PEP! - Positive Education Psychology

What PEP! - Positive Education Psychology does

PEP! vzw (Positive Education Psychology) is a Belgian non-profit (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk) founded in 2016 by Rihab Hajjaji and headquartered in Antwerp, Belgium. The organization targets educational inequality in Flanders — Belgium has the largest ethnic achievement gap in education in the Western world per PISA 2015 — by serving youth from disadvantaged backgrounds (kansengroepen), including those from immigrant and lower socio-economic households facing barriers to diploma completion and higher education. PEP! delivers a portfolio of five core programs: Medicine PEP! (free preparation for medical, dentistry, and veterinary entrance exams with €250 reimbursement upon passing via Centrum Louise-Marie vzw), Level Up (year-long technology and innovation curriculum), PEP! Classes (peer-to-peer tutoring in groups of 3-4 students), Masterclasses (Easter holiday technology workshops), and Summerschool (immersive summer program). Cumulative impact disclosed includes 1,240 youth reached, 385 informed, 200 tutoring participants, and an 8-of-17 (47%) pass rate on the Medicine entrance exam in the first cohort.

The organization's underlying methodology is peer-to-peer learning: stronger students from upper-secondary or higher education deliver weekly two-hour tutoring sessions to peers facing academic difficulty in groups of 3-4, structurally reducing tutoring cost while building a self-reinforcing alumni-to-tutor pipeline. PEP! treats AI, machine learning, blockchain, and VR as curricular subjects rather than as platform technology — there is no proprietary software stack, mobile app, API, or disclosed data infrastructure beyond an Odoo-hosted website (pepvzw.be) and Microsoft Forms registration. Delivery is hybrid: self-serve online registration combined with direct outreach to Antwerp secondary school administrators, with programs executed physically at partner venues including Thomas More Campus National.

PEP! operates as a community-led non-profit with 11-50 staff including four named program coordinators plus the founder/chairperson. Revenue is a mix of nominal program fees (€15 per 2-hour tutoring session), donations via bank transfer (BE52 3631 6739 9509), and corporate/educational/institutional sponsorships — including KBC, Johnson & Johnson, Lucerna College, Centrum Louise-Marie, Thomas More, Foodmaker, and the City of Antwerp (which has granted the Compas Certificate for volunteer tutor competency development). Geographic scope is exclusively Flanders with no disclosed expansion plans.

Name

PEP! - Positive Education Psychology

Legal name

PEP! vzw

Website

https://pepvzw.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

PEP! vzw is an Antwerp-based non-profit founded in 2016 delivering peer-to-peer tutoring, medical exam preparation, and technology education to disadvantaged youth in Flanders, addressing the regional educational achievement gap through school partnerships, volunteer-driven instruction, and corporate sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Support Services

NAICS

Exam Preparation and Tutoring (611691)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Core Curriculum Small-Group Tutoring Centers (Math/ELA/Science/Social Studies) (EDANAHAA)

Keywords

• Peer-to-peer tutoring
• Educational equality programs
• Student exam preparation
• Youth mentorship services
• Non-formal education workshops

Headquarters

HQ city

Antwerp

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Program Fees: PEP! generates revenue through modest program fees. PEP! Classes charges €15 for 2 hours of tutoring per session. This represents minimal cost recovery rather than profit generation, as the organization is a non-profit focused on accessibility.
2. Donations and Sponsorships: As a non-profit organization (vzw), PEP! relies on donations and sponsorships from partners and supporters. The organization can be supported via bank account BE52 3631 6739 9509.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

PEP! vzw is a non-profit organization delivering educational programs for youth from disadvantaged backgrounds in Antwerp, Belgium. Its core offerings include Medicine PEP! (free medical, dentistry, and veterinary entrance exam preparation), PEP! Classes (peer-to-peer tutoring at €15 per 2-hour session in mathematics, French, and sciences), Level Up (year-long innovation and technology curriculum), Masterclasses (free Easter holiday workshops), and Summerschool (immersive summer learning program). All programs target kansengroepen to address educational inequality in Flanders.

