European School Bergen

What European School Bergen does

European School Bergen (ESB), located in Bergen, North Holland, Netherlands, is a private-but-intergovernmentally-established international school providing multilingual education to approximately 550 pupils aged 4-18 across three language sections — English, French, and Dutch. Founded on 16 October 1963 originally to serve the Joint Research Centre in Petten, ESB is the sixth school in the Schola Europaea network, a system governed by a Board of Governors comprising representatives of 27 EU member states that approves a unified European Curriculum leading to the European Baccalaureate, an EU-recognized qualification accepted by universities across the EU and beyond. The school reports a 95-100% Baccalaureate pass rate and students from more than 40 countries, with 17 mother tongues represented in the community.

ESB's core product is the curriculum pathway from nursery through the two-year European Baccalaureate, delivered using mother-tongue instruction and a progressive second/third language model (English, French, German as Language 2; Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish, Latin as Language 3/4). Education is supported by standard IT infrastructure — every classroom equipped with a computer and touchscreen/projector, most with Smartboards, plus dedicated computer rooms and a wireless network — and by Microsoft Teams/OneNote-based distance learning capabilities demonstrated during COVID-19. Ancillary products include a crèhe (Little Europe, ages 2-4), school canteen operated by Markies Catering B.V., transportation services (minibus from Amsterdam and a scholierenlijn from Alkmaar Central Station), a tiered educational support system (General, Moderate, Intensive), a multilingual library, an S5 work-experience programme, and higher-education and careers guidance.

ESB generates revenue through three primary streams: (1) annual tuition fees paid by Category 3 pupils ranging €4,195.57 (Nursery) to €7,866.78 (Secondary) for 2025/26, with published sibling discounts of 20% for a second child and 40% for a third, (2) subscription fees of €17,226.24/year from businesses enrolling employees' children under special contracts, and (3) EU institutional funding associated with Category 1 (EU institution employees' children), who are fee-exempt. Go-to-market is primarily direct-to-consumer via the school's website, the European Schools network, EU institutional referral channels (notably JRC Petten and the European Medicines Agency), word-of-mouth within the Dutch international community, and the Parents' Association. The operating model is non-corporate: ESB has no external shareholders, is governed by the intergovernmental Schola Europaea framework, and is led by Director Per Frithiofson (since 1 September 2021) supported by international deputy directors overseeing Nursery/Primary, Secondary, and Finance & Administration.

Name

European School Bergen

Legal name

European School of Bergen

Website

https://esbergen.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

1963

Operating status

Operating

Short description

European School Bergen is a Netherlands-based, EU-intergovernmental international school providing multilingual nursery-through-Baccalaureate education to around 550 pupils across English, French, and Dutch language sections.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Primary and Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (611110)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Language Immersion & Bilingual Private Schools (EDAJABAL)

Keywords

• International education
• Multilingual schooling
• European Baccalaureate
• Primary secondary education
• Mother tongue instruction

Headquarters

HQ city

Bergen

HQ country

Netherlands

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Infrastructure, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Supply Chain

Revenue model

1. School Fees - Individual Pupils: Annual tuition fees charged to Category 3 (general public) pupils. Fees vary by cycle: Nursery €4,195.57, Primary €5,768.99, Secondary €7,866.78 for 2025/26. Discounts of 20% for 2nd child and 40% for 3rd child.
2. Special Contract for Businesses: Businesses can enrol employees' children under special contracts at €17,226.24 per year (2025/26), allowing mother tongue as Language 1 in any EU official language.
3. EU Institutional Funding: Category 1 pupils (children of EU institution employees) are exempt from school fees, implying funding comes from EU institutional budgets.
4. Canteen Services: School canteen operated by Markies Catering B.V. Cold lunches and hot meals pre-ordered. Revenue generated through food service provision.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

European School Bergen provides multilingual Nursery, Primary, and Secondary education (ages 4-18) across English, French, and Dutch language sections, following the European Schools curriculum and leading to the European Baccalaureate diploma. The school serves approximately 550 pupils from 40+ countries with mother tongue instruction and delivers integrated educational services including distance learning, creche, school canteen, transportation, and higher education guidance.

