Verkeersschool Berend Knol B.V.

What Verkeersschool Berend Knol B.V. does

Oosterpoort Opleidingen (legally registered as Verkeersschool Berend Knol B.V.) is a Dutch driving school and professional training provider established in 1964, operating across Northern Netherlands from training academies in Groningen, Assen, and Leeuwarden with a team of 80+ employees. The company delivers a comprehensive portfolio of driving license training spanning all categories (car B, motorcycle A, moped AM, tractor T, bus D, truck C/CE, trailer BE, boat license, and electric van) plus specialized programs including caravan handling, driving anxiety/refresher lessons, and accessibility-focused instruction for deaf/hard-of-hearing students and those with physical limitations.

The company's professional training arm covers Code95 mandatory continuing education for commercial drivers, VCA safety certifications, ADR hazardous materials transport, forklift/reach truck/EPT operation, mobile crane and aerial work platform training, and first aid/emergency response courses. Enterprise clients include public transport operator Qbuzz, logistics company Consolid, government employment agency UWV, municipality of Groningen, and regional vocational college ROC Noorderpoort. Student management is supported by the Autofox SaaS portal, and the company maintains a multi-channel digital presence across website, Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn, and YouTube.

The business operates on a direct-to-consumer model for individual learners supplemented by direct enterprise sales and government/municipality referral partnerships. Revenue is generated through one-time license training fees and recurring Code95 continuing education contracts, with corporate on-site delivery capability. No pricing is publicly disclosed; engagements are quote-based. The company claims 4,000+ customer reviews with a 95%+ recommendation rate and positions itself as the largest driving school in Northern Netherlands.

Name

Verkeersschool Berend Knol B.V.

Legal name

Oosterpoort Opleidingen

Website

https://berendknol.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

1964

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Driving School and Professional Driver Training

NAICS

Automobile Driving Schools (611692), Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Career Coaching, Mentoring & Placement Support Services (EDAAAKAO)

akta.pro secondary industry

Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM)

Keywords

• Driving school services
• Professional driver training
• Vehicle license education
• Transport safety courses
• Code95 continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Leeuwarden

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Driving License Training: One-time fee training programs for individuals seeking various driving licenses (car B, motorcycle A, truck C/CE, bus D, tractor T, etc.) and related theory courses
2. Professional/Business Training: Customized training programs for companies including Code95 continuing education for professional drivers, VCA safety certifications, ADR dangerous goods, forklift, and other workplace safety courses

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Verkeersschool Berend Knol B.V., operating as Oosterpoort Opleidingen, is a Northern Netherlands driving school and vocational training provider established in 1964 with 80+ employees and sites in Leeuwarden, Groningen, and Assen. It delivers personal-vehicle driving lessons (car, motorcycle, moped, tractor, trailer, boating), professional driver qualifications (truck, bus, taxi, Code95), and certified safety/operations training (VCA, ADR, EHBO, BHV, forklift/reach-truck, auto-loader crane, aerial work platform) to individual learners, corporate transport operators, and government reintegration clients.

