ICSE

What ICSE does

ICSE (Instituto Canario Superior de Estudios) is a private vocational training group founded in 1978 in the Canary Islands, Spain, operating as a Sociedad Limitada with sole administrator José Domingo Martín Espino. The organization delivers official vocational training cycles (Ciclos Formativos), subsidized professional certification courses, and dual vocational-university pathways through a network of six physical campuses across Gran Canaria and Tenerife and seven Moodle-based virtual campus platforms serving distinct group entities (Fundación ICSE, ICSE S.L., ICSE S.A., IDEA, SEICA, DELOS, CIES). Ranked as the best private vocational training center in the Canary Islands and fourth in Spain, ICSE runs the FP Dual program integrating classroom instruction with company internships from year one, alongside the integrated Ciclo + Grado pathway enabling simultaneous vocational certification and university degrees through seven university partnerships including international partner York St John University.

The business operates on a hybrid revenue model combining tuition-based vocational training (in-person, virtual, hybrid modalities), government-subsidized courses funded by Servicio Canario de Empleo (SCE) and SEPE for unemployed and employed persons, and institutional scholarships ranging from €250 to €1,000. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through the multi-language website (ES/EN/FR), weekly open house events every Tuesday at 19:00, and an in-person enrollment network across six campus locations. Seven placement agencies operating under the ICSE Group umbrella provide post-graduation employment services, creating a closed-loop funnel from training to labor market entry. The customer base spans unemployed individuals, employed professionals seeking continuing education, and traditional vocational students.

The group encompasses five wholly-owned subsidiaries: Instituto Canario de Psicología y Educación S.A., Centro de Formación DELOS S.L., Fundación Canaria ICSE, Instituto de Estudios del Atlántico S.L., and Servicios Electrónicos e Informáticos de Canarias. Commercial activity is regionally concentrated in the Canary Islands, with international expansion pathways through Erasmus+ and the York St John University partnership. Governance is centralized under a sole administrator with formal shareholder meetings; 2024 corporate actions included dividend distribution and bylaws amendment signaling operational maturity and cash generation.

Name

ICSE

Legal name

Instituto Canario Superior de Estudios (ICSE), S.L.

Website

https://icse.es

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ICSE (Instituto Canario Superior de Estudios) is a private vocational training group founded in 1978 in the Canary Islands, Spain, delivering official vocational cycles, subsidized professional certifications, and dual vocational-university pathways across six campuses and seven virtual platforms, serving unemployed individuals, employed professionals, and traditional students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Information Technology (IT) & Cybersecurity Certifications (EDAAANAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Systems Administration & IT Operations (Windows/Linux, Monitoring, ITSM) (EDABAFAH)

Keywords

• Vocational training cycles
• Professional certificates
• Dual training programs
• University pathway programs
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Las Palmas De Gran Canaria

HQ country

Spain

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Vocational Training Tuition: Revenue from official vocational training programs (Ciclos Formativos) offering both in-person and virtual modalities for intermediate and higher vocational qualifications.
2. Subsidized Training Programs: Free professional certification courses funded by the Servicio Canario de Empleo (SCE) and SEPE for unemployed and employed persons, representing a significant portion of their training portfolio.
3. Scholarship and Financial Aid: Institutional scholarships including academic excellence (500€-1000€), transportation (300€-600€), special circumstances, and loyalty awards, supplemented by government education scholarships.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ICSE (Instituto Canario Superior de Estudios) is a private educational institution in the Canary Islands, Spain, founded in 1978/1979, that delivers official Spanish vocational training cycles (Ciclos Formativos), professional certificates (Certificados de Profesionalidad), and dual vocational training programs combining classroom and workplace learning. The institution operates multiple campuses across Gran Canaria and Tenerife, supports enrolled students through 7 registered placement agencies, and maintains partnerships with 7 universities for higher-education progression pathways.

Product overview

ICSE (Instituto Canario Superior de Estudios) is an educational group operating in the Canary Islands, Spain, with 47+ years of experience. The organization offers a multi-product educational portfolio centered around vocational training (Ciclos Formativos) at intermediate and higher levels, professional certificates, dual training programs, and placement services. The core offering includes seven virtual campus platforms serving different group entities, over 20 vocational training cycles across healthcare, IT, business, sports, and education sectors, subsidized professional certification courses, and seven placement agencies. Programs are delivered in-person, virtual, or hybrid modalities, with international partnerships through Erasmus+ and York St. John University.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ICSE Campus Virtual: Virtual campus platform for online learning and course delivery
• Ciclo + Grado
• FP Dual

