Rotterdam Vakmanstad

What Rotterdam Vakmanstad does

Rotterdam Vakmanstad (Stichting Vakmanstad) is a Dutch non-profit foundation established in 2010, with roots in philosopher Henk Oosterling's 2004-2007 ecosocial education vision for the Pact op Zuid area development project in Rotterdam-South. The organisation develops and delivers supplementary educational programmes for primary schools (basisscholen) in Rotterdam, anchored in the proprietary 'Doen-denken' ('Doing-thinking') curriculum framework. This curriculum organises teaching around five integrated learning lines: Techniek (Technology, including programming and robotics), Denken (Philosophy), Groen (Garden and Nature), Gezond (Cooking and Taste), and Sport (Judo and Aikido), all framed within the 'ecosociale cirkel' pedagogical model that links daily activities to ecological, social-emotional, and media-literacy outcomes mapped to Dutch SLO national primary education learning objectives.

Vakmanstad contracts directly with primary schools to deploy specialist vakdocenten who deliver 5 hours of lessons per week, 40 weeks per school year, across all groups from 1 to 8. The organisation serves 24 Rotterdam basisscholen, reaching approximately 3,000 children weekly and more than 1,000 students on a typical school day. Beyond the core Doen-denken programme, Vakmanstad offers the Vakhuis after-school programme (for groups 6-8 in Technology, Health, Media, and Culture) and a Kunst & Filosofie (Art & Philosophy) add-on using the Visual Thinking Strategies method. The business is funded through school partnership fees, donations, and in-kind contributions; it is an ANBI-recognised public-benefit foundation with a five-member unpaid board, CRKBO registration since 2018, and the Nationaal Keurmerk Mediawijsheid since 2022. As of summer 2025 the organisation operates independently after separating from Stichting De Verre Bergen (SDVB), with a strategic technology partnership with BDR Thermea (2026) supporting curriculum development in the Technieklijn.

Name

Rotterdam Vakmanstad

Legal name

Stichting Vakmanstad

Website

https://vakmanstad.nl

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Rotterdam Vakmanstad is a Dutch non-profit foundation that delivers the Doen-denken supplementary curriculum (Techniek, Denken, Groen, Gezond, Sport) to 24 Rotterdam primary schools, reaching approximately 3,000 children weekly through specialist vakdocenten.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Primary Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Homework Help & Study Skills Coaching (EDAJALAB)

Keywords

• Supplementary primary education
• Ecosocial curriculum programs
• School partnership enrichment
• Primary school lesson services
• Talent development education

Headquarters

HQ city

Rotterdam

HQ country

Netherlands

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. School Partnership Fees / Educational Service Contracts: Vakmanstad delivers supplementary lessons to schools under partnership agreements. Schools engage Vakmanstad's vakdocenten for weekly lessons integrated into the school timetable. The Doen-denken programme runs 40 weeks per school year, 5 hours per week, from group 1 through group 8. Schools pay for access to the full programme or individual learning lines.
2. Vakhuis After-School Programme Fees: The Vakhuis is an after-school practical skills programme in Technology, Health, Media, and Culture for children in groups 6, 7, and 8. Schools register students, implying a fee-based or funded model for after-school enrichment.
3. Donations and In-Kind Contributions: As an ANBI (Algemeen Nut Beogende Instelling — public benefit institution), Vakmanstad accepts charitable donations for teaching facilities in kitchen, garden, and technology classrooms, and receives contributions in kind from businesses such as BDR Thermea.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Rotterdam Vakmanstad (Stichting Vakmanstad) develops and delivers the Doen-denken supplementary educational programme to Rotterdam primary schools. The core offering consists of weekly specialist lessons across five learning lines — Techniek (technology/programming/robotics), Denken (philosophy), Groen (garden/nature), Gezond (cooking), and Sport (judo/aikido) — running 40 weeks per school year, 5 hours per week, for groups 1 through 8, delivered on school premises by qualified vakdocenten. The foundation also offers the Vakhuis after-school programme for groups 6-8 and Kunst & Filosofie lessons using the VTS method.

