Académie Diomède

What Académie Diomède does

Académie Diomède is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded in 2008 by World Cup 1998 champion Bernard Diomède and his wife Delphine Diomède, a former teacher and educational advisor. Headquartered at Groupe Scolaire La Salle Saint-Nicolas in Issy-les-Moulineaux, the organization operates a youth education-through-sports program using football as an educational lever rather than a competitive end. It serves approximately 300 young people annually from 6th grade through Terminale, drawn primarily from disadvantaged neighborhoods, via its proprietary "Triple Project" methodology (Scolaire-Sportif-Social) that integrates academic success, sporting practice, and social development.

The core delivery is organized into five specialized programs — Sport et Santé (nutrition and health), Réussite Educative (homework help and tutoring), Académie pour Elles (women's football, launched 2012), Accompagnement Professionnel (career guidance), and Egalité des Chances (equal opportunity) — supplemented by a Futsal competitive program (2023), summer camps at Clairefontaine and Aix-en-Provence, and annual Diomede Cup events. Outcomes reported include a 100% Baccalauréat success rate for three consecutive years (2015–2017) and alumni advancing to professional football (notably Jean-Clair Todibo at FC Barcelona and Mélissa Gomes at Stade de Reims).

The business model is donation- and grant-funded rather than fee-based: partnerships with Fondation FDJ (since 2011, renewed through 2024), Fondation SNCF, Fondation Lactel, Hauts-de-Seine Department, Ministère chargé de la Ville et du Logement, Agence Nationale du Sport, and Nike provide financial support, while in-kind contributions come from France 98 champions (Deschamps, Jacquet, Blanc) for mentoring and events. The organization employs 13 staff and is governed by its founding family, with no parent company or institutional equity ownership.

Name

Académie Diomède

Legal name

Académie Diomède

Website

https://academie-diomede.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Académie Diomède is a French non-profit founded in 2008 by World Cup 1998 champion Bernard Diomède that uses football as an educational tool to support approximately 300 disadvantaged youth annually from 6th grade through Terminale, delivered via a Triple Project methodology combining academics, sport, and social development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Youth Education Through Sport

NAICS

Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Arts, Sports & Recreation-Based Youth Development Nonprofits (BPAGADAJ)

akta.pro secondary industry

Youth & Scholastic Sports Organizations (K–12, AAU, Club Leagues) (MPAKACAF)

Keywords

• Youth education
• Sports education
• Football training
• Youth development
• Social inclusion

Headquarters

HQ city

Issy-les-Moulineaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Foundation and institutional funding: Académie Diomède operates primarily through grants, donations, and institutional partnerships rather than direct revenue generation. The academy receives support from foundations (FDJ, SNCF, Lactel), government bodies, and corporate sponsors.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Académie Diomède runs a year-round, tuition-free youth development program that uses football as an educational lever, blending daily sports training with academic tutoring, civic education, and social support for young people from 6th grade through Terminale, primarily from disadvantaged French neighborhoods. The academy enrolls roughly 300 youth per year at its Issy-les-Moulineaux headquarters integrated with La Salle Saint-Nicolas school, delivers five specialized sub-programs (Sport et Santé, Réussite Educative, Académie pour Elles, Accompagnement Professionnel, Egalité des Chances), a competitive Futsal track, seasonal camps at Clairefontaine and other French cities, and flagship events such as the Diomede Football Cup.

Product overview

Académie Diomède is a unified youth education-through-sports program founded by World Cup 98 champion Bernard Diomède and his wife Delphine. The organization operates a single integrated offering centered on its Triple Project methodology (Scolaire-Sportif-Social), combining football training with academic support and social development. The core program encompasses five specialized programs: Sport et Santé (health/nutrition), Réussite Educative (academic support), Académie pour Elles (women's football), Accompagnement Professionnel (career guidance), and Egalité des Chances (equal opportunity). Additional offerings include seasonal camps at Clairefontaine, competitive events (Diomede Cup, Kids Cup, Golf Cup, Padel Cup), a Futsal competitive program, and the ABD Mag publication. The organization partners with La Salle Saint-Nicolas school in Issy-les-Moulineaux for academic delivery.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Académie pour Elles: A dedicated program for female football launched in 2012, focused on feminization of football, accessibility, and social emancipation through sport.

