What bras dessus bras dessous does

Bras dessus bras dessous (asbl BdBd) is a Belgian non-profit association founded in 2016 by Céline Remy that operates a neighborhood solidarity network connecting isolated adults aged 60+ living at home with younger volunteer neighbors (voisineurs) based on affinity and availability. Services are delivered through 12 local antennas across Brussels-Capital, Brabant Wallon, and Hainaut — Forest, Uccle, Anderlecht, Saint-Gilles, Watermael-Boitsfort, Nivelles, Ottignies-Louvain-la-Neuve, Rixensart, La Louvi\u00e8re, Tubize, Braine-le-Comte, and Walhain — each managed by a dedicated Charg\u00e9 de projet. The core product suite comprises Voisinage (the neighborhood network), Duos/Trios (intergenerational and intercultural pairings), Moments Collectifs (group activities), Sensibilisation (awareness campaigns), R\u00e9f\u00e9rencement (referral to formal services such as CPAS, home help, and food aid), and Plaidoyer (advocacy for aging in place).

The underlying methodology is human-centered rather than technology-centered: intake meetings, affinity-based matching by professional coordinators, ongoing support of each bin\u00f4me, and a validated social impact framework developed with SAW-B in 2025-2026. Supporting publications include the Erasmus+ Eat@Home senior nutrition project (52 recipes and a caregiver manual covering 736 seniors across Belgium, France, and Portugal), annual activity reports, health literacy resources, and surveys. A mobile application on iOS and Android complements coordinator workflows, and a mobile 'Caravan' outreach unit travels to neighborhoods to identify isolated seniors and recruit volunteers.

The business model is a non-profit donations-and-grants model: services are free of charge to both seniors and volunteers, and the organization is funded through a deliberately diversified mix of public subsidies (COCOF, COCOM/Iriscare, AVIQ, multiple communes), philanthropic foundations (Roi Baudouin, CRELAN, Partenamut, APEF-Fonds 4S, Petits Fr\u00e8res des Pauvres), corporate sponsors (CERA, Candriam), service clubs (Rotary, Soroptimist), the National Lottery, and individual donations (tax-attested from EUR 40). Go-to-market is community-led: 80+ partner associations, CPAS, medical homes, and cultural organizations drive referrals; awareness is built through extensive Belgian earned media (Le Soir, RTBF, La Libre, BX1) and seasonal campaigns. Governance is exercised by a Board of Directors led by France De Kinder, with Colombe Cretin as Coordinatrice g\u00e9n\u00e9rale overseeing a team of approximately 15 paid staff.

Name

bras dessus bras dessous

Legal name

asbl bras dessus bras dessous

Website

https://brasdessusbrasdessous.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Bras dessus bras dessous is a Belgian non-profit that matches isolated adults aged 60+ living at home with younger volunteer neighbors across 12+ municipalities in Brussels and Wallonia, delivering free intergenerational companionship services through a network of paid regional coordinators and donated funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Senior Social Services

NAICS

Continuing Care Retirement Communities and Assisted Living Facilities for the Elderly (62331)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Nonprofit / Faith-Based CCRCs (HLADAEAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Single-Site CCRCs (HLADAEAE)

Keywords

• Senior companionship services
• Neighborhood volunteer matching
• Intergenerational solidarity programs
• Social isolation intervention
• Elder care coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Forest

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Donations and Philanthropic Grants: BdBd operates primarily on donations from individuals and institutional grants. Financial donors include APEF-Fonds 4S, COCOM, COCOF, communes (Forest, Uccle, Anderlecht), CERA, CREL Foundation, Roi Baudouin Foundation, Partenamut, Petits Frères des Pauvres, Rotary, Soroptimist, and others. Donors receive tax attestations for contributions above EUR 40 annually. The organization is independent in its social actions thanks to this diverse funding base.
2. Public Subsidies and Government Funding: BdBd receives subsidies from regional public bodies including COCOM, COCOF, Iriscare, Brabant Wallon, and Wallonia (AVIq) to support operations across its Brussels and Walloon antennas.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Bras dessus bras dessous operates a neighborhood solidarity network that matches isolated seniors aged 60+ living at home with younger volunteer neighbors (voisineurs) selected for affinity, availability, and proximity, supervised by professional coordinators across regional antennas. The organization supplements the binôme relationships with collective events (Moments Collectifs), awareness campaigns (Sensibilisation), referrals to formal services (Référencement), and advocacy (Plaidoyer), and operates a mobile outreach Caravan to recruit seniors and volunteers in underserved neighborhoods.

Product overview

Bras dessus Bras dessous is a Belgian non-profit organization (asbl) that operates a neighborhood solidarity network connecting isolated elderly people aged 60+ living at home with younger volunteer neighbors. The organization functions as a single, unified social service rather than a platform product, providing direct support through its core programs including the Voisinage (neighborhood pairing) service, Duos/Trios (intergenerational matching), Moments Collectifs (group activities), Sensibilisation (awareness campaigns), and Référencement (referral to professional services). The organization also produces research publications including impact studies, surveys, health literacy resources, and the Eat at Home European nutrition project. The model emphasizes informal neighbor relationships supplemented by connections to formal care services, with 16 local antenna offices across Brussels and Wallonia managing regional operations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eat@Home: An Erasmus+ project coordinated by Silver Fourchette (France) in partnership with Bras dessus Bras dessous, UNA 47 (France), Pour la Solidarité (Belgium), and Obra Diocesana de Promoção Social (Portugal). The project produced a comparative analysis of senior nutrition across the three countries, a recipe book of 52 healthy recipes, and a training manual for informal caregivers on senior nutrition.

