SCHOLENGROEP SAM

What SCHOLENGROEP SAM does

GO! Scholengroep SAM is a public educational institution network headquartered at Sint-Lodewijkstraat 26 in Genk, Belgium, operating under the GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap public education authority. Established by decree of 14 July 1998, the network administers 34 educational institutions across 10 municipalities in the Limburg region (Kinrooi, Maaseik, Neeroeteren, Dilsen-Stokkem, Maasmechelen, As, Genk, Houthalen-Oost, Oudsbergen, and Bree), serving students from age 2.5 through adulthood. The portfolio comprises 19 primary schools, 2 special primary schools, 7 secondary schools, 1 special secondary school, 1 OKAN (reception education for non-Dutch speaking newcomers), 3 boarding schools (internaten), and 1 adult education center (CVO Cursa) operating at 15 locations.

The institution employs approximately 1,000 staff, including roughly 27 central services personnel across directorates covering policy support, ICT, infrastructure, finance, HRM, prevention, and communications. Its underlying technology platform is administrative rather than pedagogical: a WordPress-based website integrated with Microsoft Office 365 Forms for event and onboarding registration, New Relic Browser Agent for performance monitoring, and Rybbit for web analytics. Pedagogical differentiation is anchored in self-determination theory (autonomy, competence, connectedness) under the SAM vision "Starten Aan Morgen," supported by method schools including Freinet, Dalton, and climate-focused programs.

Revenue is derived primarily from Flemish Community government funding allocated through GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, with primary and secondary public education provided free of charge to students. Additional revenue streams include adult education course fees at CVO Cursa and boarding fees from three internaten (Amigo Campus Van Eyck, Kubik, MFC Groeicampus) serving students aged 2.5 to 23. Enrollment is driven through community engagement: open days, info evenings, school websites, municipal registration systems (notably City of Genk for secondary intake), and an Instagram channel (@scholengroepsam). The institution also offers an employee bike leasing program in partnership with Joule (school year 2025-2026), an online benefits platform (Benefits@work), and psychosocial support services through COHEZIO.

Name

SCHOLENGROEP SAM

Legal name

GO! Scholengroep SAM

Website

https://scholengroepsam.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

GO! Scholengroep SAM is a Flemish public educational institution network operating 34 schools across 10 municipalities in Belgian Limburg, serving students from age 2.5 through adulthood with primary, secondary, special, adult, and boarding education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Education (K-12 and Adult)

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Specialized Programs & Classrooms (Autism, Emotional/Behavioral, Intellectual/Developmental, Multi-Disability) (EDAJAKAH)

akta.pro secondary industry

Special Education Transportation & Accessibility Services (EDAJAKAJ)

Keywords

• Public education
• Primary education
• Secondary education
• Adult education
• Boarding schools

Headquarters

HQ city

Genk

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices10 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Funding (Flemish Community): As part of the GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap (public educational institution of the Flemish Community), the school group receives government funding for operations, staff salaries, and infrastructure. Education is provided free of charge to students.
2. Adult Education (CVO Cursa): CVO Cursa (Centrum voor Volwassenenonderwijs) offers adult education programs, which may generate revenue through course fees for adult learners seeking continuing education and professional development.
3. Boarding/Internaat Fees: Three internaten (Amigo Campus Van Eyck, Kubik, MFC Groeicampus) provide boarding facilities for students aged 2.5 to 23 years, which generate revenue through accommodation fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

GO! Scholengroep SAM is a publicly funded educational organization operating 34 schools across 10 municipalities in the Limburg region of Belgium. It delivers primary, secondary, special-needs, adult (CVO Cursa) and reception (OKAN) education, as well as boarding-school facilities, all under the umbrella of GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap.

