What Grande Ecole du Numérique does

Grande Ecole du Numérique (GEN) is a Groupement d'Intérêt Public (GIP) created by the French Government in 2015 to address digital skills shortages and promote social and professional inclusion. It operates a free public-facing portal (grandeecolenumerique.fr) and a network of approximately 100 inclusive digital training programs recognized under the GEN label, all of which are open without academic prerequisites. The organization serves job seekers, career changers, youth, women, and residents of priority urban or rural areas, while also serving employers facing digital talent shortages, training providers seeking quality recognition, and French public institutions.

The core technology stack consists of three assets: a training search engine indexing 1,336+ digital training programs with filters for location, level, duration, and financing; the GEN_SCAN observatory, which tracks digital skills supply and demand in real time across all French metropolitan and overseas regions and publishes quarterly TOP 30 regional talent demand rankings; and the public institutional portal. The platform does not expose a public or partner-facing API and has no disclosed AI/ML capabilities. Data is fed by institutional partners including the CARIF-OREF network, Onisep, and Pôle Emploi, and an orientation committee brings together Atlas, CINOV-Numérique, France Universités, Régions de France, and UNML.

GEN is funded entirely through public sources, principally the Plan d'Investissement dans les Compétences (PIC) under the France 2030 investment plan, and does not generate commercial revenue from end users or training providers. Its activities — the label, the observatory, the search portal, and the Innovation call for projects — are publicly financed mandates. In 2024 the French Government publicly announced its decision to dissolve the GIP, though the website and all functionalities remain accessible until further notice. Headquarters are at 67 rue Barbès, 94200 Ivry-sur-Seine, France, under Director General Samia Ghozlane.

Name

Grande Ecole du Numérique

Legal name

La Grande Ecole du Numérique

Website

https://grandeecolenumerique.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Grande Ecole du Numérique is a French government-backed public interest group operating a free portal aggregating 1,336+ digital training programs, the GEN_SCAN skills observatory, and a network of ~100 labeled inclusive training programs, serving job seekers, career changers, and employers across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Digital Workforce Training & Orientation

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Online/Hybrid Lifelong Learning Platforms & Open Enrollment Programs (EDAAAEAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

STEM Assessment, Badging & Competition Platforms (EDAFANAJ)

Keywords

• Digital skills training
• Workforce development
• Inclusive education
• Vocational training
• Public employment services

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public funding and government support: The GEN is a Groupement d'Intérêt Public (GIP) funded by the French government and affiliated ministries. It does not generate commercial revenue from users. Its activities — including the label, the observatory, and the search portal — are publicly funded through the Plan d'Investissement dans les Compétences (PIC).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Grande Ecole du Numérique (GEN) is a French government-backed public interest group that operates a national network of approximately 100 labeled inclusive digital training programs accessible without academic prerequisites. It provides a public-facing web portal with a training search engine aggregating France's digital education catalog, the GEN_SCAN observatory tracking digital skills supply and demand in real time, and an Innovation call for projects that funds pedagogical and social-integration innovations.

Product overview

Grande Ecole du Numérique operates as a unified platform combining multiple digital training services. The core offering includes: (1) a powerful training search engine that aggregates France's complete digital education catalog; (2) the GEN_SCAN observatory providing real-time data on digital skills demand and training supply; (3) the labeled training network offering inclusive programs without academic prerequisites; and (4) the Innovation call for projects funding pedagogical and social integration innovations. The public-facing portal serves as the central hub connecting job seekers, career changers, and learners with these services.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• GEN_SCAN: L'observatoire GEN_SCAN a pour vocation de permettre aux acteurs de l'écosystème de la formation au numérique de mieux répondre aux besoins des entreprises et de faciliter l'orientation du grand public vers les métiers d'avenir.

