Bertelsmann Foundation

What Bertelsmann Foundation does

Fundación Bertelsmann is an independent non-profit foundation established in Spain in 1995 and affiliated with the German Bertelsmann Stiftung. It operates from Madrid headquarters (Espacio Bertelsmann, C/ O'Donnell, 10) and a Barcelona delegation office, with a staff of 11–50 employees. Its mission centers on promoting positive social change, with special emphasis on education, youth training, and the connection between education and the labor market.

The foundation's core offer is the Xcelence model, a quality reference framework for academic-professional career guidance in secondary education, defining 10 standardized keys adapted from the UK Gatsby Benchmarks. This is operationalized through the Xcelence.es digital self-assessment platform, which has accumulated more than 900 evaluations across Spanish educational centers between 2019 and 2024, and through complementary programs such as Empresas Que Inspiran (connecting companies with schools), Escuelas Que Inspiran, and dual vocational training initiatives including the Alianza para la FP Dual (2014–2025) and the FP 2030 Challenges agenda. The foundation also publishes annual reports, including "El estado de la orientación académico-profesional según Xcelence" and "Radiografía de la Formación Dual Universitaria."

As a non-profit, Fundación Bertelsmann does not generate commercial revenue; its Xcelence self-assessment tool is provided free of charge to educational centers, and its activities are funded through its endowment and partnerships. Its go-to-market is event-driven and policy-oriented, combining direct engagement with schools, universities, and municipalities; multi-stakeholder alliances (Grupo Anaya, Fundación CEOE, Fundación Gatsby, Teach for All, JP Morgan Chase Foundation, OECD); and awards programs (Premios a la Excelencia en Orientación, Premios a la Excelencia en FP). Primary beneficiaries are educational centers, students, companies, and public administrations across Spain.

Name

Bertelsmann Foundation

Legal name

FUNDACIÓN BERTELSMANN

Website

https://fundacionbertelsmann.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fundación Bertelsmann is an independent Spanish non-profit foundation, founded in 1995, that develops education and career-guidance programs — including the Xcelence self-assessment framework, Empresas Que Inspiran, and dual vocational training alliances — for educational centers, students, companies, and public administrations in Spain.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education and Career Guidance Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

College & Career Transition Services (Bridge Programs, Dual Enrollment Pathways) (EDAAABAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Private Pathway & Foundation Providers (EDAIAJAB), Online/Hybrid Overseas Pathway & Bridging Programs (EDAIAJAK)

Keywords

• Career guidance frameworks
• Dual vocational training
• Education quality benchmarking
• Self-assessment platforms
• Youth employment programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Barcelona

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Foundation Operations: Fundación Bertelsmann operates as an independent non-profit organization. As a foundation, it does not generate commercial revenue but carries out projects funded by its endowment and partnerships to promote positive social change, particularly in education and youth training.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Fundación Bertelsmann develops and disseminates programs that improve academic-professional orientation and dual vocational training in Spain. Its core offer is the Xcelence framework (10 keys for quality career guidance in educational centers), supported by a free digital self-assessment platform (xcelence.es), the Escuelas que Inspiran pilot, and the Empresas que Inspiran program that connects companies with schools. It also runs dual training initiatives (Alianza para la FP Dual, Retos FP 2030, dual university training) and publishes research such as the Radiografía de la Formación Dual Universitaria.

Product overview

Bertelsmann Foundation operates a portfolio of interconnected programs focused on education and career guidance in Spain. The core Xcelence framework provides a quality model for academic-professional orientation in secondary education, supported by a digital self-assessment platform. The Empresas que Inspiran program connects companies with schools for student career experiences. The dual vocational training (Formación Dual) area encompasses university-level dual education initiatives, the FP 2030 Challenges project, and the Aliança para la FP Dual alliance. Publications and reports provide research and analysis supporting these programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Xcelence: A reference model for career guidance developed by Fundación Bertelsmann, based on international standards, defining 10 keys for quality orientation in educational centers.
• Empresas que Inspiran
• Espacio Bertelsmann

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 900 evaluations conducted through Xcelence self-assessment tool (2019-2024)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Fundación CEOEcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 June 2026Co-implementers of the Premio a la Excelencia en FP, recognizing commitment to vocational training in Spain and visibility to good practices.
• Teach for AllflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 April 2026Lead organization of Global Career Education Network (GCEN), an international network of entities dedicated to improving career guidance systems globally. Supported by JP Morgan Chase Foundation.
• Grupo AnayacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 February 2026Joint initiative for Awards for Excellence in Orientation (Premios a la Excelencia en Orientación). Grupo Anaya has developed Henko, the first comprehensive academic-professional guidance service for educational centers in Spain.
• Bertelsmann StiftungcoreOthers · 1 January 2014Parent organization based in Gütersloh, Germany. Fundación Bertelsmann in Spain operates as part of the global Bertelsmann foundation network, sharing resources, expertise, and strategic alignment with the German foundation.
• Global Career Education Network (GCEN) membersflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork includes: Fundació Antarang (India), Article 1 (France), Con I Bambini (Italy), The Careers & Enterprise Company (UK), Fundación China para la Investigación del Desarrollo (China), Empieza Por Educar (Spain), Fundación Iochpe (Brazil), Phineo (Germany), and Fundación Bertelsmann (Spain).
• Fundación GatsbycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUK foundation that developed the Good Career Guidance model (Gatsby Benchmarks). Collaborated with Fundación Bertelsmann since 2018 to adapt the Gatsby Benchmarks to the Spanish educational context.
• OECDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerParticipated in Global Career Education Forum 2026. Hannah Kitchen, OECD policy analyst, highlighted importance of connecting education with professional world from early ages.
• Real Instituto ElcanominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish international relations think tank that co-hosted NATO analysis event with Fundación Bertelsmann and Bertelsmann Foundation.
• Universidad Autónoma de Madrid - Grupo de Investigación sobre Políticas Educativas SupranacionalesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic research partnership for comparative analysis of career guidance systems in 10 countries.
• Empresas Que Inspiran partner companiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCompanies like Amazon that participate in career guidance by opening work environments to students. Amazon won Premio a la Excelencia en FP 2026.
• 8 Catalan municipalities (group of work)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal administrations that participated in working group on municipal role in career guidance within Xcelence-Escuelas Que Inspiran project.
• Empieza Por EducarminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish partner in Global Career Education Network (GCEN), co-implementer of pilot project 'Escuelas Que Inspiran' (2020).

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/FBertelsmann
• Facebookfacebook.com/FundacionBertelsmann
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fundacionbertelsmann

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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

Frequently asked questions about Bertelsmann Foundation