What Stuifzand does

Stuifzand (legal name: Projectvereniging Cultuurnetwerk Kempen) is a Belgian inter-municipal cooperation organization headquartered in Geel, Antwerp, that connects and supports cultural and heritage actors across seven municipalities in the Kempen region of Belgium: Balen, Dessel, Geel, Laakdal, Meerhout, Mol, and Retie. Formed in May 2021 through the merger of predecessor organizations k.ERF and Cultuurnetwerk Kempen, it functions as a publicly funded regional network delivering advisory services, project funding, training (vormingen), heritage documentation, and cultural programming to municipal governments, heritage organizations, museums, artists, and citizens. Its core products include the Vertelsels van de Grove Den podcast series (seven episodes of local folklore), the UiTPAS Kempen cultural pass system, the Kempens Erfgoedportaal digital heritage portal, and the Culturele infrastructuurzoeker (cultural infrastructure finder). The organization also produces the 'Op de koffie' video series, operates the Kempens Erfgoed YouTube channel, and organizes regional events including Open Monumentendag, Archeologiedagen, Atelier in Beeld, and Stuifkracht professional development sessions.

Stuifzand operates on a non-commercial, publicly funded revenue model. It is financed through contributions from the seven member municipalities and project grants from the Flemish government (Vlaamse overheid), with no commercial pricing for its core services. Headcount is small — approximately six employees, with ten staff members listed on the contact page — reflecting its lean operational structure. Distribution is conducted through a hybrid model: direct advisory and funding services to member municipalities and heritage organizations, supplemented by digital content distribution via its website, podcast platforms (Spotify, Geluidshuisapp), and YouTube. The organization's strategic differentiator is its position as the single coordinating body for cultural and heritage initiatives across the Kempen, enabling cross-municipal collaboration, shared resources, and unified cultural programming that individual municipalities could not achieve independently.

Name

Stuifzand

Legal name

Projectvereniging Cultuurnetwerk Kempen

Website

https://stuifzand.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Stuifzand is a Belgian inter-municipal cooperation organization that coordinates cultural and heritage programming across seven Kempen municipalities (Balen, Dessel, Geel, Laakdale, Meerhout, Mol, Retie), serving municipalities, heritage organizations, artists, and citizens through advisory services, project funding, training, and digital heritage tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Cultural and Heritage Coordination Services

NAICS

Historical Sites (712120), Civic and Social Organizations (8134), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Indigenous, Ethnic & Folk Arts/Heritage Organizations (BPAGAHAI), Community Arts, Culture & Creative Placemaking Enterprises (BPAGALAO)

Keywords

• Cultural heritage services
• Inter-municipal cooperation
• Heritage preservation support
• Regional cultural network
• Community cultural programming

Headquarters

HQ city

Geel

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Inter-municipal cooperation funding: As a project partnership (Projectvereniging Cultuurnetwerk Kempen), Stuifzand is funded through contributions from 7 member municipalities (Balen, Dessel, Geel, Laakdal, Meerhout, Mol, Retie) and potentially Flemish government subsidies for cultural and heritage initiatives
2. Project-based funding: The Vertelsels van de Grove Den project received support from the Flemish government (Vlaamse overheid), demonstrating access to regional cultural funding programs

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Stuifzand (legal name: Projectvereniging Cultuurnetwerk Kempen) is an inter-municipal cooperation organization that connects, advises, and supports cultural and heritage actors across seven municipalities in the Kempen region of Belgium (Balen, Dessel, Geel, Laakdal, Meerhout, Mol, Retie). It delivers advisory services, project funding facilitation, training, heritage documentation, digital heritage databases, cultural infrastructure coordination, and community events including podcasts, open studio days, and heritage days.

Product overview

Stuifzand is an inter-municipal cooperation organization (Projectvereniging Cultuurnetwerk Kempen) connecting seven municipalities (Balen, Dessel, Geel, Laakdal, Meerhout, Mol, Retie) in the Kempen region for culture and heritage. Their offerings include the Vertelsels van de Grove Den audio storytelling series, the UiTPAS Kempen cultural pass system, the Kempens Erfgoedportaal heritage portal, and the Culturele infrastructuurzoeker cultural infrastructure finder. They also provide advisory services, research support, financial support for projects, publication support, communication services, training, and a lending service for heritage materials.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Vertelsels van de Grove Den A podcast/audio storytelling series featuring seven episodes of local legends from the Kempen region, with characters Mast (the Scots pine) and Muts (the wild spindleberry) guiding listeners through folklore from the seven member municipalities.
• UiTPAS Kempen A cultural pass system offering benefits and discounts for cultural participation across the Kempen region, distributed through municipal partners.
• Kempens Erfgoedportaal An online heritage portal providing access to cultural heritage databases and information about the Kempen region.
• Culturele infrastructuurzoeker A cultural infrastructure finder tool to locate cultural venues and spaces across the Stuifzand region.
• Heritage and cultural advisory services Tailored advisory support (Advies op maat) for heritage and cultural projects, including research, project funding support, publication/database support, communications guidance, training, and a lending service for heritage materials.
• Training sessions (Vormingen) Training and professional development programs for cultural organizations and heritage volunteers on topics such as vzw legislation, online meeting management, communication, and media skills.

