APEL 44

What APEL 44 does

APEL 44 (Association des Parents d'élèves de l'Enseignement Libre de Loire-Atlantique) is a French Loi 1901 non-profit association serving parents of students enrolled in Catholic private schools across the Loire-Atlantique department. The organization operates as the sole departmental federation of parent associations within the French Catholic education system, providing four core service lines: the ICF (Information et Conseil aux Familles) advisory service covering orientation, inclusive education, and educational questions; RPE (Rencontres Parents École) parent-school dialogue sessions; a training program for elected APEL representatives on governance and association functioning; and the RAP (Réseau d'Animation Pastorale) pastoral animation network producing seasonal resources such as Advent and Lent booklets, plus an annual Christmas nativity competition. Additional services include a professional helpline operated by APEL Nationale, project funding for member schools, and periodic webinars on educational topics.

The underlying technology footprint is modest: a WordPress-based public website (apel44.fr) with a private member area for resource downloads, integrated with Brevo for email newsletter distribution. Member engagement occurs across Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, and a WhatsApp channel. The association does not maintain a mobile app, API, or proprietary digital product suite.

The revenue model is non-commercial. Membership is free to all parents and the primary value proposition is information services, training, pastoral resources, and representational advocacy rather than paid products or services. Funding flows originate from voluntary membership contributions, APEL Nationale allocations, and project-based grants. APEL 44 is governed by a volunteer board and operates with approximately 18 staff led by President Sébastien Chambeiron, Treasurer Karine Millet, and Coordinator Kristel Mespoulet. Strategic partnerships anchor the operating model, including DDEC, UDOGEC 44, APEL Académique des Pays de la Loire, UGSEL 44, APEL Nationale, and a growing portfolio of programmatic partners (Ya Foueï, Maison des Ados, Institut supérieur Ozanam).

Name

APEL 44

Legal name

Association des Parents d'élèves de l'Enseignement Libre de Loire-Atlantique

Website

https://apel44.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

APEL 44 is a French non-profit association providing information, training, pastoral animation, and representational services to parents of students in Catholic private schools across Loire-Atlantique. It operates as the sole departmental federation within the national APEL movement, offering free membership and community-led support.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Parent Association and Education Support Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business Associations (813910), Child and Youth Services (62411)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Youth Mental Health, Counseling & Wellbeing (Education-Linked) Nonprofits (BPAGADAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

School Climate, Culture & Belonging Initiatives (DEI-Aligned) (EDAKAMAM)

Keywords

• Parent association services
• Catholic education support
• Family advisory services
• Pastoral animation network
• Volunteer training programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: APEL 44 operates primarily through voluntary membership contributions. The organization provides free membership to parents, with the primary value proposition being information services, training, and community support rather than commercial products.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

APEL 44 is a non-profit parent association under French law (Loi 1901) that informs, supports, and represents parents of students in Catholic private schools across Loire-Atlantique. Its core offerings include the ICF (Information and Family Counseling) service covering orientation, inclusive education, and educational questions; RPE (Parent-School Meetings) for school-level dialogue; training programs for elected parent representatives; and the RAP (Pastoral Animation Network) providing spiritual and seasonal family resources.

Product overview

APEL 44 operates as a unified association providing support services to parents of students in Catholic private schools across Loire-Atlantique. The core offerings include the ICF (Information et Conseil aux Familles) service offering family advisory support, RPE (Rencontres Parents École) organizing parent-school dialogue sessions, and comprehensive training programs for elected APEL representatives. The RAP (Réseau d'Animation Pastorale) network delivers pastoral resources including Advent and Lent booklets, plus creative competitions. Additional services include project funding assistance for schools, a professional helpline for parents, and periodic webinars on educational topics. The organization functions as a membership-based association rather than a commercial product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ICF - Information et Conseil aux Familles (Family Information and Counseling Service) Family advisory service that informs, supports, and represents parents in Loire-Atlantique across three domains: career guidance and school-to-work transition, inclusive education, and educational questions. Targeted at parents of students in Catholic education.
• RPE - Rencontres Parents École (Parent-School Meetings) Parent-school dialogue meetings organized at various Catholic school establishments to discuss educational themes and foster dialogue between parents and educators, on topics such as authority, anti-bullying, and screens.
• Formations (Training Sessions for Parent Representatives) Training programs for elected APEL representatives covering association missions, functioning with school leadership, roles of president/secretary/treasurer, and representation of families. Delivered both in-person and via video.
• RAP - Réseau d'Animation Pastorale (Pastoral Animation Network) Pastoral animation network supporting parents in their spirituality, producing resources such as Advent calendars, Lent booklets, and Christmas nativity scene competitions, and facilitating pastoral actions at Catholic schools.
• Aide à Projet (Project Funding Assistance) Financial assistance program providing funding for APEL school organizations to support pedagogical materials, games and equipment, libraries/CDI/BDI-O, pastoral actions, and parent/child conferences.
• Ligne d'écoute APEL (Helpline) Professional phone helpline (01 46 90 09 60) available Monday-Friday (9h-18h, Tuesday 14h-19h) for parents with questions about education, orientation, or their child's schooling, provided via APEL Nationale.
• Concours de Noël (Christmas Nativity Scene Competition) Annual creative competition organized by the Pastoral Animation Network inviting establishment-level APEL groups to create nativity scene animations centered on Advent, Christmas, and Epiphany themes.
• Livret de l'Avent (Advent Family Booklet) Annual Advent preparation booklet for families containing prayers, family activities, self-care suggestions, and resources distributed by the Pastoral Animation Network.
• Livret de Carême (Lent Family Booklet) Annual Lent preparation booklet for families featuring Gospel texts, teen reflections, family activities, and prayers to prepare for Easter and the Easter season.
• Sondage Orientation (Orientation Survey) National survey initiative collecting parent perceptions on orientation toward scientific fields and career paths, as well as observed access inequalities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Connects parents with professional counseling via helpline: 01 46 90 09 60 (Monday-Friday 9h-18h, Tuesday 14h-19h)

