What Cipecma does

Cipecma (Centre Interprofessionnel de Perfectionnement et d'Enseignement de la Charente-Maritime) is a French non-profit professional training organization founded in 1965 and headquartered in Châtelaillon-Plage. Operating under the Association loi 1901 legal framework, it runs a multi-site training platform with five owned campuses (Châtelaillon-Plage, Périgny, Périgny 2, La Roche-sur-Yon, Saintes) spanning the Charente-Maritime and Vendée departments of western France. The organization serves approximately 6,000 learners annually across more than 150 training programs, ranging from CAP and Bac Pro through BTS, Licence and Bac+5 diplomas, plus CACES equipment-handling certifications and RNCIS-registered professional titles (RNCP37682, RNCP37121). Its learner base splits between young entrants on alternance contracts, working professionals seeking upskilling, career changers using CPF financing, and regional enterprises purchasing intra-company training and apprenticeship recruitment services.

The core operating model combines in-person pedagogy at owned facilities with limited distance learning (FOAD under 20%), a learning management system for course materials, and distinctive instructional methodologies including the 'Entreprise Virtuelle' virtual-company simulation and AFEST (work-situated training). Cipecma's revenue architecture rests on five streams: apprenticeship funding via OPCO and regional councils, professional training contracts paid by companies, individual financing through CPF and Transition Pro, per-participant catalog training, and EU project co-financing (Erasmus+, FSE+ programs including MONA mobility, MOPAS, and Objectif MMARS). Pricing is unit-based (e.g., €15/hour for eligible Comptable Assistant training) with deposit mechanics (30-50%) for intra-company contracts and free cancellation beyond 15 working days.

Go-to-market is hybrid: B2B enterprise field sales targeting HR and training managers for intra-company and apprenticeship contracts, and B2C direct enrollment for individuals via the cipecma.com website, onboarding portal, and motivation interviews. Distribution combines the four regional training centers, on-site delivery at client premises (with trainer travel billing), digital LMS access, and the CPF mon compte formation pathway. Strategic partnerships with CCI Charente-Maritime and CCI Vendée provide regional credibility and referral flow, while sector partnerships (FDHPA17, FVHPA85, Stade Rochelais, Groupe Porte Dauphine Ford, SMV La Rochelle, Actoria) extend reach into tourism, automotive, and reintegration segments. The organization holds Qualiopi certification (mandatory for French public training funding) and the Erasmus+ Charter for Higher Education (ECHE) 2021-2027, positioning it as a regionally entrenched, publicly-funded vocational training operator rather than a commercial education business.

Name

Cipecma

Legal name

CIPECMA

Website

https://cipecma.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cipecma is a French non-profit professional training organization founded in 1965, operating five campuses across Charente-Maritime and Vendée. It delivers apprenticeship, continuing education, reconversion, and CACES certification programs from CAP to Bac+5 to approximately 6,000 learners and regional enterprises annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Apprenticeship Training (611513), Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Credentialing, Certification Prep & Exam Training (BPACANAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Accounting & Finance Certification Prep (CPA, CMA, CFA, FRM) (EDANAIAD), Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL)

Keywords

• Vocational training services
• Apprenticeship programs
• Professional certifications
• Continuing education
• Career retraining

Headquarters

HQ city

Châtelaillon-plage

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship Funding: Government and regional funding for apprenticeship contracts (alternance), including Opco and regional council financing for trainee compensation and training delivery
2. Professional Training Contracts: Direct company payment for employee training, intra-company training, and custom program development. OPCA/OPCO funding absorption with company co-payment.
3. Individual Financing (CPF): Individual training financing through CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation), Transition Pro, and personal payment for professional reconversion courses
4. Catalog Training Sessions: Inter-company training on public catalog with per-participant pricing, including lunch. Stage inter sur catalogue courses open to multiple companies.
5. EU Project Co-financing: European funding through Erasmus+, FSE+ programs for specific initiatives like MONA mobility, MOPAS apprenticeship security, and vocational training in penitentiary settings

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Cipecma delivers professional training and apprenticeship programs in the Charente-Maritime and Vendée regions of France, offering over 150 courses from CAP to Bac+5 level. The organization serves approximately 6,000 learners annually through alternating work-study programs, continuing professional education, career retraining pathways, and certified equipment handling (CACES) courses, supported by Qualiopi certification and Erasmus+ international mobility.

Product overview

Cipecma is a professional training center (Centre Interprofessionnel de Perfectionnement et d'Enseignement de la Charente-Maritime) operating as a multi-site training platform offering various educational pathways. The organization provides a comprehensive portfolio including Formation en Alternance (apprenticeship programs from CAP to Bac+5), Formation Professionnelle (continuing education for employees), Reconversion Professionnelle (career retraining), and the École Sup du Cipecma (higher education). Key certifications include CACES equipment licenses and various Titre Professionnel certifications. The institution also operates international mobility programs through MONA (Erasmus+) enabling apprentices to train abroad. Training is delivered across 5 locations in Charente-Maritime and Vendée departments, serving approximately 6,000 learners annually with 150+ training programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• École Sup Cipecma: Higher education institution within Cipecma offering student pathways without necessarily requiring apprenticeship contracts.

