What Formation Buralistes does

Formation Buralistes (Centre National de Formation des Buralistes / CNFB) is a non-profit training organization founded in 1989 that operates as the sole agréé training center approved by the Direction Générale des Douanes et des Droits Indirects to deliver mandatory initial and continuing education for French tobacconists (buralistes) under the gérance contract framework (Décret n°2010-720, Arrêté du 25 août 2010). The organization delivers two core programs: Formation Nouveau Buraliste (a 3-day initial training at €632.50 HT for gérants/suppléants, or 1-day at €349.17 HT for SNC associates) and Formation Renouvellement du Contrat de Gérance (a 1-day continuing education every 3 years at €349.17 HT), supplemented by the Formations Métiers catalog of specialized courses (vaping, CBD, banking, fraud prevention, AI tools) distributed exclusively through departmental and regional federations.

The technology stack is minimal: Formation Buralistes runs on standard web infrastructure with an Espace Stagiaires credential portal where trainees retrieve attestations using a dossier number and secret key, plus a basic geolocation tool for site discovery. There is no proprietary platform, no AI/ML capability, and no public API; the company explicitly states no proprietary technology platforms are referenced. Digital features are limited to scheduling, geolocation, and post-training document retrieval. Certifications held include Datadock (2017), Kairos (2018), and Qualiopi (2020).

The revenue model is pay-as-you-go training fees per enrolled trainee, with public funding channels (CPF, OPCO) accessible via Qualiopi status. Formation Buralistes is administered by active buralistes and sits within the Maison des Buralistes ecosystem alongside the Confédération Nationale, Fédérations Départementales et Régionales, La Mudetaf, EDC, and the Coopérative des Buralistes. With 8 permanent staff and 13 expert trainers, the organization trains roughly 8,000 learners annually across 73 cities in France and has trained 189,926 trainees since its founding, achieving a 98% satisfaction rate and 16/20 average evaluation score.

Name

Formation Buralistes

Legal name

Formation Buralistes – CNFB

Website

https://formationburalistes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1989

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Formation Buralistes (CNFB) is the sole regulatory-approved non-profit training center for French tobacconists, delivering mandatory initial and triennial continuing education in 73 cities across France to approximately 8,000 buralistes annually.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Formation Nouveau Buraliste (initial training): Mandatory initial training for new buralistes — 3-day program for gérants and suppléants at 632.50 € HT per trainee; 1-day program for associés de SNC at 349.17 € HT. Revenue is one-time per trainee enrollment cycle.
2. Formation Renouvellement du Contrat de Gérance (RCG, continuing training): Mandatory 1-day continuing education for active gérants every 3 years at 349.17 € HT / 419 € TTC per trainee. Revenue is one-time per enrollment cycle, recurring every 3 years per buraliste.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Formation Buralistes is the official French training center for buralistes (tobacconists), approved by the Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects since 1989. It delivers mandatory initial training (Nouveau Buraliste, 3-day program) and mandatory continuing education (Renouvellement du Contrat de Gérance, 1-day program every 3 years) across 73 cities in France, along with a specialized vocational training catalog (Formations Métiers) distributed through buraliste federations.

Product overview

Formation Buralistes offers a unified training service for French tobacconists (buralistes) consisting of mandatory initial training (Nouveau Buraliste, 3 days) and continuing education (Renouvellement du Contrat de Gérance, 1 day every 3 years), both approved by the Direction Générale des Douanes et Droits Indirects. The portfolio also includes specialized vocational training programs (Formations Métiers) and online trainee portals (Espace Stagiaires, Espace Performance) accessible to approximately 8,000 trainees annually across 73 training locations in France.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formation Nouveau Buraliste (NB) Mandatory initial training program for new French tobacconists (buralistes) covering 5 modules: tobacco monopoly regulation, public health regulations, supply ordering, compensation/order tracking, and commerce management. Duration is 3 days (20 hours) for gérants and suppléants at 632.50 € HT per trainee, and 1 day (7 hours) for associés de SNC at 349.17 € HT per trainee. Required before assuming the gérance role.
• Formation Renouvellement du Contrat de Gérance (RCG) Mandatory one-day (7 hours) continuing education program for active buraliste gérants, required every 3 years for gérance contract renewal. Covers updated tobacco monopoly regulations, public health rules, and commerce management. Priced at 349.17 € HT (419 € TTC) per trainee, with a minimum of 5 and maximum of 20 trainees per session. Delivered in 73 cities across France.
• Formations Métiers Specialized vocational training catalog reserved exclusively for federation members of the buraliste network. Covers supplementary topics including vaping/nicotine products, cigar discovery, CBD, banking negotiation, annual accounts, fraud prevention, business diversification, AI tools for tobacconists, and employee development.
• Espace Stagiaires Online trainee portal providing trainees with secure access to retrieve their training attestations and invoices using credentials (dossier number and secret key) provided during in-person training. Includes access to post-training digital resources.

Quantifiable outcome

• 189,926+ buralistes trained since 1989, with ~8,000 trained annually
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Maison des BuralistescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormation Buralistes is a member of the Maison des Buralistes. The center works in synergy and close collaboration with all structures that support the buraliste network, including federations, confederations, and cooperative organizations. This membership is fundamental to its mission and operations.
• Fédérations Départementales et Régionales (Departmental and Regional Federations)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental and regional federations are key network partners that guide buralistes through their professional journey and refer trainees to Formation Buralistes. The center's Métiers training catalog is reserved exclusively for federation members.
• Confédération Nationale des BuralistescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national confederation represents buralistes at the national level and works in close collaboration with Formation Buralistes to support and develop the profession.
• La MudetafminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual protection and provident organization for buralistes. Partnered with Formation Buralistes within the Maison des Buralistes ecosystem.
• EDC (Eurocaution)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness risk insurance and guarantee provider for buralistes, operating within the Maison des Buralistes network.
• La Coopérative des BuralistesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCooperative organization serving the buraliste network, collaborating with Formation Buralistes within the Maison des Buralistes structure.
• MDPH 75 (Maison Départementale des Personnes Handicapées de Paris)minorOthersMDPH 75 — 69 Rue de la Victoire 75009 Paris. Partners to support trainees with disabilities by providing additional resources for accessible training participation. Formation Buralistes refers to MDPH 75 for disability-related support in Paris.
• CAP EMPLOI 75minorOthersSpecialized employment service for people with disabilities in Paris (Le Chaumont, 43 Bis Rue d'Hautpoul, 75019 Paris). Formation Buralistes refers trainees to CAP EMPLOI 75 for disability-related employment support.
• AGEFIPH IDF (Agence pour l'Insertion Professionnelle des Personnes Handicapées Île-de-France)minorOthersAGEFIPH IDF — 192 Avenue Aristide Briand, 92220 Bagneux. National organization supporting employment of people with disabilities in Île-de-France. Formation Buralistes partners with AGEFIPH IDF to adapt training for trainees with specific needs, including Dys disorders. Referenced as a resource on both the Contact and RCG training pages.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/formationburalistes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-national-de-formation-des-buralistes

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Formation Buralistes