Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra - Higher School of Education

What Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra - Higher School of Education does

ESEC (Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra) is a public higher education institution operating as a constituent school of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra (IPC), located at Rua Dom João III – Solum, 3030-329 Coimbra, Portugal. Established in 1979, the institution specializes in teacher education and related fields, delivering a full academic cycle from short-cycle professional technical courses (CTeSP) and undergraduate degrees (Licenciaturas) in education, communication, arts, sports, tourism, and social sciences, through master's programs (Mestrados), postgraduate specializations, micro-credentials, language courses, and a newly accredited doctoral program in Sports Sciences. Its core technology stack is conventional educational delivery: face-to-face and blended learning, with no proprietary AI or platform features disclosed.

The institution serves a diversified student base of approximately 251-500 employees worth of academic and administrative staff supporting domestic Portuguese undergraduates entering through the Concurso Nacional de Acesso, graduate students, international Erasmus+ exchange students, adult learners (Provas M23 candidates over 23), and lifelong learners pursuing micro-credentials and continuing education. ESEC participates in an extensive international network of over 60 Erasmus+ bilateral partner universities across Europe and coordinates or participates in multiple Erasmus+ KA2 strategic partnerships (BE IN, Sustain@FitTech, OLIVER, Go Prince, CIM21, IMPAR, WiSE, STEAMing Ahead, PROLEARN4ALL, BlueEyes, AgeNortC, HC Tourism, SmartWalk, Deaf Interpreters in Europe, Viajar com Livros).

ESEC's revenue model is a hybrid of regulated tuition fees (propinas) billed annually across all program types and core government funding from the Portuguese Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, supplemented by competitive EU project grants (Erasmus+, FEDER/Portugal 2020/CENTRO2020) and program-specific funding such as the IMPULSO Adulto program. As a public institution, revenue is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is direct-to-consumer through national access competitions, special admissions, adult access exams (Provas M23), and direct applications for master's and micro-credential programs, complemented by event-driven international mobility enrollment through Erasmus+ and the national Vasco da Gama program. The school distributes content through its institutional website, social media channels, podcasts, and participation in European project dissemination activities.

Name

Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra - Higher School of Education

Legal name

Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra

Website

https://www.esec.pt

Company type

Public

Founded year

1979

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

ESEC is a public higher education institution within Portugal's Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, offering degrees from CTeSP through doctoral level in education, communication, arts, sports, tourism, and social sciences to domestic and international students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Teacher Training & Professional Development for Adult ESL (TESOL/TEFL/CELTA for Adult Ed) (EDAAACAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Immigrant/Integration Language Programs (ESL/ESOL, Civics-Integrated) (EDAMAFAK)

Keywords

• Higher education services
• Teacher training programs
• Undergraduate degree programs
• Postgraduate education
• Continuing education courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Coimbra

HQ country

Portugal

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. Tuition and Academic Fees: Annual tuition fees (propinas) charged to students for undergraduate, master's, specialized, and micro-credential programs. Fees regulated by the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra and Portuguese higher education policy.
2. Government Funding: Core operational funding from the Portuguese government through the Ministry of Science, Technology and Higher Education, as part of the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra public institution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ESEC is a public higher education school offering undergraduate degrees (Licenciaturas), master's degrees (Mestrados), short-cycle professional technical programs (CTeSP), micro-credentials, postgraduate programs, specialized training, and language courses in fields including education, communication, arts, sports, tourism, and social sciences. The institution also facilitates international student mobility through Erasmus+ and the Vasco da Gama national program, and delivers community engagement programs such as ACIONAR.

Product overview

ESEC (Escola Superior de Educação de Coimbra) is a Higher School of Education within the Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra, offering a comprehensive range of higher education programs. The institution provides first-cycle degrees (Licenciaturas) in fields including Animation, Communication, Arts, Sports, Tourism, and Education; second-cycle degrees (Mestrados) for advanced specialization; short-cycle professional technical programs (CTeSP); and continuing education through micro-credentials, postgraduate programs, and specialized training. The Language School offers courses in multiple languages. The institution also delivers community engagement programs like ACIONAR and facilitates international mobility through Erasmus+ and the Vasco da Gama national program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CTeSP (Curso Técnico Superior Profissional)
• Licenciaturas (Bachelor's Degrees)
• Mestrados (Master's Degrees)
• Microcredenciações (Micro-credentials)
• Pós-Graduações (Postgraduate Programs)
• Formação Especializada (Specialized Training)
• Escola de Línguas (Language School)
• ACIONAR Program
• Microcredenciação: Igualdade de Género e Violência: Avaliação e Gestão do Risco
• Erasmus+ Mobility Programs
• Programa Vasco da Gama
• Doutoramento em Ciências do Desporto (Doctorate in Sports Sciences)