Products and services

• Moteur de recherche de formations (Training Search Engine) A search engine that aggregates and indexes the complete offering of digital training programs available in France, allowing users to filter by location, level, duration, financing, and training type. It serves job seekers, career changers, and anyone exploring digital careers.
• GEN_SCAN Observatory An observatory platform that tracks digital skills needs of companies and the evolution of digital training offerings in France, providing interactive maps, regional dashboards, and quarterly talent tension indices. It serves employers, training providers, and public policymakers.
• Réseau de formations labellisées GEN (GEN Labeled Training Network) A national network of approximately 100 inclusive digital training programs distinguished by the GEN Label, open to all without academic prerequisites, designed to facilitate social and professional integration of people far from employment.
• Appel à projets Innovation (Innovation Call for Projects) A grant program that subsidizes innovative projects related to recruitment, pedagogy, support, and professional integration of GEN target audiences, funded through the Plan d'Investissement dans les Compétences (PIC).
• Portail grand public (Public-Facing Portal) A public-facing orientation portal dedicated to guiding individuals toward digital careers, providing comprehensive information about digital professions and training pathways.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• Prometheus-XsupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 October 2024The GEN and its Prometheus-X partners were awarded a second European call for projects, expanding the GEN's international reach and collaborative training innovation initiatives.
• CARIF-OREF networksupportingOthers · 1 March 2023The GEN's training search engine aggregates data from the CARIF-OREF network (the French network of training information and orientation centres), contributing to the indexed 1,336 training programs listed on the platform.
• OnisepsupportingOthers · 1 March 2023Onisep (the French national office for information on education and professions) provides training data to the GEN's search engine, expanding the comprehensiveness of the digital training catalog.
• Institut du Numérique Responsable (INR)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 February 2023The GEN signed the INR's Responsible Digital Charter in February 2023, committing to sustainable, ethical, and inclusive digital practices, and joined the INR as a member to access expertise on responsible digital practices.
• French Government (multiple ministries)coreOthers · 1 January 2015The GEN was created and is supported by the French government. The founding ministers include the Ministry of Economy and Finance, the Ministry of Labour, the Ministry of Higher Education and Research, and the Ministry of Territorial Partnerships and Decentralization. These government bodies provide the GIP's mandate and funding.
• AtlassupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Atlas is a member of the GEN's orientation committee (comité d'orientation), contributing to prospective recommendations on digital training policy and ecosystem development.
• CINOV-NumériquesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015CINOV-Numérique is represented in the GEN's orientation committee, providing expertise from digital professional associations to inform training and skills policy.
• France UniversitéssupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015France Universités participates in the GEN's orientation committee, representing higher education institutions in the digital training and skills dialogue.
• Pôle EmploicoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Pôle Emploi (French public employment service) is a member of the orientation committee, providing data on employment demand and connecting job seekers to GEN-labeled training programs.
• Régions de FrancesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Régions de France is represented in the orientation committee, representing regional councils that co-finance vocational training and digital skills initiatives.
• Union Nationale des Missions Locales (UNML)supportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015The UNML (national union of local missions serving youth) is part of the orientation committee, ensuring that GEN's inclusive training reaches young people far from employment.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• AFPA: France's principal public vocational training operator with broad digital and technical programs - incumbent competing for the same reskilling funding pool.
• France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi): French public employment service that funnels job seekers to training programs and co-funds reskilling - GEN's core institutional partner and the broader incumbent in employment-to-training pathways.
• France Université Numérique (FUN-MOOC): French public MOOC platform aggregating higher-education digital courses - an incumbent public online learning platform with overlapping orientation and digital-skills content.

Others

• ONISEP: French national information office for education and careers - a key GEN data partner whose orientation/listing function overlaps significantly with the GEN portal.

Direct peers

• OpenClassrooms: France-founded online platform offering employer-recognized digital and tech training with a strong inclusion/social mobility focus - competes for the same job-seeker and reskilling audience as GEN.
• Le Wagon: French-founded coding bootcamp with a strong presence in career-changing and reskilling cohorts - directly comparable bootcamp model with employer-tied outcomes.
• Wild Code School: French digital training bootcamp offering web development and data programs for career changers - directly comparable inclusive bootcamp model within GEN's ecosystem.
• École 42: Free, no-prerequisite, peer-driven coding school network founded in France - directly comparable to GEN's labeled training programs in mission (no academic prerequisites) and target audience.
• Simplon.co: French network of inclusive, no-prerequisite digital training programs targeting people far from employment - shares GEN's mission, network-based model, and inclusive training philosophy.

Emerging players

• Konexio: French non-profit focused on digital inclusion and training for newcomers and underrepresented groups - a niche non-profit with overlapping audience and pedagogy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Instagraminstagram.com/grandeecoledunumerique
• Xx.com/Ecole_Numerique

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Grande Ecole du Numérique