Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana

What Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana does

Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana (BIC Ljubljana) is a public educational institution (javni zavod) established in 1949 in Ljubljana, Slovenia, operating under the Slovenian Ministry of Education, Science and Sport. It is one of the ten largest school centers in Slovenia, delivering 9 secondary vocational programs, 2 higher vocational programs, and more than 70 short training programs across veterinary medicine, food science and nutrition, biotechnology, natural conservation, and hospitality and tourism. Its student body draws from secondary school applicants, higher vocational learners, and adult continuing-education participants, with 498 first-year enrollees recorded in 2022.

The institution's distinctive differentiator is its network of public-facing service facilities that double as hands-on training environments: the KULT316 Center for Culinary Arts and Tourism (restaurant, café, microbrewery, tourist agency, conference hall, wine cellar, demonstration kitchen), the Šolska veterinarska ambulanta (the first school veterinary clinic for small animals in Slovenia), the Trgovina Kruharije in Cukrnije bakery shop, the Čajnica Primula tea house in the Ljubljana Botanical Garden, the EkoHiša near-zero-energy wooden building for natural conservation training, and the Kavarna BAZA youth-center café. This platform architecture allows students to learn in operating commercial environments while generating ancillary revenue.

BIC Ljubljana's business model is primarily government-funded through the Slovenian education budget, with tuition subsidized for regular programs. Supplementary revenue comes from fees on certain short courses and certifications, retail sales through the public-facing facilities, catering services, and co-funded European training programs (including free training for employed and unemployed individuals). It pursues international engagement via Erasmus+ mobility (accreditation 2021-2027), partnerships with vocational schools in the Netherlands, Finland, Croatia, and elsewhere, and a 2025 memorandum with the Confucius Institute Ljubljana and SUIBE University. Quality is reinforced through multiple awards, including the 2020 VET Innovators Award for Best School in Europe.

Name

Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana

Legal name

Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana

Website

https://bic-lj.si

Company type

Private

Founded year

1949

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana (BIC Ljubljana) is a Slovenian public educational institution offering secondary and higher vocational programs in veterinary, food science, natural conservation, and hospitality, with practical training delivered through public-facing facilities including KULT316, a school veterinary clinic, microbrewery, and bakery.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (61151), Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospitality & Food Service (EDABALAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA), Waste Management & Environmental Services (EDABALBC), Food Safety & Workplace Sanitation (HACCP, Hygiene) (EDABAEAN)

Keywords

• Vocational education
• Hospitality training
• Food science education
• Veterinary technician training
• Biotechnology programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Ljubljana

HQ country

Slovenia

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana (BIC Ljubljana) is a public educational institution delivering 9 secondary vocational programs, 2 higher vocational programs, and over 70 short training courses in veterinary medicine, food science and nutrition, biotechnology, natural conservation, and hospitality and tourism. Practical training is provided through real working environments including a public restaurant, café, microbrewery, tourism agency, veterinary clinic, bakery/confectionery shop, and tea house, alongside continuing education and National Vocational Qualification (NPK) testing for adults.

Product overview

BIC Ljubljana is a multi-site educational center offering 9 secondary vocational programs, 2 higher vocational school programs, and over 70 short training programs across veterinary medicine, food science and nutrition, biotechnology, natural conservation, and hospitality and tourism. The institution operates as a platform of interconnected educational and service units: the core school divisions (Gimnazija in veterinarska šola, Živilska in naravovarstvena šola, and Višja strokovna šola) provide formal vocational and higher education, while hands-on practical training is delivered through a network of public-facing service facilities branded under KULT316 (Center kulinarike in turizma — encompassing the school restaurant, café, microbrewery, tourism agency, and conference facilities), the Šolska veterinarska ambulanta, the Trgovina Kruharije in Cukrnije shop, the Čajnica Primula tea house, and the Kavarna BAZA. Short-format public courses are offered through the Medpodjetniški izobraževalni center (MIC) and include programs such as BICova sladka akademija, Mala šola varjenja piva, and Kuharske iskrice. The institution also operates the EkoHiša, a wooden sustainable building housing the natural conservation program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• KULT316: Center for Culinary Arts and Tourism - includes restaurant, cafe, microbrewery, tourist agency, conference facilities, wine cellar, and demonstration kitchen
• Kavarna KULT316
• Restavracija KULT316
• Šolska mikropivovarna KULT316
• Šolska turistična agencija KULT316
• Čajnica Primula
• Kavarna BAZA
• Šolska veterinarska ambulanta
• Trgovina Kruharije in Cukrnije (Kruh&Cukr)
• EkoHiša BIC Ljubljana
• Catering BIC Ljubljana
• GlasBICa
• BICova sladka akademija
• Kuharske iskrice
• Mala šola varjenja piva

