Short answer
Er zijn 762 actieve public utility foundations in België (0.039% van alle bedrijven). De gemiddelde public utility foundation is 20 jaar en 10 maanden oud. Afgelopen maand werden er 5 nieuwe public utility foundations opgericht.
1. How many public utility foundations are there in Belgium? The numbers.
Volgens de Kruispuntbank van Ondernemingen (KBO) zijn er 762 actieve public utility foundations in België, op een totaal van 1,950,527 actieve bedrijven.
762
Active
0.039%
Of all companies
5
New this month
20j 10m
Average age
2. In which cities are most public utility foundations?
Most public utility foundations Brussel (143), followed by Elsene, Antwerpen, Ukkel, Gent.
3. In which sectors are public utility foundations?
The most popular sector for public utility foundations: Overige verenigingen, neg (43 companies).
Age distribution
How old are the active public utility foundations? The chart shows the number of public utility foundations.
6. What is a public utility foundation?
A public utility foundation is established when you want to permanently allocate assets to a social purpose: scientific research, culture, education, poverty reduction. Think of the King Baudouin Foundation or university research funds. There are no members or shareholders; the assets belong to the purpose itself.
The difference with a VZW: a VZW has members who decide together (general assembly). A foundation has no members. The founder contributes assets (money, real estate, securities), assigns them to a purpose, and a board manages them. Nobody can reclaim those assets, not even the founder. Establishing a public utility foundation requires a royal decree. A private foundation is simpler (a notarial deed suffices), but cannot obtain recognition for tax-deductible donations. A public utility foundation can, just like recognised VZWs.
Read more about the pros and cons of a public utility foundation →4. Comparison with other legal forms
How do public utility foundations?
Look up a public utility foundation?
Search by name, address or VAT number and find all info directly.
7. Frequently asked questions
How many public utility foundations are there in Belgium?
762 active / 762 total.
What percentage of all Belgian companies is a public utility foundation?
public utility foundations: 0.039% (1,950,527 companies).
In which cities are most public utility foundations?
Brussel (143), Elsene (51), Antwerpen (42), Ukkel (28), Gent (25).
How old is the average public utility foundation?
20j 10m.
Where can I look up public utility foundations?
Databakkes.be