ifac

What ifac does

ifac (Institut de formation, d'animation et de conseil) is a French non-profit association governed by the loi 1901 and recognized of general interest, founded in 1975 by André Santini and headquartered in Asnières-sur-Seine. The organization operates across three integrated business lines: training (formation) delivering state-recognized certifications including BAFA, BAFD, BPJEPS, CAP AEPE, DEAP, ATSEM, and ADVF plus continuing education; animation (animation) running leisure centers (ALSH), early childhood facilities, and youth spaces; and consulting (conseil) to local authorities on socio-educational policy.

ifac maintains 17+ regional delegations across metropolitan France and operates 60+ early childhood facilities (crèches), supported by approximately 90+ permanent collaborators and a large network of vacataires (600+ in the Ouest region alone). The organization holds Afnor certification since 2010 and has deployed its proprietary RSO (Responsabilité Sociétale des Organisations) methodology across 7 territories, with an 8th (Sud-Ouest) in progress.

Revenue derives from four main streams: direct public funding (Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sports, CAF), service contracts with municipalities (including for crèche operation), training fees from individuals and OPCO-funded employers, and the taxe d'apprentissage channel. The 2024 partnership with Institut Petite Enfance Boris Cyrulnik represents a vertical deepening in petite enfance, while the June 2026 passing of founder André Santini marks a generational leadership transition now managed under Director General Martial Dutailly.

Name

ifac

Legal name

ifac

Website

https://ifac.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1975

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

501–1,000 employees

Short description

ifac is a French non-profit association founded in 1975 that delivers state-certified socio-educational training (BAFA, BAFD, BPJEPS, CAP AEPE), operates 60+ crèches and youth facilities, and consults to municipalities across 17+ regional delegations in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Education and Youth Services

NAICS

Educational Services (611), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169), Professional Organizations (81392)

SIC

Services-Facilities Support Management Services (8744), Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Youth animation training
• Early childhood services
• Popular education association
• Professional training diplomas
• Municipal consulting services

Headquarters

HQ city

Asnières

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices15 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Services: Professional training courses for BAFA, BAFD, BPJEPS, CAP AEPE, DEAP, ATSEM, ADVF and continuing education modules. Revenue from training fees paid by individuals, employers, and OPCO (professional training funds). Courses delivered inter and intra enterprise, in-person and blended-learning.
2. Public Funding and Subsidies: Government funding from Ministry of Education, Ministry of Sports and Youth, CAF (Family Allowance Fund), and local authorities for childhood, youth, and educational services. Taxe d'apprentissage (apprenticeship tax) contributions from companies.
3. Service Contracts with Local Authorities: Management and operation contracts with municipalities for leisure centers, childcare facilities, youth spaces, and school-related services. Revenue from these service agreements.
4. Membership Fees: Association membership fees from adherents and affiliates across the national network.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ifac (Institut de formation, d'animation et de conseil) is a non-profit association that delivers professional training (BAFA, BAFD, BPJEPS, CAP AEPE, DEAP, ATSEM, ADVF), operates childcare facilities (crèches) and extracurricular leisure centers (ALSH) for children and youth, and provides consulting services to local authorities (collectivités locales) across France.

Product overview

Ifac (Institut de formation, d'animation et de conseil) is a comprehensive associative platform offering professional training, animation services, and consulting to local communities across France. The core offerings include BAFA/BAFD training for animation supervisors, BPJEPS and CAP AEPE professional diplomas, DEAP nursing assistant training, and short continuous training modules (Formation continue) through the Campus catalog. These training programs are complemented by animation services for children and youth (extracurricular/periscolaire, early childhood crèches), civic service placements, and educational citizenship programs. Ifac also provides consulting services to local authorities covering diagnostics, quality approaches (Afnor-certified), and policy accompaniment. The organization operates nationwide through regional delegations, with training available both in-person and through distance learning modules, and manages numerous leisure centers and childcare facilities under quality certification frameworks.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ifac Formation: Professional training division offering BAFA/BAFD, BPJEPS, CAP AEPE, and continuing education courses
• Ifac Ouest
• Ifac 92

Products and services

• Formation BAFA / BAFD Training programs for the Brevet d'Aptitude aux Fonctions d'Animateur (BAFA) and the Brevet d'Aptitude aux Fonctions de Directeur (BAFD), qualifying participants to supervise and direct children and adolescents in vacation camps and leisure centers.
• Formation BPJEPS Professional diploma training for the Brevet Professionnel de la Jeunesse, de l'Éducation Populaire et du Sport (specialty Loisirs Tous Publics), forming professional animators and leisure center directors.
• Formation CAP AEPE Certificate of Professional Aptitude for Early Childhood (CAP Petite Enfance) training, preparing professionals to work in nurseries and early childhood facilities.
• Formation DEAP Training for the Diplôme d'État d'Auxiliaire de Puériculture, offered at multiple centers including Asnières-sur-Seine, Combs-la-Ville, and Elancourt.
• Formation continue modules courts Short continuous training modules for professionals in popular education, covering relational skills, team management, animation techniques, early childhood, and IT tools, available via the Campus catalog.
• Formation ADVF (Assistant de Vie aux Familles) Training for home care assistants (Assistant de Vie aux Familles), part of services à la personne offerings at Ifac 92.
• Formation ATSEM Training for Auxiliary Territorial Specialized in Early Childhood (ATSEM), available at Rueil Malmaison and Asnières-sur-Seine centers.
• Animation extrascolaire et périscolaire Extracurricular and out-of-school animation services including leisure centers (ALSH), youth spaces, and community animation activities for children and teenagers.
• Accueil petite enfance / Crèches Early childhood care services including nursery facilities (crèches), with over 60 facilities emphasizing child participation and rights from early infancy.
• Service civique Civic service programs offering volunteer placements for young people, part of the national civic engagement initiative operated in partnership with the Agence du Service Civique.
• Actions éducatives et citoyennes Educational and citizenship programs including workshops and games to raise awareness among children about societal issues such as law, ecology, and discrimination.
• Conseil aux collectivités locales Consulting services for local authorities covering diagnostics (Contrat Enfance Jeunesse, school rhythm organization, educational policy coherence), quality approaches, and policy accompaniment for early childhood and youth policies.
• Démarche qualité Afnor Quality management system developed since 2010 with Afnor national certification, providing leisure center structures with tools to evaluate service quality and set improvement objectives.

