AFISA / VFAS

What AFISA / VFAS does

AFISA-VFAS (Association fribourgeoise des institutions pour personnes âgées et de l'aide et des soins à domicile) is a private non-profit umbrella association under Swiss law, headquartered at Bd de Pérolles 2, 1700 Fribourg. It represents and serves member medico-social institutions across the canton of Fribourg, including nursing homes (EMS), specialized dementia units (USD), day care facilities (foyers de jour), home care services (ASAD / Spitex), coordination centers (centres de coordination), and health networks (Réseau santé de la Sarine, Singine, Glâne, Gruyère). Its primary purpose is to strengthen collaboration among sector actors in order to deliver quality living and care environments for elderly and frail persons. The association operates bilingually in French and German, covering all districts of the canton.

The association's portfolio spans a certification program (PalliAFri palliative care certification, recognized by the State of Fribourg), a dedicated Palliative Care Training Center, the Simple ID digital identity project for member institutions, management and leadership training for proximity managers, and the QUAFISA quality and sustainability framework. It also convenes annual "fil rouge" thematic training programs (2025: addiction; 2026: advanced-age psychiatry), ethics frameworks aligned with SAMW guidelines, and twice-yearly member assemblies. Strategic direction is governed by a 2023-2026 global plan developed through a Worldcafé consultation, and the association holds the Bilingualism Label awarded by the Forum du bilinguisme (June 2023).

AFISA-VFAS is funded through recurring membership fees from its institutional members and through institutional/public funding arrangements with the canton of Fribourg for coordination, training, and certification activities. It is not a product business; its go-to-market is community-led and member-driven, engaging institutional decision-makers directly through field outreach, member assemblies, training events, and advocacy with cantonal authorities (including the Service du médecin cantonal). The management team is small (approximately 5-6 people), with a planned leadership transition from Claude Bertelletto Küng to Laurent Monnard effective July 1, 2026. Revenue, financials, and headcount over time are not publicly disclosed.

Name

AFISA / VFAS

Legal name

Association fribourgeoise des institutions pour personnes âgées et de l'aide et des soins à domicile (AFISA-VFAS)

Website

https://afisa-vfas.ch

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

AFISA-VFAS is a non-profit umbrella association in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland, representing nursing homes, home care services, day care facilities, coordination centers, and health networks serving elderly and frail populations. It provides the PalliAFri palliative care certification, QUAFISA quality standards, training programs, and bilingual sector-wide advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Fribourg

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and institutional funding: As a recognized umbrella association (association faîtière) in the canton of Fribourg, AFISA-VFAS is funded through membership fees from its institutional members (EMS, home care services, health networks) and possibly public/subsidized institutional funding for its coordination, training, and certification activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

AFISA-VFAS is a non-profit umbrella association that represents medico-social institutions serving elderly and frail persons in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. It delivers collective services to its institutional members, including the PalliAFri palliative care certification, the AFISA Training Center for Palliative Care, the QUAFISA quality and sustainability standards, annual thematic training programs ('fil rouge'), management and leadership courses, and advocacy with cantonal and national authorities. It also coordinates collective projects such as the Simple ID digital identity initiative and supported-living partnerships.

Product overview

AFISA-VFAS is an association representing medico-social institutions and home care services in the canton of Fribourg, Switzerland. The organization does not offer a unified SaaS product but provides a portfolio of services including the PalliAFri certification program for palliative care, a dedicated Training Center for Palliative Care, the Simple ID digital identity project, professional management training programs, and quality standards (QUAFISA). These offerings support member nursing homes, day care facilities, and home care services in delivering quality care to elderly and vulnerable populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• PalliAFri Certification Voluntary certification program for palliative care targeting nursing homes (EMS), home care services (ASAD), and health networks in the canton of Fribourg, recognized by the State of Fribourg, aimed at ensuring access to general palliative care and anchoring good practices.
• AFISA-VFAS Training Center for Palliative Care Dedicated training center providing palliative care education for healthcare professionals working in the medico-social sector of the canton of Fribourg.
• Management and Leadership Training for Proximity Managers Professional development program for frontline managers and team leaders in long-term care settings, covering management skills and leadership competencies.
• QUAFISA Quality and Sustainability Standards Quality and sustainability norms developed by the association for its member institutions in the medico-social sector.
• Simple ID Digital Identity Project Collective digital identity initiative for streamlining administrative processes across member institutions.

