CeFU
CeFU (Center for Ungdomsforskning) is a Danish academic research center at Aalborg University that conducts applied youth research on education, well-being, employment, and culture for Danish ministries, municipalities, foundations, and educational institutions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersKöpenhamn, Sweden
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What CeFU does
CeFU (Center for Ungdomsforskning) is a Danish academic research center founded in 2000 and housed at Aalborg University's Institut for Kultur og Kommunikation, with operational offices in Copenhagen. It produces applied, policy-relevant research on Danish youth across education, well-being, employment, democracy, and culture, and it sustains a methodology portfolio that includes qualitative interviews, ethnography, surveys, policy analysis, and tools such as the proprietary "Motivationspalet" framework.
CeFU serves Danish public-sector and philanthropic clients. Named customers and funders include the Ministry of Children and Education, STAR (the Danish Agency for Labour Market and Recruitment), Gentofte Kommune, the Obelske, Nordea, Egmont, and Ebbefos foundations, and educational-sector partners including SOSU H, VUC, and Folkehøjskolernes Forening. Distribution channels span peer-reviewed and commissioned reports, conferences, podcasts, and a 2023 partnership with DR's P3 Mission youth-radio channel.
The business model combines (i) competitive research grants from Danish ministries, municipalities, and foundations, (ii) membership fees and conference revenue through the Foreningen Center for Ungdomsforskning supporting association, and (iii) a newer continuing-education program ("Uddannelse i anvendt ungdomsforskning") that productizes applied research methodology for practitioners. CeFU participates in the SINCRONY European consortium and a cross-Nordic collaboration with Göteborgs Universitet, signaling incremental internationalization while remaining anchored in Denmark.
CeFU firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CeFU
- Legal name
- Center for Ungdomsforskning
- Website
- https://cefu.dk
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- CeFU (Center for Ungdomsforskning) is a Danish academic research center at Aalborg University that conducts applied youth research on education, well-being, employment, and culture for Danish ministries, municipalities, foundations, and educational institutions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CeFU industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Academic Research Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD) (EDAAALAE)
Keywords
Where CeFU is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Köpenhamn
- HQ country
- Sweden
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CeFU business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Research Project Grants and Contracts: CeFU's primary revenue derives from competitive research grants awarded by Danish government agencies (e.g., Arbejdsmarkedets Uddannelsesbidrag/AUB, Undervisningsministeriet, Styrelsen for Arbejdsmarked og Rekruttering), private foundations (e.g., Det Obelske Familiefond, Nordea-fonden, Egmont Fonden, Ebbefos Fonden, Østifterne), and EU funding (e.g., Erasmus+). Projects are typically time-bound research contracts for evaluations, follow-up studies, and commissioned research on youth-related topics.
- Membership Fees and Conference Revenue: CeFU operates a membership association (Foreningen Center for Ungdomsforskning). Members pay annual fees and receive access to events and the quarterly newsletter. The annual conference is a revenue-generating event: 400 kr for members (10 included seats), 1,995 kr for additional member seats, and 2,595 kr for non-members.
- Education Programs: CeFU offers an 'Uddannelse i anvendt ungdomsforskning' (Education in Applied Youth Research), a continuing education program targeted at practitioners working with youth. This generates program fees from participants.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Conference attendance for members of Foreningen CeFU |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels6 records
Marketing channels9 records
CeFU product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CeFU is an academic research center that conducts commissioned research, evaluations, and follow-up studies on youth well-being, education, employment, democratic participation, and marginalization for Danish municipalities, government ministries, foundations, and educational institutions. It delivers its expertise through scientific publications, podcasts, a continuing education program in applied youth research, and a membership association. The center also develops proprietary research frameworks such as the Motivationspalet (Motivation Palette) model and the Seismographic Perspectives approach.