Product overview

Rotterdam Vakmanstad is an educational organization offering supplementary lesson programs for primary schools in Rotterdam. The core product is the Doen-denken program, which provides weekly lessons across five learning lines: Techniek (Technology/Programming/Robotics), Denken (Philosophy), Groen (Garden & Nature), Gezond (Cooking & Taste), and Sport (Judo & Aikido). Additionally, they offer the Vakhuis after-school program for groups 6-8 covering practical skills in Technology, Health, Media, and Culture. The organization also provides Art & Philosophy lessons as a supplementary offering. All programs are designed around an 'ecosocial circle' concept where learning connects movement, nutrition, care, creation, and reflection.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Quantifiable outcome

• Research-validated social-emotional development: Kohnstamm Instituut (UvA, 2017-2019) found Doen-denken to be 'kansrijk' (promising) for the social-emotional development of children with non-Western backgrounds and from lower socio-economic milieus.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• BDR ThermeacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026BDR Thermea is a collaboration partner that provides a boost to the continuous development of Vakmanstad's technology learning line. Their partnership contributes to keeping technology curriculum components (such as programming and robotics) at the cutting edge. The collaboration was referenced in the context of the Technieklijn's ongoing development in the 2025-2026 school year.
• DebatUniecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Vakmanstad and DebatUnie co-organise the annual Rotterdam Basisscholendebat (Rotterdam primary school debate). Vakmanstad prepares students through philosophy lessons that include debate techniques, while DebatUnie delivers workshops. The partnership promotes citizenship education and public speaking skills among Rotterdam primary school children.
• Stichting De Verre Bergen (SDVB)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Stichting De Verre Bergen was the parent organisation of Rotterdam Vakmanstad. As of summer 2025, Vakmanstad continued independently following a 'fine and valuable collaboration' with SDVB. The jubilee celebration (January 2025) at Fenix museum marked this transition to independent operation.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• IMC Weekendschool: Dutch non-profit offering supplementary enrichment programmes for children from underserved backgrounds, with a similar mission of widening talent development and a comparable non-profit/ANBI operating model. Directly comparable as a supplementary educational programme provider targeting similar demographics.
• Lyceo: Provider of supplementary educational programmes (tutoring, exam prep, skills training) delivered in partnership with Dutch schools, including primary schools. Directly comparable B2B-school delivery model and content offering.
• Stichting Leergeld: Dutch foundation network that helps children from low-income families participate in educational and extracurricular activities, with a national footprint of local Leergeld organisations. Comparable as a non-profit intermediary enabling educational access for underserved Rotterdam children.
• IVN Natuureducatie: National Dutch non-profit delivering nature and sustainability education to schoolchildren through school partnerships. Directly comparable as a non-profit provider of supplementary 'Groen'-style lessons for primary schools.
• JINC: National Dutch non-profit that helps young people from non-Western/lower-SES backgrounds with career orientation and skills development, often partnering with primary schools. Comparable mission, B2B-school distribution model, and target demographic.
• Stichting Techniekpromotie / Jet-Net: Dutch non-profit coordinating technology and STEM education partnerships between schools and companies in the Netherlands. Comparable non-profit K-12 STEM enrichment delivery through school partnerships.

Others

• Stichting De Verre Bergen: Rotterdam-based charitable foundation that previously parented Vakmanstad until summer 2025. Comparable as former parent and ongoing funder within the same Rotterdam education/social-impact ecosystem.
• Stichting Doen / Fonds 1818: Dutch charitable foundations that fund non-profit initiatives targeting social cohesion, talent development, and equal opportunities, including Rotterdam-based educational programmes. Comparable as potential funding/ecosystem partners for Vakmanstad rather than direct competitors.
• Nuffic / Erasmus+ schools programmes: Dutch organisation promoting internationalisation and skills development in Dutch education, including school-based programmes. Comparable as an ecosystem/funding actor for K-12 enrichment rather than a direct competitor.

Regional players

• TechniekTalent.nu / House of Skills Rotterdam: Rotterdam-area public-private partnership focused on technical skills development for young people, including school-based programmes. Comparable regional Rotterdam focus on technical/vocational talent development for youth.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks3 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rotterdam-vakmanstad

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Rotterdam Vakmanstad