Product overview

PEP! is a non-profit organization offering a portfolio of educational programs for underprivileged youth. The core offerings include Medicine PEP! (medical entrance exam preparation), Level Up (technology and innovation curriculum), PEP! Classes (peer-to-peer tutoring), Masterclasses (technology workshops during Easter break), and Summerschool (summer program). All programs focus on providing equal educational opportunities, developing competencies, and supporting youth in reaching their full potential.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Medicine PEP! A free preparation program that helps underprivileged youth prepare for medical, dentistry, and veterinary entrance examinations using a peer-to-peer approach. Students who pass the entrance exam receive a €250 reimbursement from Centrum Louise-Marie vzw, and PEP! also covers the full cost of the entrance exam itself. Designed for Antwerp secondary school students from kansengroepen.
• Level Up A free year-long innovation and development program for motivated secondary school students featuring weekly lessons on breakthrough technologies including blockchain, design thinking, machine learning, and AI, combined with soft skills training. Industry partners such as KBC, Johnson & Johnson, and Lucerna College provide guest lectures and company visits. Designed for students in their final years of secondary education in Antwerp.
• PEP! Classes (Peerlearning) Affordable peer-to-peer tutoring service where students from the 2nd/3rd grade or higher education who are strong in a subject teach small groups of 3-4 learners for 2 hours per week. Subjects include mathematics, French, and sciences at €15 per 2-hour session. Designed for secondary school students in Antwerp who need academic support.
• Masterclasses A free three-day program during Easter vacation (14-18 April) where companies and organizations deliver interactive workshops on technology, innovation, and entrepreneurship topics including programming, soft skills, business plans, VR, and AI. Designed for participants aged 16+ in Antwerp.
• Summerschool An immersive summer program combining interactive workshops, creative group assignments, technology and industry visits, entrepreneurship activities, sports team-building, and healthy nutrition during summer vacation. Designed for youth in Antwerp with pricing available on request via [email protected].

Quantifiable outcome

• 8 out of 17 participants passed the Medicine entrance exam in the first edition - a 47% success rate
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• KBCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKBC is an industry partner in the Level Up program, providing guest lectures and industry insights to students. Their involvement exposes students to banking, technology, and innovation career paths.
• Johnson & JohnsoncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJohnson & Johnson participates in the Level Up program as an industry partner, offering students insights into healthcare, technology, and innovation sectors through guest lectures and company visits.
• Lucerna CollegecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLucerna College is a key partner in the Level Up program, collaborating on curriculum and providing students exposure to educational pathways and career opportunities.
• FoodmakerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFoodmaker previously provided healthy food options during Summerschool programs, supporting PEP!'s mission to nourish both mind and body of participants.
• Thomas MorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThomas More Campus National (Kronenburgstraat 62, 2000 Antwerp) serves as the physical location for PEP! Classes tutoring sessions. This partnership provides accessible venue space in the city center.
• Solar TeamminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPEP! appeared on TV1 covering Masterclasses at Solar Team, indicating collaboration on technology and innovation education programs.
• Various Partners (images shown on partners page)minorOthersThe partners page shows images of multiple partners and supporters but specific names are not listed in the source text. These partners provide financial and strategic support to PEP!'s mission.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• GoodPlanet Belgium: Belgian foundation delivering educational programs on sustainability and citizenship to schools and youth. Comparable as a Belgian educational non-profit delivering structured learning experiences to young people through school partnerships.
• Netwerk tegen Armoede: Belgian umbrella network of anti-poverty organizations addressing structural inequality including educational access. Comparable mission addressing disadvantaged populations and overlapping interest in the educational-inequality space in Flanders/Belgium.
• Ligo: Flemish network of basic-education centers providing low-threshold learning programs primarily for disadvantaged adults. Comparable mission (educational accessibility for underserved populations) and Flemish operating context, though it focuses on adult basic education rather than K-12 tutoring.
• Studio Globo: Belgian NGO running educational programs that build inclusion and global citizenship among youth. Directly comparable as a Belgian educational non-profit targeting youth development and equal opportunity through structured programming.
• Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen: Belgian NGO supporting refugees and newcomers with integration services including educational access and language support. Comparable mission of supporting disadvantaged newcomers into education and employment, and overlapping with PEP!'s kansengroepen target demographic.
• BijlesStudent: Peer-to-peer tutoring platform operating in the Netherlands and Belgium, matching students with tutors for academic subjects. Directly comparable peer-tutoring business model serving a similar demographic, though it operates as a paid marketplace rather than a subsidized non-profit.
• Big Brothers Big Sisters of Belgium: Mentoring organization pairing adult or older-student mentors with youth from disadvantaged backgrounds. Comparable focus on disadvantaged-youth support and outcomes, though delivered through one-to-one mentoring rather than small-group tutoring.

Emerging players

• Universiteit van Vlaanderen: Flemish initiative connecting university expertise with broader public audiences through accessible talks and outreach. Comparable educational-engagement mission and Flemish footprint, though primarily outreach-driven rather than direct service delivery to disadvantaged youth.

Broad incumbents

• VDAB: Flemish public employment and vocational training service providing upskilling, retraining, and career guidance across Flanders. Comparable function in training and career-pathway support for disadvantaged populations, but operates at much larger scale as a government agency.
• Centrum voor Leerlingenbegeleiding (CLB): Governmentally funded Flemish student guidance centers providing counseling, learning support, and referral services within the public school system. Serves a similar student population with overlapping support functions but operates as part of the broader public education infrastructure rather than as an independent non-profit.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/pepantwerpenvzw
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/positive-education-psychology

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

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 PEP! - Positive Education Psychology