RVO-Society

What RVO-Society does

RVO-Society vzw is a Belgian non-profit organization founded in 2001 in memory of Prof. Dr. Ir. Roger baron van Overstraeten, founder and first General Director of imec. Headquartered at the imec facility in Heverlee (Kapeldreef 75, 3001 Heverlee), it operates as a science communication intermediary that builds bridges between education, science, and society in the Flemish region of Belgium. Its mission is to strengthen scientific literacy, support teachers, and engage citizens in research and innovation.

The organization operates through two pillars. Brightlab strengthens STEM education by providing teachers with innovative teaching methods, workshops, experiential learning materials, and professional development, while also stimulating scientific talent among youth through activities including summer camps. Scivil functions as the Flemish knowledge center for citizen science, connecting citizens, researchers, and policymakers through coaching, matchmaking, and practical support for citizen science projects. Together these pillars serve primary customer segments of teachers/educators and youth/students, with secondary segments comprising general citizens and academic researchers/policymakers. The organization maintains a portfolio of branded digital platforms including brightlab.be, scivil.be, brightbib.be (customer portal), eclass.brightlab.be, yes.brightlab.be, and chiptechnologie.brightlab.be.

RVO-Society generates revenue from three streams: activity and training fees for STEM workshops, summer camps, and professional training; material kit rentals (typically 4-week rental periods with bundled teacher training); and material sales. Pricing is usage-based for professional services (€0.5/km travel, €20 delivery) with one-time license models for materials. Go-to-market is community-led, relying on direct engagement with schools, online registration systems, and a newsletter channel via Mailchimp. No proprietary technology platforms are disclosed; the tech stack consists of standard third-party services (Mollie for payments, Twilio for email, Google for analytics). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors with Ilse Ooghe serving as Algemeen Directeur.

Name

RVO-Society

Legal name

RVO-Society VZW

Website

https://rvo-society.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

RVO-Society is a Belgian non-profit founded in 2001 that bridges education, science, and society in Flanders. Through its Brightlab pillar it delivers STEM teacher training and youth programs, and through Scivil it operates as the Flemish citizen science knowledge center connecting citizens, researchers, and policymakers.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Oud-heverlee

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, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. Activity and Training Fees: Fees charged for participation in STEM training programs, workshops, and leisure activities (vrijetijdsactiviteiten) for youth, including summer camps and STEM activities.
2. Material Rental: Rental of educational material kits (materiaalkoffers) to teachers for use in STEM activities, with pickup at imec facility and optional delivery.
3. Material Sales: Sale of educational materials, with ownership remaining with RVO-Society until full payment is received.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

RVO-Society is a Belgian non-profit organization that delivers STEM education programs for teachers and youth through its Brightlab pillar (workshops, teacher training, educational material kit rentals, summer camps) and acts as the Flemish knowledge center for citizen science through its Scivil pillar (coaching, matchmaking, and practical support that connects citizens, researchers, and policymakers). It operates across the Flanders region from the imec facility in Heverlee, generating revenue primarily from training fees, material rentals, and material sales.

Product overview

RVO-Society is a non-profit organization that serves as a bridge between education, science, and society through science communication. It operates a platform-plus-programs architecture with two main pillars: Brightlab (STEM education for youth and teachers via innovative methods, workshops, and support) and Scivil (Flemish knowledge center for citizen science connecting citizens, researchers, and policymakers). Additional platforms include brightbib.be (customer portal for leisure activity management), eclass.brightlab.be, yes.brightlab.be, and chiptechnologie.brightlab.be. The organization was founded in 2001 in memory of Prof. Dr. Ir. Roger baron van Overstraeten, the founder of imec.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Brightlab: A pillar of RVO-Society that strengthens STEM education with innovative teaching methods, workshops and support for teachers, stimulating scientific talent through experience-based learning.
• Scivil

Products and services

• Brightlab STEM Education Program A STEM education program that strengthens science, technology, engineering, and mathematics teaching through innovative lesson methods, workshops, and teacher support. It stimulates scientific talent via experiential learning and focuses on future-oriented skills for teachers and youth in Flanders.
• Scivil Citizen Science Knowledge Center The Flemish knowledge center for citizen science that connects citizens, researchers, and policymakers. Scivil helps citizen science projects grow through coaching, matchmaking, and practical support.
• STEM Teacher Training Sessions Professional training sessions for teachers delivered on-site or through other formats, with travel costs charged at €0.5 per kilometer. Teacher training is included with material kit rentals. Sessions focus on innovative STEM teaching methods and pedagogical approaches.
• Educational Material Kit Rental (materiaalkoffers) Rental of educational material kits to teachers for use in STEM activities, with 4-week rental periods including teacher training (one-time). Pickup at the imec facility in Heverlee during business hours by appointment; optional €20 delivery service available.
• Educational Material Sales Sale of educational materials with ownership remaining with RVO-Society until full payment is received. Materials are sold through the webshop with payment processing handled by Mollie B.V.
• Youth STEM Leisure Activities and Summer Camps Leisure activities (vrijetijdsactiviteiten) for youth including summer camps and STEM activities designed for experiential learning and future-oriented skills development. Managed through the brightbib.be customer portal.

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• ImeccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRVO-Society was founded in memory of Prof. Dr. Ir. Roger baron van Overstraeten, founder and first General Director of imec. Materials are picked up and returned at the imec facility in Heverlee, indicating a close operational relationship.
• BrightlabcoreOthersBrightlab is one of two core pillars of RVO-Society, focusing on STEM education for teachers and youth. It operates as a dedicated initiative under RVO-Society.
• ScivilcoreOthersScivil is the Flemish knowledge center for citizen science and the second core pillar of RVO-Society. It connects citizens, researchers, and policymakers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• NEMO Science Museum: Major Dutch science center and museum with extensive STEM education programming, teacher resources, and public engagement initiatives. Comparable as a larger, established science communication and STEM education organization operating in the Benelux region.
• Cap Sciences: French science center based in Bordeaux offering science workshops, exhibitions, and educational programs for schools and the public. Comparable as a European science communication and STEM education organization with similar operational model.
• Experimentarium: Danish science center with strong STEM education programming, teacher training, and youth engagement. Comparable as a European science center with similar experiential learning methodology and teacher support offerings.

Direct peers

• Science Centre Delft: Dutch science education center offering workshops, teacher training, and STEM activities for youth. Comparable in mission and target audience (teachers and students) for experiential STEM learning and science communication.
• Technopolis: Belgian interactive science center located in Mechelen focused on STEM education for youth and families. Most directly comparable peer as both operate in the Flemish STEM education space with similar target audiences of teachers, students, and families.
• Natuurpunt: Belgian nature conservation non-profit that actively engages citizens in citizen science projects (e.g., biodiversity monitoring). Directly comparable as a Flemish non-profit running citizen science initiatives and connecting citizens with research.

Regional players

• Flanders Make: Flemish strategic research center for manufacturing industry that engages in STEM education and workforce development. Comparable as a Flemish research-driven organization supporting STEM talent development and education-industry connection.

Emerging players

• European Citizen Science Association (ECSA): International non-profit association promoting citizen science across Europe, connecting researchers, policymakers, and citizens. Comparable as a knowledge network and support organization for citizen science initiatives similar to Scivil's role in Flanders.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/rvo-society

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 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 RVO-Society