César Franck Athenaeum

What César Franck Athenaeum does

César Franck Athenaeum (CFA), legally 'César-Franck-Athenäum', is a public secondary school located in Kelmis (La Calamine), in the German-speaking Community of Belgium. Founded in 1992 and operating for over 30 years, it serves approximately 376 students across a primary school section, a six-year secondary school (German-speaking and bilingual divisions), and an evening school (Abendschule) for adult learners. The school employs 68 teachers and staff, delivers 227 distinct courses, and operates a 23,302 m² campus with a 13,009-item school media library connected to a regional public library network of more than 350,000 additional media items.

CFA's core educational offering emphasizes multilingual instruction in German, French, and English alongside a MINT/STEM curriculum. It is the first school in Belgium accredited to award the CertiLingua European excellence label (since 2009), a credential recognized by universities such as the University of Bonn and the University of Cologne and by multinationals including Siemens and L'Oréal. Ancillary services include free remediation tutoring for first-degree students, €1/hour remediation for second-degree students, structured career orientation starting from the second year, and international exchange programs through Erasmus+ and eTwinning. The school also runs a school restaurant operated by partner DG Mensa and participates in the 'STEM as a Root of the Future' Erasmus+ project (2020-2022) with five European partner schools in Finland, Spain, England, and Germany.

The business model is government-funded public education: CFA is a public institution under the Ministry of Education of the German-speaking Community of Belgium, with no private ownership, external investors, or parent company. Revenue mechanics are primarily per-pupil government allocations and grants; ancillary cash flows include nominal fees for second-degree remediation, school restaurant meals (€0.50–€4.50 per item), and supplementary grant funding tied to international programs. Distribution is direct-to-family via the bilingual website (cfa-kelmis.be), social media channels (Instagram, Facebook, YouTube), in-person registration, and the Skolengo online enrollment portal. The primary customer segments are German-speaking secondary-school families in Belgium, primary-school families seeking bilingual instruction, and adult learners in evening programs.

Name

César Franck Athenaeum

Legal name

César-Franck-Athenäum

Website

https://cfa-kelmis.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Short description

César Franck Athenaeum is a public secondary school in Kelmis, Belgium's German-speaking Community, serving about 376 students with German/French/English bilingual instruction, MINT/STEM focus, and CertiLingua-accredited language education across primary, secondary, and evening-school divisions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

English Learner (EL/ESL/ELL) & Bilingual Education Programs (EDAJAGAB)

akta.pro secondary industry

Literacy & ELA Instruction (School-Delivered) (EDAJAFAF)

Keywords

• Secondary education services
• Bilingual school programs
• STEM education curriculum
• Language certification programs
• Student tutoring services

Headquarters

HQ city

Liège

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: As a public secondary school in the German-speaking community of Belgium, CFA operates as a government-funded educational institution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

César Franck Athenaeum is a public secondary school in Kelmis, Belgium, providing German-language and bilingual education across grades 1-6 with a STEM (MINT) focus and multilingual instruction in German, French, and English. The school also operates a bilingual primary school section, an evening school for adult learners, and offers standalone programs including the CertiLingua European language excellence label, remediation tutoring, and career orientation services.

Product overview

César Franck Athenaeum (CFA) is a secondary school offering German-language and bilingual education for grades 1-6, with a focus on MINT (Mathematics, Informatics, Natural Sciences, Technology) subjects and multilingualism. The school provides a comprehensive educational portfolio including the CertiLingua language certificate program, remediation/tutoring services, career guidance, a school media library, and participates in international programs including Erasmus+ exchanges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Secondary Education Program (Sekundarschule) Comprehensive secondary education program covering grades 1 through 6, offered in German-speaking and bilingual divisions, with emphasis on MINT (STEM) subjects and multilingual instruction for students in the German-speaking community of Belgium.
• Primary School (Grundschule) Elementary school section providing bilingual education in German and French to young children, laying the foundation for the secondary school program.
• Evening Courses (Abendschule) Adult education and continuing education programs offered in evening hours, supporting lifelong learning and professional development.
• CertiLingua Certificate Program European excellence label attesting to outstanding multilingual proficiency (English and French) and bilingual qualifications, recognized by universities such as the University of Bonn and Cologne and by companies including Siemens and L'Oréal.
• Remediation/Student Tutoring (Schülerhilfe) Voluntary tutoring offered in small groups of up to five students, covering French, German, Mathematics, and learning methods. Free for first-degree students (years 1-2) and €1 per hour for second-degree students (years 3-4), with financial reductions available on request.
• Career Orientation (Berufliche Orientierung) Structured career and study guidance program including practical activities such as company visits, mock job interviews under real conditions, and information sessions with partner universities and businesses.