Product overview
CeFU (Center for Ungdomsforskning) is a research center at Aalborg University Copenhagen specializing in youth research. The organization operates as a research institution rather than a software product company, offering a portfolio of research services including scientific publications (reports, books, articles), educational offerings (continuing education in applied youth research), media content (podcast series with multiple themed seasons), and research project collaboration. The core offerings include research publications on topics such as youth education, well-being, marginalization, and democratic participation; the UNGDOMSFORSKNING podcast with 6+ seasons covering youth life trends; a professional education program; and municipal youth profile studies. CeFU also maintains an association membership model for supporters of youth research.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Municipal Youth Profiles (Kommunale ungdomsprofiler)
Quantifiable outcome
- Research from the 'Ny udsathed' (New Vulnerability) project demonstrated that rising youth mental health issues are linked to performance culture, tempo, and psychologization — findings that shaped national policy debate.
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CeFU
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments6 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
CeFU technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
CeFU partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- Aalborg Universitet (AAU), Institut for Kultur og KommunikationcoreCeFU is institutionally anchored at Aalborg University's Institute for Culture and Communication at Campus Copenhagen. AAU provides the institutional framework, academic supervision, and administrative infrastructure for CeFU's research activities and staff.
- Danmarks Radio (DR)majorCeFU collaborated with DR's P3 on the 'Missionen: Hvad gør dig glad?' (2023) project, where DR traveled to festivals and events collecting youth perspectives. CeFU researchers conducted additional interviews and co-produced the report 'Levbare ungdomsliv' on youth well-being.
- Ung KultmajorUng Kult initiated the four-year 'Ung Kult IVÆRK' project funded by Nordea-fonden. CeFU researchers Maria Bruselius-Jensen and Lika da Cruz conduct follow-up research on cultural creativity and youth communities across 35+ participating municipalities.
- Forskningscenter for Video, AAUmajorCeFU partnered with Forskningscenter for Video at AAU to produce the 'Den Gode Overgang' podcast series exploring young people's transitions to independent living.
- SINCRONY European University Consortium (Bologna, Porto, Geneva, Turku, Manchester, Innsbruck + AAU)coreSINCRONY is a cross-European research project with nine partners across Europe (Italy, Portugal, Switzerland, Finland, UK, Austria, and Denmark). The project aims to ensure young people experiencing social vulnerability have meaningful access to deliberative and participatory democratic processes.
- Göteborgs UniversitetmajorCeFU collaborated with Göteborgs Universitet (as lead) and Högskolan Väst on a comparative study of LGBTQ+ youth mental health and vulnerability in Swedish and Danish schools, funded by the Swedish Vetenskapsrådet.
- Högskolan Väst (Sweden)majorCeFU collaborated with Högskolan Väst alongside Göteborgs Universitet on the comparative study of LGBTQ+ youth mental health and school experiences in Sweden and Denmark, funded by Vetenskapsrådet.
- Center for Viden om Erhvervsuddannelser (CEVEU)coreCeFU conducts multiple research projects in the regime of CEVEU (Center for Knowledge about Vocational Education), including the comprehensive EUD research program on dropout, retention, and completion in vocational education.
- Det Nationale Forskningscenter for Arbejdsmiljø (NFA)majorCeFU partnered with NFA to evaluate the risk of violence, threats, and sexual harassment among young workers (15-17 years) in the hotel and restaurant industry, commissioned by Erhvervsstyrelsen.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CeFU competitors and assessment
Company assessmentEmerging players
- NordForsk: NordForsk is an institution under the Nordic Council of Ministers that funds and coordinates Nordic research and research infrastructure. It is a peer to CeFU in the Nordic research ecosystem, with CeFU participating in Nordic-funded cross-border youth research collaborations.
- Ungdom & Fritid (DUF) - Danish Youth Council: Ungdom & Fritid is the Danish Youth Council and umbrella organization for youth associations in Denmark. It is an adjacent peer to CeFU as both engage Danish youth policy ecosystems, though DUF operates as a youth advocacy and umbrella organization rather than a research institution.
Direct peers
- Nationalt Center for Arbejdsmiljø (NFA): NFA is the Danish National Research Centre for the Working Environment, conducting research on workplace health and safety. CeFU partnered with NFA on the evaluation of risks for young workers in the hotel and restaurant industry, making NFA a direct peer in the Danish government-commissioned applied research ecosystem.