Products and services

• Core Program — Triple Projet Scolaire-Sportif-Social Year-round, tuition-free youth education-through-sport program combining daily football training with academic tutoring, civic education, and personal development for approximately 300 youth annually at the academy's Issy-les-Moulineaux headquarters, delivered through the Triple Projet methodology.
• Sport et Santé (Sport and Health) Sub-program combining football practice with health education, including nutrition workshops, sleep awareness, and healthy-lifestyle habits for young athletes. Delivered in partnership with Fondation Lactel (nutrition workshops, e-books for families).
• Réussite Educative (Educational Success)
• Académie pour Elles Women's football sub-program launched in 2012 promoting the feminization of football, accessibility for girls and young women, and social emancipation through regular practice and participation in major women's football events.
• Accompagnement Professionnel (Professional Support)
• Egalité des Chances (Equal Opportunity)
• Summer Football Camps (Stage Football Été) Seasonal summer football camps held at Clairefontaine and other French cities offering immersive experiences combining football training, educational activities, and cultural visits, with active involvement of France 98 players.
• Futsal Program Competitive indoor-football (Futsal) training program for high-school students, with three weekly sessions and participation in UNSS Futsal competitions.
• Diomède Football Cup
• Diomède Kids Cup
• Diomède Golf Cup
• Diomède Padel Cup
• ABD Mag'

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% Baccalauréat success rate for multiple consecutive years
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• e-EnfancesupportingStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 June 2020Association partnered with to provide expert guidance on digital safety for youth. e-Enfance professionals conducted workshops with students on cyberbullying, online relationships, and information verification.
• La Salle Saint-NicolascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school group hosting the academy's headquarters in Issy-les-Moulineaux. Provides educational infrastructure and integration for the academy's academic programs alongside sports training.
• NikesupportingOthersAppears as a partner/logo sponsor providing sports equipment and apparel support.
• France 98 PlayerscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorld Cup 1998 champions including Didier Deschamps, Aimé Jacquet, Laurent Blanc, and others invest time in the academy since 2008, participating in summer camps and mentorship programs.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Sport dans la Ville: France's largest sports-based youth integration nonprofit, founded in 1998, using soccer and other sports to support youth from disadvantaged neighborhoods. Directly comparable mission (sport as social integration tool), similar French geography, and similar funding model (corporate and foundation grants).
• Foot Solidaire: French nonprofit founded in 2014 using football to promote social and professional inclusion of youth from disadvantaged areas. Comparable methodology (football + education), target demographic, and French geography.
• Premiers de Cordée: French nonprofit using sports (including football) to support hospitalized and disabled children and youth inclusion. Comparable sports-education integration model and French nonprofit structure serving disadvantaged youth populations.

Others

• Française des Jeux Foundation (Fondation FDJ): Not a peer in the operational sense but a key funding partner. Comparable as a French nonprofit funding mechanism for youth education through sport; relevant for understanding funding landscape and competing grant applicants.
• Décathlon Foundation: Corporate foundation supporting sport for social inclusion across France and internationally. Comparable as a major corporate funder of sport-based youth programs; relevant for competitive funding landscape.
• Fondation du Sport Français: French charitable foundation supporting youth through sport. Comparable as a nonprofit funding ecosystem for sports-based youth development, relevant for benchmarking partnership models.

Broad incumbents

• Clairefontaine (FFF National Training Center): French Football Federation's national training center for elite youth player development. Comparable as a French football development institution; broader scope (elite pipeline) but similar target demographic of young French footballers, including hosting Académie Diomède's summer camps.
• Paris Football Academy (PSG Academy programs): Paris Saint-Germain's broader youth development academy programs across France. Comparable as a structured football-plus-education program for French youth from diverse backgrounds; broader professional club ecosystem but overlapping beneficiary base and methodology.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bernarddiomede
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCP3LN2ZO1L8EG-Bb5IsoKTA
• Facebookfacebook.com/AcademieDiomede
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/acad%C3%A9mie-bernard-diom%C3%A8de
• Instagraminstagram.com/academiediomede

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Académie Diomède