Unago Recrutement

What Unago Recrutement does

Unago Recrutement is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL/VZW) founded in 2022 that operates as the country's first recruitment agency dedicated exclusively to people with a judicial past. It connects ex-detainees (released at end of sentence, on electronic monitoring, or conditionally released) with Belgian employers willing to offer second-chance hiring. The organization addresses a specific Belgian social problem: 70% of released detainees in Belgium return to prison without employment, whereas recidivism drops to approximately 15% when stable work is found. Unago serves three constituencies: ex-detainees seeking employment, Belgian companies seeking motivated labor for permanent positions, and public sector/justice institutions focused on reducing recidivism and incarceration costs (€152.44 per detained person per day in Belgium, 2022).

Unago's core offering is a three-stage human-delivered service: (1) pre-employment coaching comprising at least three individual one-hour sessions covering trajectory analysis, strengths/weaknesses assessment, motivation, professional needs definition, and interview preparation; (2) job placement via systematic candidate-employer matching based on company needs analysis and candidate profiling; and (3) a 12-month post-placement follow-up conducted jointly with the employer at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months to ensure durable employment. An additional add-on consists of awareness workshops co-delivered with criminal law attorneys to reduce stigma and educate employers and their employees on reintegration. The organization uses no proprietary technology platform—the website is a contact and lead-generation tool rather than a software product—and the entire service is delivered by a small in-house team of recruitment consultants.

Unago's business model is a hybrid of paid professional services and philanthropic funding. Recruitment and placement services are free for candidates (the "bénéficiaires") and paid by employers on a quote-based, undisclosed basis that the organization describes as more affordable than traditional temporary work agencies. Revenue is supplemented by donations from individuals (eligible for up to 45% Belgian tax reduction) and grants from public bodies (Innoviris.brussels, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, Banque Nationale de Belgique) and private foundations (Fondation Roi Baudouin, United Fund for Belgium, Accenture Belgium, Cera Coop). The company is led by CEO Coraline de Spirlet (criminologist by training) and COO Aloïse Louis (who joined in March 2024 after co-founder Marjorie Gaillez's departure), with a four-member board providing criminal law, reintegration psychology, recruitment, and entrepreneurship expertise. After two years of operation, Unago has met 171 candidates, served 28 employer companies including Decathlon, Embelco Art Shipping, Banque Nationale de Belgique, and Handicap International, delivered 615 pre-employment coaching hours, and built a 82-partner public sector ecosystem including Maisons de Justice and transit insertion organizations across its Brussels and Namur operational footprint.

Name

Unago Recrutement

Legal name

Unago ASBL

Website

https://unagorecrutement.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Unago Recrutement is a Belgian non-profit founded in 2022 that recruits and places ex-detainees with Belgian employers, providing pre-employment coaching, candidate-employer matching, and 12-month post-placement follow-up. It serves employers across diverse industries and has met 171 candidates and served 28 companies in two years.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Recruitment Services

NAICS

Employment Placement Agencies (561311), Employment Services (5613)

SIC

Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Workforce Reentry Programs (Justice-Involved) (EDAAAOAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry, Rehabilitation & Reintegration Programs (Education, Vocational, Case Management) (BPAKANAH), Workforce Support Services & Case Management (Coaching, Wraparound) (EDAAAOAK)

Keywords

• Ex-detainee recruitment services
• Criminal record hiring
• Reintegration employment support
• Post-release job placement
• Social recruitment agency

Headquarters

HQ city

Woluwe-Saint-Pierre (Brussels)

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Paid Recruitment Services to Employers: Unago charges companies a fee for its recruitment and placement services. The service is free for job-seeking candidates (beneficiaries). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and requires a direct inquiry. The FAQ states: 'Notre service est gratuit pour nos bénéficiaires, mais payant pour les entreprises.' This is the primary commercial revenue stream.
2. Donations and Grants: As a non-profit organization (ASBL/VZW), Unago receives donations from individuals and grants from private foundations. Individual donors may benefit from tax reductions of up to 45% of the donated amount under Belgian law.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Unago Recrutement is a Belgian non-profit recruitment agency that connects employers with job seekers who have a judicial past. Its core service is a three-stage program: pre-employment coaching (at least three individual one-hour sessions to analyze trajectory, motivation, and prepare for interviews), employer-candidate matching for permanent job placement, and 12-month post-placement follow-up conducted jointly with the employer at 1, 3, 6, and 12 months. The service is free for candidates and paid for companies, with awareness workshops delivered in partnership with criminal law attorneys to reduce stigma in the workplace.

