IECD

What IECD does

IECD (Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement) is a French non-profit international solidarity organization founded in 1988 in Strasbourg, registered under association loi 1901 with status recognized as being of public utility since 2010. It implements long-term development projects in partnership with local NGOs, training centers, governments, and communities across 18 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean basin, Indian Ocean, Southeast Asia, and France. Activities are organized around three pillars: Education and Orientation (e.g., CERES remedial centers in Madagascar, SESAME scholarships), Vocational Training and Professional Integration (La Rizière hotel school, HCTC on the Thai-Burmese border, French Bread-Pastry Making Schools in Vietnam and Myanmar, Dispositif Nationale Nouvelle Chance in Tunisia), and Entrepreneurship support (Support for Small Enterprises Programme, MAMOA women's entrepreneurship in Madagascar, RELIEEF integration program in Central Africa).

The organization has no proprietary technology platform; interventions are delivered through partner schools, training centers, social enterprises, and regional delegations. Reach in 2024 included 26,790 young people in vocational training, 4,700 entrepreneurs supported, 258 schools and training centers strengthened, and 1,050 trainers/education professionals developed. Reported outcomes include an 82% positive-outcomes rate, 93% BEPC success at CERES vs. 46% regional baseline, and 89% employment after bread-pastry training in Vietnam/Myanmar.

IECD has 411-800+ employees (depending on direct vs. partner-inclusive counting) and operates through 18 country/regional offices coordinated from Montrouge in the Paris metropolitan area. The 2024 operating budget was €26.5M, up from €25.8M in 2023, funded 42% by private donors/businesses/corporate foundations/philanthropic foundations (Bouygues Construction Foundation, Fondation Drosos, ADP, Duval, Lord Michelham of Hellingly) and 58% by public institutional funders (Agence Française de Développement, European Union, UNICEF, UN Women). Governance is provided by a 15-member Board of Trustees led by President Marie-José Nadal and CEO Arnaud Britsch. IECD serves as the operational umbrella for regional networks including ASSET-H&C (13 hospitality training centers across Southeast Asia), MedNC (Second Chance Schools across the Mediterranean), and RED (Enterprise Development Network in Africa).

Name

IECD

Legal name

Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement

Website

https://iecd.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IECD is a French non-profit founded in 1988 that implements vocational training, education, and entrepreneurship programs for vulnerable youth, women, and small entrepreneurs across 18 countries, funded by grants and donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Support Services (6117), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Services (61), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Program & Project Implementation (TA Delivery) (BPADAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Economic Growth, Trade & Private Sector Development Programs (BPADABAF), Bilateral Development & Aid Agencies (HLAJAKAB)

Keywords

• Vocational training programs
• International development services
• Youth professional integration
• Entrepreneurship support
• Humanitarian education projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices18 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and Private Funding: Individual donors, businesses, and business foundations provide donations to support IECD's general activities and specific projects. In 2024, 42% of raised funds came from private donors, businesses, foundations, endowments, and associations.
2. Public Institutional Funding: Funding from public institutions including Agence Française de Développement (AFD), European Union, UNICEF, and other international development agencies. Projects are financed through multi-year financial plans averaging 3-5 years with co-financing arrangements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

IECD is an international solidarity non-profit that implements long-term development projects in education, vocational training, professional integration, and small enterprise support across 18 countries in Sub-Saharan Africa, the Mediterranean Basin, the Indian Ocean, and Southeast Asia. It co-designs and delivers programs with 400+ local partner organizations, targeting vulnerable youth, women, and small entrepreneurs, and finances this work through private donations (42%) and institutional grants from agencies such as AFD, the EU, and UNICEF.

Product overview

IECD (Institut Européen de Coopération et de Développement) is an international solidarity organization, not a technology company. Its offerings consist of development programmes and training services rather than software products. Core programmes include CERES educational centres, SESAME higher education scholarships, and La Rizière hotel school in Madagascar; HCTC hospitality training on the Thai-Burmese border; RELIEEF women's employment initiative in Central Africa; MAMOA female entrepreneurship support in Madagascar; DNNC Second Chance Scheme in Tunisia; French Bread-Pastry Making Schools in Vietnam and Myanmar; Support for Small Enterprises Programme for urban entrepreneurs; and the ASSET-H&C regional network for hospitality training centres. These are development interventions organized around three pillars: Education and Orientation, Vocational Training and Professional Integration, and Entrepreneurship support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CERES (Centres de Renforcement Éducatif et Scolaire) Educational and remedial centres providing intensive academic support for children in rural Madagascar, helping them succeed in secondary school exams with a 93% BEPC pass rate versus 46% regionally.
• SESAME Scholarship program supporting vulnerable high school graduates through 4 years of higher education in Antananarivo, providing comprehensive personal development and career guidance.
• La Rizière Hotel School Hotel management school in Fianarantsoa, Madagascar, offering government-recognized courses (CAP Cook, CAP Waiter-Bartender, CFF Team Leader, BTS Receptionist) with 80% graduate employment rate.
• HCTC (Hospitality & Catering Training Centre) Hotel and catering training centre on the Thai-Burmese border in Mae Sot, providing 18-month technical courses and modular training for vulnerable youth from Karen and minority communities; 500+ beneficiaries trained since 2011.
• RELIEEF Regional project (Renforcer l'Insertion par l'Emploi et l'Entrepreneuriat des Femmes) promoting socio-professional integration of young women in Cameroon, Central African Republic, Democratic Republic of Congo, and Republic of Congo through gender-responsive training and support.
• MAMOA Women entrepreneurship support project in Madagascar (2024-2029) implemented by consortium with Initiative International and Madagascar Entreprises Développement, focusing on female entrepreneurs in Analamanga, Vakinankaratra, and Haute Matsiatra regions.
• Dispositif National Nouvelle Chance (DNNC) Second Chance Scheme in Tunisia for unqualified youth aged 18-30, providing reintegration pathways into education, vocational training, and employment through personalized support and soft skills development.
• French Bread-Pastry Making Schools Social enterprise training schools in Vietnam (Hué 1999, Ho Chi Minh City 2016) and Myanmar (Yangon 2017) teaching French bakery and pastry-making over 16-20 months with 89% post-training employment rate.
• Support for Small Enterprises Programme (APE) Urban entrepreneurship support programme providing business management training, personalized coaching, and ecosystem development for informal sector entrepreneurs in multiple African and Asian countries.
• ASSET-H&C Regional Network Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality & Catering network connecting 13 vocational training centres across Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam for expertise sharing and capacity building.

