A workplace of their own to collaborate, learn and gain experience. Over the past year, FacilityApps made an office at H20 in Purmerend available to Stichting Birungi Studio. Their mission spoke to us: helping young people who need extra support to earn their diploma and find their way into the labour market. It grew into a partnership in which Birungi also contributed to our VR training, with an introduction module on microfibre.

A place where talent can develop

Birungi Studio runs on volunteers who guide young people in programming, design, marketing, audio and content within the software and gaming industry. The foundation gives them the chance to apply their skills in real projects and build experience for a next step in their education or work.

What began in August 2024 with a small group has since grown into an international team.

Birungi works with educational institutions from several countries. The shared ambition remains the same: giving young talent the guidance and opportunities it needs to move forward. That aim was FacilityApps’ reason for supporting the foundation with a workplace of its own.

More than just an office

The support took shape during Innovators Arena 2025. Until then, team members mainly worked from home and met in public places, such as libraries. With an office at H20 they gained a fixed base to work on projects together.

For Birungi that meant more than a desk and a meeting table. Participants could also get to know day-to-day collaboration in a professional office environment. Miloš Despotović of Birungi Studio puts the meaning of that place like this:

“For us it has become much more than an office. It is a place of our own where students can feel safe and where we have the room to offer good guidance.”

According to Birungi, that base has helped guide students towards their diploma, further education or a job. The foundation also receives questions from job coaches in various municipalities about supporting people for whom the step into work is not a given.

From testing VR training to a module of their own

The collaboration went further than providing office space. Birungi put its knowledge of software and gaming to work for our VR training for the cleaning sector.

The team tested dozens of existing training modules and delivered an extensive report with recommendations. That was followed by the development of a new module. Based on a storyboard and several rounds of feedback, Birungi worked on a microfibre introduction for the FacilityApps VR suite.

This module explains what microfibre is, what it does and what benefits it offers when cleaning. The participant therefore gets not only an explanation of a material, but also of the reason to use it.

Birungi developed this module as a contribution within the partnership, in return for our support. For FacilityApps that produces concrete training content. For the makers it is a project for a real client, in which they can show their skills and strengthen their portfolio.

“The microfibre module is a valuable addition to our portfolio. It is a concrete example of the skills our team members have.”

— Miloš Despotović

Gaining experience and showing the work

Alongside the collaboration with FacilityApps, Birungi develops its own projects, including the game I Bee Xploring. Team members presented their work at events such as Indigo and Gamescom.

That offers not only a stage for their creativity and technical knowledge. It also gives participants the chance to explain their work, make contacts and gain experience outside the studio.

Within H20, Birungi is involved in activities around employment, inclusion and the social meaning of gaming. Being close to other companies creates opportunities for collaboration, as the partnership with FacilityApps shows.

Building new opportunities together

With these projects, Birungi wants to take the step towards paid assignments. Miloš describes that ambition:

“With this assignment and other projects we hope to win our first paid assignments. That is how we want to make the impact of our foundation possible for the years ahead as well.”

For FacilityApps, the collaboration shows what can emerge when social engagement and a concrete development assignment come together. We offered room to work and grow; Birungi brought talent, commitment and knowledge, and with that made a valuable addition to our VR training.

That is how the partnership gains meaning for both organisations and for the people who can take their next step there.