Tutoring Franchise in Belgium: The Complete 2026 Guide

Belgium is a small country with two large, separate school systems. Education is run by the communities: the Flemish Community for Dutch-speaking schools in Flanders and Brussels, the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles (FWB) for French-speaking schools in Wallonia and Brussels, and the German-speaking Community in the east. For anyone considering a tutoring franchise in Belgium, that is the first thing to understand. A centre in Ghent, one in Liège and one in Brussels serve families whose curricula, tests and even school calendars differ.

This guide covers both systems and their key assessments, what drives tutoring demand, what a tutoring franchise is, how the main options compare, Belgium's pre-contractual disclosure law, practical points on leases and staff, and how Success Tutoring approaches the Belgian market.

Two school systems, two sets of pressure points

Flanders: central tests for the first time

Flemish schooling runs from kleuteronderwijs through six years of lager onderwijs to six years of secundair onderwijs, organised in three graden. For a long time Flanders had no central tests at all. That has changed: since 2024, pupils in the fourth year of primary school and the second year of secondary school sit the Vlaamse toetsen, and in spring 2026 the sixth year of primary school took part as well.

The results have made parents think. According to VRT NWS, only 29 per cent of sixth-year pupils reached the attainment targets (eindtermen) for solving mathematical problems, against 69 per cent for reading comprehension. Families who want a child to start secondary school on solid ground, or to get through the first graad without having to change track, increasingly look for structured help.

Wallonia and Brussels: the CEB and the CE1D

In the FWB, two external certifying exams frame the school career: the CEB (certificat d'études de base) at the end of the sixth year of primary school, and the CE1D at the end of the second year of secondary school. According to Paris Match Belgique, 84.63 per cent of the 51,308 pupils who sat the CEB passed in June 2026, down from 86.90 per cent a year earlier. The announced rise in the pass mark for the certifying external exams, from 50 to 60 per cent from June 2027, gives parents another reason to look for help well before exam season. The FWB is also phasing in its tronc commun reform of the common core curriculum, which brings further change for families to navigate.

The national picture

In the OECD's PISA 2022 assessment, Belgian 15-year-olds scored 489 in mathematics, 19 points lower than in 2018 but still above the OECD average. Behind the national figure sit two systems with their own debates about standards, which is why both communities have been strengthening external assessment.

Why tutoring demand is strong in Belgium

There is no official measure of the Belgian tutoring market, so it is better to look at the drivers than at a headline number.

• High-stakes transitions. The end of primary school and the end of the first stage of secondary school are decisive in both systems, and both now have external tests at or near those points.
• Mathematics. The Flemish test results and the PISA trend both point to maths as the subject where families feel the gap most.
• Language. Many families, especially in Brussels, want extra support in a second or third language, and English is a strong selling point in an international, multilingual capital.
• A fragmented supply. Help today comes mostly from private teachers at home, students paid by the hour, studiebegeleiding agencies, and community homework schools (écoles de devoirs). Few branded, centre-based options exist, which is the space a franchise can occupy.

What a tutoring franchise is

A tutoring franchise licenses you to run a learning business under an established brand, using its curriculum, systems, training and marketing. You own the business, employ the staff and pay the franchisor for the brand and support. Most Belgian franchisees trade as a self-employed person (zelfstandige / indépendant) or through a BV/SRL registered in the Crossroads Bank for Enterprises (KBO/BCE) via an enterprise counter.

The main revenue models are hourly or package tutoring, often at home; homework supervision; and centre-based membership tutoring, where families pay a recurring fee for a set programme of weekly sessions. The membership model gives more predictable revenue and puts the focus on results and retention. It is the Success Tutoring model.

Tutoring franchise vs worksheet centres, private tutors and independent centres

• Worksheet-based learning centres. Kumon also operates in Belgium. Its method is built on self-paced worksheets in which children work independently and progress step by step, supported by an instructor. It is a well-known, long-established approach that suits families who value daily practice. For a side-by-side, read our Success Tutoring vs Kumon guide.
• Private tutors. Low overheads and flexibility, but income is capped by one person's hours and depends on word of mouth.
• Independent centres. Experienced local operators keep all the margin but must build curriculum, recruitment, systems and brand themselves, often in only one language community.
• A tutoring franchise. You give up some independence and pay fees for a tested programme, training, a launch method and a brand. The value depends on the system and on how well it adapts to the Flemish or FWB curriculum.

