STIFTELSEN BAKKETUN FOLKEHØGSKOLE

What STIFTELSEN BAKKETUN FOLKEHØGSKOLE does

Stiftelsen Bakketun Folkehøgskole is a Norwegian Christian folk high school (folkehøgskole) operated as a private foundation (stiftelse) and affiliated with Normisjon, the Norwegian Mission Alliance. Founded in 1915 and located in Verdal, Trøndelag, the school delivers year-long experiential gap-year programs for young adults aged 16 and older, with no exams or grades. Its core offering consists of six main program lines — Sport Extreme Australia, Challenge Explore, Gaming Aktiv, Kunsthåndverk (arts and crafts), Musikk og Lydproduksjon (music and sound production), and Norway — language, culture and travel — plus a half-year variant for five of the lines, a Dronepilot certification line, and elective and project subjects. Programs combine shared living in three boarding buildings (small units of 8-12 students), ~13 hours per week of common subjects, integrated international study trips to Australia, Thailand, London, New York, and Spain, and optional Lånekassen loan support of up to NOK 151,690 for 2025-2026. Ancillary revenue is generated by Bakketun Catering, which provides year-round event catering, venue rental, and summer accommodation at published per-person and per-night pricing.

The business model is direct-to-consumer: students apply through the centralized Norwegian folkehogskole.no portal or directly via the school's website and admissions line. Pricing is all-inclusive and bundled, ranging from NOK 149,100 to NOK 176,424 per full-year program depending on line and accommodation tier (single/double room, private/shared bathroom), with a NOK 10,000 reduction announced for 2026/2027 funded by a gift. Ancillary services (Bakketun Catering, venue rental, accommodation) use unit/per-event pricing for weddings, corporate events, conferences, and overnight guests primarily from mid-May through August. Marketing is multi-channel: the school's website, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, student testimonials, campus visits, and the national folkehogskole.no portal. There is no proprietary technology platform — delivery relies on traditional experiential teaching methods and physical facilities (gymnasium, skate hall, bouldering room, sound studio, black box, pottery studio, and a large garden) added to the campus with a new boarding building in 2014.

Name

STIFTELSEN BAKKETUN FOLKEHØGSKOLE

Legal name

Stiftelsen Bakketun Folkehøgskole

Website

https://bakketun.fhs.no

Company type

Private

Founded year

1915

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Bakk

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Folk High School Education

NAICS

Other Schools and Instruction (6116), Sports and Recreation Instruction (61162), Language Schools (611630), All Other Schools and Instruction (61169)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000)

akta.pro primary industry

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Outdoor & Wilderness Education Schools (Field-Based Learning) (THAAAOAA), Youth-to-Adult Transition & Life Skills (Independent Living, Soft Skills) (EDAAAFAN), Youth & Teen Language Camps (Summer/Winter) (EDAIAEAF)

Keywords

• Folk high school education
• Gap year programs
• Residential boarding school
• Experiential learning courses
• Norwegian language immersion

Headquarters

HQ city

Verdal

HQ country

Norway

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Program Fees: Full-year and half-year programs with tuition fees varying by program line and accommodation type. Fees include registration, shared costs, study tours, board and lodging, and line-specific activities.
2. Catering and Event Services: Catering services offered year-round for events including weddings, birthdays, confirmations, corporate events, and conferences. Includes venue rental and accommodation services during summer months.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Bakketun Folkehøgskole is a Norwegian Christian folk high school delivering year-long and half-year residential educational programs (linjer) for young people aged 16-24, including Sport Extreme Australia, Challenge Explore, Gaming Aktiv, Kunsthåndverk, Musikk og Lydproduksjon, Norway language/culture/travel, and Dronepilot. Programs include boarding, meals, and international study tours. The school also operates ancillary catering, event venue rental, and accommodation services through its commercial division.

