylum seekers, and refugees with valid proof documentation.
• Flanders Trainee Programme Financial support program offering grants to young global citizens from Flanders for internships with multilateral organizations such as UNESCO, UN, EU, World Bank, WHO, and over 100 other international bodies.
• Study in Flanders Portal showcasing English-taught degree programmes from the 18 Flemish Higher Education Institutions for international students.
• Master Mind Scholarships Scholarship program for master's programmes in Flanders and Brussels targeting outstanding students from around the world.
• VLIRUOS Scholarships Scholarships and partnerships between Flanders and Africa, Latin America, and Asia focused on sustainable global development.
• Higher Education Register (Hogeronderwijsregister) Registry of accredited Associate's degree, Bachelor's and Master's programmes in Flanders with search by language of instruction.
• Flemish Tests (Vlaamse toetsen) Standardized assessment tests administered to students across the Flemish education system.
• Digital Learning (Digitaal leren) Digital learning resources and tools for education in Flanders.
• Teacher Training and Development Resources and guidance for becoming a teacher, including lateral entry pathways, subject qualifications, and professional credentials for the Flemish education system.
• School Positions (Vacatures in het onderwijs) Job portal for teaching and administrative positions in Flemish educational institutions.
• Professional Card for Foreign Entrepreneurs (Beroepskaart) Permit system for non-EU nationals to work as self-employed in Flanders, including Innovation & Startup Permit for entrepreneurs.

Quantifiable outcome

• Access to accredited higher education programmes through 18 Flemish institutions
• +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

Partnerships

39 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• United Nations (UN) SecretariatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Headquarters in New York is a key partner for the Flanders Trainee Programme, offering internship opportunities for young Flemish graduates in international diplomacy and global governance.
• UNESCO - United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNESCO Paris headquarters partners with Flanders Trainee Programme. Success stories include interns working on mangroven conservation projects and global education initiatives.
• UNEP - United Nations Environment ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNEP in Nairobi partners with FTP for environmental and sustainability-focused internships, supporting global climate and environmental initiatives.
• UNICEF - United Nations Children's FundcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNICEF New York participates in the Flanders Trainee Programme, providing internship opportunities in child welfare and development programs.
• WHO - World Health OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWHO Geneva headquarters partners with the programme, offering health policy and public health internship placements.
• World Bank GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Bank Washington office participates in FTP, providing internship opportunities in international development finance.
• UNDP - United Nations Development ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNDP New York offers development-focused internships through the programme, supporting global sustainable development goals.
• European CommissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEU Commission institutions across Europe partner with FTP, offering internship opportunities in EU policy and governance.
• OECD - Organization for Economic Cooperation and DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOECD Paris headquarters offers internships in economic policy, development, and international cooperation through the programme.
• UN HabitatcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Habitat Nairobi office partners with FTP for urban development and housing policy internships, including success stories of interns working on international projects.
• UNITAR - United Nations Institute for Training and ResearchcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNITAR Geneva offers internships in training and capacity building, including success stories of interns transitioning to permanent positions.
• IAEA - International Atomic Energy AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIAEA Vienna headquarters offers internships in nuclear science and international atomic energy regulation.
• WIPO - World Intellectual Property OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWIPO Geneva participates in FTP, offering intellectual property and innovation-focused internship opportunities.
• ILO - International Labour OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerILO Geneva offers labor and employment-focused internships through the programme, supporting international labor standards.
• UNIDO - United Nations Industrial Development OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIDO Vienna participates in FTP, offering internships in industrial development and sustainable manufacturing.
• ITC - International Trade CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITC Geneva offers trade and business development internships supporting developing country market access.
• IPBES - Intergovernmental Science-Policy Platform on Biodiversity and Ecosystem ServicescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIPBES Bonn offers internships in biodiversity assessment and ecosystem services research.
• IRENA - International Renewable Energy AgencycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIRENA Abu Dhabi participates in FTP, offering internships in renewable energy policy and sustainable energy transition.
• UNFCCC - United Nations Framework Convention on Climate ChangecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNFCCC Bonn offers climate policy and environmental law internships through the programme.
• UN WomencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUN Women New York offers gender equality and women's empowerment focused internships.
• WFP - World Food ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWFP Rome participates in FTP, offering food security and humanitarian logistics internships.
• FAO - Food and Agriculture OrganizationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAO Rome offers agriculture, food security, and rural development internships.
• African UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAfrican Union Addis Abeda headquarters participates in FTP, supporting pan-African development initiatives.
• ITLOS - International Tribunal for the Law of the SeacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerITLOS Hamburg offers international maritime law internships through the programme.
• European ParliamentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Parliament institutions across Europe participate in FTP for EU legislative and democratic policy internships.
• Council of EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoE Strasbourg offers human rights and European governance internship opportunities.
• ICRC - International Committee of the Red CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerICRC Geneva participates in FTP, offering humanitarian law and international humanitarian action internships.
• EBRD - European Bank for Reconstruction and DevelopmentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEBRD London offers economic development and investment-focused internships through the programme.
• OSCE - Organization for Security and Co-operation in EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOSCE Vienna headquarters and The Hague representations offer security and cooperation policy internships.
• UNCCD - United Nations Convention to Combat DesertificationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNCCD Bonn offers desertification and land management internships through the programme.
• EFDO - European Forest InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEFI operates across Europe with its headquarters in Barcelona, offering internships in forest research and environmental sustainability.
• Benelux UnioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBenelux Brussels headquarters participates in FTP for regional cooperation and integration internships.
• Flemish Diplomatic RepresentationscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFlemish diplomatic missions abroad support FTP interns with local guidance and networking events. Flemish representation in Geneva organizes regular events including for Flemish national day celebrations.
• AGODI - Agentschap voor OnderwijsdienstencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAGODI handles professional recognition of foreign teaching qualifications in Flemish education, processing applications for educators from EU/EEA countries and Switzerland.
• Study in FlanderscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudy in Flanders is the official portal for international students showcasing 18 Flemish Higher Education Institutions offering English-taught degree programmes.
• NARIC-VlaanderencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNARIC-Vlaanderen (National Academic Recognition Information Centre) provides official equivalence recognition for foreign diplomas, enabling international talent to work or study in Flanders.
• Erasmus+coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ mobility programmes enable students to study, intern, or pursue joint masters in Flemish higher education institutions.
• Master Mind ScholarshipscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMaster Mind Scholarships offered through Study in Flanders provide scholarships for master's programmes to outstanding international students worldwide.
• VliruoscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVliruos provides scholarships and partnerships between Flanders and Africa, Latin America, and Asia, focused on sustainable global development.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Dutch Ministry of Education, Culture and Science (OCW): National-level education ministry of the Netherlands overseeing primary, secondary, higher, and adult education across the country. Comparable as a neighboring regional/national education authority with shared linguistic ties, similar NARIC functions, and overlapping student mobility corridors through Benelux partnerships.
• UK Department for Education: National education authority of the United Kingdom. Comparable as a broader education ministry with international student recruitment focus, NARIC-equivalent (UK ENIC) services, and scholarship programmes, though operating at national rather than regional scale.

