FAE - Fédération des associations d'étudiant-e-s de l'UNIL

What FAE - Fédération des associations d'étudiant-e-s de l'UNIL does

FAE (Fédération des associations d'étudiant-e-s) is a student federation representing approximately 17,000 students enrolled across 7 faculties at the University of Lausanne (UNIL) in Switzerland, organized through 9 member associations and a 56-delegate Assembly of Delegates. Founded around 1980, FAE operates as the unified student voice in university governance and runs four core service lines: Aide Juridique (legal aid), the Student Solidarity Fund (FSE) for emergency financial assistance with a maximum of CHF 580 per student per year, association subsidies for campus events and projects, and the CARE (Commission d'Aide aux Recours Étudiants) legal-recourse service jointly operated with AEDL. Additional offerings include the Récupol' sustainability program, advocacy on housing, tuition, and scholarship policy, and organization of campus events including welcome days, blood drives, and equality-themed initiatives.

The organization's business model is non-commercial: all services are provided free of charge to UNIL students, with funding derived from member-contribution flows through UNES (where FAE is the 2nd-largest section and largest financial contributor), institutional grants such as the CHF 50,000 subsidy from Fondation Le Foyer universitaire, and internally allocated budgets. The FSE budget, the largest single financial commitment, grew from CHF 5,000 to CHF 45,000 over twelve years and was supplemented to CHF 65,000 in 2017-2018 to meet demand. Go-to-market is community-led: engagement runs through faculty associations, the Bureau exécutif (volunteer student leaders meeting twice weekly), the Assembly of Delegates, working groups on specific issues, and multi-channel communications including a WordPress website, Facebook, Instagram, and YouTube.

The technology footprint is minimal and undifferentiated: a responsive WordPress site on the fae-unil.ch domain, standard social media profiles, and standard web forms for aid applications. There are no proprietary technology products, no mobile applications, and no disclosed AI/ML or data platform. The organization partners strategically with UNES (national federation), AEDL (law students' association, co-operator of CARE), AGEPOLY (EPFL student association), UNIL's SASME social affairs service, and the cantonal OCBE scholarship office — relationships that strengthen its advocacy reach rather than its technology capability.

Name

FAE - Fédération des associations d'étudiant-e-s de l'UNIL

Legal name

Fédération des associations d'étudiant-e-s (FAE)

Website

https://fae-unil.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FAE is the recognized student federation at the University of Lausanne, representing approximately 17,000 students across 7 faculties and 9 member associations. It delivers free legal aid, emergency financial assistance, association subsidies, and advocacy on housing, tuition, and scholarship policy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Annual FSE Budget: The Student Solidarity Fund (FSE) has an annual budget of CHF 45,000 for providing financial aid to students in precarity. The budget has grown from CHF 5,000 to CHF 45,000 over twelve years, representing the largest financial commitment of the organization.
2. Association Subsidies: FAE provides subsidies to student associations for cultural, sporting, or festive events on campus. Funding comes from the organization's budget allocated for association support.
3. Foundation Le Foyer universitaire Grant: FAE received CHF 50,000 subsidy from Fondation Le Foyer universitaire to support the Student Solidarity Fund, with amounts up to CHF 50,000 available for association-led projects.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

FAE is the elected student federation at the University of Lausanne representing ~17,000 students across 7 faculties through 9 associations. It provides free student services including legal aid, an emergency Student Solidarity Fund (FSE, up to CHF 580/student/year), association grants for events, and the CARE legal recourse commission. Beyond direct services, FAE represents students in university governance and advocates at cantonal/national levels on tuition, scholarships, and housing.

Product overview

FAE is a student federation providing a unified platform of services to approximately 17,000 students at the University of Lausanne across 9 faculty associations. The core offerings include: Aide Juridique (legal aid), Aide Financière/FSE (student solidarity fund providing financial assistance up to CHF 580), Subventions associatives (association grants for events and projects), and CARE (legal recourse assistance). Additional services include advocacy representation, student events organization, and the Récupol' sustainability program. Services are offered free of charge to all UNIL students.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Aide Juridique (Legal Aid) Free legal aid service for all UNIL students requiring assistance with legal matters related to their studies.
• Aide Financière / FSE (Student Solidarity Fund) The Student Solidarity Fund (FSE) provides emergency financial assistance to UNIL students in precarious situations, offering up to CHF 580 per student per academic year, with a maximum of 3 times total during studies.
• Subventions associatives (Association Grants) Grant program funding student associations for cultural, sporting, or festive events on campus, plus startup support for newly created associations.
• CARE (Commission d'Aide aux Recours Étudiants) Legal recourse assistance commission jointly run with AEDL (Association des Étudiants en Droit de Lausanne), providing free legal aid to UNIL students on matters including exam appeals and academic difficulties.
• Récupol' Recycling and sustainability program organized by FAE for the UNIL student community.

Quantifiable outcome

• 127 students received emergency financial aid totaling CHF 64,774.89 in 2017-2018
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• UNES (Union des étudiant·e·x·s de Suisse)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAE is a member section of UNES, the national federation of Swiss student unions. FAE is the second largest section with 11,600 student members and provides the largest financial contribution to the national federation. FAE representatives actively participate in national assemblies and policy decisions.
• AEDL (Association des Étudiants en Droit de Lausanne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAEDL jointly operates the CARE (Commission d'Aide aux Recours Étudiants) service with FAE, providing free legal aid to UNIL students, particularly those facing exam failures or academic difficulties.
• SASME (Service des affaires sociales et de la mobilité étudiante)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIL's social affairs service providing financial support to students. Manages a fund of approximately CHF 1,000,000 for student assistance. FAE coordinates with SASME as part of its subsidiarity model for student financial support.
• OCBE (Office cantonal des bourses d'études)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCantonal scholarship office. FAE works with OCBE to address student precarity and has gained a seat on the Commission des cas dignes d'intérêt (CDI) to advocate for student interests.
• AGEPOLY (Association Générale des Étudiant·e·x·s de l'EPFL)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEPFL student association. FAE collaborates with AGEPOLY on joint initiatives such as the national scholarship initiative and student events.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCXRPPtygDCR5IDlVtbTv7LA
• Facebookfacebook.com/faeunil
• Instagraminstagram.com/fae_unil/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/FAE_UNIL

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FAE - Fédération des associations d'étudiant-e-s de l'UNIL