- Center for Viden om Erhvervsuddannelser (CEVEU): CEVEU is the Danish national knowledge center for vocational education and training (VET), producing research and evaluation on vocational education. It is a direct peer to CeFU as CeFU conducts multiple research projects in the regime of CEVEU, including the comprehensive EUD research program on dropout, retention, and completion.
- Aalborg Universitet Forskningscenter for Video: Forskningscenter for Video at AAU is a research center that partnered with CeFU on the 'Den Gode Overgang' podcast series. It is a direct internal peer to CeFU as a sibling research center within Aalborg University, collaborating on youth-related media research and qualitative methodologies.
- Danmarks Institut for Pædagogik og Uddannelse (DPU), Aarhus Universitet: DPU is Aarhus University's school of education, conducting research on education, pedagogy, and learning. It is a direct peer to CeFU as both are Danish university-based education research units producing applied research for Danish education policy, though DPU has a broader K-12 and higher-education scope.
- VIVE - Det Nationale Forsknings- og Analysecenter for Velfærd: VIVE is Denmark's largest independent social science research center, conducting policy-relevant research on welfare, education, and labor markets. It is a direct peer to CeFU as both are Danish research institutions producing applied research for government and public-sector clients, though VIVE covers a broader social-policy scope.
Broad incumbents
- Oxford University Department of Education: The Oxford Department of Education is a globally prominent university-based education research institution. It is a broad incumbent peer to CeFU as both are university-affiliated education research centers, though Oxford operates at significantly larger scale and broader international scope.
Others
- European Research Council (ERC) Youth & Education Research Networks: ERC-funded research networks and projects form part of the broader European research funding ecosystem in which CeFU operates through SINCRONY and other EU projects. It is a thematically related funder/ecosystem peer rather than a direct competitor, but shapes the competitive landscape for youth research talent and grants.
Regional players
- Institutet för Framtidsstudier (Institute for Futures Studies): The Swedish Institute for Futures Studies conducts interdisciplinary research on future societal challenges, including youth and education issues. It is a regional peer to CeFU as both are Nordic applied research institutions, though it operates from a Swedish context and a broader societal-futures scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
CeFU social profiles
Digital presenceCeFU financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CeFU leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles1 record
CeFU funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CeFU M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about CeFU
What does CeFU do?
CeFU is an academic research center that conducts commissioned research, evaluations, and follow-up studies on youth well-being, education, employment, democratic participation, and marginalization for Danish municipalities, government ministries, foundations, and educational institutions. It delivers its expertise through scientific publications, podcasts, a continuing education program in applied youth research, and a membership association. The center also develops proprietary research frameworks such as the Motivationspalet (Motivation Palette) model and the Seismographic Perspectives approach.
Is CeFU a public or private company?
CeFU is a private company. It is classified as corporate owned and is currently operating.
When was CeFU founded?
CeFU was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is CeFU based?
CeFU is headquartered in Köpenhamn, Sweden, in the Europe region.
How does CeFU make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Research Project Grants and Contracts are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees and Conference Revenue and education Programs.
Who are CeFU's main competitors?
Emerging players on record are NordForsk and Ungdom & Fritid (DUF) - Danish Youth Council. Direct peers are Nationalt Center for Arbejdsmiljø (NFA), Center for Viden om Erhvervsuddannelser (CEVEU), Aalborg Universitet Forskningscenter for Video, Danmarks Institut for Pædagogik og Uddannelse (DPU), Aarhus Universitet and VIVE - Det Nationale Forsknings- og Analysecenter for Velfærd. Oxford University Department of Education is listed as a broad incumbent. European Research Council (ERC) Youth & Education Research Networks is listed as an others. Institutet för Framtidsstudier (Institute for Futures Studies) is listed as a regional player.
Does CeFU have an API?
No public API is recorded for CeFU.
What industry is CeFU in?
CeFU's product category is Academic Research Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAAALAE, Education Professionals (Teacher/Administrator CE, CPD). Its NAICS code is 61171 and its SIC code is 8200.