Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft

Name

Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft

Legal name

HFA Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft AG

Website

https://aussenwirtschaft.biz

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Vocational Education

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (611430), Technical and Trade Schools (61151)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International Business & Global Management Schools (EDAHAHAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Duty Optimization & Special Programs (Drawback, FTZ, Bonded Warehouses, Inward/Outward Processing) (TLACAGAF), Trade Facilitation, Customs & Border Regulatory Cooperation (BPADANAG)

Keywords

• Professional foreign trade education
• Export import certification
• Supply chain training
• Customs and incoterms seminars
• Swiss federal diplomas

Headquarters

HQ city

Aarau

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Course Tuition Fees: Primary revenue from professional education course fees. Programs include certificate courses, federal exam preparation programs (Fachausweis), and advanced diplomas (eidg. Diplom). Fees vary by membership status with procure.ch members receiving discounted rates.
2. Certification and Exam Fees: Revenue from administering and proctoring federal certification exams. Exam fees for professional certifications range from CHF 1,715 to CHF 2,700.
3. Aussenwirtschaftshandbuch Publication: Sale of the International Trade Handbook (Aussenwirtschaftshandbuch) published by HFA/procure.ch. Book priced at CHF 52.50 including VAT, serving as a reference work for exporters, importers, logisticians, and banking professionals.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

HFA Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft provides continuing professional education in foreign trade (Aussenhandel) and supply chain management, delivered through a Blended Learning model. The core product portfolio includes four progressive certification programs (Sachbearbeiter Auftragsabwicklung, Aussenhandelsfachmann with eidg. Fachausweis, Aussenhandelsleiter with eidg. Diplom, and Supply Chain Manager with eidg. Diplom) and seven single-day topical seminars on Incoterms, customs, export documents, and export control. HFA also publishes the Aussenwirtschaftshandbuch reference handbook and operates as the education division of procure.ch.

Product overview

HFA Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft offers a portfolio of professional certification programs and single-day seminars in foreign trade (Aussenhandel) and supply chain management. The core offerings consist of four progressive certification programs: the SBIE certificate (entry-level, 84 lessons), the BLAF federal certification (308+ lessons), the Aussenhandelsleiter diploma (344+ lessons), and the Supply Chain Manager diploma (3 semesters). Supporting these are seven targeted seminars covering specific topics including Export kompakt, Import kompakt, Exportdokumente & Versandpapiere, Zoll-Grundlagen, Incoterms, Exportkontrolle, and U.S. Re-Exportkontrollrecht. The institution also publishes the Aussenwirtschaftshandbuch as a reference work. All programs follow a Blended Learning model combining classroom instruction, online learning, and practical application, and are administered through the procure.ch platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sachbearbeiter/in Auftragsabwicklung Export/Import (HFA-procure.ch Zertifikat)

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• procure.chflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022Since 2022, HFA has been part of procure.ch, the professional association for purchasing and supply management. This integration provides HFA access to procure.ch's member network, combined Blended Learning model, event infrastructure, and marketing channels. HFA operates under the umbrella of procure.ch for Bildung (education) activities.
• WZR (Wirtschaftszentrum)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorWZR serves as a regional partner delivering the Aussenhandelsfachfrau/Aussenhandelsfachmann program in Eastern Switzerland (Ostschweiz), specifically in Rorschach and Altstätten. WZR is a recognized education provider in logistics and foreign trade.
• EPAH-EFCEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe examination organization EPAH-EFCE (Eidgenössische Prüfungskommission Aussenhandel - European Federation of Foreign Trade Education) conducts the official Swiss federal examinations for foreign trade professionals, including the Aussenhandelsfachmann Fachausweis and Aussenhandelsleiter Diplom.
• GS1 (Switzerland)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGS1 conducts the official Swiss federal Higher Professional Examination (eidg. Höhere Fachprüfung) for Supply Chain Managers. The diploma exam is administered under supervision of the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI).

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Others

• EPAH-EFCE: Swiss federal examination body (Eidgenössische Prüfungskommission Aussenhandel) that conducts the official Fachausweis and Diplom exams for which HFA prepares students. Functions as exam authority and ecosystem gatekeeper rather than direct competitor, but shapes curriculum and credentialing standards.

Direct peers

• GS1 Switzerland: Administers the official Swiss federal Higher Professional Examination (eidg. Höhere Fachprüfung) for Supply Chain Managers—the diploma exam HFA prepares students for. Functions simultaneously as exam body and ecosystem partner in the same foreign trade/SCM credentialing space.
• KV Business School Zürich: Swiss vocational business school listed as an HFA partner institute, offering parallel professional education tracks including commercial and business administration programs. Competes for the same working professional student base in German-speaking Switzerland.
• BZWU Bildungszentrum Zürich und Winterthur: Listed HFA partner institute delivering technical and procurement disciplines. Competes in the same Swiss vocational continuing education market for working professionals seeking certifications.
• WZR Wirtschaftszentrum: Regional Swiss education provider in Eastern Switzerland delivering the same Aussenhandelsfachmann program in Rorschach and Altstätten as a channel partner to HFA. Operates in identical niche (logistics and foreign trade vocational education) for the same student segment.

Broad incumbents

• Kalaidos Fachhochschule: Swiss private university of applied sciences offering business and SCM-related programs at a broader scale. Competes for the same Swiss professional upskilling market but with a wider portfolio spanning multiple disciplines.
• HWZ Hochschule für Wirtschaft Zürich: Larger, more established Swiss business school offering broader management and business education including SCM-adjacent topics. Overlaps with HFA's diploma-level offerings but as part of a wider portfolio rather than specializing in foreign trade.
• Fernfachhochschule Schweiz (FFHS): Swiss distance-learning university offering flexible business and SCM programs online. Represents a different delivery model (fully remote) but targets similar working professionals seeking credentials in business and supply chain.

Regional players

• Export-Akademie des BW-IHK: German Chamber of Commerce foreign trade academy offering similar Aussenhandel certification programs. Operates in adjacent DACH market with comparable curriculum (Incoterms, customs, export controls) but does not directly compete in Switzerland.
• AHK (Deutsch-Schweizerische Handelskammer): German-Swiss Chamber of Commerce offering cross-border trade training and certifications. Operates in similar bilateral trade compliance education space but primarily serves German-Swiss commercial exchange rather than Swiss domestic trade certification.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/HFAWeiterbildung
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/hfaweiterbildung
• Instagraminstagram.com/hfaweiterbildung

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Höhere Fachschule für Aussenwirtschaft