Products and services

• BIC Ljubljana Secondary Vocational Programs
• Višja strokovna šola (Higher Vocational School)

Quantifiable outcome

• Students have won 200+ medals in hospitality and tourism competitions
• +1 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature7 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Konfucijev inštitut LjubljanacoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 May 2025Memorandum of cooperation signed in the presence of representatives from SUIBE university. Focus on cultural and educational exchange between Slovenia and China.
• Erasmus+ ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union program for education, youth, and sport. BIC Ljubljana participates in student and staff mobility, international projects, and has received the Erasmus accreditation for vocational education 2021-2027.
• Šolski center Rijn IJssel (Nizozemska)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational partner school for vocational education exchange and best practices sharing.
• WinNova (Finska)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFinnish vocational school partner for exchange programs and collaborative projects in education.
• Šolski center Zadkine (Rotterdam, Nizozemska)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDutch vocational school partner for international mobility and training exchange.
• Srednja šola Zabok (Hrvaška)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCroatian partner school for regional cooperation in vocational education.
• Šole v Turčiji, Poljski, Severni Makedoniji, Italiji in ŠpanijiminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMultiple international partner schools participating in Erasmus+ mobility programs.
• Inštitut Jožef ŠtefancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on space food project with ESA European Space Agency, where students developed astronaut breakfast recipes.
• Evropska vesoljska agencija (ESA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership through Inštitut Jožef Štefan for space food research project.
• Pečjak pekarna d.o.o.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Burek prihodnosti' (Burek of the Future) innovation project involving student development of traditional pastry.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Šolski center Velenje: Slovenian public school center delivering secondary vocational and higher vocational education including hospitality, food science, and mechanical programs—comparable in scale, governance (public zavod), and program mix to BIC Ljubljana.
• Šolski center Novo Mesto: Slovenian multi-facility public school center offering vocational secondary and higher education across economics, hospitality, and technical disciplines—similar in being a top-tier Slovenian public vocational center with multiple subsidiary schools.
• Šolski center Celje: One of the largest Slovenian public school centers, also part of the country's top 10 school centers, offering secondary and higher vocational programs across multiple disciplines including gastronomy/hospitality—directly comparable as a multi-facility public vocational institution.

Direct peers

• Biotechnical Centre Naklo (Biotehniški center Naklo): Slovenian biotechnical secondary and higher vocational school focused on agriculture, horticulture, food technology, and nature conservation—the closest domestic peer to BIC Ljubljana given overlapping program portfolio (food science, natural conservation) and the same public school-center model.

Broad incumbents

• Le Cordon Bleu: International culinary arts and hospitality education network offering practical kitchen training at global campuses—comparable to BIC Ljubljana's culinary programs, microbrewery school, and bakery/confectionery training through the Kruh&Cukr shop.
• Culinary Institute of America (CIA): Premier US-based culinary and hospitality higher education institution operating restaurants, bakery cafés, and brewery training facilities—comparable to BIC Ljubljana's KULT316 model of public-facing facilities for real-world student training in culinary arts.
• École hôtelière de Lausanne (EHL): Leading global hospitality management school with practice-oriented curriculum and applied learning environments—a benchmark for the type of immersive hospitality education BIC Ljubljana delivers through its KULT316 restaurant and tourism agency.
• Wageningen University & Research: Dutch research and education institution specializing in food science, biotechnology, and natural resources—a strong international peer in the food science and natural conservation educational domain where BIC Ljubljana offers vocational tracks.

Emerging players

• Institut Paul Bocuse: French hospitality, culinary arts, and food service management school with a strong practice-based pedagogy including student-operated restaurants—closely comparable to BIC Ljubljana's KULT316 culinary training and restaurant concept.
• Holmesglen Institute: Australian TAFE provider offering vocational training in hospitality, cookery, baking, and veterinary nursing with practical training facilities—a comparable model of multi-disciplinary public vocational education with applied learning environments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/bicljubljana
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/biotehni%C5%A1ki-izobra%C5%BEevalni-center-ljubljana

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries12 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 Biotehniški izobraževalni center Ljubljana