Product overview

European School Bergen is a 4-18 school offering multilingual education across three language sections (English, French, Dutch). The core educational offering consists of Nursery and Primary (ages 4-10) and Secondary (ages 11-18) programs following the European Schools curriculum leading to the European Baccalaureate. The school provides a holistic educational experience through integrated services including distance learning via Microsoft Teams/OneNote, a creche (Little Europe) for ages 2-4, school canteen operated by Markies Catering, transportation services from Amsterdam and Alkmaar, educational support services, library and media centre, work experience programs, and higher education careers guidance. Language instruction spans up to four languages plus Latin, with the distinctive feature of teaching human sciences in the second language.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Nursery and Primary Education Program Early childhood and primary education for ages 4-10 delivered across English, French, and Dutch language sections following the European Schools Early Education Curriculum. Includes Nursery (M1-M2) and Primary (P1-P5) cycles with European Hours in mixed language groups.
• Secondary Education Program Secondary education for ages 11-18 covering lower secondary (S1-S3), middle secondary (S4-S5), and the two-year European Baccalaureate preparation (S6-S7). Includes language options, sciences, humanities, and arts across three language sections.
• European Baccalaureate Official leaving qualification awarded by European Schools at end of two-year program (S6-S7), recognized by all EU member states. Consists of 50% internal work and exams, 50% written and oral examinations, with 95-100% pass rate at ES Bergen.
• Language Sections Program Multilingual education delivered in English, French, and Dutch sections where Language 1 is taught as mother tongue/dominant language, Language 2 (English, French, or German) from age 6, and Language 3/4 options including Dutch, German, French, Italian, Spanish, and Latin.
• Distance Learning Hybrid teaching and distance learning capabilities using Microsoft Teams and OneNote for students unable to attend in person, including live lesson streaming and digital material distribution.
• Crèche - Little Europe Crèche service for children aged 2-4 located at or associated with the school, providing exposure to languages of sections before formal enrollment.
• School Canteen Services Catering service operated by Markies Catering B.V. providing cold lunches, drinks, and pre-orderable hot meals with dietary information for each item.
• Transportation Services Transport facilitation including organized minibus service from Amsterdam and public bus service (scholierenlijn) from Alkmaar Central station stopping at the school.
• Educational Support Services Three-tiered support system (General, Moderate, Intensive) for children needing extra help managing curriculum, including targeted support for children with special diagnoses from educational psychologists.
• Higher Education and Careers Guidance Careers guidance team across language sections providing university application support, references, and connections with universities across Europe. Includes two-week work experience programme for S5 students as part of careers preparation.
• Work Experience Programme Two-week work experience programme for S5 students as part of careers guidance and higher education preparation.
• Library and Media Centre Library containing books in multiple languages with librarian and parent volunteers assistance, available for primary school classes; separate library facilities for nursery/primary and secondary cycles.

Quantifiable outcome

• European Baccalaureate pass rate between 95-100%
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration9 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Joint Research Centre PettencoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school was originally established in 1963 to support the newly opened Joint Research Centre in Petten. Sciences and Mathematics curriculum reflects this close relationship with the JRC. The school's science programs are particularly strong due to proximity and collaboration with this EU research institution.
• European Schools (Schola Europaea)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerES Bergen is part of the European Schools network operating under the Schola Europaea umbrella. Curriculum is approved by the Board of Governors comprising 27 EU member state delegations. Around 35,000 pupils attend European Schools in 13 European countries.
• Markies Catering B.V.minorOthersOperates the school canteen providing cold lunches, drinks, and pre-orderable hot meals. Contract valued at €420,000 (2023-24 canteen tender). Two teachers supervise nursery and primary pupils during hot meals.
• Parents' Association (European School Parents Netherlands)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Parents' Association (europeanschool-parents.nl) supports school activities and organizes extra-curricular programs including sporting activities and music lessons. Key partner in school community engagement.
• Little Europe (Playschool Little Europe)minorOthersCrèche service for children aged 2-4 years located within or associated with the school. Contact: [email protected]. Helps prepare children for eventual enrollment in language sections.
• AllesKits (BSO)minorOthersBefore and after-school childcare services (BSO - Buitenschoolse Opvang) provided by AllesKits at https://www.kovalleskits.nl/bso-europese-school. Available for children from all language sections whose parents work longer hours.
• Erasmus+ ProgrammeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSchool participates in Erasmus+ programme. News items mention Erasmus+ visits including Water Management Workshop. International mobility and exchange opportunities for students and staff.
• Alingua SolutionsminorOthersListed as contact partner on website footer. Suggests professional language services relationship for multilingual communications and documentation.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves12 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• United World College Maastricht: International, mission-driven K-12 college in Maastricht with a multilingual and globally mobile student body, comparable curriculum philosophy and outcomes emphasis to ESB.

Broad incumbents

• International School of Brussels: Large, established international school in Brussels offering IB programs across multiple languages; broader portfolio than ESB but serves the same EU expatriate family niche.

Direct peers

• European School Luxembourg I: Direct peer in the European Schools system serving EU institution families in Luxembourg; identical multilingual K-12 model, Baccalaureate, and intergovernmental governance structure.
• British School in the Netherlands: Established international school near The Hague offering English-medium K-12 education; competes for the same international family segment in the Randstad as ESB.
• European School Brussels III: Sister school within the same European Schools (Schola Europaea) network, delivering the same European Baccalaureate curriculum across multiple language sections to children of EU institution employees in Brussels.
• International School of The Hague: Major international K-12 school in The Hague serving Dutch and expatriate families with IB programs, overlapping directly with ESB's target segments and the JRC Petten / IGCSE feeder base.
• European School Munich: Sister European School in Munich operating the same Schola Europaea multilingual K-12 curriculum with mother-tongue instruction across multiple language sections.
• European School Frankfurt: Direct peer European School serving EU institutional and international families in the Frankfurt region, sharing the same curriculum, governance, and Baccalaureate pathway.
• European School Strasbourg: Sister European School in Strasbourg operating under the same Schola Europaea framework with EN/FR/DE language sections, drawing from the same EU institutional feeder model.
• Amsterdam International School: Leading international school in the Dutch Randstad competing for the same expatriate and internationally-minded Dutch families as ESB, with comparable IB and multilingual offerings.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@europeseschoolbergen
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php?id=61556208115051
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/european-school-bergen-nh
• Instagraminstagram.com/europeanschoolbergen

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 European School Bergen