de zuidpoort

What de zuidpoort does

De Zuidpoort vzw is a Belgian non-profit association headquartered at Rerum-Novarumplein in Gent, Belgium, that works to combat poverty by combining the experiential knowledge of people in vulnerable situations with professional knowledge. The organization focuses on the Nieuw-Gent neighborhood through three operational pillars: fighting together (policy participation and advocacy), being together (community connection), and working together (thematic working groups). Its service portfolio covers direct community support — weekly Ontmoeting gatherings, the monthly Parlement meeting, Beleidsbabbels (community dialogues), and themawerking on focused issues such as school costs — alongside leisure-access programs including the Vrijetijdskantoor (low-threshold leisure office handling UiTPAS, vacation bookings, and Gentse 80/20 reimbursements) and Pretloket (affordable group outings). It also runs tax-return assistance and offers a packaged training line ('vormingen') covering the Beste Burger methodology, Stressweg support conversations, Methodisch Werken, Heldere Brieven, and general poverty awareness, targeting schools, welfare organizations, and policymakers.

Underlying 'technology' is operational rather than software-based: the core asset is a set of codified participatory methodologies (Beste Burger, Beleidsbabbels, Stressweg, Methodisch Werken, Heldere Brieven) developed through long-term group processes, plus a qualitative evidence pipeline that produced 338 testimonies in the 2025 Signalenbundel. The Beste Burgerkot is a mobile physical installation, not a digital product. The organization operates from two linked locations in Gent (Rerum-Novarumplein 25 headquarters and Rerum-Novarumplein 10 'De Serre' community space) and runs mobile outreach (Vindplaatsgerichte Werking) at food distribution points, health centers, and school gates.

The business model is that of a Belgian vzw rather than a for-profit: revenue comes from individual donations and bequests (with 45% tax deductibility above €40 annual giving) and from project-based public subsidies and grants, exemplified by Stad Gent Wijkbudget funding for the 'Beter samenleven in Windekind' project and support for the Lokaal Bondgenotennetwerk against child poverty. Services are free or nominally priced (e.g., €1–5 outings) to ensure access. Distribution is direct and physical — community center, leisure office, and field outreach — supplemented by training delivery to institutions and awareness content via a monthly newsletter, Facebook, and the 'We zijn er' podcast. There are no commercial customers, no disclosed financials, and a very small paid staff team (coordinators Esther, Steven, Lia) augmented by volunteers, some of whom have lived poverty experience and participate in general meetings and policy work.

Name

de zuidpoort

Legal name

De Zuidpoort vzw

Website

https://dezuidpoortgent.be

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Short description

De Zuidpoort is a Belgian non-profit association based in Gent that supports people in poverty through community programs, leisure-access services, and participatory policy advocacy targeted at Nieuw-Gent and the wider Flemish anti-poverty ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Services / Poverty Alleviation

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Health, Prevention & Health Education (BPAGACAC)

Keywords

• Poverty alleviation services
• Social inclusion training
• Policy participation programs
• Community organizing services
• Leisure accessibility programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Gent

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Gifts: De Zuidpoort accepts financial donations from individuals and organizations. Donations of 40 EUR or more annually qualify for a tax certificate, allowing donors to receive up to 45% tax deduction. The organization also accepts bequests and inheritances, which are exempt from inheritance tax.
2. Project Funding and Subsidies: The organization receives project-based funding for specific initiatives. Examples include a Wijkbudget subsidy from Stad Gent for the 'Beter samenleven in Windekind' project, and funding for the two-year Lokale Bondgenotennetwerk project focused on child poverty.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

De Zuidpoort is a non-profit association (vzw) based in the Nieuw-Gent neighborhood of Gent, Belgium, that works to combat poverty through a combination of direct community services for individuals experiencing poverty (such as community meetings, leisure access support, and affordable family outings) and structured training programs for schools, welfare organizations, and policymakers. The organization integrates experiential knowledge from people living in poverty with professional social work expertise to deliver its services and advocacy work.

Product overview

De Zuidpoort vzw is a non-profit poverty-fighting organization in Ghent, Belgium operating a portfolio of interconnected services, training programs, and participatory methodologies. The core offerings include Beste Burger (policy participation training), the Vrijetijdskantoor (leisure office for budget-limited individuals), Pretloket (affordable group outings), and various Vormingen (trainings) covering poverty awareness, stress in help conversations, methodical group work, and clear communication. Supporting methodologies include Beleidsbabbels (community dialogue), Themawerking (thematic group work), Ontmoeting (weekly encounter gatherings), and the Parlement (monthly meeting). Publications include Signalenbundels documenting signals from people in poverty. The Beste Burgerkot represents an innovative mobile installation for democratic participation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Beste Burger: A recipe for policy participation with all citizens, developed by De Zuidpoort to involve people in vulnerable situations in policy-making.
• Beste Burgerkot
• Beleidsbabbels
• Ontmoeting
• Vrijetijdskantoor
• Pretloket

Products and services

• Beste Burger A methodology developed by De Zuidpoort that enables people in poverty to participate effectively in policy discussions and democratic processes, equipping participants with skills and a structured approach to engagement with policymakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 338 testimonies collected and analyzed in 2025, bundled into 59 clear signals for policy makers
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.