Quantifiable outcome

• 82% of young people in training achieve positive outcomes (employment or further education)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• ESSORcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench NGO that co-implements the RELIEEF project (Renforcer l'Insertion par l'Emploi et l'Entrepreneuriat des Femmes) with IECD in Central Africa (Cameroon, CAR, DRC, Republic of Congo).
• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in RELIEEF project, contributing to higher education and research collaboration in Central Africa.
• Madagascar Entreprises Développement (MED)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner implementing the Appui aux Petites Entreprises (APE) program since 2013. Became an independent Madagascan association in 2017 and joined the Enterprise Development Network.
• Tak Border Child Assistance FoundationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal partner in Thailand for the Hospitality & Catering Training Centre (HCTC) on the Thai-Burmese border, supporting training for Karen and minority communities.
• Collège Saint-François XaviermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partner in Fianarantsoa, Madagascar for the La Rizière hotel training school since 2013.
• Ministère tunisien de l'Emploi et de la Formation professionnellecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partner for the Dispositif National Nouvelle Chance project in Tunisia, providing institutional collaboration and policy alignment.
• Agence Nationale pour l'Emploi et le Travail indépendant (Tunisie)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational employment agency partner in Tunisia for professional integration programs and youth support.
• Agence Tunisienne de la Formation professionnellemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTunisian vocational training agency partner for DNNC project, collaborating on training standards and certification.
• Initiative InternationalmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization co-implementing the MAMOA project with IECD in Madagascar for women's entrepreneurship support.
• Réseau Méditerranée Nouvelle Chance (MedNC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of Second Chance Schools (E2C) around the Mediterranean, providing peer learning and advocacy for youth professional integration.
• Association of Southeast Asian Social Enterprises for Training in Hospitality & Catering (ASSET-H&C)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network bringing together 13 vocational training centers across Cambodia, Myanmar, Thailand, and Vietnam for hospitality training, peer support, and technical assistance.
• Réseau Entreprises Développement (RED)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of local partner organizations in Africa (Madagascar, Republic of Congo, DRC, Cameroon, Ivory Coast) implementing entrepreneurship support programs.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ACTED: ACTED is a French INGO operating in 40+ countries with a multi-sector portfolio including education, vocational training, and economic recovery. Comparable to IECD in geographic corridors (MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, Southeast Asia), French institutional governance, and donor mix (AFD, EU, UN agencies).
• Plan International: Plan International is a global INGO focused on children and youth education, skills development, and gender equality. Comparable to IECD in youth vocational training, gender-focused programming (RELIEEF analog), and operating geographies across Africa and Asia.
• GRET: GRET is a French international solidarity NGO that designs and implements development projects across Africa, Asia, and the Mediterranean. Highly comparable to IECD in size (~€35M budget), French legal status, technical assistance delivery model, and focus on vocational training, entrepreneurship, and education for vulnerable populations.
• Mercy Corps: Mercy Corps is a global humanitarian and development organization with extensive programs in youth employment, market systems, and education in fragile contexts. Comparable to IECD in multi-region delivery, AFD/EU/UN funding mix, and emphasis on market-relevant vocational pathways.
• Swisscontact: Swisscontact is a Swiss foundation focused on vocational training, workforce development, and entrepreneurship in LMICs. Comparable to IECD in its emphasis on labor-market-aligned skilling, employer linkages, social-enterprise training models, and operating presence in Sub-Saharan Africa and Southeast Asia.
• CARE International: CARE International is a global confederation addressing poverty and social justice through education, economic empowerment, and women's rights programs. Comparable to IECD in target beneficiary profile (vulnerable youth, women entrepreneurs), AFD/EU institutional funding, and presence across overlapping geographies.
• Solidarités International: Solidarités International is a French INGO delivering humanitarian and development programs including livelihoods and education. Comparable to IECD in French governance, AFD/EU institutional funding base, and field presence in MENA, Sub-Saharan Africa, and Southeast Asia.
• AVSF (Agronomes & Vétérinaires Sans Frontières): AVSF is a French solidarity NGO supporting rural development, family farming, and professional integration through vocational training in Africa, Latin America, and Asia. Comparable to IECD in French legal structure, AFD/UE funding, and integrated technical training + social insertion methodology.

Broad incumbents

• Expertise France: Expertise France is the French public agency for international technical assistance. A key funder/partner of IECD, and adjacent rather than directly competitive — operates at much larger scale, implementing public-sector TA rather than NGO-managed programs.

Regional players

• ENDA Graf Sahel: ENDA Graf Sahel is a Senegalese development organization active across West and Central Africa in urban livelihoods, micro-enterprise, and youth employment. Comparable to IECD's Support for Small Enterprises Programme and Sub-Saharan Africa footprint, but with a primarily West African geographic focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/AssociationIECD
• Facebookfacebook.com/pages/IECD-Institut-Europ%C3%A9en-de-Coop%C3%A9ration-et-de-D%C3%A9veloppement/112800872138386
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/iecd

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 IECD