Product overview

Unago Recrutement is a Belgian non-profit recruitment agency (ASBL/VZW) and does not operate as a technology platform with software products. The organization provides a unified service focused on helping people with a judicial past reintegrate into society through employment. The service offering consists of four interconnected stages: (1) Pre-employment support with personalized coaching and interview preparation, (2) Job placement through matching candidate profiles with employer needs, (3) Post-employment follow-up with 12 months of continuous accompaniment, and (4) Awareness workshops in collaboration with criminal lawyers. The organization also operates web-based contact forms for both candidates and employers. There are no separate software modules, add-on products, or distinct platform components—the service is delivered as a holistic human-centered recruitment support program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Pre-Employment Coaching (Accompagnement pré-embauche)

Quantifiable outcome

• Recidivism reduced from 70% to 15% for ex-detainees who find employment, compared to 70-85% for those without work or training.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers17 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Hub.BrusselscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerHub.Brussels is a Brussels business development agency that recognized Unago's potential by nominating it for the hub.awards 2023 in the Start category. This recognition helped establish Unago's credibility as a new social enterprise in Brussels.
• Transit InsertcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransit Insert is a transit insertion organization that refers ex-detainees to Unago for employment support. It is part of the ecosystem of 82 public partners that channel eligible candidates to Unago's services.
• AMBUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAMBU is a partner organization that refers ex-detainees to Unago's employment services. It is listed among the 82 public sector partners supporting Unago's candidate pipeline.
• SLAJVcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSLAJV is a partner organization referenced in Unago's partner ecosystem. It contributes to the network of 82 public sector partners that refer candidates and support reintegration efforts.
• Collectif DésistancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollectif Désistance is a partner organization working on desistance from crime. It is part of Unago's ecosystem of public and social partners working toward reintegration goals.
• APOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPO is listed among Unago's partner organizations. The specific nature of the partnership (referral, co-programming, etc.) is not detailed in the available sources.
• Maisons de Justice (Justice Houses)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Maisons de Justice are Belgian public justice institutions that refer individuals under their supervision to Unago for employment support. They are a key channel for identifying eligible candidates exiting the justice system.
• AprèScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAprèS is listed among Unago's public partner organizations, contributing to the network of 82 partners that support candidate referrals and reintegration efforts.
• Boukan StudiominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerBoukan Studio is the web design agency credited with creating Unago's website (listed as 'Création web par Boukan Studio' in the footer). This is a professional services engagement for website development and maintenance.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• VDAB: Flemish public employment agency providing job matching, training, and employer services across Flanders. Large incumbent in the broader Belgian employment services space; potential partner or competitor as Unago expands into Flanders.
• Le Forem: Walloon Region public employment service covering Namur and Wallonia where Unago already operates. Directly comparable geography and broad employment placement mission, but without reintegration specialization.
• Adecco Belgium: Global staffing firm with a strong Belgian presence in temporary and permanent placement. Comparable employer-side service offering but generalist rather than reintegration-focused.
• Randstad Belgium: Major private staffing and recruitment firm operating in Belgium across temporary, permanent, and specialized placement. Broad incumbent whose generalist staffing model competes for the same employer hiring budgets as Unago.
• Actiris: Brussels-Capital Region public employment service offering job placement, training, and employer services. Larger incumbent in the same geography serving similar employer/candidate needs but without justice-involved specialization.

Emerging players

• SINGA Belgium: Belgian branch of SINGA, focused on refugee inclusion through professional connections and employment. Comparable social-integration-through-work mission and Belgian presence, but refugee-focused rather than justice-focused.

Others

• CPAS/OCMW de Bruxelles: Brussels public center for social welfare providing employment reintegration pathways and social support to vulnerable populations. Adjacent public-sector actor that refers candidates to Unago via the justice ecosystem.
• CAW (Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk): Flemish welfare and social services network supporting vulnerable people including those with judicial backgrounds. Adjacent reintegration actor in Flanders that could be a partner or model for Unago's future regional expansion.

Direct peers

• WakeUp Café: French social enterprise that supports ex-detainees through employment, often cited as a comparable model to Unago with 509 placements and 1.6% recidivism. Directly analogous business model focused on reintegration through work.
• Duo for a Job: Belgian non-profit that pairs young refugees/immigrants with mentors over 50 to help them find employment or training. Closely comparable in model (specialized population, mentoring/coaching + employer matching) and Belgian geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/unago-recrutement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Unago Recrutement