Products and services

• Voisinage (Neighborhood Network) A neighborhood solidarity network that matches seniors aged 60+ living at home who express loneliness or social isolation with younger volunteer neighbors (voisineurs) willing to spend time with them based on availability and affinities, supervised by professional coordinators.
• Duos / Trios (Intergenerational Pairings)

Quantifiable outcome

• The impact study conducted in 2025-2026 with SAW-B (supported by be.Source) measured social impact outcomes of the neighbor solidarity model
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Silver Fourchette (Groupe SOS Senior, France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd is a partner in the European Erasmus+ Eat@Home project coordinated by Silver Fourchette (France), alongside Pour la Solidarité (Belgium), UNA 47 (France), and Obra Diocesana de Promoção Social (Portugal). The two-year project produced three free tools on senior nutrition: a comparative analysis of dietary practices across 736 seniors in three countries, a cookbook of 52 recipes, and a training manual for caregivers.
• Pour la SolidaritécoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean partner in the Eat@Home Erasmus+ project. Contributed to research, resource development, and dissemination on senior nutrition across Belgium, France, and Portugal.
• Fédération Internationale des Petits Frères des PauvrescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd is an official partner of the International Federation of Petits Frères des Pauvres, connecting it to a global network of organizations fighting loneliness among seniors.
• SAW-B (Société d'Architecture wallonne du Bien-être)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd conducted a formal social impact assessment in 2025-2026 with SAW-B, supported by the be.Source Foundation, to rigorously evaluate outcomes of the neighbor solidarity model on senior wellbeing.
• Samen ToujourscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd is a member of the Samen Toujours platform of mutual aid networks, a collective of organizations creating supportive neighbor connections for isolated seniors in Belgium.
• Collectif TWOgethercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd is a founding member of the TWOgether collective, which unites associations creating voluntary binôme (pair) relationships between people of different backgrounds. Other founders: Le Petit Vélo Jaune, CABANE (Ligue des Familles), Peluche, and Singa. The collective shares a common framework: benevolent posture, autonomy, solidarity, volunteering, and professional support.
• Plateforme Entr'âgescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd is a member of the Entr'âges platform for intergenerational projects in Belgium.
• Caban NetworkminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBdBd participates in the Caban network of social organizations.
• CPAS de ForestcoreOthersThe CPAS (Public Centre for Social Welfare) of Forest provides home care services (SAD) and works in coordination with BdBd to support seniors, with BdBd addressing informal social needs that complement formal care.
• Multiple healthcare and social service organizationsminorOthersOver 80 associative partners including medical homes, mental health centers, food banks, cultural centers, schools, and senior living facilities refer seniors to BdBd and receive referrals in return. Examples: Maison Médicale Etoile, Banque Alimentaire, Le Brass cultural center, senior residences (Nos Tayons), and more.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Petits Frères des Pauvres: French-founded international federation dedicated to combating isolation among the elderly. Directly comparable to BdBd: same target population (isolated seniors aged 60+), same volunteer-companion model, and an existing partnership relationship with BdBd via the International Federation.
• Singa Belgium: Belgian non-profit creating binôme relationships between newcomers (refugees/immigrants) and local citizens. Directly comparable via the binôme/volunteer matching framework; co-founding member of the TWOgether collective alongside BdBd.
• Monalisa (France): French national coalition coordinating multi-actor responses to senior isolation across territories. Comparable to BdBd through its community-based, volunteer-driven model and its focus on loneliness prevention among home-dwelling seniors aged 60+.
• Le Petit Vélo Jaune: Belgian non-profit operating volunteer binôme relationships, co-founding member of the TWOgether collective alongside BdBd. Comparable through the affinity-based matching of volunteers with isolated individuals in a community-embedded service delivery model.
• Entr'âges Belgium: Belgian platform for intergenerational projects connecting youth and seniors. Comparable to BdBd via its focus on intergenerational solidarity in Belgium and its existing partnership relationship through the Entr'âges platform.
• Silver Fourchette: French non-profit (Groupe SOS Seniors) focused on nutrition and conviviality for seniors. Comparable via its senior-focused programming, its existing Eat@Home partnership with BdBd, and its volunteer-led community engagement approach.

Broad incumbents

• UNIOPSS: French national federation of social and medico-social non-profits. Broadly comparable to BdBd as a larger institutional actor in the social services space that oversees member organizations working with vulnerable populations including isolated seniors.
• Fédération des CPAS (UVCW): Belgian federation of Public Social Welfare Centres (CPAS) — public bodies that serve as the primary safety net for vulnerable populations including isolated seniors. Comparable to BdBd as a broader, publicly-funded institution that addresses many of the same social isolation concerns through formal services.

Regional players

• Buurtzorg Nederland: Dutch community-based home care organization operating neighborhood-embedded care teams. Comparable via its hyperlocal, neighborhood-rooted care delivery model for community-dwelling elderly, though operating primarily in the Netherlands rather than Belgium.
• SAMEN (Netherlands): Dutch national network coordinating voluntary neighbor support and social cohesion initiatives. Comparable to BdBd through its emphasis on neighborhood solidarity and informal volunteer support for vulnerable residents, though geographically focused on the Netherlands.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/brasdessousbrasdessus.be
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/brasdessusbrasdessous

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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