CODEF

What CODEF does

CODEF ASBL (Coordination et Défense des Services Sociaux, Culturels et Environnementaux) is a Belgian non-profit patronale federation founded in 2002 and headquartered at Rue du Trixhay 15, Liège. It represents and supports more than 600 ASBLs (non-profit associations) and approved social economy cooperatives employing over 6,400 workers across Wallonia and Brussels. Its member base spans seven vertical sectors: home care, titres-services, early childhood, handicap, social integration, socio-cultural services, and non-market auxiliary services. CODEF was officially recognized as a representative employers' organization on December 16, 2015, and is a full member of UNISOC (federal level) since that date and of UNIPSO (regional level) since 2008.

The federation operates a four-pillar service portfolio: (1) collective representation and political advocacy at federal, regional, and sectoral levels; (2) training through the Catalogue des formations CODEF, accessible via the federation.codef.be platform with member-preferential pricing; (3) practical resources including the Boite à outils toolkit, member directory (Annuaire des membres), and legal monitoring newsletter (VIGI'CODEF); and (4) specialized services including social secretariat, SEPP workplace protection, BRUX'Koop purchasing central, Impuls'PRO employment support, and outplacement. Its technology stack consists of a WordPress-based website (codef.be) and a separate member portal/dashboard platform (federation.codef.be) handling affiliation, training registration, and member data. CODEF is also active in cross-cutting initiatives on environmental transition, diversity and inclusion, digitalization, and PMR accessibility.

The revenue model is anchored on annual subscription membership fees (145€ per ASBL + 47.60€ per worker) complemented by training fees, service charges, and institutional subsidies from Wallonia, AVIQ, Iriscare, Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, and the Plan de Relance de la Wallonie. Go-to-market is community-led: CODEF acquires members through sector representation, advocacy visibility, and exclusive resource access, following a 10-step affiliation procedure. The organization is governed by a Board and managed by a 10-person coordination team led by Directrice Rose Marie Arredondas and Deputy Director/Head of Legal Justine Flossy.

Name

CODEF

Legal name

CODEF ASBL

Website

https://codef.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

CODEF ASBL is a Belgian non-profit patronale federation founded in 2002, representing more than 600 ASBLs and social economy cooperatives employing 6,400+ workers across social, cultural, and environmental sectors in Wallonia and Brussels, providing collective representation, training, legal monitoring, and shared services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Liège

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees comprise a base fee of 145€ per ASBL plus 47.60€ per worker employed by the member organization. This is the primary revenue stream for the federation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CODEF is a multisectoral patronale federation that represents and supports ASBLs (non-profit associations) and approved social economy cooperatives active in the social, cultural, and environmental sectors in Wallonia and Brussels. It provides collective representation at public authorities, legal and political expertise, training programs, practical tools and toolkits, member-only resources, and operational services including social secretariat, workplace health and safety (SEPP), outplacement, and a purchasing central (BRUX'Koop). Members access these resources through the federation.codef.be platform.

Product overview

CODEF functions as a multi-sectoral patronale federation offering member ASBLs and cooperatives a portfolio of services structured around four pillars: representation and defense of social, cultural, and environmental non-profit associations; training through the Catalogue des formations CODEF; practical tools via the Boite à outils and member Annuaire; and specialized services including social secretariat, purchasing central (BRUX'Koop), and legal monitoring (VIGI'CODEF). Members access resources through the federation.codef.be platform and benefit from preferential training rates. The federation covers sector-specific areas including home care, title-services, early childhood, disability, integration, socio-cultural, and non-market auxiliary sectors.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalogue des formations CODEF Training catalogue providing formations adapted to the functions of managers, administrators, and association leaders in the social profit sector. Members benefit from preferential rates compared to non-members.
• Annuaire des membres Online member directory listing all CODEF member ASBLs with information and brief descriptions of their activities.
• Boite à outils Practical toolkit providing resources, documents, and templates for member associations, including governance documents, sector-specific information, and operational guides.
• Centrale d'achats BRUX'Koop Purchasing central for member organizations enabling collective procurement of insurance and other supplies to leverage volume-based pricing.
• Secrétariat social Social secretariat service providing administrative and HR support to member associations for managing employment-related obligations.
• Service externe de protection et de prévention du travail (SEPP) External service for workplace protection and prevention, supporting member associations in meeting occupational health and safety obligations.
• Reclassement professionnel (Outplacement) Professional reclassification and outplacement services for workers undergoing organizational changes.
• Impuls'PRO Employment support program for non-profit sector workers, facilitating professional transitions and skills development.
• Plateforme federation.codef.be Online member platform providing access to training enrollment, member data dashboards, affiliation management, and historical records of completed formations and invoices.

