Flemish Agency for Facility Operations

The Flemish government, a regional authority in Belgium, acts as a holding company and is divided into policy areas, each with a department and independent agencies. As an agency within the Public Governance and Chancellery, Foreign and Jurdicial Affairs policy area, The Agency for Facility Operations (aka Het Facilitair Bedrijf ) offers professional facilities support, including real estate, document management and public procurement to the entities of the Flemish government. Wherever possible, services are also opened up to local authorities. The involvement of all employees is ensured via consultation bodies at division and team level.

To support its service provision, the Agency calls on various companies to perform works, supplies and services, and also cooperates with external knowledge institutions.

The core features or values of the Agency are sustainable, inspiring, efficient and professional.

The UN 2030 Agenda on sustainable development is a guiding framework for it's sustainablity policy and action. It has been translated into a more concrete guiding framework of objectives. This translation makes it clear to the employees what the main lines of the Agenda mean in practice for the Agency. The sustainability approach was considered from the perspective of the 2030 ASD challenges. It was assessed for each 2030 ASD target (and underlying sub-targets) what contribution the Agency could make, which resulted in an SDG commitment statement. Targets were prioritised in respect of materiality (impact) and business opportunities. The priority targets are mainly implemented through strategic or transformative actions. The priority targets are situated within SDG 12 (Responsible Consumption and Production, leading SDG), as well as SDG 9 (Innovation and Infrastructure), SDG 3 (Health and Safety in the Workplace) and SDG 13 (Climate)

Het Facilitair Bedrijf manages 173 Flemish government buildings; 58 Flemish government entities are housed in the buildings managed by the Agency. The Agency provides workplaces for 23,260 Flemish civil servants. 10 large restaurants are operated by the Agency itself in the big office buildings, generating an annual turnover of EUR 7 million. 140 construction projects are carried out on behalf of the Agency or its customers. The Agency manages a large portfolio of (non-ICT) framework agreements, worth EUR 153 million. These framework agreements are often also open to other authorities (provincial and local authorities). 

Het Facilitair Bedrijf strives for reduced materials use and maximally closed materials cycles, evolves towards zero waste (SDG 12.2, 12.5) and reduces food loss (SDG 12.3).