Products and services

• Ciclos Formativos (Vocational Training Cycles) Official Spanish vocational training programs (Ciclos Formativos) at intermediate and higher levels, leading to professional qualifications recognized across Spain, aimed at high school graduates and adult learners seeking employable trade skills.
• Certificados de Profesionalidad (Professional Certificates) Official Spanish professional certification programs that validate competencies for specific occupations, targeted at unemployed workers, employed professionals seeking credentials, and adults seeking to re-enter the labor market.
• FP Dual (Dual Vocational Training) Dual training programs that combine academic instruction at ICSE campuses with paid workplace apprenticeships at partner companies, designed for students who want hands-on industry experience alongside formal qualifications.
• Aula Virtual (Virtual Campus) Online virtual campus platform that delivers course content, materials, and supplementary instruction to enrolled students across ICSE campuses, supporting blended learning for vocational and certification programs.
• Agencias de Colocación (Placement Agencies) Seven officially registered job placement agencies that match graduates and students with employer opportunities across the Canary Islands, providing employment intermediation services.
• Convenios Universitarios (University Partnership Pathways) Formal university pathway agreements with 7 partner universities enabling vocational training graduates to continue into undergraduate degree programs, providing credit recognition and streamlined admission.
• Programa Erasmus+ Participation in the EU's Erasmus+ program offering vocational students international study and traineeship placements at partner institutions across Europe.

Quantifiable outcome

• Employment placement support through 7 dedicated placement agencies across the ICSE Group
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Universidad Fernando Pessoa CanariascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership enabling students to obtain dual vocational and university qualifications through the Ciclo + Grado program, facilitating direct progression from ICSE vocational training to university degrees.
• Universidad Católica de Murcia (UCAM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partnership for integrated vocational-university pathway enabling students to earn both vocational certification and university degree.
• Universidad Isabel IcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDistance university partnership providing degree completion options for ICSE vocational training graduates.
• Universidad a Distancia de Madrid (UDIMA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOpen university partnership for online degree completion through the Ciclo + Grado integrated pathway.
• Universidad Internacional de La Rioja (UNIR)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership enabling international recognition of vocational qualifications and university degrees.
• Universidad de Las HespéridesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional university partnership offering additional pathways for vocational training graduates.
• York St John UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational UK university partnership providing English-language degree options (e.g., Early Childhood Studies BA) for ICSE graduates, enabling international career opportunities.
• Gobierno de Canarias - Consejería de EducacióncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partnership with the Canary Islands Regional Government Education Department providing official authorization for vocational training programs and institutional endorsement.
• Servicio Público de Empleo Estatal (SEPE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational employment service partnership enabling subsidized professional certification courses for unemployed and employed persons through official SEPE training programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• MasterD: One of Spain's largest private vocational training and continuing education providers, offering official FP cycles, certificates of professionalism, and online/in-person modalities nationwide. Directly comparable to ICSE in target audience (career changers, employed/unemployed professionals), government-subsidized training programs, and dual vocational pathways.
• Cesur: Spanish vocational training center network offering official FP cycles and dual training (FP Dual) programs with significant government and employer partnerships. Comparable to ICSE in focus on dual training model, regional multi-campus operations, and subsidized workforce training in Spain.
• Ilerna: Spanish private vocational training institution offering official Ciclos Formativos in healthcare, IT, business, and socio-educational fields via in-person, online, and hybrid modalities. Highly comparable to ICSE across the same course categories and Spanish official qualification framework, with growing national footprint.
• Toki Edu: Spanish vocational training institution focused on FP Dual and official Ciclos Formativos with employer partnerships for internships. Directly comparable operating model (dual training + classroom + workplace learning) and core offering aligned with Spanish regional vocational education regulation similar to ICSE's framework.
• Centro de Estudios CEAC: Long-established Spanish vocational training provider offering official FP cycles, professional certificates, and continuing education across multiple sectors. Similar multi-product education portfolio, multi-modality delivery, and target segments of career changers and employed professionals seeking certifications.
• MEDAC: Spanish private vocational training group with strong presence in sports training (one of ICSE's highlighted verticals) and expanding FP Dual offerings across multiple Spanish regions. Competes for the same student segments as ICSE, particularly in dual training models and employer-aligned vocational cycles.

Others

• Grupo EducaEdu: Spanish-language education search and comparison platform aggregating vocational training and continuing education providers. Functions as a marketing/distribution channel and competitive intelligence source for institutions like ICSE, particularly relevant given ICSE's reliance on direct enrollment and open house events for student acquisition.

Broad incumbents

• CEU (Centro de Estudios Universitarios): Large Spanish private education association offering vocational training, undergraduate, and graduate programs across multiple campuses. Compares to ICSE on vocational training offerings and university partnership pathways, but at significantly larger scale and broader program portfolio including professional development certificates.
• Centro de Estudios Financieros (CEF): Established Spanish professional education institution focused on business, finance, and continuing education for working professionals. Comparable on continuing education and professional certification offerings for employed professionals seeking career advancement, though more specialized in business disciplines than ICSE's broader portfolio.

Regional players

• Universidad Europea de Canarias: Private university operating in the Canary Islands with academic programs and professional development pathways. Compares to ICSE on regional Canary Islands presence, English-language offerings, and pathway programs that combine vocational/academic credentials, though at the higher education degree level rather than vocational training.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/watch?v=k-6qM4vmH4U
• Xx.com/grupoicse
• Facebookfacebook.com/grupoicse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/grupoicse

Compliance5 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries5 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 ICSE