Product overview

Oosterpoort Opleidingen is a driving school and professional training provider operating since 1964, offering a comprehensive portfolio of driving courses and professional certifications. The offering consists of three main pillars: (1) Rijopleidingen (driving courses) covering all license types including car (B), trailer (BE), moped (AM), motorcycle (A), tractor (T), boat license, and specialized training like caravan and electric van; (2) Beroepsopleidingen (professional courses) for transport, logistics, and safety including truck driver (C/CE/LZV), bus driver (D/DE), taxi driver, forklift/reach truck/EPT, VCA safety certifications, ADR hazardous materials, first aid (EHBO), emergency response (BHV), crane operation, and work platform training; and (3) Code95 Nascholing (continuing education) providing mandatory 35-hour refresher training for professional drivers with theory courses (U02-U51), practical training including DAF Driver Training, e-learning modules, and package deals. The company serves both private individuals and corporate clients with training delivered at own locations in Groningen, Assen, and Leeuwarden, or on-site at client facilities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Rijopleidingen personenauto (rijbewijs B) Driving lessons and licence preparation for the standard Dutch category B car licence, delivered to individual learners across Leeuwarden, Groningen and Assen locations.
• Rijopleiding motorrijbewijs (A) Motorcycle licence training for individual learners pursuing the Dutch category A motorcycle licence.
• Rijopleiding bromfiets (AM) en brommobiel (AM4) Moped (bromfiets) and microcar (brommobiel) licence training for individual learners pursuing the Dutch AM and AM4 licences.
• Rijopleiding auto met aanhanger (BE) Trailer extension training for licence-holders adding category BE to drive a car with a heavier trailer or caravan.
• Tractorrijbewijs (T) Tractor licence training for individual learners pursuing the Dutch category T agricultural-vehicle licence.
• Vaarbewijs opleiding Boating licence training preparing individual learners for the Dutch vaarbewijs (boat licence) examination.
• Beroepsopleiding vrachtwagenchauffeur (C/CE/LZV) Professional truck-driver qualification training for categories C, CE and LZV (longer/heavier combination vehicles), aimed at individuals entering the freight industry and at employers certifying employed drivers.
• Beroepsopleiding buschauffeur (D/DE) Professional bus-driver qualification training for categories D and DE, used both for individuals entering passenger transport and for operators such as Qbuzz training hired drivers.
• Taxichauffeur opleiding Taxi-driver qualification training preparing individuals for the Dutch taxi chauffeur certification required to operate a taxi professionally.
• Heftruck / Reachtruck / EPT opleiding Certified forklift, reach-truck and electric pallet-truck operator training for warehouse, logistics and manufacturing employees.
• Code95 nascholing beroepschauffeurs Periodic continuing-education training required to maintain the EU Code95 driver-qualification card for professional truck, bus and coach drivers, delivered as recurring cohort sessions.
• VCA opleidingen Veiligheid, Gezondheid en Milieu Checklist Aannemers (VCA) safety certification courses for contractors and operatives working on industrial sites.
• ADR opleiding Gevaarlijke Stoffen European Agreement concerning the International Carriage of Dangerous Goods by Road (ADR) qualification for professional drivers transporting hazardous materials.
• EHBO en BHV opleidingen First Aid (EHBO) and Company Emergency Response (BHV) certification courses for employees required to fulfil workplace emergency-response roles.
• Autolaadkraan en Hoogwerker opleidingen Operator certification training for truck-mounted loader cranes (autolaadkraan) and aerial work platforms (hoogwerker) used in construction, logistics and maintenance operations.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 4000 genuine customer reviews with more than 95% of customers recommending the company

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• UWVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment employment agency partnership for funded driver training programs targeting unemployed citizens seeking careers in transport and logistics sectors
• Gemeente GroningencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal government partnership for driver training initiatives supporting local employment and mobility
• QbuzzmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic transport operator partnership for professional driver training and certification programs
• ConsolidmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLogistics company partnership for driver training and professional development
• ROC NoorderpoortcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVocational education partnership developing customized training programs (maatwerk opleidingstrajecten) for transport, logistics and passenger transport sectors to promote new driver intake

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• CBR (Centraal Bureau Rijvaardigheidsbewijzen): Dutch government agency that administers driving theory and practical exams; not a direct competitor but the exam authority every Dutch driving school depends on, making it an essential ecosystem counterpart to Oosterpoort's training business.
• Qbuzz: Public transport operator in the Northern Netherlands that is both a customer and industry peer of Oosterpoort — uses the company for professional driver training while itself being a major employer of trained bus and coach drivers in the same regional market.

Regional players

• ROC Noorderpoort: Regional vocational education institution in the Northern Netherlands that partners with Oosterpoort on customized transport/logistics training programs and competes for government-funded adult learner training budgets in the same region.

Direct peers

• Innovam: Dutch mobility and transport training organization providing professional driver training (truck, bus), Code95 continuing education, VCA, and ADR certification — a direct functional overlap with Oosterpoort's Beroepsopleidingen and Code95 Nascholing portfolio.
• Transport en Logistiek Nederland (TLN) Opleidingen: Industry association for Dutch transport and logistics that operates training programs for professional drivers, including Code95, ADR, and VCA — overlapping with Oosterpoort's professional and continuing education portfolio and competing for the same corporate clients (e.g., Consolid).
• Verkeersschool Bottelier: Established Dutch driving school offering car, motorcycle, and professional license training across multiple locations in the Netherlands; competes for the same individual learner and corporate professional driver segments as Oosterpoort.

Broad incumbents

• ANWB Rijopleidingen: ANWB's driving school division is the largest national driving school network in the Netherlands, offering consumer license training, professional driver courses, and Code95 across the country — overlapping with Oosterpoort's offerings at much broader geographic scale.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCN_gx1LJ0DUl77ESvLHE-3Q
• Facebookfacebook.com/OosterpoortOpleidingen
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/verkeersschool-berend-knol-b.v.
• Instagraminstagram.com/oosterpoortopleidingen

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 Verkeersschool Berend Knol B.V.