ESDES

What ESDES does

ESDES Business School is a private French higher education institution founded in 1987 and operated by AFPICL as part of the Université Catholique de Lyon (UCLy). The school operates from two campuses — a main campus in Lyon (10, place des Archives) and a regional campus in Annecy (UCLy Alpes Europe) — and delivers a portfolio of state-recognized programs spanning the Bachelor in Business (grade de licence), the five-year Programme Grande École (grade master), specialty MSc programs, DSCG examination preparation, and Executive Education offerings. It holds the EESPIG public-utility label, AACSB international accreditation (achieved in 2023), and EFMD program accreditation (renewed in 2020), placing it within the top 6% of business schools globally and the top 25 in the Financial Times 2025 French ranking.

The school's core technology is an educational platform integrated with the UCLy digital infrastructure (ecampus), with pedagogical differentiation built around the "Responsible Natives" philosophy, the SoliCity two-month humanitarian mission embedded in the Bachelor program (delivered through 40+ partner associations), and the PEP'S career professionalization program. Curriculum specialization tracks emphasize sustainability and finance, anchored by three specialty MSc programs in Circular Economy & Sustainable Innovation, Sustainable Tourism & Event Management, and Impact Finance & Fintech Management, plus double-degree pathways with Cardiff Metropolitan, Hull, and Edinburgh Napier universities.

Revenue is generated through tuition fees across multiple subscription-style annual billing cycles (differentiated by French/EU versus international student status, with 10% early-bird discounts and merit-based scholarships), supplemented by professional-services revenue from Executive Education and corporate training delivered by a dedicated Corporate Relations team. Go-to-market combines the Parcoursup national platform and ACCES consortium entrance exams for French secondary school graduates, direct international recruitment via Campus France fairs (including Shanghai and Wuhan), webinars, and student ambassador programs, plus a B2B enterprise channel for internships, apprenticeships, and custom training. Student cohorts, partner employers (UBS, Société Générale, CIC, Crédit Agricole Centre-Est, Cegid, STMicroelectronics, Groupe SEB, BioMérieux, Sanofi, Sysco France), and 45 teacher-researchers across 4 research groups constitute the primary operating assets.

Name

ESDES

Legal name

AFPICL (Association des Fondateurs et des Protecteurs de l'Institut Catholique de Lyon)

Website

https://esdes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

ESDES is a French private business school in Lyon and Annecy, part of UCLy, offering state-recognized Bachelor, Programme Grande École, specialty MSc, DSCG, and Executive Education programs to French and international students through tuition, ACCES consortium admissions, and corporate training channels.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition Fees - Bachelor Programs: Annual tuition fees for Bachelor in Business programs, with different rates for French/EU students and international students outside EU. Early bird discounts available for international students.
2. Tuition Fees - Programme Grande École (Master Grade): 5-year program tuition with annual fees for French/EU and international students. Admissions parallel fees of 140-195€ for entrance exams.
3. MSc Programs Tuition: Master of Science programs taught in English with tuition fees. 1-year accelerated and 2-year pathway options. Merit-based scholarships available.
4. Executive Education Corporate Training: Customized in-company training programs designed and delivered for enterprise transformation needs. Short courses in management, finance, sales, marketing, digital, strategy, and RSE. Also includes certified and qualifying training programs.
5. DSCG Examination Preparation: Preparation program for Diplôme Supérieur de Comptabilité et de Gestion, offered in partnership with Institution des Chartreux, with separate enrollment fees.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

ESDES is a French non-profit business school that delivers higher-education programs including a Bachelor in Business, the Programme Grande École (Master-level), specialized MSc tracks, Executive Education for professionals and corporate clients, and DSCG (accountancy diploma) preparation courses. The school operates campuses in Lyon and Annecy and is part of the Université Catholique de Lyon under the AFPICL holding, holding EESPIG recognition alongside AACSB and EFMD program accreditations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor in Business

Quantifiable outcome

• Top 25 French Business Schools in Financial Times 2025 ranking
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

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

• UCLy (Université Catholique de Lyon)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Parent institution providing institutional framework, shared services (digital campus, administrative systems), and association with other UCLy schools (ESTRI, ESQESE, ESTBB, IFTLM, ILCF). ESDES is part of AFPICL (Association des Fondateurs et Protecteurs de l'Institut Catholique de Lyon), EESPIG recognized private higher education institution.
• Institution des ChartreuxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for DSCG (Diplôme Supérieur de Comptabilité et de Gestion) examination preparation, with 80%+ average success rate over 3 years (3x higher than Lyon academy average).
• Cardiff Metropolitan UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble degree partnership offering Master in Financial Management for Semesters 9-10 or Semester 10 of Grande École program.
• Hull UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble degree partnership offering Master in Financial Management for Semester 10 of Grande École program.
• Edinburgh Napier UniversitymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDouble degree partnership offering International Finance Master. Alumni Mathilde Giniès completed double diploma here before joining UBS.
• Napier University (Edinburgh)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner university for student exchanges and double degree programs.
• CIPS (Chartered Institute of Procurement and Supply)coreTechnology or IntegrationInternational accreditation body that accredited the Master specialization in International Supply Chain and Purchasing (2023).
• Sysco FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic partnership announced for student recruitment, corporate relations, and collaborative initiatives.
• France CompétencescoreOthersGovernment body managing RNCP (Répertoire National des Certifications Professionnelles) where ESDES programs are registered. Executive Master registered under RNCP n°36271.
• AACSB InternationalcoreOthersInternational accreditation body for business schools. ESDES achieved AACSB accreditation in 2023, joining top 6% of business schools worldwide.
• EFMD (European Foundation for Management Development)coreOthersEuropean accreditation organization that renewed EFMD Accredited status for Grande École program (5-year renewal in 2020).
• Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership for PhD supervision and research collaboration. Faculty member Huiyi Gao holds PhD from Lyon 3.
• ALGEDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDisability inclusion partnership conducting seminars on disability awareness and professional integration for students.
• Cracow University of EconomicsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational university partnership hosting exchange students and collaborative academic programs.

Scale indicators11 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ESDES_Officiel
• YouTubeyoutube.com/ESDESBusinessSchool
• Facebookfacebook.com/esdes.businessschool
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esdes-lyon-business-school
• Instagraminstagram.com/esdes.businessschool
• TikToktiktok.com/@esdes.businessschool

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 ESDES