School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit

What School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit does

School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit is a Dutch non-profit foundation (Stichting) headquartered in Deventer, Netherlands, established in 1963 and operating with approximately 8 employees. The organization delivers structured educational programs in practical philosophy and meditation to adult individuals seeking personal and spiritual development, and it holds ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling) status confirming its charitable designation under Dutch tax law. It runs multiple physical branch locations (vestigingen) across the Netherlands where weekly group lessons are held, and it is governed as a self-standing foundation with no disclosed parent company, external investors, or M&A activity.

The product portfolio consists of three interconnected programs: the Introductiecursus Filosofie en Meditatie as the entry-level course; the Regulier Curriculum, a deeper multi-level program for students who complete the introduction; and Meditatie en oefening in gewaarzijn, a traditional mantra meditation and awareness-exercise program unlocked after roughly two years of philosophy lessons. Curriculum content draws from Eastern traditions (Advaita Vedānta, Buddhism, Hinduism) alongside Western classical and modern philosophy. There is no proprietary technology stack; the offering is human-led, in-person, and grouped by cohort.

The foundation generates revenue through recurring course enrollment fees paid by individual students for ongoing weekly lessons, supplemented by donations enabled by its ANBI status. Distribution is entirely on-site at branch locations, with marketing and enrollment supported by a Wix-hosted website, Facebook and Instagram profiles, an email newsletter, organized events, and student testimonials. The organization has no disclosed funding rounds, no public filings, and no partnerships, and operates as a small community institution rather than a growth-stage business.

Name

School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit

Legal name

Stichting Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit

Website

https://praktischefilosofie.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit is a Dutch non-profit foundation offering structured courses in practical philosophy and meditation to adult learners at multiple physical branch locations across the Netherlands, funded by recurring course fees and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Adult Education Services

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Religious Organizations (8131)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAGAJAD

Faith-Based Education & Formation (Seminaries, Religious Schools, Catechesis)

Business & Public Services/Nonprofit, NGO & Social Services/Religious & Faith-Based Organizations

SECONDARYHSADAJAA

Guided Meditation Instruction (1:1 & Group)

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Meditation, Mindfulness & Breathwork

SECONDARYHSADAJAF

Meditation Retreats, Workshops & Immersive Programs

Home & Personal Services/Fitness, Wellness & Personal Training/Meditation, Mindfulness & Breathwork

Keywords

• Adult philosophy education
• Meditation instruction
• Spiritual development courses
• Group lesson programs
• Personal growth training

Headquarters

HQ city

Deventer

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Course fees: The organization generates revenue through course enrollment fees for introduction courses and regular curriculum programs. Students pay to participate in weekly group lessons focused on practical philosophy and meditation.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stichting Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit delivers weekly group lessons in practical philosophy and meditation at multiple physical branch locations across the Netherlands. The curriculum is structured as a progression: an introduction course, a multi-semester regular curriculum at varying levels, and a traditional mantra meditation program for students with approximately two years of prior lessons. The offering combines Eastern philosophical traditions (Advaita Vedānta, Buddhism, Hinduism) with Western thought to support personal and spiritual development of individual adult learners.

Product overview

School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit offers a structured educational program centered on practical philosophy and meditation. The offering consists of three interconnected programs: the Introductiecursus Filosofie en Meditatie serves as the entry point, introducing students to practical wisdom and meditation basics. Upon completion, students can progress to the Regulier Curriculum for deeper philosophical study at various levels. Advanced students who have completed about two years of philosophy lessons gain access to the Meditatie en oefening in gewaarzijn program, which provides traditional mantra meditation instruction and awareness exercises. All programs are delivered in group settings, incorporating Eastern philosophies (Advaita Vedānta, Buddhism, Hinduism) and Western philosophical traditions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Introductiecursus Filosofie en Meditatie An introductory group course teaching practical wisdom for everyday life, covering self-knowledge, states of consciousness, the power of attention, the question 'who or what am I', living in the present, and the role of meditation. It is designed for adults seeking greater inner peace, happiness, and clarity about themselves and their environment.
• Regulier Curriculum A follow-up multi-semester curriculum for students who completed the introduction course, providing in-depth study of important philosophical themes at different levels, delivered in group settings across the school's branch locations in the Netherlands.
• Meditatie en oefening in gewaarzijn A traditional mantra meditation system made available to students who have followed approximately two years of philosophy lessons, complemented by an awareness exercise designed to enhance presence in the moment.

Quantifiable outcome

• Students report gaining more grip on areas they can work on and learning to see and experience more clearly.

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Direct peers

• Plum Village Nederland: Thich Nhat Hanh tradition offering mindfulness practice and community-based retreat programs in the Netherlands; comparable on philosophy-plus-meditation community format.
• Centrum voor Mindfulness: Dutch mindfulness training center delivering structured MBSR/MBCT programs to individuals — overlaps SvPFS in target audience and structured group-instruction delivery.
• Shambhala Nederland: Dutch Buddhist/Shambhala meditation community with structured group sessions and teachings; directly comparable East-meets-West philosophy/meditation school model.
• Vipassana Netherlands (Dhamma organizations): Lay-Buddhist Vipassana centers offer traditional group meditation courses with progression; closely analogous to SvPFS's traditional meditation instruction and group settings.
• Zen.nl: Dutch network offering group-based meditation and mindfulness courses with progression pathways — directly comparable to SvPFS's weekly group-lesson, multi-program model in the Netherlands.
• Maharishi Foundation Netherlands: Dutch branch of the Transcendental Meditation movement; provides structured mantra-meditation instruction and philosophy, mirroring SvPFS's mantra-meditation and Advaita-influenced teaching.

Broad incumbents

• Calm: Global meditation and mindfulness app targeting the same 'peace, relaxation, clarity' outcomes for individual consumers, with vastly greater scale and digital distribution.
• School of Life: Alain de Botton's global 'philosophy for everyday life' institution — comparable curriculum mission (applied philosophy, self-knowledge) but operates at much larger scale across multiple geographies.
• Headspace: Digital meditation/mindfulness incumbent serving the same end-customer (adults seeking inner peace and personal development) but via a subscription app model — direct substitute for SvPFS's value proposition.
• Insight Meditation Society: Established Western Buddhist retreat and teaching center with structured programs in meditation philosophy — comparable in program design and teacher-led group format, though U.S.-based.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/svpfs
• Instagraminstagram.com/schoolvoorpraktischefilosofie
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/school-voor-praktische-filosofie-en-spiritualiteit

Compliance1 record

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 School voor Praktische Filosofie en Spiritualiteit