BeCode
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Training
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Education
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Professional integration
- Quality education
- Decent work and economic growth
- Reduced inequality
Pitch
Presentation
BeCode is a social-impact coding school that trains vulnerable individuals in digital skills, enabling them to access job opportunities in a high-demand sector. The organization addresses a dual challenge: tackling the tech talent shortage while facilitating professional inclusion through an active and career-oriented pedagogy. Operating in Brussels, Charleroi, Ghent, and Liège, BeCode has already supported over 4,000 learners in successfully integrating into the job market, with an integration rate exceeding 70% within six months after training. In 2024 alone, 955 additional people benefited from its programs, reinforcing its key role in transforming the Belgian labor market.
Its model is built on a dual value proposition: providing access to digital careers for underprivileged individuals and helping companies recruit and upskill their workforce. After several years of growth, BeCode is now entering a new acceleration phase to structure its expansion and diversify its revenue streams.
This €250,000 fundraising round marks the beginning of a €750,000 financing campaign to support its commercial expansion, the development of new training programs, and the structuring of its operations.
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Team
BeCode is led by an experienced team that ensures its strategic and operational development. Béatrice de Mahieu oversees the organization, leveraging her expertise in digital transformation and project management to structure the training programs and strengthen BeCode’s market position. Emeline Miton, in charge of finance, applies her experience from Valeo to ensure economic stability and support the transition to a less subsidy-dependent model. Anne-Sonia Petitprez manages human resources and internal organization, structuring teams to support BeCode’s growth. Ivan Kusseneers is responsible for partnerships and business development, working with companies to strengthen the B2B offering and connect trained talent with the job market. Louis de Viron, an expert in AI and data science, oversees program development to align with companies' skill needs.
Around them, nearly 35 team members, spread across the headquarters and four campuses, ensure the smooth operation of training programs, learner support, and business development.
Challenges
BeCode's project, active across Belgium (Charleroi, Brussels, Liège, Ghent, and Sint-Niklaas—starting in March with a .Net training), aims to address a major issue: the gap between the growing demand for tech talent from companies and job seekers, particularly those from disadvantaged backgrounds. Belgium faces a significant shortage of skills in technology and digital fields. According to Agoria, more than 30,000 vacancies in the tech sector remain unfilled due to a lack of qualified candidates. At the same time, unemployment remains high among young people, women, refugees, and individuals from immigrant backgrounds or non-traditional educational paths.
This problem is especially acute in urban centers, where social and economic inequalities limit access to training and job opportunities in the tech sector. As a result, a vast pool of potential talent remains untapped, while companies struggle to hire the skilled workforce needed to support their growth and digital transformation.
Solutions
BeCode offers a unique solution to bridge these two worlds: intensive and inclusive training programs in tech careers. They provide motivated individuals who are distant from the job market with an opportunity to acquire the technical and soft skills that companies need. Their 7-month bootcamps, based on active pedagogy, enable learners to:
- Develop technical skills in fields such as web development, artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, and more.
- Learn to solve problems independently and collaboratively (yes-we-can mentality) through practical exercises and real-world projects provided by partners.
- Integrate into the job market through personalized support and direct collaborations with companies seeking diverse talent.
By placing people at the center and working with vulnerable populations, BeCode contributes to a more inclusive society while addressing the talent shortage in the tech industry.
Economic model
BeCode finances its activities through a combination of public funding and business services. The first revenue source comes from free digital skills training programs for individuals far from the job market. These programs, supported by organizations such as VDAB, Actiris, and Forem, are designed to meet market needs and come in various formats: 6-week sprints to introduce digital skills, intensive 7-month bootcamps specializing in web development, AI, or cybersecurity, and 3- to 4-month training courses developed in partnership with companies. Since its launch, 4,000 people have been trained at BeCode, including 955 in 2024.
The second revenue stream comes from services for companies with recruitment or continuous training needs. BeCode offers several tailored solutions:
- BeCode Promoter, which facilitates the identification, training, and integration of new talent.
- BeCode Program, which provides personalized support, including co-creation of training modules on specific technologies.
- BeCode Sponsor, a three-year commitment ensuring priority access to recruitment and continuous training services.
Additionally, BeCode offers customized services such as targeted candidate selection and support in establishing internal academies. In 2024, 31 companies used BeCode’s services to train or recruit skilled professionals. The organization relies on a network of tech partners, including Microsoft and Google, to ensure that its training programs align with market demands, further strengthening its impact and growth.
Long term impact
BeCode tracks five key social impact indicators to measure the effectiveness of its program and the evolution of its results:
- Number of participants per year
The goal is to train at least 750 learners annually to maximize access to digital job opportunities. - Dropout rate
BeCode aims to maintain a dropout rate below 20%, adapting its support and teaching methods to learners' needs. - Representation of target profiles
Over 90% of learners come from priority groups, including women and non-male individuals, those with a maximum education level equivalent to secondary school, people born outside OECD countries, and individuals with disabilities. - Immediate positive outcome
At the end of their training, more than 85% of learners secure an internship, allowing them to apply their skills and gradually enter the job market. - Positive outcome after six months
The goal is for at least 75% of graduates to find a job (permanent, fixed-term, or freelance) or pursue further training within six months of their internship.
Since its creation in 2017, BeCode has trained 4,424 learners, with a dropout rate of just 11%. Among those who completed the program, 71% achieved a positive outcome within six months.
In 2024, 955 learners were trained, with an exceptionally low dropout rate of 4%. Among those who reached the six-month mark in 2024, 64% achieved a positive outcome, a figure impacted by slower recruitment in Belgium due to economic downturns and the higher number of learners trained this year.
Live Meeting
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