Quantifiable outcome

• Index égalité femmes-hommes 2025: 93/100 (gender equality score maintained)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Institut Petite Enfance Boris Cyrulnik (IPE)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 August 2024Strategic partnership initiated in August 2024 for early childhood research and development. The pilot nursery in Bessancourt was the first to participate in action-research conducted by the Institute. Other reception facilities have since joined this research initiative focused on early childhood education practices.
• Ecossimo (SCIC Cooperative)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative managing the ESS cooperation hub located on Île de Nantes - the Solilab. Ifac Ouest is a member of this cooperative focused on social and solidarity economy ecosystem.
• Label ESS 85minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation focused on ESS development in Vendée through promotion and support. Ifac is a member working within the social economy network.
• Ministère de l'Éducation NationalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Ministry of Education partnership for educational policies, school-related initiatives, and national education programs.
• Caisse d'Allocations Familiales (CAF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily Allowance Fund partnerships at both national and departmental levels (CAF de Vendée, CAF de Loire Atlantique) for childhood and family services funding and coordination.
• Ministère des Sports, de la Jeunesse et de l'Éducation PopulairecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Ministry of Sports, Youth and Popular Education partnership for youth programs, civic service, and popular education initiatives.
• CRAJEP Pays de la LoireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional coordination of youth and popular education organizations in Pays de la Loire region for network collaboration and resource sharing.
• Agence du Service CiviquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Civic Service Agency partnership for organizing civic service missions and youth engagement programs.
• Conseil Départemental de VendéecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council partnership for financing and coordinating youth and childhood services in Vendée department.
• Conseil Départemental de Loire AtlantiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council partnership for financing and coordinating youth and childhood services in Loire Atlantique department.
• Fondation Nicolas HulotminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental foundation partnership for nature preservation and environmental awareness sensitization activities.
• Les EcossoliesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative network for social and solidarity economy in Pays de la Loire, facilitating collaboration and resource sharing among ESS actors.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• UFCV (Union Française des Centres de Vacances et de loisirs): Major French associative federation providing BAFA/BAFD training, leisure centers (ALSH), and youth civic engagement programs. Directly competes with ifac on the same regulated training credentials and municipal animation contracts nationwide.
• Léo Lagrange: Non-profit federation providing training (BAFA/BAFD/BPJEPS), early childhood services, and leisure center management for local authorities — a direct head-to-head competitor in DSP-style municipal contracts and professional animation training.
• Éclaireuses Éclaireurs de France: Popular education scout movement providing BAFA training, leisure activities, and youth engagement programs — overlapping with ifac's animation and training offerings, particularly for municipal and partnership-based delivery.
• Les Francas: Federation recognized as being of general interest delivering training (BAFA/BAFD/BPJEPS), animation, and educational activities for children and youth — closely overlapping with ifac's three pillars (formation, animation, conseil) and similar association status.
• Ligue de l'Enseignement: Long-standing French federation in popular education offering training, leisure activities, and youth civic programs through departmental federations — operates the same associative model and competes for the same municipal and ministry partnerships as ifac.
• CEMEA (Centres d'Entraînement aux Méthodes d'Éducation Active): Recognized training association specializing in BAFA, BAFD, and BPJEPS credentials along with educational animation — directly comparable in training catalog, association status, and target learner population to ifac Formation.

Broad incumbents

• People & Baby: Leading commercial operator of crèches in France managing thousands of nursery places under municipal DSP contracts — competes with ifac on municipal crèches and is a much larger commercial incumbent in the same early childhood market.
• Babilou (FamilyVille): Large commercial childcare group operating crèches across Europe and bidding for French municipal DSP contracts — a broader incumbent whose scale, real estate, and pricing power compete with ifac's associative crèche model.

Others

• Fédération des Centres Sociaux: Federation of social centers delivering educational, family, and local development services often in partnership with municipalities — adjacent rather than directly competing, but drawing from the same CAF funding pools and municipal contracts as ifac.

Emerging players

• APF France Handicap - Formation: Major associative training provider offering qualifying diplomas (including CAP AEPE and continuing education) through a national network — comparable in scale, OPCO partnerships, and professional training catalog to ifac Formation.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ifac_asso
• Facebookfacebook.com/ifac.asso.fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifac-association

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries16 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 ifac