Stad Torhout

What Stad Torhout does

Stad Torhout is a Belgian municipal government entity (gemeente/stad) operating under public law in the city of Torhout, West Flanders, serving approximately 20,000+ residents. As the official local authority, it provides comprehensive municipal services organized across civil affairs (burgerzaken — identity documents, permits, attestations), social welfare (OCMW/Sociaal Huis), elderly care (Woonzorgcentrum Sint-Augustinus, Serviceflats Roger Windels, day care De Oase), housing and urban planning (Ruimte), mobility and public works, environment and animal welfare, sports and recreation (Sportcentrum Benny Vansteelant with sporthal and zwembad, Velodroom stadium, multiple football fields, mountain bike and running routes), culture (Cultuurhuis de Brouckere, Kunstacademie, Bibliotheek Jan D'hondt), and tourism (Visit Torhout portal, Kinderboerderij d'Oude Smelterij). The municipality operates through a wholly-owned subsidiary, OCMW Torhout (Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn), for public welfare functions.

The entity's technology infrastructure consists of a municipal website platform (torhout.be) with digital service delivery capabilities including an E-loket (digital counter) for online administrative procedures, appointment booking systems, an interactive GIS-based Stratenplan street map, an ArcGIS-powered Zalengids venue rental guide, a Torhoutbon local gift card system, and a Webshop for sports facility registrations and reservations. Revenue is generated through municipal taxes and levies (property taxes, personal income supplements, environmental levies, parking fees, permit fees), subscription-based residential care services (service flats at €805.26/month), and transaction-based fees for sports facility rentals structured on a five-category pricing system (from free for municipal services up to commercial rates).

The go-to-market is purely direct-to-citizen through physical offices (Stadskantoor, Vrijetijdshuis, Sportcentrum, Recyclagepark), digital channels (website, social media, email newsletters, bi-monthly 'Sparrensprokkels' printed newsletter), and appointment-based services. The municipality holds strategic partnerships with Dierenopvangcentrum Blauwe Kruis (stray animal management), vzw Trage Wegen (slow roads development), Fluvius (LED conversion), Thuiswest (social housing), and Province West-Vlaanderen (subsidies and Asian hornet control). Key operational metrics include 70-75% LED conversion of public lighting, €55,000/year savings from optimized lighting, 44 stray cats managed and 22 adopted in 2025, and 27 volunteers collecting 192 kg of litter during spring cleaning 2025.

Name

Stad Torhout

Legal name

Stad Torhout

Website

https://torhout.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Stad Torhout is a Belgian municipal government entity providing administrative, social welfare, elderly care, cultural, sports, environmental, and mobility services to the residents of Torhout in West Flanders, Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Torhout

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Municipal Taxes and Levies: Revenue from various municipal taxes including property taxes (onroerende voorheffing), personal income tax supplements, environmental levies, parking fees, and regulatory fees for permits and licenses.
2. Residential Care Services: Monthly fees for service flats (€805.26/month) and woonzorgcentrum (nursing home) services covering housing, care, and facilities.
3. Service Fees: Fees for various administrative services, facility rentals (sports venues, event spaces), and cultural/recreational facilities including swimming pool, sports halls, and rental venues.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Stad Torhout is the municipal government of Torhout, Belgium, delivering public administration, civil affairs, social welfare, elder care, recreational facilities, cultural services, and local infrastructure management to its residents. It operates a portfolio of physical facilities (city office, nursing home, service flats, sports complex, swimming pool, cultural center, library, arts academy, recycling center) complemented by digital e-government services.

