What Skill School does

Skill School is a Dutch nonprofit organization (legal name: Skill School Nederland) that delivers free, project-based learning and day programs to vulnerable young people across the Netherlands. Founded in mid-2024 under the Redpact parent network, Skill School targets youth aged 10 and above who are (almost) homebound, at risk of dropping out of school, lacking daily structure or motivation, or new to the Netherlands (statushouders), as well as motivated youth seeking supplementary challenge. The organization operates Reset (low-threshold re-engagement), Skill Shift (development trajectory), Kickstart (discovery), Grensverleggers (40-week language and integration trajectory for young refugees), Meedoen in Ede (day-care activation), and Zonneoord (nature-based workplace), all delivered free to participants through municipal contracts and foundation grants.

The platform backbone consists of two proprietary methodology tools: EduWallet, a digital wallet that records skills developed across workshops and day programs so participants can demonstrate competencies to schools, internships, employers, or further education; and Skill Wijzer, a structured assessment framework that maps participants' help requests, talents, and development points into personalized trajectories. The website is built on Squarespace; no API, SDK, or external developer platform is offered. Programs are delivered at physical locations (Ede headquarters, Amsterdam, Leiden, Den Haag, plus pop-ups in Almere, Bemmel, Nunspeet) and culminate in graduation ceremonies and community events such as Redfest. Workshop catalog spans entrepreneurship, media, music, graphic design, web design, acting, sports and nutrition, and an AI Academy track.

The business model is a Dutch ANBI-status nonprofit with revenue derived from grants and contracts rather than participant fees. Funders include OranjeFonds, Fonds21, Rabobank, and Eleven Flowers Foundation on the philanthropic side, and Gemeente Ede, school partnerships (samenwerkingsverbanden), MBO institutions, youth care organizations, and the MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd) government program on the public side. Redpact serves as the strategic parent entity, with Stadslab Stingerbol functioning as a primary delivery site. GTM is community-led and event-driven: referrals flow from institutional partners, supplemented by outreach events, graduation ceremonies, and a direct-enrollment channel via the website. Pricing is explicitly free for participants; the organization is entirely metered by its ability to secure grants and municipal contracts.

Name

Skill School

Legal name

Skill School Nederland

Website

https://skillschool.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2024

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Skill School is a Dutch ANBI-status nonprofit that provides free, project-based workshops and day programs for vulnerable youth (school dropouts, homebound youth, refugees, and day-care participants) across the Netherlands, funded by municipalities, charitable foundations, and the MDT government program.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Skills Development

NAICS

Educational Services (61), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Skills Assessment & Talent/Employability Testing Platforms (EDAFADAM), Technical & Digital Skills Training (BPACANAB), Learning Strategy, Instructional Design & Content Development (BPACANAG)

Keywords

• Youth skills programs
• Community-based learning
• Dropout prevention services
• Youth development workshops
• Vocational activation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ede

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Funding: Skill School operates as a non-profit organization providing free services to participants. Revenue comes from grants, government funding (gemeenten), and support from charitable foundations including OranjeFonds, Fonds21, and Rabobank.
2. Government Contracts: Collaboration agreements with municipalities, schools, and youth care organizations who refer participants and contribute to funding the programs. The organization works with schools, educational partnerships (samenwerkingsverbanden), municipalities, youth workers, social teams, and youth care organizations.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Skill School provides free, hands-on, project-based skills development workshops and day programs for vulnerable youth in the Netherlands, including (almost) homebound youth aged 10 and over, status holders, and people in or around day care facilities. The offering combines creative and practical workshops (entrepreneurship, AI, media, music, sports, food, technical work) with structured day programs such as Reset, Skill Shift, Kickstart, Grensverleggers, Meedoen in Ede, Stadslab and Zonneoord, supported by the EduWallet skills documentation tool and the Skill Wijzer talent mapping methodology. Programs are delivered at physical sites and fully subsidized by municipal contracts, charitable foundations and government programs so that participants receive services at no cost.

Product overview

Skill School is an educational organization offering a portfolio of interconnected programs and tools for youth development. Core programs include Reset (for school dropouts), Kickstart (discovery), Grensverleggers (language integration), Meedoen in Ede (day care activation), and Stadslab (creative project-based learning). These programs are supported by the EduWallet (skills documentation) and Skill Wijzer (talent mapping methodology), creating an integrated skills-infrastructure for tracking and developing youth talent toward education, work, or participation. The offering is designed as a modular ecosystem rather than a single unified product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Stadslab: Creative hands-on learning environment for youth to develop skills, self-confidence, and direction
• Reset
• Skill Shift
• Grensverleggers
• Kickstart
• EduWallet
• Skill Wijzer
• De Bivak
• AI Academy
• Redfest