Products and services

• Formation en Alternance Apprenticeship-based training combining work periods in companies with theoretical education at the training center. Offers CAP, Bac Pro, Bac+2, Bac+3 and Bac+5 level programs for young learners and employees.
• Formation Professionnelle Continuing professional development programs designed for employees and companies to update knowledge and skills, with options for ongoing professional education and customized company-tailored modules.
• Reconversion Professionnelle Career retraining programs for individuals seeking to change career paths or explore new professional horizons, typically financed through CPF, Transition Pro, or personal payment.
• École Sup du Cipecma Higher education institution within Cipecma offering diploma programs from Bac+2 to Bac+5 without necessarily requiring an apprenticeship pathway.
• CACES Certifications Certified training programs for handling equipment licenses (CACES®) covering various categories of industrial vehicles and machinery, including e-learning delivery options.
• MONA - Mobilité Internationale European mobility program enabling apprentices to complete up to 2 months of apprenticeship abroad in European partner institutions, funded through the Erasmus+ program.
• BTS Tourisme Spécialisation Hôtellerie de Plein Air Two-year Bac+2 tourism diploma with specialization in outdoor hospitality (campground hotels), delivered through apprenticeship pathway.
• Titre Professionnel Comptable Assistant-e Level 4 (Bac) professional certification (RNCP37121) preparing students to assist accountants in companies or accounting firms with daily operations, periodic preparations, and end-of-year accounting tasks. 15€/hour for eligible training, 828h total (618h center + 210h stage).
• Titre Professionnel Technicien Supérieur Systèmes et Réseaux Level 5 (Bac+2) professional certification (RNCP37682) training students in IT infrastructure management, including Windows and Linux servers, ActiveDirectory, IP networks, virtualization, and cybersecurity.

Quantifiable outcome

• 6000 learners trained annually
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• CCI Charente-MaritimecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Charente-Maritime - institutional partner providing regional business network access, joint communications, and co-branding. CCI-logo displayed on site footer indicating formal affiliation.
• CCI VendéecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de Vendée - regional chamber partnership enabling training services delivery in Vendée department and Pays de la Loire region.
• Actoria (CFA Commerce de Saintes)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFA Commerce de Saintes - apprenticeship training center partnership for commerce sector programs in Saintes location.
• FDHPA17 (Fédération Départementale de l'Hôtellerie de Plein Air)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCamping sector federation for Charente-Maritime. Partner for tourism and hospitality training programs targeting campsite businesses.
• FVHPA85 (Fédération Vendée HPA)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerVendée camping federation partnership for outdoor accommodation sector training in Vendée region.
• Stade RochelaisminorGTM or Marketing PartnerProfessional rugby club partnership providing training opportunities and visibility. Described as 'Partenaire formation du Cipecma'.
• Groupe Porte Dauphine FordminorOthersAutomotive group partnership for vocational training in vehicle maintenance and related technical trades.
• SMV La Rochelle (Service Militaire Volontaire)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerMilitary voluntary service partnership providing reintegration training pathways for young adults completing military service.
• Erasmus+ / European CommissioncoreOthersEU program providing Erasmus+ funding for international mobility (MONA project - 2-month apprenticeship periods in Europe) and other co-financed initiatives including MOPAS and Objectif MMARS.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• GRETA: National network of continuing-education training centres affiliated with the Éducation nationale. Competes for the same continuing-education, reconversion, and corporate training budget as Cipecma across French departments.
• AFPA: Agence nationale pour la formation professionnelle des adultes — France's national public-sector vocational training incumbent delivering adult reskilling and diploma programmes at scale. Highly comparable to Cipecma's reconversion and continuing-education track but operating nationally rather than regionally.
• CESI: French engineering and professional training school offering BTS, Bac+2 through Bac+5 programmes via alternance. Closely comparable to Cipecma's École Sup Cipecma track and broader apprenticeship-certified curriculum.

Direct peers

• CCI Formation / CCI Campus: Training arm of the French Chambers of Commerce and Industry. Cipecma is itself CCI-affiliated, making these entities the most structurally comparable peers in terms of governance, funding access, and apprenticeship delivery.
• AFTRAL: Leading French training provider specialising in transport, logistics, and safety (including CACES certifications). Direct overlap with Cipecma's CACES offering and comparable B2B2C delivery model serving both individuals and enterprise fleets.
• Maisons Familiales Rurales (MFR): Federated network of rural vocational training centres operating under alternance pedagogy across France. Comparable model of multi-site, apprenticeship-led vocational education serving both youth and adult learners.

Regional players

• Sup de V (ex-GRETA Paris): Continuing-education organisation delivering higher diplomas and professional certifications under alternance. Comparable Bac+2/Bac+3 credentialing delivery model via CPF and enterprise funding.
• Les Compagnons du Devoir: Heritage French apprenticeship organisation offering excellence-track vocational training through work-based learning. Comparable pedagogy (long-term alternance, employer integration) and CACES-adjacent trades focus.
• Pôle Formation (UIMM / U2P branches): Federated industry-sector training centres (UIMM metallurgy, U2P crafts) operating regionally with alternance-led programmes serving similar apprenticeship and continuing-education demand as Cipecma in Nouvelle-Aquitaine and Pays de la Loire.

Emerging players

• ENACO: Pure-online French higher-education and professional training provider, including titres professionnels and BTS. Competes for the same CPF-funded individual learner demand but with a national, asset-light delivery model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@cipecma
• Facebookfacebook.com/Cipecma
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cipecma
• Instagraminstagram.com/cipecma
• TikToktiktok.com/@cipecma
• Xx.com/cipecma

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cipecma