Ghent-based Joule, a subsidiary of the Brussels-based holding company D’Ieteren, is now the exclusive bicycle leasing company for the federal government. By winning the public tender, it will have the opportunity to lease bicycles to some 70,000 federal servants.

This is the first time that bicycle leasing has been rolled out on such a large scale within federal organizations. With the leasing program, the federal government wants to encourage soft mobility.

Huge increase in scale

Joule was founded in 2018 and focuses solely on improving commuting with salary bikes and supporting professional business travel through operational bike leasing and direct sales. In 2022, D’Ieteren acquired a majority stake in the bike provider by investing 1 million euros in the company through its start-up studio Lab Box.

Joule currently has more than 300 customers and already manages more than 8,000 bicycle leasing contracts. D’Ieteren’s investment enabled Joule to improve its operations by digitizing and automating processes, but winning the tender would significantly increase Joule’s scale as a bicycle leasing partner.

All-in leasing formula

As a bicycle leasing company, Joule is responsible for the practical and operational implementation of the bicycle plan. In practice, this means that Joule guides employers and employees from A to Z, from rollout and communication to support.

It offers an all-inclusive leasing formula that includes a bicycle, meaning maintenance (via its own mobile repair vans), insurance, and breakdown assistance are covered, along with digital platforms and support for both employees and administration.

Joule has developed its own platform for this administration, the Joule Hub. Using a specific tool from the FPS BOSA, civil servants can, for example, calculate their budget based on their gross end-of-year allowance. Joule’s platform is directly linked to the government’s HR systems. This prevents the need for manual paperwork for each application.

Up to 40% cheaper

For federal civil servants, this arrangement makes bicycle leasing up to 40% cheaper than buying a bicycle themselves, since they use their gross end-of-year bonus.

For example, if a civil servant receives a gross end-of-year bonus of €2,500, after taxes and social security contributions, they are left with about €1,200 in net pay. But by treating the €2,500 gross lease payment as a business expense, the employer saves 40%.

Also social leasing

As a customer, you can choose between home delivery and maintenance via Joule Mobile or your local bicycle dealer with Joule Local. You can start with one bicycle or a whole fleet, and you choose the term: 12, 24, 36, or 48 months.

Refurbished bicycles and social leasing (for employees in lower pay scales) are also part of the offer.