ALTERNANCE RHONE ALPES

What ALTERNANCE RHONE ALPES does

ALTERNANCE RHONE ALPES is the regional operating brand of Groupe Alternance, a French private vocational education network founded in 1998 and headquartered in Villeurbanne (Lyon). The regional entity operates 9 campuses across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region — Lyon/Villeurbanne, Grenoble, Chambéry, Saint-Étienne, Valence, Clermont-Ferrand, Montluçon, Bourg-en-Bresse, and Villefranche-sur-Saône — and is part of a wider national network of more than 70 campuses that the group describes as the largest alternance school in France.

Groupe Alternance's core product is a standardized, apprenticeship-based training portfolio delivered through alternating study-work contracts. Programs are accredited under French RNCP titles and span the full qualification ladder: Titre Pro and Bac Pro (Bac Pro level), BTS diplomas in MCO, NDRC, GPME, Communication and Comptabilité-Gestion (Bac+2), Bachelor degrees in commercial development, marketing and HR recruitment (Bac+3), and MBA/Mastère programs in business management, marketing, HR and corporate strategy (Bac+5). Curriculum, certification codes, and program durations are replicated across the network, with local campuses offering a subset tailored to regional demand.

The business model is tuition-funded through French apprenticeship contracts, typically financed by employer partners and OPCO mechanisms rather than direct student payment. Groupe Alternance reaches prospective students through direct campus enrollment, the website, education fairs (Studyrama), campus Job Dating events, a content blog (Campus Mag), and an active social media presence across Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, YouTube and LinkedIn. An "Espace Entreprise" portal facilitates the employer side of the two-sided marketplace, with named partners including Carrefour Market, Appart Fitness, Primagaz, Courir and Allianz. No AI capabilities, product-led growth mechanics, or technology platform differentiators are disclosed; the company's competitive position is built on physical distribution reach, brand reputation, and the network effect of its employer relationships.

Name

ALTERNANCE RHONE ALPES

Legal name

Groupe Alternance

Website

https://alternance-rhone-alpes.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1998

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ALTERNANCE RHONE ALPES is the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes regional brand of Groupe Alternance, France's largest alternance school, operating 9 campuses across Lyon, Grenoble, Chambéry, Saint-Étienne, Valence, Clermont-Ferrand, Montluçon, Bourg-en-Bresse and Villefranche-sur-Saône and delivering RNCP-accredited BTS, Bachelor and MBA programs to students via employer-funded apprenticeship contracts.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Apprenticeship Training

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Business and Secretarial Schools (611410)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Work-Based Learning Programs (Internships, Apprenticeships, Community-Based Instruction) (EDAKANAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Workforce Development & Continuing Education Divisions (Noncredit) (EDAHADAG)

Keywords

• Apprenticeship vocational training
• Alternance education programs
• BTS bachelor MBA degrees
• Commerce management training
• Human resources certification

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon (Villeurbanne)

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices9 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees for vocational training programs: Revenue generated from student tuition for alternating education programs including BTS, Bachelor, and MBA levels. Programs are typically funded through apprenticeship contracts with partner companies.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Groupe Alternance provides apprenticeship-based vocational education programs in France, spanning BTS (Bac+2), Bachelor (Bac+3), and MBA/Mastère (Bac+5) levels in fields including commerce, marketing, management, human resources, accounting, and communication. Programs alternate classroom instruction with paid work experience at partner companies and are delivered through a national network of 70+ campuses, including 9 locations in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Revenue is generated through student tuition fees typically funded via apprenticeship contracts.

