What HEP Valais does

HEP Valais (Haute école pédagogique du Valais, also legally known as HEPVS | PHVS and operating in German as Pädagogische Hochschule Wallis) is a publicly mandated higher education institution owned and governed by the Canton du Valais in Switzerland, established around 2000 and headquartered in Saint-Maurice with a second campus in Brig. Its core mandate is to train teachers across all levels of Swiss compulsory and post-compulsory education: a Bachelor in primary teaching, a Master for secondary I, a Master in specialized teaching (schulische Heilpädagogik), and a teaching diploma for maturité schools. The institution operates bilingually in French and German, reflecting the linguistic composition of the canton, and serves approximately 588 enrolled students, 164 complementary-training participants, and a continuing-education catalog that delivered 3,587 course periods in 2024.

The institution is organized into four operating divisions — initial training (Formations de base), continuing education (Formation continue), complementary training (Formations complémentaires including DAS PIRAC, DAS PIREF, and several CAS programs), and service offerings (Prestations de services) — supported by a research and innovation arm comprising three specialized labs (Lab C.I.T.É., Lab Culture, Antenne Maths à modeler) and the FREDI open access repository built on RERO SONAR infrastructure. Technology integrations are conventional (Google Analytics, Google Fonts, Google Recaptcha, Google Search, eduroam), and the most notable recent technology initiative is a June 2026 partnership with Idiap Research Institute to embed AI literacy into teacher training. The institution holds an EFQM Label (2021) and obtained institutional accreditation from the Swiss Accreditation Council in 2024.

HEP Valais is primarily publicly funded through the Canton du Valais, with secondary revenue streams from continuing-education and complementary-training fees and service contracts (e.g., pedagogical animation, DIREF2030 school-leadership consulting, and the "Values Co-construction" program priced at 3,000 CHF per 24-period package). It is not a commercial entity and does not pursue venture, private-equity, or individual ownership. Its total headcount comprises approximately 2 direction members, 80 teaching and research personnel, and 38 administrative and technical staff, with own capital of 2.9 million CHF reported as of 31 December 2024.

Name

HEP Valais

Legal name

HEPVS | PHVS

Website

https://www.hepvs.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

HEP Valais provides continuing education and postgraduate training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-maurice

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Funding: Primary funding from the Canton of Valais as a mandated teacher training institution
2. Service Contracts: School consultation and pedagogical animation services provided to educational establishments
3. Training Fees: Fees for continuing education courses and complementary training programs

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

HEP Valais is a publicly mandated teacher training institution that delivers bachelor's and master's degree programs for primary, secondary, and specialized education, an annual continuing education course catalog for practicing educators, complementary certification programs (DAS and CAS), and pedagogical services to schools including school management consulting and multimedia lending. The institution also conducts pedagogical research through specialized labs and disseminates outputs via the FREDI open access repository.

Product overview

HEP Valais operates as a bilingual teacher training institution (Haute école pédagogique du Valais) mandated by the Canton of Valais to train teachers for primary, secondary I, II, and specialized education. The institution offers a multi-product portfolio organized into four core divisions: (1) Formations de base (Bachelor in Primary Teaching, Master for Secondary I, Master in Specialized Teaching, teaching diplomas for maturité schools); (2) Formation continue (annual catalog of continuing education courses across all disciplines); (3) Formations complémentaires (DAS PIRAC, DAS PIREF, CAS Apprentissages fondamentaux, CAS PF du primaire, PF du secondaire, PF de l'enseignement spécialisé); and (4) Prestations de services (pédagogical animation, DIREF2030, multimedia lending service). The research arm includes three specialized labs (Lab C.I.T.É., Lab Culture, Antenne Maths à modeler) and a digital repository FREDI for open access publications.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• DIREF2030: Program for rethinking school management through holacracy
• FREDI