Direct peers

• Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (Administration générale de l'Enseignement): Belgian French-Community education administration operating the parallel French-medium education system in Belgium. Most directly comparable peer as it shares the same national context, serves an equivalent regulatory and administrative role for its language community, and competes for international students in the Brussels bilingual region.
• Swiss Conference of Cantonal Ministers of Education (EDK): Inter-cantonal coordination body for education across 26 Swiss cantons. Comparable as a regional/sub-national education governance model with similar multi-jurisdictional coordination challenges, harmonization of diploma standards, and quality assurance responsibilities analogous to Flemish education oversight.
• Deutschsprachige Gemeinschaft Belgiens (Ministry of Education): German-speaking Community of Belgium's education administration. Direct peer operating the smallest Belgian language community's education system with similar regulatory, quality assurance, and recognition functions but at much smaller scale.
• ENIC-NARIC Networks (European network of NARIC centres): European-wide network of National Academic Recognition Information Centres coordinating diploma recognition across member states. Directly comparable as it shares NARIC-Vlaanderen's core function of evaluating foreign qualifications and provides the multilateral framework within which the Flemish centre operates.

Others

• EURAXESS (European Research Area mobility network): EU-funded portal supporting researcher mobility and career development across Europe. Comparable in providing international mobility infrastructure for academic professionals, similar to how NARIC-Vlaanderen and Flanders Trainee Programme support student and graduate mobility into Flanders.
• European Commission DG for Education and Culture (DG EAC): European Commission directorate managing EU education policy, Erasmus+, and Bologna Process coordination. Functions as an overarching regulator and funding partner rather than direct competitor; provides framework within which Flemish education operates and co-funds programmes like Erasmus+ mobility.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/OnderwijsVlaanderen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vlaams-ministerie-van-onderwijs-en-vorming
• Instagraminstagram.com/onderwijs_vlaanderen

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Ministry of Education and Training