Product overview

Stad Torhout operates as a local government administration (OCMW/CPAS) providing comprehensive municipal services to approximately 20,000+ residents. The service portfolio spans two main categories: direct citizen services (Burgerzaken, Social Services, Woonzorgcentrum Sint-Augustinus, Serviceflats Roger Windels) and recreational infrastructure (sports facilities, cultural venues, nature domains). Key facilities include Sportcentrum Benny Vansteelant (sporthal and zwembad), De Mast, Sportstadion Velodroom, Cultuurhuis de Brouckere, Kunstacademie, and Bibliotheek Jan D'hondt. The digital service offering consists of Digitaal Loket (e-government portal), Stratenplan (interactive map), Zalengids (venue rental guide), Torhoutbon (gift card system), and Webshop for sports registrations. The Woonzorgcentrum Sint-Augustinus and Serviceflats Roger Windels provide senior care services, while the Domein Kinderboerderij d'Oude Smelterij offers educational farm experiences. All these services are delivered through physical locations (Stadskantoor, service centers) and digital channels, representing a multi-channel service delivery model typical of Flemish municipal governments.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Digitaal Loket (Digital Counter) Digital counter service enabling citizens to submit online requests for various municipal administrative services without visiting in person; accessible 24/7 through the municipal website.
• Stadskantoor (City Office) Central municipal office providing citizen services including identity documents, attestations, and general administrative services, located at Aartrijkestraat 11/B, 8820 Torhout.
• Burgerzaken (Citizen Affairs) Citizen affairs service handling personal documents such as identity card renewals, driver's licenses, and various certificates and extracts.
• Woonzorgcentrum Sint-Augustinus Residential care center for elderly providing long-term nursing care, short stays, and day care services; located at Aartrijkestraat 11/A, 8820 Torhout.
• Serviceflats Roger Windels Service apartments for elderly enabling independent living with optional care services at a monthly price of €805.26, including 24/7 nursing home staff availability and utilities.
• Centrum voor dagverzorging De Oase Day care center providing daytime care services for elderly and those in need of care support.
• Sociaal Huis Social services center providing financial, social, and digital assistance, as well as information about childcare and care center options.
• Cultuurhuis de Brouckere Cultural center offering cultural events, performances, and activities for the Torhout community.
• Kunstacademie Torhout Arts academy offering courses in music, visual arts, dance, and theater for all ages.
• Bibliotheek Jan D'hondt Public library providing book lending, digital resources, and educational programs for the community.
• Sportcentrum Benny Vansteelant - Sporthal Sports hall facility including two multipurpose sports halls (A & B), martial arts room (Dojo), power room, two dance studios, and cafeteria, located at Industrielaan 2, 8820 Torhout.
• Sportcentrum Benny Vansteelant - Zwembad 25-meter swimming pool with adjustable floor (50cm to 1.80m depth) offering swimming lessons, aquafit, and recreational swimming.
• De Mast Multipurpose hall for sports and events such as parties, concerts, exhibitions, and conferences; features large hall (divisible into 3 sections), bar, dressing rooms, and artist foyer.
• Sportstadion Velodroom Sports stadium with artificial turf field, practice field, two tribunes (393 seats and 320 standing), multipurpose hall, scoreboard, and sound system.
• Sportvelden Wijnendale Sports fields in Wijnendale including football field, strength ball field, dressing rooms, and canteen.
• Voetbalveld Verloren Kost Football field with canteen and dressing rooms located at Steenveldstraat, 8820 Torhout.
• Voetbalveld Rozenveld Football field with canteen and dressing rooms located at Korenbloemstraat 65a, 8820 Torhout.
• Mountainbikeroute 'De Vlaamsche Leeuwen' Sport Flanders mountain bike route consisting of two loops: green route (31 km) and blue route (29 km).
• Looproutes Marked running routes in Groenhovebos (blue) and Weserstraat (green) with distances of 5 or 10 km, plus additional routes near the city center.
• Domein Kinderboerderij d'Oude Smelterij Children's farm domain offering educational activities, birthday parties, farm camps, and educational programs for groups.
• Vrijetijdshuis Leisure house providing information about events, tourism, youth activities, and culture; located at Markt 1, 8820 Torhout.
• Recyclagepark Recycling center accepting various waste materials including garden waste, paper, cardboard, PMD packaging, and residual waste.

