OCMW

What OCMW does

OCMW Kortrijk (Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn) is the statutorily mandated municipal public center for social welfare in Kortrijk, Belgium, operating since 1976 under Belgian law and owned by Stad Kortrijk (City of Kortrijk). It serves residents of Kortrijk and its seven sub-municipalities — Aalbeke, Bellegem, Bissegem, Heule, Kooigem, Marke, and Rollegem — through a decentralized delivery model built around 7 neighborhood teams (wijkteams) and 7+ neighborhood centers (wijkcentra). Core services include financial and social assistance, income support, debt counseling, affordable healthcare navigation, housing assistance, caregiver and dementia support, digital literacy training (Allemaal Digitaal), and community programming, with staff conducting home visits and proactive street-level outreach ("de straat op").

The underlying operational stack combines physical neighborhood centers, home-visit delivery, online help-request forms on the city website, the UiT event calendar platform, the Poezewoef share factory ("deelfabriek"), and the Webshop wijkteams product distribution channel (taxi vouchers, waste bags, stamps). The technology footprint is a public-services web platform with no proprietary software products, no mobile app, no public API or SDK, and no documented integrations beyond standard web tooling.

OCMW Kortrijk operates as a government state entity with no commercial revenue stream. Core services are free at point of use and funded through Stad Kortrijk municipal allocations and Belgian social welfare transfers; revenue is not publicly disclosed. The only documented direct-to-resident fee is €2 per ride on the Bildingsbusje market shuttle service. There is no traditional customer-acquisition motion: residency in the municipality creates entitlement, and outreach occurs through city website pages, neighborhood center postings, newsletters, and staff-led community engagement rather than commercial channels.

Name

OCMW

Legal name

OCMW (Openbaar Centrum voor Maatschappelijk Welzijn) Kortrijk

Website

https://ocmwkortrijk.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

OCMW Kortrijk is the mandated municipal social welfare center for Kortrijk, Belgium, serving residents through 7 neighborhood teams and centers with financial aid, healthcare navigation, debt counseling, caregiver support, and community programming — all publicly funded and free at point of use.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Social Welfare Services

NAICS

Administration of Housing Programs, Urban Planning, and Community Development (9251), Individual and Family Services (6241)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mayor/City Manager & General Administration (BPAIACAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Housing Assistance & Homeless Services (BPAGAEAB)

Keywords

• Public social welfare
• Neighborhood social work
• Financial assistance services
• Caregiver and dementia support
• Community center activities

Headquarters

HQ city

Kortrijk

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

OCMW Kortrijk is the municipal Public Center for Social Welfare for Kortrijk and its sub-municipalities, providing publicly funded social welfare services. Core offerings include neighborhood-based social work through 7 wijkteams with home visits, financial and social assistance, debt counseling, healthcare navigation, caregiver and dementia support, digital literacy training, and community activities delivered through a network of wijkcentra neighborhood centers.

Product overview

OCMW Kortrijk operates as a public social welfare organization providing comprehensive social services through a network of 7 neighborhood teams (wijkteams) and neighborhood centers (wijkcentra) across Kortrijk and its sub-municipalities. The organization offers a unified platform of social, healthcare, financial, and community services including neighborhood-based social work, digital inclusion programs (Allemaal Digitaal), dementia support services, and an extensive UiT event calendar. Services are delivered through physical neighborhood centers offering social assistance, activities, and products, complemented by online platforms for event information and service requests.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Wijkcentra (Neighborhood Centers): Community centers operated by OCMW including 'T Cirkant, De Bildings, De Condé, De Lange Munte, and others serving different neighborhoods

Products and services

• Wijkgericht Sociaal Werk (Neighborhood-Based Social Work) Social welfare service delivered through 7 wijkteams (neighborhood teams) across Kortrijk and its sub-municipalities, providing assistance with income, childcare, energy bills, debts, healthcare, housing, employment, caregiver support, and dementia concerns, including home visits for residents who cannot travel.
• Wijkcentra (Neighborhood Centers) Physical community centers ('T Cirkant, De Bildings, De Condé, De Lange Munte, Zonnewijzer, De Zevenkamer, Bellegem, and others) that serve as neighborhood hubs offering social services, meeting space, affordable activities, meals, and sale of small products such as taxi vouchers, waste bags, and stamps.
• Allemaal Digitaal (Digital Inclusion Program) Digital literacy program offering sessions to help residents learn about the digital world, with Digipunten (digital help points) available in neighborhood centers to assist residents with digital tasks.
• Dementievriendelijk Kortrijk (Dementia-Friendly Kortrijk) Support program for people with dementia and their caregivers, including dementia-friendly walks and information sessions on dementia-related care.
• UiT in Kortrijk (Event Calendar) Comprehensive event agenda platform listing cultural, sports, and leisure activities across Kortrijk and its sub-municipalities, including outings, courses, meals, and community events.
• Financiële en Sociale Hulp (Financial and Social Assistance) Direct financial aid and social support services for residents in need, including assistance with energy bills, payment difficulties, and access to affordable medical care.
• Activiteitenaanbod (Activity Offer) Wide range of affordable activities offered through neighborhood centers, including lesson series, day trips, sports activities, and cultural events for local residents.

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators1 record

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• OCMW Antwerpen: Public Center for Social Welfare (OCMW/CPAS) for the City of Antwerp, providing the same statutory social welfare, financial aid, debt counseling, and community services to Antwerp residents under Belgian law. Directly comparable in mandate, legal status, and service mix, but at significantly larger scale.
• OCMW Gent: Flemish OCMW operating neighborhood-based social welfare services for Ghent residents, including financial assistance, housing support, and community center programs. Closely comparable operating model and legal framework.
• OCMW Brugge: Municipal OCMW delivering statutory social welfare services to Bruges residents through neighborhood offices and welfare programs. Same Belgian legal mandate and service portfolio as OCMW Kortrijk.
• Stad Kortrijk: Parent municipality of OCMW Kortrijk. The City's social, welfare, and community service delivery channels directly overlap with OCMW's mandate, and they share staffing, infrastructure, and digital platforms (e.g., wijkcentra sites).

Others

• VDAB: Flemish public employment service that overlaps with OCMW's employment-guidance function. Comparable as a publicly funded provider, though VDAB specializes in workforce activation while OCMW delivers a broader welfare bundle.
• Mutualité chrétienne (CM): Large Belgian health insurance fund that provides health navigation, caregiver support, and social services for its members. Comparable to OCMW's navigation and caregiver-support functions from a private mutual-aid angle.
• OZ (Onafhankelijke Ziekenfondsen): Belgian health insurance mutual offering healthcare navigation, reimbursement support, and social benefits - functions that intersect with OCMW's healthcare and affordable-care services. Not a direct welfare provider but a meaningful ecosystem peer.

Emerging players

• CAW (Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk): Flemish network of general welfare centers offering social support, housing assistance, and family services across Flanders. Overlaps with OCMW on social welfare delivery but serves a regional/provincial role rather than a single-municipality mandate.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ocmw-kortrijk

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 OCMW