Vereniging van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeenten

What Vereniging van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeenten does

Vereniging van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeenten (VVSG) is a non-profit membership organization (vereniging zonder winstoogmerk, or vzw) that represents and supports Flemish local governments in Belgium. Founded in 1994 and headquartered at Huis Madou (Bischoffsheimlaan 1-8) in Brussels, VVSG operates with 51-100 employees across approximately ten thematic departments covering governance, climate and sustainability, environment, safety, work and economy, social policy, and care/welfare. Its primary members are the 300+ cities and municipalities of Flanders, the OCMWs (Public Social Welfare Centres), elected officials (mandatarissen), and inter-municipal organizations. The organization delivers a unified advocacy voice at Flemish, federal, and European policy levels and provides centralized knowledge, training, and peer-exchange services that individual municipalities cannot cost-effectively replicate.

VVSG's core product surface consists of a Kennisdatabank (knowledge database with expert-written content across 300+ topics and seven thematic domains), a Praktijkendatabank (practice database where members share and discover municipal solutions), and 76 online Kennisgroepen (knowledge groups) hosted on Microsoft Teams that facilitate peer exchange across topics ranging from HR to climate policy. The organization runs a paid training academy (VVSG Academy) offering both in-person courses at venues across Flanders and digital programs, with course fees ranging from free for member webinars to €425 for two-day programs such as the Startklaar overheidsopdrachten public procurement course. Additional offerings include a job board (Vacatures), the Magazine Lokaal publication (distributed via Politeia), policy position papers (VVSG Standpunten), and the Open Services platform co-developed with District09 (the ICT partner of Stad Gent), which opens government APIs for third-party developer access to build accessible digital services.

Revenue is generated through three streams: recurring membership fees paid by Flemish municipalities and OCMWs, paid training program fees, and publications sold through Politeia. Distribution is primarily direct-to-member via field sales and member engagement, supplemented by self-serve access to online knowledge resources and training registration through vvsg.be. The organization operates exclusively within Flanders, Belgium, and is governed by its member local governments with no external investors, parent company, or venture capital involvement. VVSG holds partial WCAG 2.2 Level AA accessibility compliance on its website and is GDPR compliant.

Name

Vereniging van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeenten

Legal name

Vereniging van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeenten vzw

Website

https://vvsg.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1994

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

VVSG is a non-profit membership organization that advocates for and supports Flemish local governments, OCMWs, and elected officials in Belgium through knowledge databases, training, peer-exchange communities, and policy representation at Flemish, federal, and European levels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Local governments (cities and municipalities in Flanders) pay membership fees to access VVSG services, knowledge resources, training, and advocacy representation.
2. Training programs: VVSG Academy provides paid training courses for local government staff. Fees range from free to 425 EUR per course depending on the program.
3. Publications: VVSG publications through Politeia publisher, including practical books and reports for local governments.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

VVSG is a non-profit membership association (vzw) that supports Flemish cities, municipalities and OCMWs (public social welfare centres) by representing their interests at Flemish, federal and European policy levels, and by providing access to a curated knowledge database, a practice database of local solutions, paid training programs, online knowledge communities, publications, and a job board for local government vacancies.

Product overview

VVSG operates as a membership organization (ledenorganisatie) for Flemish cities and municipalities, providing a platform of interconnected knowledge services. The core offering consists of the Kennisdatabank (knowledge database with thematic knowledge pages), Praktijkendatabank (practice database of inspiring local government examples), and Opleidingen (training programs). These are supported by Kennisgroepen (online knowledge communities on Microsoft Teams), a Vacatures (job board), news services, and policy positions. The organization also partners with District09/Ghent on the Open Services platform, which opens government APIs for public developer access. Access to exclusive member content is managed through user accounts, with most knowledge resources available to all while premium content requires membership.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Kennisdatabank (Knowledge Database) A comprehensive collection of expert-written knowledge pages providing current and reliable information across 36 themes including governance, climate, welfare, mobility, safety, social policy and local economics, available to member municipalities and OCMWs.
• Praktijkendatabank (Practice Database) A searchable database of inspiring local government practices where Flemish municipalities and OCMWs share and discover practical examples, solutions and experiences from peer organisations.
• Opleidingen (Training Academy) Educational programs and training sessions for local government staff and officials covering topics from public procurement to climate policy, offered both in-person and online, with course fees ranging from free to 425 EUR per course.
• Vacatures (Job Board) A job board where VVSG members post vacancies for local government positions, enabling recruitment across Flemish municipalities and OCMWs.
• Kennisgroepen (Knowledge Groups) Online communities hosted on Microsoft Teams where local government employees exchange knowledge and experiences around 76 specific themes ranging from HR to climate policy.
• Magazine Lokaal A magazine publication for local government officials covering practical topics and policy developments relevant to Flemish municipalities, published by Politeia.
• VVSG Standpunten (Policy Positions) Policy positions formulated by VVSG based on expertise and member input, actively lobbied at Flemish, federal and European levels for strong local policy.
• Open Services (Toegankelijke dienstverlening met Open Services) A digital platform co-developed with District09 and the City of Ghent that opens APIs and services for public developer use, enabling innovative applications that connect to government processes and data, including accessible services for citizens with visual impairments.
• Stoomcursus (Intensive Course for New Social Workers) Six online training modules for newly hired social workers at OCMWs (Public Centre for Social Welfare), covering the individual assistance dossier process from application to decision.