Quantifiable outcome

• Seven municipalities served through unified cultural cooperation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Het GeluidshuiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProduction house partnership for the Vertelsels van de Grove Den project. Het Geluidshuis served as the production company, handling scenario writing (Dimitri Leue), direction and music (Koen Brandt), recording, montage and mixing. The partnership produced 7 episodes of regional folklore podcasts launched January-February 2026.
• Vlaamse overheid (Flemish Government)coreOthersPrimary funder and supporter of cultural projects including Vertelsels van de Grove Den and other heritage initiatives in the Kempen region.
• Avansa KempencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-presenter of Het Kempenoffensief podcast project alongside beweging.net, Bibliotheek Turnhout, Erfgoed Noorderkempen and Stuifzand. Avansa provides social-cultural work expertise and coordinates regional cultural programming.
• Bibliotheek TurnhoutminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Het Kempenoffensief podcast project, contributing to regional cultural content development.
• Erfgoed NoorderkempenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Het Kempenoffensief podcast project, contributing heritage expertise from the northern Kempen region.
• beweging.netminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Het Kempenoffensief podcast project, representing social-cultural movement network.
• Kunst WerktcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSupport point for visual artists (steunpunt voor beeldend kunstenaars) that collaborated with Stuifzand on the Stuifkracht Beeldende Kunst event, providing expertise on pricing artwork and professional development for artists.
• Kunst in HuisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization providing guidance on preparing artwork for exhibition. Caroline Van Meerbeek, director at Kunst in Huis, shared tips and tricks at the Stuifkracht Beeldende Kunst event.
• Belinda SaldenminorOthersArtist and cultural ambassador in Balen who welcomed participants at the Stuifkracht Beeldende Kunst event, sharing insights on the importance of collaboration and meeting for artists.
• UiTPAS Kempen partnerscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorNetwork of cultural organizations and venues participating in the UiTPAS cultural pass system across the Kempen region, enabling discounted access to cultural activities.
• Willem PirquinminorOthersIllustrator who created the artwork and campaign visuals for the Vertelsels van de Grove Den project, giving the podcast series its distinctive visual identity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Cultuurregio Brugge: Cultuurregio Brugge is an inter-municipal cultural cooperation for the Bruges region, structurally analogous to Stuifzand as a Flemish inter-municipal cultural network with municipal funding and regional programming.
• Histories vzw: Histories vzw is a Belgian heritage organization that supports local heritage initiatives, digitization, and community-based heritage work — closely mirroring Stuifzand's heritage support, advisory, and digitization offerings.
• Avansa Kempen: Avansa Kempen is a social-cultural work organization in the Kempen region providing adult education and community programming. It was named as a co-presenter of the Het Kempenoffensief podcast and shares Stuifzand's regional social-cultural mandate.

Regional players

• Erfgoed Noorderkempen: Erfgoed Noorderkempen is a regional heritage collaboration covering the northern Kempen municipalities. It directly parallels Stuifzand's southern Kempen remit and was named as a partner on the Het Kempenoffensief podcast project.
• Toerisme Kempen: Toerisme Kempen is the regional tourism organization for the Kempen region, promoting cultural and natural heritage assets — overlapping with Stuifzand's cultural programming and event organization in the same geographic territory.
• Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland vzw: Regionaal Landschap Kempen en Maasland is a regional landscape and heritage organization working across the Kempen region on landscape stewardship, biodiversity, and cultural heritage — a directly comparable regional non-profit operating in Stuifzand's territory.

Broad incumbents

• Visit Flanders: Visit Flanders is the Flemish tourism authority that channels regional cultural heritage into tourism marketing and policy — a broader, Flemish-wide incumbent whose cultural heritage programming intersects with Stuifzand's offerings.
• Cultuurconnect: Cultuurconnect is a Flemish support organization for cultural and heritage libraries and digital cultural participation, providing digital infrastructure and services that complement Stuifzand's heritage portal and cultural infrastructure finder offerings.
• FARO (Vlaams Instituut voor Cultuur- en Erfgoedondernemerschap): FARO is the Flemish interface organization for cultural heritage, providing strategic advice, training, and grant support across Flanders. It is a broader, Flemish-wide counterpart to Stuifzand's regional Kempen focus, with overlapping cultural-heritage intermediary functions.

Others

• European Heritage Alliance: European Heritage Alliance is a pan-European coalition advocating for cultural heritage policy and funding, including UNESCO recognition pathways relevant to Stuifzand's heritage-nomination support work.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Stuifzand
• Facebookfacebook.com/StuifzandKempen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stuifzand
• Instagraminstagram.com/stuifzandkempen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Stuifzand