Named customers3 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

Integration2 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, operational, regulatory, educational and minor.

• Erasmus+ Partner Schools (Finland, Spain, England, Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2020International partnership with schools in Pargas (Finland), Chiclana de la Frontera (Spain), Boston (England), Palma de Mallorca (Spain) as part of the 'STEM as a Root of the Future' project (2020-2022). Students participate in international exchanges and collaborative STEM webinars.
• DG MensaoperationalOthersDG Mensa operates the school restaurant, providing daily menus and weekly plans for students and staff. Prices are age-appropriate, with complete menus ranging from 1.50€ to 4.50€ depending on grade level.
• Kaleido OstbelgiencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKaleido is a student counseling and orientation service in the German-speaking community. They provide workshops on post-baccalaureate possibilities and career guidance services for students.
• Ministry of the German-speaking CommunityregulatoryOthersAn external evaluator from the ministry attends oral CertiLingua examinations to verify the high quality of student performances.
• RWTH Aachen UniversityeducationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner university for study preparation, offering information sessions on studying in Germany and recognition of diplomas for Belgian students.
• Université de Liège (ULiège)educationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian partner university offering various study programs. Information about Belgian higher education structure and pathways provided to students.
• Maastricht UniversityeducationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch university partner providing information on studying in the Netherlands for interested students.
• BIZ-MobileducationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerMobile information service providing extensive digital information material about training programs and professions during student visits.
• Studienkreis Schule & WirtschafteducationalStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation based in Eupen promoting cooperation between economic representatives and schools in the German-speaking community. Organizes 'Zeig, wer du bist!' program with mock job interviews under real conditions.
• BRF (Belgian Radio and Television)minorOthersLocal broadcaster that opens its facilities for professional exploration days, allowing students to experience professions such as cameraman or radio presenter.
• Regio iTminorOthersIT company in Aachen that offers workshops for students including programming microcomputers and hardware assembly during professional exploration days.
• DachserminorOthersLogistics company in Aachen that participates in professional exploration days, offering practical exercises in order processing and truck loading.
• Police KelmisminorOthersLocal police station that opens its facilities for professional exploration days, allowing students to learn about police work and equipment.
• Chocolaterie DarcisminorOthersLocal chocolate factory in Verviers that organizes educational visits for students, including factory tours and learning about chocolate production.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Bischöfliches Gymnasium Aachen: Catholic secondary school in Aachen, just across the German border from Kelmis. Serves a comparable cross-border student population with German-language secondary instruction and a similar academic/STEM profile.
• Couven-Gymnasium Aachen: Public secondary school in Aachen, Germany, near the Belgian border. Offers German-language secondary education with comparable academic focus and serves students from the same cross-border Aachen-Kelmis catchment area.
• Königliches Athenäum Eupen: Public secondary school in Eupen, in the same German-speaking Community of Belgium. Operates under the same ministry oversight and offers comparable bilingual/German-language secondary education, making it the closest structural peer to CFA.
• Regionales Gymnasium St. Vith: Public secondary school in St. Vith within the German-speaking Community of Belgium. Offers German-language secondary instruction under the same public education system, directly comparable in mission, governance, and student profile.
• Kaiser-Karls-Gymnasium Aachen: Long-established German secondary school in Aachen with strong academic reputation. Comparable to CFA in serving German-speaking secondary students in the same cross-border region with similar curriculum offerings.

Broad incumbents

• International School of Brussels (ISB): Private bilingual international school in Brussels offering IB programmes. While larger and privately funded, ISB serves a comparable multilingual student population in Belgium and represents a broader incumbent in the international/bilingual education space.
• British International School of Brussels (BISB): Private international school in Brussels offering British and IB curricula with multilingual instruction. Comparable in delivering bilingual secondary education in Belgium but with greater resources and international reach than CFA.
• European School Brussels: Multilingual European school in Brussels serving children of EU staff. Comparable to CFA in offering multilingual education across several European languages, but operates at larger scale and under a different supranational governance model.

Regional players

• Athénée Royal de Liège: Public French-language secondary school in Liège, the same province as CFA. Operates within the same Belgian public-school framework but in French rather than German, making it a regional rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCpvzluM9HAsVZh804TUi_UA
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfakelmis

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 César Franck Athenaeum