Product overview

Bakketun Folkehøgskole is a Christian folk high school offering a diverse portfolio of experiential educational programs (linjer) designed as gap-year alternatives to traditional schooling. The core offerings include seven main educational lines: Sport Extreme Australia (extreme sports in Australia/Thailand), Challenge Explore (outdoor adventure in Australia/Asia), Gaming Aktiv (esports with fitness balance, age 16+), Kunsthåndverk (arts and crafts with trips to London/New York), Musikk og Lydproduksjon (music and audio production), Norway – language, culture and travel (Norwegian language for international students), and Dronepilot (drone certification). These are supplemented by required Common Subjects (approximately 13 hours/week covering faith studies, cultural activities, and physical education), elective Project Subjects (four-week intensive courses in specialized topics), and short-period Elective Subjects (3-4 week modules in activities like climbing, riding, music, and crafts). The school also operates ancillary catering, event venue rental, and accommodation services through a separate commercial division. All programs include study tours, and the whole school participates in a joint trip to Spain.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Sport Extreme Australia Intensive sports and outdoor adventure program featuring extreme sports such as surfing, skydiving, kayaking, rock climbing, and mountain biking, with study trips to Australia and Thailand. Designed for students seeking a gap year experience focused on physical challenges and international travel.
• Challenge Explore Outdoor adventure and exploration program combining hiking, climbing, kayaking, and wilderness survival skills with cultural experiences, featuring trips to Australia and Asia. Designed for students who want to develop outdoor competencies and experience new cultures.
• Gaming Aktiv Gaming-focused program combining competitive esports training (Counter-Strike, Overwatch 2, Valorant), team building, physical fitness, and outdoor activities, with a study trip to Australia. Minimum age 16. Designed for gaming enthusiasts seeking balance with active lifestyle and social development.
• Kunsthåndverk (Arts and Crafts) Arts and crafts program covering ceramics, pottery, jewelry making, leatherwork, painting, and textile arts, with study trips to London and New York. Minimum age 16. Targeted at students who want to develop creative skills and explore artistic disciplines.
• Musikk og Lydproduksjon (Music and Sound Production) Music and audio production program covering instrumental performance, singing, music theory, sound engineering, recording, and live sound, with study trips to London and New York. Minimum age 16. Designed for aspiring musicians and audio producers.
• Norway – language, culture and travel International program focused on Norwegian language learning, cultural immersion, and outdoor adventures within Norway, designed for students seeking to experience Norwegian culture. Targeted at international students.
• Dronepilot (Drone Pilot) Drone pilot certification program teaching flight skills, filming techniques, photo capture, video editing, and professional drone operation, with a study trip to Australia. Designed for students interested in drone technology and aerial photography/videography.
• Half-Year Courses Spring semester programs available for Sport Extreme Australia, Challenge Explore, Gaming Aktiv, Arts and Crafts, and Music and Sound Production, allowing students to experience key highlights within a condensed timeframe. Targeted at students who want a shorter folk high school experience.
• Common Subjects (Fellesfag) Required common curriculum totaling approximately 13 hours per week, including standpoint/faith studies, choir and cultural studies, civic engagement, boarding school studies, and physical activity. Forms the core academic component of every student's program.
• Catering Services Year-round catering service providing homemade meals from scratch for events and gatherings, available for external bookings. Targeted at event hosts, families, and local businesses in the Verdal/Trøndelag area seeking quality catering for weddings, confirmations, corporate events, and celebrations.
• Event Venue Rental Rental of event spaces including dining hall (capacity 100), living room (capacity 30-40), and gymnasium for celebrations including weddings, confirmations, memorial services, and corporate events. Targeted at local families, organizations, and businesses in the Verdal area.
• Accommodation Services Guest accommodation with breakfast included, featuring rooms with private or shared bathroom facilities, available from mid-May through August and during the school year when capacity allows. Targeted at tourists, event guests, and visitors in the Verdal area.

Quantifiable outcome

• 90% attendance required for school year approval and conversion of loan to scholarship
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• NormisjoncoreOthersBakketun Folkehøgskole is affiliated with Normisjon, a Norwegian Christian mission and development organization. While the school is Christian and values-driven, it welcomes students of all faiths and backgrounds. Normisjon provides organizational and ideological support.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• EF Education First: Global education company offering gap year and language-immersion programs including study abroad. Comparable to Bakketun's international 'Norway – language, culture and travel' line and adjacent international student recruitment model.

Direct peers

• Outward Bound: International non-profit specializing in outdoor experiential education with residential courses and team-based challenges. Highly comparable to Bakketun's Sport Extreme Australia and Challenge Explore lines in pedagogy and target motivation.
• Nordland folkehøgskole: Northern-Norway folk high school serving a similar regional gap-year market with year-long residential programs. Comparable in program structure, scale, and Christian/values orientation.
• NOLS (National Outdoor Leadership School): US-based wilderness education provider delivering residential, expedition-style learning for young adults. Overlaps with Bakketun's outdoor adventure lines and international study-tour concept.
• Ålesund folkehøgskole: Established Norwegian folk high school offering year-long residential programs for the 16-24 age group. Directly comparable to Bakketun in structure (year-long, no grades, elective lines) and target segment.
• Danvik folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school offering residential gap-year programs with multiple electives and shared living — closely aligned with Bakketun's structural and pedagogical model.
• Solbakken folkehøgskole: Christian-affiliated Norwegian folk high school with year-long residential programming and no-exam pedagogy, very close to Bakketun's organizational and value alignment.
• Ringerike folkehøgskole: One of the larger Norwegian Christian folk high schools, also affiliated with a Christian mission organization. Offers a similar residential, year-long, no-exams folk high school model with multiple program lines, comparable to Bakketun in mission, structure, and target demographic.
• Heggem folkehøgskole: Norwegian folk high school with a year-long residential gap-year model for young adults aged 16+. Directly comparable to Bakketun in target demographic, duration, and residential pedagogy.

Others

• Noregs Mållag / Information office for folkehøgskoler: National Norwegian folk high school information and application portal through which all schools (including Bakketun) recruit students. Relevant ecosystem-level comparator for distribution and applicant-side competition.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/bakketunfhs
• Instagraminstagram.com/bakketunfhs
• TikToktiktok.com/@bakketunfhs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/stiftelsen-bakketun-folkeh%C3%B8gskole

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles13 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 STIFTELSEN BAKKETUN FOLKEHØGSKOLE