Products and services

• Reset Low-threshold, activating day program for youth aged 10-18 who have dropped out of regular education or are at risk of dropping out. It offers a safe interim step to recharge, gain daily structure and discover that learning can happen differently through hands-on experience.
• Kickstart Discovery program for young people who started education later, dropped out, or don't yet know where to begin. It provides a safe environment to discover what they are good at and to genuinely get started.
• Grensverleggers 40-week trajectory for youth aged 16-18 who do not yet have sufficient Dutch language skills for regular education. Combines NT2 language lessons, sports activities, and practical experience at Stadslab to develop language proficiency, self-confidence and skills.
• Skill Shift Development program at Skill School focused on developing talent, motivation and direction for participants, complementing Reset and Kickstart within the day program portfolio.
• Meedoen in Ede Innovative program for people in day care who want to take steps toward recovery and a stable future perspective. Offers intensive, customized trajectories combining personal guidance, internal activation and practical work experience.
• Stadslab Creative, hands-on learning environment where young people develop skills, self-confidence and direction suited to their situation and pace. Provides practical projects for neighborhoods, municipalities, organizations and companies.
• Zonneoord Nature-based workplace program in partnership with Natuurwerkplaats Zonneoord, offering a small-scale, personal working environment in nature. Participants work on estate maintenance while receiving personalized guidance in a low-stimulation environment.
• AI Academy Free workshop track at Skill School focused on artificial intelligence skills and knowledge for youth participants, part of the broader workshop portfolio.
• Skill School Workshops (creative and practical skills) Portfolio of free, hands-on creative and practical skills workshops offered by Skill School, covering acting and performance, webdesign, sport content creation, clothing upcycling, entrepreneurship, graphic design, drawing and animation, music production, nature-focused art, sports and nutrition, and life goal setting, delivered at Skill School locations.

Quantifiable outcome

• Youth return to education or find employment paths after completing programs
• +1 more outcomes

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered flagship/parent, core and minor.

• Redpactflagship/parentOthersRedpact is the parent organization of Skill School. Redpact comprises multiple enterprises including Redrum (film and animation), Reducations (creative tech academy), Skill School (intergenerational education), Stadslab (learning-work and meeting place), Unseen (social content), and Creative Retreats (professional development). All focused on impactful entrepreneurship.
• MDT (Maatschappelijke Diensttijd)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMDT stamp logo indicates participation in the Dutch National Civil Service program. Skill School offers MDT learning lines as part of its programs, connecting youth to this government initiative.
• Stadslab StingerbolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStadslab Stingerbol is a creative hands-on learning environment run by Redpact where Skill School programs are delivered. It serves as a space for skills development, confidence building, and societal projects.
• Natuurwerkplaats ZonneoordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization providing a nature-based workplace for Skill School participants. Offers outdoor work experience at Landgoed Zonneoord for those needing a calm, low-stimulus environment.
• Stichting OntmoetingcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration partner in the 'Meedoen in Ede' program, providing ambulatory guidance for participants in their personal goals and customized support.
• Tot Uw Dienst EdeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal initiative in Ede where Skill School participants gain practical work experience through garden work and neighborhood tasks as part of the activation program.
• DealbreakersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization with expertise in guiding young people who find street life attractive. Skill School has developed expertise in this area through their collaboration.
• ABC BemmelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOntwikkelhuis Basecamp provides group guidance for dropouts and early school leavers aged 13-23. Collaboration on the Basecamp x Skill School program delivered certificates to young people.
• Gemeente EdecoreOthersThe municipality of Ede is a key partner, providing funding and facilitating the 'Meedoen in Ede' program for participants in day care facilities.
• Basisscholen en middelbare scholencoreOthersSchools refer students who are struggling or at risk of dropping out. Collaboration includes warm handoffs and integration with school programs.
• MBO-instellingencoreOthersVocational schools collaborate on practical routes toward mbo diplomas and learning-work positions for Skill School participants.
• Willem Jakobs (Stadsgras)minorOthersLandscape architect collaborating with Skill School on the Stadslab urban design project, teaching participants to recognize the atmosphere and unique qualities of places.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Pluryn: Major Dutch youth-care and education organization supporting vulnerable young people with complex needs. Comparable in serving the same at-risk youth population (thuiszitters, school dropouts) but with a much broader care-and-residential portfolio.
• Year Up: US-based nonprofit providing skills training, internships and wraparound support to young adults from under-resourced backgrounds. Comparable in the bridge-to-employment model and corporate/foundation funding structure, but operating at materially larger scale.
• War Child: Dutch-headquartered international nonprofit supporting children and youth affected by conflict through education and psychosocial programs. Comparable as a Dutch-rooted youth-focused nonprofit with ANBI status and government/foundation funding, though focused on conflict-affected populations globally.
• Stichting Leergeld: Large Dutch foundation network enabling children from low-income families to participate in education, sports and cultural activities. Comparable in mission of leveling the playing field for disadvantaged youth and in operating through a national network of local branches.
• Generation You Employed: Global nonprofit preparing unemployed/underemployed young people for careers through employer-driven training programs. Comparable in targeting under-skilled youth and partnering with employers/municipalities, though operating at much larger scale internationally.
• UAF (Urgenda Actief voor Asielzoekers en Vluchtelingen): Dutch foundation supporting refugee students in higher education and professional integration. Comparable in serving status holders in the Netherlands and in operating as an ANBI-registered nonprofit with grant-funded programs.

Direct peers

• JINC: Dutch nonprofit that partners with schools, municipalities and employers to prepare young people for the labor market. Comparable in target audience (vulnerable Dutch youth), referral-driven GTM via municipalities, and the bridge function between education and employment.
• NewBees: Dutch nonprofit supporting newcomers (statushouders) with integration, language, and labor-market activation. Directly comparable to Skill School's Grensverleggers program, which combines NT2 language learning with practical experience for newly arrived youth.
• IMC Weekendschool: Dutch nonprofit running weekend programs that expose youth (often from under-resourced backgrounds) to professions and skills through hands-on workshops. Closely comparable to Skill School's mission of activating youth via project-based, community-rooted learning outside the traditional classroom.

Others

• Stichting Siriz: Dutch foundation providing support and training for vulnerable young people and families, including unplanned pregnancies and youth life-skills development. Adjacent to Skill School's life-skills and self-confidence-building mission for vulnerable youth.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/skillschoolnl

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 Skill School