• Netwerk tegen ArmoedecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026De Zuidpoort collaborates with Netwerk tegen Armoede (Network Against Poverty) as part of their advocacy work. During the minister visit, Netwerk tegen Armoede participated alongside De Zuidpoort and formulated recommendations to policy makers based on collected testimonies.
• Belgisch Netwerk Armoedebestrijding (BAPN)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 July 2026BAPN participated in the minister visit and worked with De Zuidpoort to formulate policy recommendations. BAPN brings together Belgian organizations working on poverty alleviation.
• Iedereen Verdient VakantiecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 July 2025Partnership allowing De Zuidpoort to offer discounted vacation and day trip packages to people with limited budgets. This enables access to leisure activities at 1-5 EUR cost to visitors.
• VrijuitsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for discounted theater and performance tickets, enabling cultural participation for visitors at reduced prices.
• UiTPASsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the UiTPAS savings and benefits card system for culture and leisure in Flanders. De Zuidpoort's leisure office assists visitors with UiTPAS questions and has organized information sessions for Rap-op-stap offices.
• Stad Gent (City of Ghent)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Ghent provides Wijkbudget subsidies for neighborhood projects like 'Beter samenleven in Windekind'. Also involved in policy discussions and receives signalenbundels (testimony compilations) from De Zuidpoort.
• Dimensa (Wooncoördinator)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerHousing coordinator involved in the Windekind project, providing meeting space in vacant apartments and supporting the resident group initiative.
• Ligo (Centrum voor Basiseducatie Gent)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on the 'Heldere Brieven' (Clear Letters) project, working together to make official letters more accessible for people with reading difficulties.
• Poco Loco (Aanloophuis)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerShelter organization whose visitors join De Zuidpoort's Ontmoeting sessions, creating connection between different vulnerable groups.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CAW (Centrum Algemeen Welzijnswerk): Flemish network of social welfare centers providing direct support to vulnerable individuals and families across well-being, housing, and rights realization — directly comparable in mission and beneficiary base to De Zuidpoort, with broader geographic coverage.
• Netwerk tegen Armoede: Flemish umbrella network of anti-poverty associations that De Zuidpoort actively collaborates with; both organizations share a methodology rooted in experiential knowledge of people in poverty and policy advocacy.
• ATD Vierde Wereld België: Belgian branch of the international ATD Fourth World movement, focused on extreme poverty and using participatory methods that closely mirror De Zuidpoort's community-led and experience-driven approach.
• Welzijnszorg: Flemish anti-poverty organization combining direct action, advocacy, and awareness campaigns targeting structural poverty — a comparable grassroots advocacy and policy-participation model operating at the Flemish regional level.
• Samenlevingsopbouw Vlaanderen: Flemish organization supporting community development and citizen participation in vulnerable neighborhoods — directly comparable in its bottom-up, neighborhood-anchored approach and training offerings to local authorities.

Broad incumbents

• OCMW Gent (Public Center for Social Welfare Ghent): Statutory municipal welfare institution for Gent that De Zuidpoort collaborates with and complements; offers broader statutory social services but with a less community-led, experiential methodology.
• Caritas Vlaanderen: Large Flemish social welfare organization with poverty alleviation, housing support, and humanitarian aid programs; overlaps with De Zuidpoort's mission but operates at significantly greater scale and institutional capacity.
• Kind & Gezin (Agentschap Opgroeien): Flemish governmental agency supporting child and family welfare, including poverty-related programs relevant to De Zuidpoort's child-poverty work (Lokale Bondgenotennetwerk); a public-sector counterpart in the same regional policy ecosystem.

Regional players

• VK (Vluchtelingenwerk Vlaanderen): Flemish refugee aid organization providing direct services and advocacy for a specific vulnerable population; comparable in operating model (community-based, policy advocacy) though serving a different beneficiary segment.
• Habitat for Humanity Belgium: Belgian branch of an international NGO tackling housing poverty through community engagement and advocacy; comparable grassroots methodology and policy engagement, with a thematic focus on housing.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/dezuidpoort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/de-zuidpoort-vzw

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 de zuidpoort