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 50 training actions completed between 2024-2026 in gastronomy history alone
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Erasmus+ CIM21 Consortium (led by Universidade Lusófona)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024Consortium for Citizenship, Interculturality and Mediation in Glocal Contexts for the 21st Century (Erasmus+ 2024-1-PT01-KA131-HED-000222646). Partners include Instituto Politécnico de Portalegre, Instituto Politécnico de Beja, and Associação Espaço T. Focuses on international mobility of students, faculty, and staff with development of competencies for a more just, inclusive, and sustainable society.
• Over 60 European Universities (Erasmus+ Bilateral Agreement Partners)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExtensive network of Erasmus+ bilateral agreements with universities across Europe including Germany, Austria, Belgium, Bulgaria, Croatia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Spain, France, Finland, Greece, Netherlands, Hungary, Italy, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Czech Republic, Romania, and Turkey. Partners cover multiple ISCED fields including Education Sciences, Arts, Communication, Sports, Tourism, and Food Processing.
• BE IN Project Consortium (7 European Institutions)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic Partnership for Higher Education (Erasmus+ KA2) coordinated by IPC. Partners: Universitat de Girona (Spain), University of Northumbria (UK), Vilniaus Kolegija (Lithuania), VIVES University College (Belgium), Hanzehogeschool Groningen (Netherlands), Balıkesir University (Turkey). Project develops training course for inclusion of migrant and refugee children in early childhood education.
• Sustain@FitTech / UNIgreen ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBlended Intensive Programme (BIP) connecting Physical Activity, Sustainability, Health and Well-being through Digital Transformation. ESEC/IPC coordinates program with partners: Universidad de Almeria (Spain), HEPL (Belgium), Warsaw University of Life Sciences (Poland), Università degli Studi di Modena e Reggio Emilia (Italy).
• Universidade de Hradec Králové (Institute of Social Work)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in CIM21 project - Institute of Social Work participates in Blended Intensive Programme on interculturality in glocal contexts.
• Maynooth University (Department of Education)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in CIM21 project - Department of Education participates in Blended Intensive Programme on interculturality in glocal contexts.
• IMPAR Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInovar para Empoderar as Mulheres como Promotoras da Economia Social Subsaariana - project for empowering women in sub-Saharan social economy.
• Learner Literacy Narratives Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLLNP project - a Library of Life, Love and Loss, focusing on adult learner narratives.
• MOTIONS Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerhuMan mOTor behavIOr life Span - research project on motor behavior across the lifespan.
• Go Prince Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInclusive Education in Early Childhood Education Erasmus+ project with 8 partner universities including Balıkesir University (Turkey), Hanzehogeschool (Netherlands), University College Syddanmark (Denmark), Northumbria University (UK), Vilniaus Kolegija (Lithuania), VIVES University College (Belgium).
• Deaf Interpreters in Europe ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ project coordinated by Danish Deaf Association (DDA) with partners: University of Hamburg (UHH), Humak University of Applied Science, IPC, and European Forum of Sign Language Interpreters (EFLSI). Research focuses on 'Deaf interpreters on TV' and 'International Sign Interpreting'.
• SmartWalk Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMonitoring system for well-being and physical activity in Smart Cities context. Partners: University of Aveiro, Municipality of Águeda, Globaltronic, IPLeiria. Project dates: March 2017 - August 2018. Eligible investment: €118,410.
• PROLEARN4ALL Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerApplied research project coordinated by IPLeiria. Partners: Instituto Politécnico de Coimbra, Cercilei (Cooperative for Education and Rehabilitation), Municipality of Leiria. Focus on inclusive pedagogy and special needs educational materials.
• HC Tourism Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerHuman Capital Tourism research project (Code: 02/SAICT/2016). Partners: Instituto Politécnico do Cávado e Ave, Turismo do Porto e Norte. Eligible investment: €144,811.55. IPC contribution: €19,587.20.
• BlueEyes Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAccessibility project for blind citizens using BLE beacons. Partners: IP Viseu, Monsters and Company Lda. Living Labs in Coimbra (SMTUC bus line 5), Caldas da Rainha (Bordaliana Route), Tábua. IPC eligible investment: €135,000.
• AgeNortC Project PartnersminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMulticenter study on aging, social participation, and early detection of dependency. Partners: IP Viana do Castelo, IP Bragança, Municipality of Viana do Castelo. Total eligible investment: €133,943.22. IPC eligible: €24,499.35.
• WiSE Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWell-being innovations for students in Europe. Consortium includes Animafac (France), Aristotle University of Thessaloniki (Greece). Project aims to identify and promote student well-being in European higher education.
• STEAMing Ahead Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSTEAM education project (KA220-SCH). Partners include: Colégio Santa Eulália, Make it Pedagogical, Istituto Comprensivo Battipaglia Salvemini (Italy), Centro Tecnológico del Mueble y Madera (Spain), Bilim ve Sanat Merkezi (Turkey), Searchlighter Services. Duration: Nov 2021 - Feb 2024.
• OLIVER Project ConsortiumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity-Industry Cooperation for High-Quality Olive Production (Erasmus+ VET). Partners: Çanakkale Onsekiz Mart University (Turkey - coordinator), Organized Food Industry Zone of Ezine. IPC team includes Vivina Carreira, Ivo Rodrigues (ESAC), Alexandra Leandro (ESEC), Lara Mendes (ISCAC).
• ACTIVATE Program / University of GlasgowcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerACIONAR program is based on the ACTIVATE program developed by the School of Education at the University of Glasgow, making ESEC a partner in this community development and socio-educational animation methodology.
• Projeto Viajar com Livros International PartnerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cooperation project with partners including: Embassy of Portugal in Cabo Verde, Mota-Engil, Ministry of Education of Cabo Verde, UNESCO, Plano Nacional de Leitura de Cabo Verde, Rede de Bibliotecas Escolares, Fundação Manuel António da Mota, KINDER (Centro de Estudos Sociais da UC). Has built 6 libraries in Cabo Verde since 2009.
• Turismo de Portugal - Escola de Hotelaria e Turismo de Coimbra (EHTC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with ESEC's Gastronomia course and CiTUR research unit for the Historical Gastronomy Workshops project.
• CIG - Comissão para a Cidadania e Igualdade de GéneromajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrategic framework provider for gender equality course content, aligned with CEDAW and ENIND 2018-2030 guidelines.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Universidade de Coimbra: One of the world's oldest universities and Coimbra's flagship higher education institution, offering comprehensive teacher training and education sciences alongside broader academic programs. Directly comparable as a higher education provider operating in the same geographic market and overlapping program areas.
• Universidade do Minho: Major Portuguese public university with a strong Institute of Education offering initial teacher training and postgraduate education programs. Comparable as a Portuguese higher education institution with overlapping teacher education and research portfolios.
• Universidade de Aveiro: Portuguese public university with a Department of Education and significant research output, also an ESEC project partner (SmartWalk consortium). Comparable as a research-active Portuguese higher education institution with teacher education and EU project participation.
• Universidade do Porto: Major Portuguese public research university with a Faculty of Psychology and Education Sciences offering teacher training at scale. Comparable as a Portuguese higher education institution with overlapping teacher education, postgraduate, and research portfolios.