Product overview

GO! Scholengroep SAM is a school group (scholengroep) within the GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap public education network. The organization operates a comprehensive educational portfolio comprising 21 primary/basic education schools (including 2 special primary schools), 8 secondary schools (including 1 special secondary education), 3 boarding schools, 1 Adult Education Center (CVO Cursa) with 15 locations, and 1 OKAN (reception education for non-native newcomers). The schools operate under the shared SAM-vision based on the GO! pole star vision, emphasizing self-determination theory with autonomy, connectedness, and competence as core educational vitamins. The institution serves communities across Kinrooi, Maaseik, Neeroeteren, Dilsen-Stokkem, Maasmechelen, As, Genk, Houthalen-Oost, Oudsbergen, and Bree.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Groeicampus: Childcare center

Products and services

• Basisonderwijs (Primary Schools)

Quantifiable outcome

• 34 educational institutions providing comprehensive coverage across all educational levels from early childhood to adult education
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Benefits@workminorOthersBenefits@work is an online platform providing employees with discounts and promotions at hundreds of stores, services, and brands. The platform is free for statutary and contract employees of GO! Scholengroep SAM, accessible via @scholengroepsam.be or @cursa.be email addresses.
• COHEZIOminorOthersCOHEZIO is the external service for prevention and protection at work. Employees can contact COHEZIO for a listening ear or complaints about unwanted behavior. The partnership provides psychosocial support services for staff well-being.
• City of GenkminorOthersThe City of Genk operates a municipal registration system for secondary education. GO! Campus Genk works with the city's enrollment system, requiring families to register through the municipal process.
• GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse GemeenschapcoreOthersGO! Scholengroep SAM is a member of the GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap, a public institution with legal personality established by decree of 14 July 1998. The parent organization is located at Willebroekkaai 36 in Brussels and provides centralized support, governance frameworks, training programs (pro.g-o.be), and policy guidance.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• OVSG (Onderwijsvereniging van Steden en Gemeenten): Federation supporting municipal schools across Flanders, providing governance, HR, and pedagogical services to publicly funded local schools. Direct peer as an alternative public school network competing for the same Flemish student cohort and operating under similar funding mechanisms.
• GO! Scholengroep Antwerpen: Regional GO! scholengroep serving the Antwerp metropolitan area with a similar mix of primary, secondary, and special education schools. Directly comparable as a fellow GO! public school group applying the same self-determination and parent-network funding model.
• POV (Provinciaal Onderwijs Vlaanderen): Provincial education organisation operating publicly funded schools across Flanders. Comparable as a structurally similar public school provider with the same funding source, K–12 cohort, and multi-campus delivery model.
• GO! Scholengroep Brussel: GO! scholengroep covering the Brussels-Capital Region, offering primary, secondary, and special education including significant OKAN provision. Highly comparable for the mix of language integration (OKAN), special education, and multi-tier public school operations.
• GO! Scholengroep Kempen: Sibling GO! scholengroep operating public primary, secondary, and special education across the Kempen region under the same GO! Onderwijs van de Vlaamse Gemeenschap framework. Directly comparable on governance, funding model, pedagogical philosophy, and multi-tier school network structure.

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Education: One of the largest private K–12 operators globally, with a multi-brand portfolio spanning primary, secondary, and special education across multiple regions. Comparable as a large-scale, multi-tiered school platform operator — though privately funded.
• ADvTECH: Listed African education group operating schools, tertiary, and resourcing businesses across multiple brands. Comparable as a multi-tiered, multi-campus education operator with mixed funding streams — though operating in a different geography and corporate structure.
• Katholiek Onderwijs Vlaanderen: Largest education network in Flanders, organising Catholic-affiliated primary and secondary schools across the region. Comparable as the dominant incumbent competitor operating under a parallel public-regulatory framework with similar age cohorts and pedagogical breadth.
• Cognita: International K–12 schools group operating a multi-brand portfolio of private schools across Europe, Asia, and Latin America. Comparable as a multi-tiered, multi-campus school operator — though privately funded rather than publicly funded.

Others

• European Schools: Network of European Schools providing state-funded multilingual K–12 education to children of EU staff. Comparable as a publicly funded, multi-tier, multi-campus K–12 provider with a regulated funding framework, though operating transnationally rather than regionally.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/scholengroepsam
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/scholengroepsam

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries33 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 SCHOLENGROEP SAM