Quantifiable outcome

• 76 knowledge groups connecting local government professionals across Flanders
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• District09 (Stad Gent)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2023Co-development partner for the Open Services project, developing accessible digital services for citizens with visual impairments. District09 is the ICT partner of Stad Gent.
• MediawijsminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2023Partner in the Digital Inclusion Network organized by VVSG, supporting local governments with digital literacy and inclusion topics.
• PinakesminorOthers · 26 September 2023Partner organization maintaining a database of people working for local governments, used for VVSG communications and services.
• BelfiusminorOthersBanking and insurance partner for the VVSG network, listed among organizational partners on the VVSG website.
• Elia GroupminorOthersEnergy transmission system operator listed as partner, likely related to energy and climate policy topics.
• EthiasminorOthersInsurance company partner for VVSG, providing insurance services to the local government network.
• FluviusminorOthersGrid operator partner listed on VVSG website, relevant for energy, climate and infrastructure topics.
• VEB (Vlaamse Equipe Beleid)minorOthersPolicy support organization listed as partner on VVSG website.
• PoliteiaminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPublisher of VVSG publications including books and reports for local governments. Available through the Politeia web shop.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Association des Maires de France (AMF): AMF is the French national association of mayors and municipal officials — the largest municipal association in Europe by member count. Directly comparable mandate and membership model as VVSG, operating at national scale in France.
• Sveriges Kommuner och Regioner (SKR): SKR is the Swedish national association for municipalities and regions, offering member-driven advocacy, knowledge and capability services. Functionally equivalent to VVSG within a Nordic context.
• Kommunernes Landsforening (KL): KL is the Danish national association of municipalities, providing advocacy, training, and knowledge services to Danish local governments. Closely comparable mandate and operating model to VVSG, scaled to Denmark's 98 municipalities.
• Vereniging van Nederlandse Gemeenten (VNG): VNG is the Dutch national association of municipalities, performing the equivalent representative, advocacy, and knowledge-sharing role as VVSG but for the Netherlands. Both operate membership-based models serving local governments with policy advocacy and capacity-building services.
• Österreichischer Gemeindebund: The Austrian Municipal Association represents Austrian municipalities at federal and EU levels through advocacy and member services. Closely comparable role to VVSG for a German-speaking Alpine jurisdiction.
• Local Government Association (LGA UK): The LGA is the national membership body for English and Welsh local authorities, providing advocacy, knowledge resources and training. Directly analogous in mandate and service mix to VVSG's role for Flemish municipalities.
• Deutscher Städtetag: Deutscher Städtetag is the German association of cities, representing municipal interests at federal and EU level. Comparable mission, funding model and advocacy stance as VVSG, scaled to Germany's larger municipal landscape.

Broad incumbents

• Conseil des Communes et Régions d'Europe (CEMR): CEMR is the pan-European federation of national local-government associations — VVSG is itself a member. CEMR operates at the EU level doing the advocacy and knowledge-sharing work that VVSG does nationally, making it both a parent-body and a broader-scope peer.

Direct peers

• Brulocalis: Brulocalis is the association of municipalities and CPAS in the Brussels-Capital Region, performing the same advocacy and support role as VVSG for Brussels-area local governments. Direct Belgian peer operating in same country, different region.
• Union des Villes et Communes de Wallonie (UVCW): UVCW is the Walloon counterpart of VVSG, representing municipalities in the French-speaking region of Belgium. Same mandate, same Belgian context, same membership-driven service model, but for a different language community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/be.vvsg
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vvsg
• Xx.com/vvsg

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Vereniging van Vlaamse Steden en Gemeenten