Direct peers

• Instituto Politécnico de Leiria: Sister Portuguese polytechnic institution with overlapping teacher training and continuing education offerings, and a confirmed ESEC partner in the PROLEARN4ALL inclusive education project. Most directly comparable as a polytechnic peer in the same national system with similar scope.
• Instituto Politécnico de Viseu: Sister Portuguese polytechnic with overlapping teacher education and EU research project participation (ESEC partner in BlueEyes accessibility project). Comparable as a polytechnic higher education institution serving overlapping student segments in Portugal's polytechnic system.
• Instituto Politécnico do Porto: One of Portugal's largest polytechnic institutions with a dedicated Escola Superior de Educação offering teacher training comparable to ESEC's core mission. Most directly comparable peer as a polytechnic school of education within the Portuguese public higher education system.
• Instituto Politécnico de Lisboa: Lisbon-based polytechnic with an Escola Superior de Educação providing teacher training and education sciences, parallel in scope to ESEC. Comparable as a direct polytechnic peer within Portugal's public higher education system serving overlapping student segments.

Regional players

• University of Glasgow: UK Russell Group university whose School of Education originated the ACTIVATE methodology adopted by ESEC for the ACIONAR program. Comparable as a European partner university with a School of Education collaborating on community development and teacher education research.
• Universitat de Girona: Catalan public university and confirmed ESEC partner in the BE IN Erasmus+ KA2 project on inclusion of migrant and refugee children. Comparable as a European partner institution with a Faculty of Education collaborating on cross-border teacher education research.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/esectv
• Facebookfacebook.com/esec.coimbra
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/esecoimbra
• Instagraminstagram.com/ese.coimbra/?hl=pt
• Xtwitter.com/esecoimbra

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Polytechnic Institute of Coimbra - Higher School of Education