Quantifiable outcome

• Environmental cost savings of approximately €55,000 per year through optimized public lighting
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• vzw Trage WegencoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Collaboration for development of walking and cycling paths (trage wegen - slow roads). The non-profit supports with design, negotiations with owners and users, and legal/administrative procedures. Project runs until end 2027 with estimated cost of €6,352.50 (incl. VAT).
• Provincie West-VlaanderenminorOthers · 23 June 2026Province provides 50% subsidy support for the trage wegen development project through 'Gemeente voor de Toekomst' subsidy program.
• Dierenopvangcentrum Blauwe Kruis BruggecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaboration renewed from April 1, 2026 for stray animal collection and stray cat management. The shelter provides modern facilities including dedicated stray cat section, medical care, chipping, vaccination, sterilization, behavioral guidance, and adoption services. Also provides emergency shelter for crisis situations. Partnership includes 12 other local governments. In 2025, 44 stray cats and 12 stray dogs were handled through this partnership.
• ThuiswestcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 April 2026Collaboration for Blekerijsite development: Thuiswest builds 26 social apartments while the municipality handles surrounding development. Smart land swap enables integrated development of the entire site.
• FluviusminorOthersCollaboration on LED conversion of public lighting. Ambitious plan to convert all public lighting to LED by 2028, enabling smart dimming capabilities.
• Province West-VlaanderenminorOthersCollaboration on Asian hornet (Vespa velutina) detection and elimination. Local government covers all costs for citizens. Reports go through Vespawatch system.
• VOC Beernem/OostendeminorOthersReferral partner for birds and wild animals in need of rescue.
• SOS ReptielminorOthersReferral partner for exotic cold-blooded animals in need of rescue.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Stad Roeselare: Neighboring Flemish city in West Flanders operating under identical Belgian municipal law, with similar OCMW social services, sports infrastructure, and cultural programming. Highly comparable peer given proximity and comparable population scale.
• Stad Oostende: Coastal Flemish city government operating cultural, recreational, and social services under similar Belgian municipal governance. Comparable peer with strong tourism orientation aligned to Torhout's Visit Torhout brand.
• Stad Kortrijk: Regional center in West Flanders with comparable municipal service portfolio including cultural venues, sports facilities, and senior care. Comparable as a Flemish stadsbestuur with similar digital service delivery ambitions.
• Stad Tielt: Smaller Flemish city in West Flanders with comparable municipal service scope and population profile. Direct peer operating under identical OCMW/stadsbestuur governance model.
• Stad Brugge: Larger Flemish municipal government in West Flanders providing a comparable full suite of citizen services, social welfare, cultural programming, and senior care. Most directly comparable peer as a same-province Belgian city government with similar regulatory environment and resident-facing service model.
• Gemeente Knokke-Heist: Flemish coastal municipality with comparable recreational, cultural, and tourism infrastructure investment. Comparable as a Flemish gemeente with diversified service delivery including sports and culture.

Broad incumbents

• Armonea: Major Belgian private operator of residential care facilities (woonzorgcentra) and service flats. Comparable as a senior care operator competing for residents and staff in the same Flemish market where Torhout's Woonzorgcentrum Sint-Augustinus operates.
• Zorgbedrijf Antwerpen: Autonomous municipal care organization in Antwerp operating woonzorgcentra and service flats at scale. Comparable as a publicly-owned senior care operator with similar CCRC/assisted living service profile.
• Stad Gent: Major Flemish city government operating an extensive portfolio of citizen services, cultural venues, sports facilities, and senior care. Comparable as a Flemish stadsbestuur though at significantly larger scale.
• OCMW/CPAS Antwerpen: Public welfare/social services arm of a major Flemish city government. Comparable as a Belgian OCMW providing social assistance, elderly care coordination, and financial support services under the same legal framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/torhout
• Facebookfacebook.com/torhout
• Instagraminstagram.com/visittorhout
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stadtorhout

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Stad Torhout