Product overview

Groupe Alternance operates as a network of vocational education campuses across France, with a significant presence in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. The institution offers a unified portfolio of apprenticeship-based training programs ranging from BTS (Bac+2) through MBA (Bac+5) levels. Programs include BTS diplomas in commercial management, accounting, and communication; Bachelor degrees in commercial development, marketing, and HR recruitment; and MBA/Mastère advanced programs in business management, marketing, HR, and corporate strategy. The portfolio is organized as a single integrated educational platform with multiple campus locations offering standardized curricula, supplemented by professional certification tracks (Titre Pro) at various qualification levels. Programs are delivered through apprenticeship (alternance) contracts combining academic study with professional experience.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Alternance Vocational Training Programs (BTS, Bachelor, MBA portfolio) Integrated portfolio of apprenticeship-based vocational training programs ranging from BTS (Bac+2) through MBA (Bac+5) in commerce, marketing, management, HR, accounting, and communication; for students and career changers seeking qualifying diplomas with paid work-study placement.
• Mastère Manager d'Affaires Advanced master's level program (Bac+5, RNCP40257) focused on business management and development, offered through apprenticeship across multiple campuses including Clermont-Ferrand and Grenoble.
• Mastère Manager du marketing et de la relation client Master's level program (Bac+5, MBA, RNCP 38938) specializing in marketing management and customer relationship management, offered at multiple campuses including Bourg-en-Bresse and Chambéry.
• MBA Manager Commercial et Marketing MBA program focusing on commercial and marketing management, available in 14 campuses with apprenticeship and initial training options.
• MBA Manager en Ressources Humaines MBA specialization in human resources management (Bac+5, RNCP38460), offered at multiple campuses across France including Clermont-Ferrand.
• MBA Manager en stratégie d'entreprise Strategic business management MBA with specializations in Commercial Strategy, Digital Strategy, and International Business, available at 5 campuses including Montluçon.
• Bachelor Responsable du Développement Commercial Bachelor program (Bac+3, RNCP38505 and RNCP37849 variants) in commercial development management, with optional tracks in Entrepreneurship and Business Management or International, offered at multiple campuses including Villefranche-sur-Saône and Bourg-en-Bresse.
• Bachelor Responsable d'activité commerciale et marketing Bachelor program (Bac+3) specializing in commercial and marketing activity management, available at 19 campuses including Chambéry.
• Bachelor Chargé de recrutement et conseils en ressources humaines Bachelor program (Bac+3) focused on recruitment and HR consulting, available at 30 campuses including Clermont-Ferrand.
• BTS Management Commercial Opérationnel (MCO) Two-year BTS diploma program (Bac+2) in operational commercial management, available at Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry, and Clermont-Ferrand campuses.
• BTS Négociation et Digitalisation de la Relation Client (NDRC) BTS program (Bac+2) in negotiation and digitalization of customer relationships, offered at Bourg-en-Bresse, Chambéry, and Clermont-Ferrand campuses.
• BTS Gestion de la PME (GPME) BTS program (Bac+2) in small and medium enterprise management, available at 63 campuses including Chambéry and Clermont-Ferrand.
• BTS Communication BTS program (Bac+2) in communication, available at 7 campuses including Lyon.
• BTS Comptabilité et Gestion BTS program (Bac+2) in accounting and management, available at 4 campuses including Grenoble.
• Titre Pro Conseiller de vente Professional certification level 4 (Bac Pro equivalent) in sales advisory, 7-12 months duration, available at Bourg-en-Bresse and Clermont-Ferrand campuses.
• Titre Pro Assistant Manager d'unité marchande Professional certification in retail unit assistant management, 9-12 months duration, available at Chambéry campus.
• Bac Pro Métiers du commerce et de la vente (option A) Vocational diploma (Bac Pro) in commerce and sales professions, option A, available at Clermont-Ferrand campus.

Named customers4 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

Five partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Carrefour Market (Lyon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner providing apprenticeship opportunities for students at the Lyon campus
• Appart Fitness (Lyon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner providing apprenticeship opportunities for students at the Lyon campus
• Primagaz (Lyon)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner providing apprenticeship opportunities for students at the Lyon campus
• Courir (Saint-Étienne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner providing apprenticeship opportunities for students at the Saint-Étienne campus
• Allianz (Saint-Étienne)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEmployer partner providing apprenticeship opportunities for students at the Saint-Étienne campus

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• AFTRAL: AFTRAL is the leading French vocational training school for transport, logistics, and supply chain, operating a large national campus network with alternance-based programs. It mirrors Groupe Alternance's network-based, apprenticeship-driven business model in an adjacent vocational vertical.
• MBway: MBway operates a French network of business schools delivering Bachelor and MBA programs almost exclusively in alternance mode. It is a direct head-to-head competitor in the same Bac+3 to Bac+5 vocational business education segment as Groupe Alternance.
• Sup de V: Sup de V is a French business school network offering BTS, Bachelor, and MBA programs heavily weighted toward alternance across multiple French cities. It is a direct peer in the same geographic and program segment as Groupe Alternance.
• ISCOD: ISCOD is a French school specializing in alternance programs delivered partly through remote learning, covering commerce, marketing, HR, and digital functions. It competes with Groupe Alternance for the same apprenticeship-seeking student demographic in France.
• Pigier: Pigier is one of France's largest networks of vocational and business schools offering BTS, Bachelor, and MBA programs primarily through alternance contracts. It directly competes with Groupe Alternance in commerce, management, and HR specializations across multiple French cities.
• ESGF (ESG) schools (Groupe ESG): ESG operates a French network of specialized business schools (marketing, digital, finance, RH) with strong alternance offerings. It is a direct competitor to Groupe Alternance for students seeking Bachelor and MBA programs in commerce, marketing, and HR.

Broad incumbents

• CESI: CESI is a major French higher education network focused on engineering and industrial training with extensive apprenticeship (alternance) offerings. It competes with Groupe Alternance for the same employer-funded apprenticeship models and works with similar corporate partners.
• Groupe IGS: Groupe IGS is a French higher education group encompassing multiple schools (ICD, IGS-RH, MBA ESG) with significant alternance-based programs in business, HR, and digital. It is a broader incumbent overlap with Groupe Alternance in the Bac+3 to Bac+5 vocational segment.
• INSEEC (Groupe INSEEC): INSEEC is a large French private higher education group offering a broader portfolio (Grande École, BBA, MBA) across many cities, including some alternance pathways. It is a broader incumbent with overlapping BTS/Bachelor/MBA programs but more diversified across non-alternance formats.

Emerging players

• IMSI (Institut de Management Spécialisé et d'Informatique): IMSI is a smaller French vocational school offering BTS and Bachelor programs in commerce and management with alternance options. It is a regional/emerging competitor overlapping with Groupe Alternance's lower-tier BTS/Bachelor offerings in select markets.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@groupealternance/playlists
• Facebookfacebook.com/groupealternance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/alternance-rhone-alpes
• Instagraminstagram.com/groupealternance
• TikToktiktok.com/@groupe_alternance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 ALTERNANCE RHONE ALPES