Named customers5 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Pro Senectute Fribourg-FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPro Senectute Fribourg-Freiburg is a key strategic partner. AFISA-VFAS collaborated with Pro Senectute on a report regarding 'appartements avec accompagnement' (supported living for seniors), published in March 2026. The two associations jointly advocated to the canton for the development of supported housing for elderly persons. Pro Senectute also provides social support services for seniors in various housing projects partnered with AFISA members.
• CuravivacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCuraviva is the national association for Swiss nursing homes and day care facilities. AFISA-VFAS works with Curaviva on shared strategy (e.g., ARTISET/Curaviva joint strategy), quality standards (ELiA tool), and professional development. Christina Zweifel, Director of Curaviva, has presented at AFISA member assemblies.
• LBG (Ligues de la branche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLBG is listed as a partner of AFISA-VFAS. The nature of the partnership relates to branch coordination within the medico-social sector in Fribourg.
• Culture FoodminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulture Food is listed as a partner, likely related to communal catering initiatives such as the 'Cuisinons notre région' (regional cooking) charter for sustainable, local food in collective catering.
• WebstarminorOthersWebstar is listed as a partner, likely providing website or IT services to AFISA-VFAS.
• Forum du bilinguisme / Forum für ZweisprachigkeitcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Forum du bilinguisme awarded AFISA-VFAS its bilingualism label in June 2023, recognizing the association's bilingual (French/German) communication and operations as essential for serving the entire canton of Fribourg.
• Réseau santé de la GruyèrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe health network of Gruyère hosted the AFISA member assembly in June 2026 (at Salle La Grange, Riaz). AFISA works with health networks on projects such as day care facilities, the Gruyère-Horizon 2030 initiative for new nursing homes, and the PalliAFri certification.
• Réseau santé de la Singine (RSS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe health network of Sense (Saane district) hosted a member assembly at the Maggenberg nursing home and collaborates with AFISA on training events and quality initiatives.
• Réseau santé GlânecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Glâne health network opened its first day care facility in May 2025 and collaborates with AFISA on member activities and palliative care certification.
• Haute École de Santé de Fribourg (HEDS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFISA-VFAS partners with the HEDS for diploma ceremonies for health auxiliaries and Croix-Rouge accompaniment personnel (e.g., June 2025 ceremony). The HEDS also hosts training and continuing education events for member institutions.
• palliative fribourg / FreiburgcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFISA-VFAS partners with palliative Fribourg/Freiburg on the PalliAFri certification and collaborative events such as information evenings on palliative care support in the Glâne region.
• Swiss Academy of Medical Sciences (ASSM / SAMW)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFISA-VFAS references ASSM/SAMW ethical guidelines on palliative care, end-of-life care, and coercive measures, integrating them into its ethical framework for member institutions.
• Swiss Professional Association for Senior Organizations (ARTISET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFISA-VFAS aligns with ARTISET's strategy and standards through its membership and collaboration with Curaviva, contributing to national quality and policy frameworks for elder care in Switzerland.
• Service du médecin cantonal (Fribourg)coreOthersAFISA-VFAS works closely with the cantonal medical service on matters of public health, quality surveillance, elderly care policy, and regulatory compliance for EMS and home care services.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Spitex Suisse: National umbrella association for Swiss home care services (Spitex / aide et soins à domicile), the same home-care category AFISA-VFAS represents at the cantonal level in Fribourg.
• INSOS Switzerland: National umbrella association for social institutions, primarily serving people with disabilities but with a comparable association model (member-based, advocacy, training, quality standards) to AFISA-VFAS in the Swiss medico-social landscape.
• Curaviva Switzerland: National umbrella association for Swiss nursing homes (EMS) and day care facilities. Directly comparable to AFISA-VFAS as a higher-tier industry association, and already identified by AFISA-VFAS as a core strategic partner on quality standards and policy.
• AVDEMS (Association vaudoise d'établissements médico-sociaux): Cantonal umbrella association for nursing homes and medico-social institutions in the canton of Vaud. The closest functional analogue to AFISA-VFAS in a different canton, operating an essentially identical membership-association model.
• ARTISET: Swiss professional association for senior-care organizations, formed by the merger of Curaviva and INSOS. Directly comparable as a national umbrella body whose strategy and standards AFISA-VFAS explicitly aligns with.

Others

• senesuisse: Swiss industry association representing private-sector providers of elderly care services and retirement housing. Adjacent peer whose members overlap with AFISA-VFAS's institutional members, particularly on retirement housing and assisted living.

Emerging players

• palliative.ch: Swiss national association for palliative care, working alongside AFISA-VFAS on the PalliAFri certification. Comparable as a specialty association whose palliative-care expertise and network overlap with AFISA-VFAS's PalliAFri certification program.

Broad incumbents

• Pro Senectute Switzerland: Largest Swiss specialist organization for elderly persons, providing social support services across all cantons. Comparable to AFISA-VFAS as a broader elder-focused organization and explicit strategic partner (Pro Senectute Fribourg-Freiburg) on supported-housing initiatives.
• H+ Swiss Hospital Association: National umbrella for Swiss hospitals and clinics. Comparable as a higher-tier health-sector association whose policy, quality, and workforce frameworks intersect with the medico-social institutions AFISA-VFAS represents.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@afisa-vfasassociation
• Facebookfacebook.com/61553059907892
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/afisa-vfas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles6 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about AFISA / VFAS