Named customers7 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNISOCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 December 2015Intersectoral employer organization for the social profit sector at the federal level. CODEF became a full member in December 2015, achieving official recognition as representative employer organization.
• UNIPSOcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2008UNIPSO is the intersectoral confederation of employers in the social profit sector in Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. CODEF has been a member since 2008, representing member organizations at this confederation level.
• Wallonia (Région Wallonne)majorOthersRegional government providing institutional and financial support to the federation and its member organizations.
• AVIQmajorOthersAgency for a Quality Life (Agence pour une Vie de Qualité) in Wallonia, supporting health and quality of life initiatives.
• Fédération Wallonie-BruxellesmajorOthersRegional authority providing support and funding for cultural and educational initiatives.
• IriscaremajorOthersBrussels health insurance institution providing institutional support for social services.
• Bruxelles Prévention et SécuritéminorOthersBrussels authority for prevention and security initiatives.
• Plan de Relance de la WalloniemajorOthersWallonia Recovery Plan providing funding for environmental transition projects including 'La CODEF ne manque pas d'Ere' project.
• Fonds 4SminorOthersTraining fund for CP 329.02 sector (socio-cultural) offering partial or total reimbursement of training costs for eligible organizations.
• FeBiminorOthersTraining fund for CP 319, 329.03, 330 and 337 sectors offering reimbursement possibilities for member organizations.
• SOCIALwaremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of digital transformation events for associations. Partnered with CODEF on events like 'Les nouvelles technologies à la portée de toutes les associations' and 'DigitaLiège 2026'.
• BRUX'KoopminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCentral purchasing service for CODEF member organizations, providing group purchasing power for supplies and services.
• Guichet du NumériqueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital gateway partner for the annual cybersecurity and digital event 'DigitaLiège' organized with CODEF.
• Digital WalloniaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional digital transformation initiative participating in CODEF events on digital inclusion and technology for associations.
• Interface3.NamurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital skills training organization partnering on AI workshops and digital inclusion initiatives.
• Institut Belge du Numérique ResponsableminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian institute for responsible digital practices, presenting on digital sustainability and environmental impact reduction.
• Passe-MurailleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital accessibility organization providing workshops on digital accessibility for associations.
• DigitAllminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDigital inclusion organization participating in CODEF events on digital inclusion.
• Bibliothèques sans FrontièresminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational library organization participating in digital inclusion roundtables with CODEF.
• Cyber Security CoalitionminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian cybersecurity coalition providing expert perspectives on cybersecurity for associations.
• BRUXEOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConfederation of social profit enterprises in Brussels. CODEF collaborates on joint memorandums and policy positions for elections.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• UNIPSO: Intersectoral and pluralist French-speaking confederation of employers in the social-profit sector in Wallonia and the Wallonia-Brussels Federation. CODEF is a member of UNIPSO since 2008; UNIPSO functions as the parent-level confederation and is directly comparable in mandate, geography, and member profile.
• BRUXEO: Confederation of social-profit enterprises in the Brussels-Capital Region. CODEF collaborates with BRUXEO on joint memorandums and policy positions; both organizations represent employer interests in the social-profit sector, with geographic overlap in Brussels.
• UNISOC: Federal-level intersectoral employers' organization for the social-profit sector. CODEF became a full member of UNISOC in December 2015; UNISOC operates at the federal level and is the highest-tier patronale confederation to which CODEF's members ultimately belong.

Broad incumbents

• CESE Wallonie (Conseil Économique, Social et Environnemental de Wallonie): Advisory body representing organized civil society — employers, unions, and social-profit organizations — to the Walloon Parliament and Government. CESE operates at a broader institutional level but overlaps with CODEF's mission of channeling social-sector voices into regional policy-making.
• UCM (Union des Classes Moyennes): Belgian federation representing self-employed workers and SMEs. While UCM serves a for-profit SME constituency rather than non-profits, it is structurally analogous to CODEF as a Wallonia-based patronale organization offering representation, services, and purchasing benefits to its members.

Others

• Pour la Solidarité: Belgian think tank focused on social economy, sustainable development, and European social cohesion. While not a federation itself, Pour la Solidarité works closely with the social-profit ecosystem CODEF represents, producing research and policy input that informs CODEF's advocacy positions.

Regional players

• Fédération des Centres de Planning Familial: Federation of family planning centers in the French-speaking Belgian community. Comparable to CODEF as a French-speaking Belgian federation of member non-profit service organizations, though narrower in sectoral focus.
• SOS Faim: Belgian development NGO active in Wallonia and Brussels, supporting partner organizations in the Global South. While geographically broader, SOS Faim shares with CODEF the profile of a French-speaking Belgian non-profit federation advocating for a defined community of member organizations.

Emerging players

• Culture & Démocratie: Belgian federation for the cultural sector, with overlap in socio-cultural sector representation. Comparable to CODEF in defending a sub-segment of the social-profit ecosystem and in advocating for member ASBLs at the regional and federal levels.
• Inter-Environnement Wallonie: Federation of environmental associations active in Wallonia. While narrower in sectoral scope than CODEF, IEW serves a comparable function of representing member ASBLs in policy dialogue and capacity-building in the French-speaking Belgian non-profit ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJ8ew6VfFVubprfBS6u8fNg
• Facebookfacebook.com/codefasbl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/codef-asbl
• Instagraminstagram.com/codefasbl

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 CODEF