Wonen en Werken

What Wonen en Werken does

Wonen en Werken Tewerkstelling vzw is a Belgian non-profit social enterprise (maatwerkbedrijf / sheltered workshop) headquartered at Ijzerenmolenstraat 2 in Heverlee (Leuven) that provides sustainable employment to approximately 200 individuals facing barriers to the regular labor market. The organization operates through 14 specialized teams organized into four service clusters: cleaning (Moclean for professional cleaning, an Industrial Cleaning Team for GFT containers and municipal outdoor assets, and household cleaning paid via the dienstencheques service cheque system); organic horticulture (De Wikke, Biogarantie-certified since 2002); construction and renovation (Mobouw for painting, Bouwploeg for general construction, Klusplus for handyman work, and a circular construction team for material reuse); and green and outdoor maintenance (Wijkwerkploeg for sidewalk and playground work, Den Distel for garden design since 1998, dedicated green maintenance teams for Heverlee and Herent, GFT container cleaning, and fire hydrant inspection). Additional offices and operating sites are located in Herent, Leuven, and at the Abdij van Park in Heverlee.

The organization's revenue model combines fees from contracted services delivered to municipalities, schools, non-profits, and individual households with Belgian/Flemish government subsidies tied to its maatwerkbedrijf status. B2B contracts include public space maintenance, sidewalk repairs, and playground inspections for Stad Leuven and Gemeente Herent, alongside handyman and maintenance work for VZWs and schools; B2C revenue derives from a €75/year GFT container cleaning subscription (minimum 10 cleanings annually across Heverlee, Kessel-Lo, Wilsele, and Wijgmaal) and household cleaning paid through the dienstencheques system. Distribution is exclusively on-site service delivery across the Leuven and Herent municipalities, and De Wikke organic produce is additionally sold through the Hoevewinkel de wikke farm shop and short-supply-chain partners Voedselteams and Kort'om Leuven.

Strategic differentiation rests on three pillars: the regulatory and subsidy advantages of maatwerkbedrijf certification, the inbound pipeline of employees referred through VDAB (Flemish public employment service) and OCMW (public centers for social welfare), and a 25+ year operational track record in the Leuven region (Den Distel since 1998, De Wikke since 2002). The organization holds Biogarantie organic certification for De Wikke's produce and pursues environmentally friendly practices such as water-based GFT container cleaning without chemical agents. The business is fundamentally labor-based; there is no proprietary technology stack, software platform, or AI component disclosed in the source data.

Name

Wonen en Werken

Legal name

Wonen en Werken Tewerkstelling vzw

Website

https://wonen-en-werken.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Wonen en Werken is a Belgian non-profit social enterprise headquartered in Heverlee (Leuven) employing approximately 200 people with labor-market barriers across 14 teams delivering cleaning, construction, organic horticulture, and green maintenance services to municipalities, schools, non-profits, and households.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Heverlee (Leuven)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Service provision revenue: Revenue generated from providing contracted services to municipalities, schools, non-profits, and individual consumers. Services include cleaning, green maintenance, construction, and bio-gardening. Fees charged to B2B clients for tailored service contracts and to individual consumers for services like GFT container cleaning (subscription model) and household cleaning via service cheques.
2. Government subsidies for sheltered employment: As a 'maatwerkbedrijf' (sheltered workshop), Wonen en Werken receives government subsidies tied to providing employment to individuals with a large distance to the labor market. These subsidies support the social mission while complementing service revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Wonen en Werken is a Belgian social enterprise (maatwerkbedrijf) that employs approximately 200 people across 14 specialized teams to deliver labor-based services including professional cleaning, industrial/GFT container cleaning, household cleaning via service cheques, organic horticulture, construction and renovation (including painting and circular construction), and green/outdoor maintenance for municipalities, schools, non-profits, and individual households in the Leuven/Herent area. Revenue is generated through fee-for-service contracts and supplemented by Flemish government subsidies tied to its sheltered employment mission.