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Maison des Ados de Loire-Atlantique et Nantes MétropoleminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 10 February 2026Partnership for theater-debate evenings addressing adolescent health topics (alcohol awareness, communication). Joint events organized in different municipalities.
• Ya Foueï AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 March 2025Disability awareness organization that provides the 'Juste une exposition sur le handicap' traveling exhibition. APEL 44 facilitates rental and animation of this exhibition for member schools.
• Institut supérieur OzanamminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 12 November 2024Collaborated on the 'Ecole pour Tous' initiative alongside DDEC, UDOGEC 44, Formiris Pays de la Loire, and CFNFEPT to build shared understanding of inclusive education.
• DDEC (Direction de l'Enseignement Catholique de Loire-Atlantique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPEL 44 collaborates closely with DDEC on educational initiatives including the 'Instant découverte' annual event and projects supporting students with special educational needs. The director diocesain participates in APEL events.
• UDOGEC 44coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUDOGEC (management organization for Catholic schools) works with APEL on training for elected parent representatives and school governance matters. Joint participation in assemblies and training sessions.
• APEL Académique des Pays de la LoirecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDepartmental APEL operates within the regional APEL académique structure. Coordinated activities include national training forum participation, academic futsal tournament, and shared formation resources.
• UGSEL 44minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSports federation for Catholic education mentioned as a partner organization, co-branded on the APEL 44 website footer.
• APEL NationalecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational parent association federation provides the helpline service (01 46 90 09 60), national formation programs, MOOC on bullying prevention, and policy advocacy for Catholic education families.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• APEL Nationale: National federation of Catholic parent associations to which APEL 44 belongs. Operates the helpline (01 46 90 09 60), national formation programs and MOOC on bullying used by APEL 44. Closely comparable mission of parent representation, formation and pastoral animation in Catholic education.
• APEL 85 (Vendée): Another sister departmental APEL chapter in Pays de la Loire. Comparable departmental-scale Catholic parent association with same formation, pastoral and inclusion service mix; useful benchmark for APEL 44's engagement metrics.
• APEL 49 (Maine-et-Loire): Sister departmental APEL chapter operating in neighbouring Maine-et-Loire with the same Loi 1901 association model, ICF/RPE/RAP service triad, and parent-representative training mandate. Directly comparable structure and offerings to APEL 44.
• APEL Académique des Pays de la Loire: Regional APEL body coordinating departmental APEL chapters including APEL 44 across Pays de la Loire. Direct structural peer, organizing the national training forum (nearly 300 participants) and the academic futsal tournament referenced in APEL 44's materials.
• APEL 35 (Ille-et-Vilaine): Departmental APEL chapter in neighbouring Ille-et-Vilaine, Bretagne. Provides like-for-like departmental peer for APEL 44 in terms of membership model, school-coverage scope, and ICF/RAP service design.

Emerging players

• UGSEL: National sports federation for Catholic education, already co-branded with APEL 44 on its website footer and involved in the departmental futsal tournament. Comparable ecosystem participant serving the same Catholic school community with a narrower sports-only mandate.

Broad incumbents

• FCPE (Fédération des Conseils de Parents d'Élèves): France's largest secular parent federation representing public-school families nationally. Comparable function (parent representation, training, advocacy) but at vastly larger scale and serving public rather than Catholic education. Direct competitor for parental attention and volunteer hours.
• UNAAPE (Union Nationale des Associations Autonomes de Parents d'Élèves): National umbrella for autonomous parent associations across public and private schools. Provides similar advocacy and formation services as APEL 44 but spans multiple school networks and operates at a national scale.
• PEEP (Parents d'Élèves de l'Enseignement Public): National public-school parent association providing formation and representation services similar to APEL 44 but for the public education system. Comparable mission and member-services structure, with broader secular reach.

Others

• DDEC Loire-Atlantique: Direction Diocésaine de l'Enseignement Catholique for Loire-Atlantique, APEL 44's core strategic partner on 'Instant découverte', 'Ecole pour Tous' and inclusive education initiatives. Adjacent ecosystem player rather than competitor, but deeply comparable in serving the Catholic education community.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@apelloireatlantique
• Facebookfacebook.com/apel44Nantes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/apel-44

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 APEL 44