Schools as a Service

Frequently Asked Questions

V1 - Isn't your offering the same as renting?

No. When you rent a building you have to accept what is offered. Rental buildings are usually offered empty so that you have to upholster it yourself. If the space is too large or too small you rent either empty space or you have to squeeze pupils in undersized classrooms. Cleaning and energy are at your expense.

Schools-as-a-Service gives you the same flexibility as when you own the building. The service comprises upholstery according to your wishes, all forms of maintenance, cleaning, energy, renovation and even retrofitting to meet your changing demands. As these services are part of a single package the provider is capable to optimize design and work processes so that they can be offered fast and at much lower costs.

V2 - Isn't your offering more expensive because you pay a higher interest on loans than public organizations?

We make use of the most favourable financing options. If you - as a public organization - can borrow money at lower costs, or if you can pay a part of the investment from your own savings, we will make use of that. But in most cases this is not sufficient so that additional funding is required. Schools-as-a-Service strives for the optimal balance between financial costs and exploitation costs.

V3 If we - as a local government or educational foundation - pay for the investment, we are also the owner, isn't it?

The Fund for Circular School Buildings is the legal owner of the building. This enables the provider to change the building for the lowest costs, as there are no transactions needed. The economic ownership is divided equally amongst the parties that contribute to the financing in the form of certificates. The client - such as a local government or an educational foundation - always has the first right to buy the building back from the fund. But in order to secure the economic value of the building it is also possible to sell the certificates to other parties. The right of being the first buyer will not be affected by this transaction; selling certificates is just a matter of selling economic value.

V4 - Isn't your offering the same a temporary building?

No, the buildings are of outstanding quality, even better than most permanent buildings! Buildings that are intended for temporary use are written off - and payed off - in a relatively short time, which causes high financial costs. As a consequence, cheap materials are being used.

This is not the case with Schools as a Service. We aim for an extended lifetime of the buildings, which is possible because they are adaptable. This enables the use of high quality materials with a long lifetime and low maintenance costs. The buildings are also spacious and have high ceilings which makes them more versatile, safe and future proof. Every part of the building can be reused in another building.