Products and services

• Bachelor en enseignement primaire Undergraduate degree program training future teachers for primary school education (cycles 1, 2, 3), covering didactics, child development, and professional practice.
• Master en enseignement pour le degré secondaire I Graduate degree program for teaching at secondary school level I, preparing students for classroom instruction in Swiss secondary education.
• Master en enseignement spécialisé Master's degree program in specialized teaching (schulische Heilpädagogik) for educators working with students requiring additional support.
• Diplôme d'enseignement pour les écoles de maturité Teaching diploma for maturité schools (Swiss pre-university secondary schools), qualifying graduates to teach at this level.
• Formation continue - Catalogue des cours Annual catalog of continuing education courses covering all disciplines and school levels, enabling teachers to deepen or broaden their professional competencies.
• DAS PIRAC Diploma of Advanced Studies in PIRAC, a certified complementary professional development program.
• DAS PIREF Diploma of Advanced Studies in PIREF, a certified complementary training program for educational professionals.
• CAS Apprentissages fondamentaux Certificate of Advanced Studies focusing on fundamental learning processes and pedagogical approaches.
• CAS PF du primaire Certificate of Advanced Studies for practitioner trainers in primary education, developing mentorship and training skills.
• Animation pédagogique Pedagogical animation service providing support, expertise, and professional development to schools and educational institutions.
• DIREF2030 School management transformation program using holacracy and innovative governance approaches for school leadership.
• Service de prêt multimédia Multimedia lending service providing educational equipment and resources to schools and educators.
• Co-construire les valeurs de l'établissement scolaire A pedagogical package helping school teams collaboratively develop shared values, including interactive activities, exchange spaces, and custom support for school leadership.

Quantifiable outcome

• 588 students trained annually
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 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

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Idiap Research InstitutecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 16 June 2026Collaboration to integrate artificial intelligence training into teacher education programs. HEP-VS and Idiap are jointly developing curriculum to prepare future teachers for AI in education.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Haute école pédagogique du canton de Vaud (HEP Vaud): HEP Vaud is a public teacher-training institution offering initial and continuing education for educators in the French-speaking part of Switzerland. Its cantonal mandate, degree portfolio, and educator focus closely match HEP Valais.
• Haute école pédagogique de Genève: HEP Genève trains teachers and provides professional development through the Geneva applied-sciences system. It is directly comparable as a public higher-education institution serving a defined regional educator market.
• Haute école pédagogique de Fribourg: HEP Fribourg provides initial teacher education and continuing professional development within the University of Fribourg. Its teacher-certification remit and bilingual Swiss context are closely comparable to HEP Valais.
• HEP-BEJUNE: HEP-BEJUNE is a public teacher-education institution serving the Jura and Bernese Jura region. It has a similar regional mandate, small-campus model, and focus on initial and continuing educator training.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Bern: Pädagogische Hochschule Bern offers teacher degrees, further education, and educational services in the Canton of Bern. It is directly comparable through the same public higher-education model and educator customer base.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Graubünden: Pädagogische Hochschule Graubünden provides multilingual teacher education and professional development in a multilingual Swiss canton. Its regional institution profile, research activity, and focus on educator training are highly comparable to HEP Valais.
• Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen: Pädagogische Hochschule St. Gallen offers initial teacher education, advanced professional training, and school-related services. Its cantonal scope and education-only mission make it a direct operating peer.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern: Pädagogische Hochschule Luzern trains teachers at multiple school levels and provides continuing education and educational services. It is comparable through its degree programs, public mandate, and educator development portfolio.
• Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau: Pädagogische Hochschule Thurgau is a cantonal public institution focused on teacher education and professional development. Its smaller regional footprint and similar public-service mission are especially comparable to HEP Valais.

Broad incumbents

• Pädagogische Hochschule FHNW: The Pädagogische Hochschule FHNW delivers teacher education, research, and continuing professional development across Northwestern Switzerland. It is broader and larger than HEP Valais but operates the same public teacher-training model.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCPuA9GlEI9Y6LxVUz7BJCRA
• Facebookfacebook.com/hepvs.phvs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/hep-valais-ph-wallis
• Instagraminstagram.com/hepvs.phvs
• Xx.com/HepValais

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 HEP Valais