What to look for in a tutoring franchise in Belgium

1. Two curricula, not one. Ask how the programme maps to the Flemish eindtermen and minimumdoelen, and to the FWB référentiels and the CEB and CE1D. A brand that treats Belgium as one market has not done the work.
2. Language. Materials, parent communication and marketing need to work in Dutch, French or both, depending on your territory.
3. Launch method. Ask exactly how the franchisor fills a centre before opening. See our launch support page.
4. Tutors. Ask how tutors are recruited, employed and trained, and how student jobs and self-employed contractors are handled under Belgian social security rules.
5. Territory. Ask how territories are defined, including in Brussels. Our franchise territories page shows Belgian cities and indicative territories.
6. Disclosure and references. Read the pre-contractual document carefully and speak to existing franchisees in other markets.

Franchise regulation in Belgium: Book X of the Code of Economic Law

Belgium has had franchise disclosure rules since the Law of 19 December 2005 on pre-contractual information in commercial cooperation agreements. Those rules now sit in Book X of the Code of Economic Law (Wetboek van economisch recht / Code de droit économique), which covers franchise and other commercial partnership agreements.

At a high level, as summarised by Belgian franchise lawyers:

• A pre-contractual information document must be provided together with the draft agreement at least one month before the agreement is signed or any non-refundable payment is made.
• Content. The document sets out the key contractual provisions (such as obligations, non-compete clauses, duration and termination) and information that allows the candidate to assess the partnership, including on the market and the network.
• Consequences. If the rules are not respected, the franchisee may be able to seek annulment of the agreement within a limited period. The outcome depends on the facts and the specific breach.

There is no franchise registration system. The Belgian Franchise Federation is the industry association and membership is voluntary. Competition, consumer and employment law also apply. Take advice from a Belgian franchise lawyer and an accountant before signing anything.

Premises, licensing and other practicalities

• No education licence. Private tutoring is not a regulated activity in Belgium, so no specific licence is needed to open a tutoring centre.
• Commercial lease. A handelshuur / bail commercial normally runs for at least nine years, and the rules are now set by each region (Flanders, Wallonia and Brussels). Check that the lease permits tutoring use. Ask what leasing support the franchisor provides.
• Safeguarding. For work with minors, an extract from the criminal record (model 2) is the standard check; make it part of recruitment.
• Tax. VAT treatment of tutoring can be specific; confirm it with a Belgian tax adviser.
• Trademark. The brand should be protected as a Benelux or EU trademark (through BOIP or EUIPO).

How Success Tutoring approaches Belgium

Success Tutoring was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 2017 by Michael Black and has been franchising since around 2020. It has announced international markets including New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom and India. Belgium is not one of them: at the time of writing (October 2026), Success Tutoring has not announced a launch or any centre in Belgium. It is looking for franchise partners to open the first centres in Flanders, Brussels and Wallonia, and a master franchise partner able to build a network across both language communities.

The model offered is the one built in Australia: retail-style learning centres for K–12 students focused on English and Mathematics; a membership model; launch and pre-marketing support, which according to the company's news posts has seen centres open with 45, 55, 60 and more than 70 members before opening day; site selection, leasing and fit-out support; tutor recruitment and online tutor training; learning resources; ongoing marketing; and a flat structure in which franchise partners deal directly with head office leadership. Aligning the programme with the Flemish and FWB curricula is work to be done with the first Belgian partners.

Franchise partners do not need to be teachers. Success Tutoring is a member of the Franchise Council of Australia and the International Franchise Association. We do not publish fees or earnings in articles; see the investment schedule. Read our complete tutoring franchise guide, and for neighbouring markets our guides to a tutoring franchise in the Netherlands and France.

Frequently asked questions

Is there demand for a tutoring franchise in Belgium?

Yes. Both communities now have external tests at key transitions, the 2026 Flemish results showed weak maths problem-solving in the sixth year of primary school (VRT NWS), and the FWB has announced a higher pass mark for its certifying external exams from June 2027.

What does Belgian franchise law require?

Under Book X of the Code of Economic Law, the franchisor must give you a pre-contractual information document and the draft agreement at least one month before you sign. Have both reviewed by a Belgian franchise lawyer.

Can one franchise cover Flanders and Wallonia?

A territory sits in one place, but a master franchise partner would need to work across both systems and languages. Ask how the programme is adapted to each.

Do I need to be a teacher?

No. The franchisor supplies the curriculum, systems and tutor training. Your role is to recruit and lead a team and grow the centre locally.

Is Success Tutoring open in Belgium?

No centres have been announced. Success Tutoring is seeking franchise partners and a master franchise partner for Belgium.

Next steps

A tutoring franchise in Belgium meets families at a moment of change, with new tests in Flanders and higher bars in Wallonia and Brussels, under a disclosure law that gives you a month to review before you sign. Read why us for how Success Tutoring supports franchise partners, then follow the process from first conversation to opening day.

All third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Figures about other franchises are taken from their public websites, disclosure documents or reputable franchise directories at the time of writing and may have changed; verify them directly before making any decision. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.