Three routes it usually takes
They ask for different reasons, out of different budgets, and sometimes side by side within the same organisation.
Teaching people on benefits a trade
Phone and laptop repair can be learned without any prior training, and there is work in it. For someone who has been out of the labour market for a while, three days of learning with tools in hand is something other than yet another job application workshop. This runs through the work and income department.
Giving a work placement or day activity real content
A sheltered employment organisation or a work-based day activity centre with a repair workshop needs people who can pass the trade on. We train the supervisors, or we teach the group ourselves at your site.
Repairing your own devices in house
A public organisation has thousands of phones, tablets and laptops in circulation. Some of them are replaced over a one-euro part. If your own IT or facilities team replaces screens, connectors and batteries themselves, that saves replacement costs and counts towards your circular targets.
The budgets this usually gets paid from
Every organisation arranges this for itself, so this is not a list of entitlements. It is the practice as we come across it, so you know which colleague to approach.
- Re-integratiebudget (the Dutch budget for return-to-work programmes). For people in a programme towards work. What exactly is allowed is set out in the re-integratieverordening, the by-law each Dutch municipality adopts itself.
- Wmo (the Dutch social support act) and arbeidsmatige dagbesteding (work-based day activities). For people with a support need, often through the provider that runs those activities.
- The sheltered employment organisation. It has a training budget of its own and often buys independently.
- The department's training budget. When it concerns your own staff, for example IT or facilities.
- Sustainability and circularity. Replacing fewer devices is a saving you can account for in two places.
Not sure which budget it should come out of? Give us a call. We have had this conversation many times and will think it through with you, even if it is ultimately a colleague of yours who holds the budget.
Why a tender is almost never needed for this
This is where it most often gets stuck internally, so here are the figures you can work with.
Training falls under the light regime
Education and training services are listed in Annex XIV of the European public procurement directive, among the social and other specific services. Lighter rules apply to those than to ordinary services.
The threshold sits at € 750.000
Only above that amount, excluding VAT, does a contract for social and other specific services have to be advertised at European level. For ordinary services at a sub-central contracting authority the threshold sits at € 216.000 excluding VAT in 2026 and 2027.
A course day is far below that
Even for a large group. In practice, public organisations award this directly, after asking for one or several quotes. What applies at your end is set out in your own procurement policy: that determines from which amount you collect several quotes. Check with your procurement team, and we will supply whatever is needed.
We come to you, with everything included
For a group that is almost always more practical. Nobody has to travel and we practise on devices from your own operation.
We bring: microscopes, soldering stations, tools, parts, devices with real faults to practise on, all the course material and lunch.
You arrange: a room with enough tables and chairs, good lighting, power sockets, the ability to ventilate, and access at the agreed time.
Every participant receives a certificate of attendance at the end. Afterwards, participants can keep reaching their trainer and use our forum.
What you get from us to close it off internally
- A quote in the name of the organisation, with our KvK number (Dutch chamber of commerce) and VAT number, the number of participants and the sessions.
- The programme with the learning objectives per day, so you can substantiate why this fits the trajectory.
- An attendance list afterwards, and a certificate for each participant.
- An invoice with a fourteen-day payment term, carrying your purchase order or commitment number.
- On request: a data processing agreement if personal data of participants ends up with us.
Our prices are listed excluding VAT on the site. For a group at your site we charge per day and per group; that goes through a quote, because it depends on the number of participants and the programme.
The questions we get most often
Do we have to put this out to tender?
Can this come out of the re-integratiebudget?
How many participants can join at once?
Do you have experience in the public sector?
Our participants do not all speak the language of instruction well.
What if someone is ill on the day itself?
A quick sparring session costs you nothing
Tell us what you have in mind and for how many people. You will get an outline from us with a programme and a price that you can take forward internally. Even if you do not yet know which budget it should come out of.