Product overview

Wonen en Werken Tewerkstelling vzw is a social enterprise (maatwerkbedrijf) that provides sustainable employment to individuals with a distance to the labor market. The organization operates approximately 200 employees across 14 different teams organized into four main service clusters: (1) Cleaning services comprising Moclean (professional cleaning), the Industrial Cleaning Team (IRT, handling GFT containers and municipal outdoor maintenance), and household cleaning via service cheques; (2) Organic horticulture through De Wikke, which has grown organic vegetables since 2002; (3) Construction & renovation services including Mobouw (painting), Bouwploeg (general construction), Klusplus (handyman services), and the Circular Construction team; and (4) Green & outdoor maintenance covering neighborhood work teams, De Distel (garden design/maintenance), green maintenance teams for Heverlee and Herent, GFT container cleaning services, and fire hydrant inspection teams. The company also provides social services including career guidance, training, and administrative support for employees.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Moclean
• Industrieel Reinigingsteam (IRT)
• Poetshulp met dienstencheques
• De Wikke
• Mobouw
• Bouwploeg
• Klusplus
• Circulaire bouwploeg
• Wijkwerkploeg
• De Distel
• Groenploegen van Heverlee en Herent
• Reiniging GFT-bak
• Brandkranenploeg

Quantifiable outcome

• Minimum 10 GFT container cleanings per year per subscription
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• VDAB (Vlaamse Dienst voor Arbeidsbemiddeling)coreOthersPrimary referral partner for employees. VDAB, the Flemish public employment service, refers individuals with employment barriers to Wonen en Werken. The organization also coordinates with VDAB consultants for employee trajectory management and follow-up plans.
• OCMW (Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn)coreOthersSocial welfare center that refers individuals in need of supported employment to Wonen en Werken. Works together on employee support and trajectory planning.
• Open SchoolsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal training institution that provides educational modules for employees, helping develop both generic and technical skills as part of the organization's training and development programs.
• VivosupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerExternal training provider that collaborates with Wonen en Werken's social service to deliver customized training modules for employees, focusing on skill development for sustainable employment.
• VoedselteamssupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal food team network that distributes organic vegetables from De Wikke farm, supporting the short supply chain sales model for organic produce.
• Kort'om LeuvensupportingChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal food distribution initiative that sells organic vegetables from De Wikke, supporting local and sustainable food distribution.
• Abdij van ParkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Abbey of Park in Heverlee hosts one of De Wikke's organic garden locations in their moestuin (kitchen garden), providing land for organic vegetable cultivation since 2002.
• Benedictushoeve HerentcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Benedictushoeve in Herent hosts De Wikke's main organic garden location, providing facilities for the biotuinbouw project since 2002.
• Erkend controleorganisme (certification body)supportingOthersRecognized control organism that certifies and regularly inspects De Wikke's organic production, ensuring biogas guarantee standards are met.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Atalian Global Services: Large European facility services provider with cleaning, maintenance, and energy-management offerings that compete with Wonen en Werken's service lines in the broader Belgian facility services market. Comparable as a broad incumbent serving public-sector and B2B clients.
• Sodexo Belgium: Major facility management and services group operating in Belgium with cleaning, maintenance, and grounds services for public and private clients. Comparable as a broad incumbent whose commercial scope overlaps with Wonen en Werken's Moclean, IRT, and green maintenance teams.
• ISS A/S: Global facility services giant offering cleaning, property maintenance, and integrated workplace services to municipalities and B2B clients. Represents the broad incumbent whose commercial offering overlaps significantly with Wonen en Werken's Moclean and maintenance teams, though without the social-employment differentiation.
• Seris Group: Belgian-origin facility services company with cleaning, security, and maintenance offerings across the BeNeLux region. Comparable as a regionally anchored incumbent whose service portfolio overlaps with Wonen en Werken's cleaning and outdoor-maintenance teams in the Belgian market.

Regional players

• CAW (Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk): Flemish network of welfare centers providing social services to vulnerable populations, including supported-employment pathways analogous to Wonen en Werken's mission. Comparable as a regional player addressing overlapping client populations (people with distance to labor market) through social services in Flanders.

Others

• Verso: Flemish federation representing social enterprises and maatwerkbedrijven, providing advocacy, training, and sector coordination. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem organization rather than a direct competitor, but tightly tied to the regulatory and subsidy framework that defines Wonen en Werken's business model.

Direct peers

• Groep INTRO: Belgian social enterprise group operating as a maatwerkbedrijf providing sheltered employment across multiple service lines including cleaning, green maintenance, and logistics in the Antwerp region. Closely comparable to Wonen en Werken in mission, regulatory status, and diversified labor-service model.
• De Kringwinkel: Flemish network of social-economy thrift shops and reuse centers operated through sheltered-employment frameworks. Direct peer in social-enterprise operating model and circular-economy positioning, particularly comparable to Wonen en Werken's Materialenbank and Circulaire bouwploeg activities.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/wonen-en-werken

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries12 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 Wonen en Werken