Cecof - Centre de formation

What Cecof - Centre de formation does

CECOF (Centre de Formation d'Apprentis d'Ambérieu-en-Bugey) is a non-profit vocational apprenticeship center established in 1976 by economic actors in the Ain department, France, and structured as an association loi 1901 under French CFA regulations. It delivers approximately 50 formal qualifications — from CAP to BTS — across seven trade verticals: food trades (baking, pastry, butchery, chocolate, charcuterie), hospitality and restaurant service, automotive maintenance and bodywork, hairstyling, retail and commerce, floristry, and dedicated Volkswagen Group France (Audi/Seat/Skoda) after-sales tracks. The center trains more than 1,000 apprentices and adult learners per year across its Ambérieu-en-Bugey campus and a satellite practical-training site at Lycée Gabriel Voisin in Bourg-en-Bresse; in 2024 it celebrated over 600 graduates with a 93.8% exam pass rate.

The operating model is built on French apprenticeship financing infrastructure: training costs are fully covered by sectoral OPCOs (OPCO EP, OPCO 2i, OPCO Mobilités, OPCO ATLAS, ANFA) for apprentices under contrat d'apprentissage, with secondary streams from adult-learner channels (CPF, professionalization contracts, France Travail AIF/API), Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes co-financing, and ancillary self-pay revenue from on-campus meals, a 153-bed internat, and rental of classrooms and plateaux techniques. Go-to-market is hybrid: enterprise-facing teams recruit apprentices into partner-employer apprenticeship contracts, OPCO and chamber partnerships (CMA Ain, CCI Ain) drive referrals, and event-driven prospecting (portes ouvertes, Ateliers Objectif Apprentissage, mini-internships) feeds the top of funnel. Technology stack comprises the NetYparéo portal for apprentice/enterprise document management, a Fab Lab (Lab01) with 3D printing/laser cutting/CAD tooling for BTS automotive curricula, a language lab supporting Erasmus+ mobility, and a 360° virtual campus tour.

CECOF supports ~60 staff (50+ professional trainers and ~20 administrative/management personnel) under Directrice Mme Olivier-Poulain, holds Qualiopi certification (Certificat_F0052) and the Ambassadeur Or H+ disability-inclusion charter, and operates Erasmus+ placements via Destination Europe and CRMA in Ireland, Finland, Spain, and Colombia. Its competitive positioning relies on a 40+-year employer network, multi-OPCO funding diversification, residential infrastructure that competitor CFAs would need to replicate, and brand visibility through alumni achievements (Coupe du Monde de la Pâtisserie winners, Sirha 2025 finalists).

Name

Cecof - Centre de formation

Legal name

CECOF - Centre de formation d'apprentis ambérieu en bugey

Website

https://cecof.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CECOF is a non-profit French apprenticeship training center (CFA) in Ambérieu-en-Bugey, founded 1976, delivering CAP-to-BTS qualifications across food trades, hospitality, automotive, beauty, retail, and floristry to 1,000+ apprentices and adult learners per year, funded via OPCOs, the Region, and France Travail.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ambérieu-en-Bugey

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship contract funding via OPCOs: The cost of training for apprentices (contrat d'apprentissage) is fully covered by the relevant OPCO (Opérateur de Compétences) based on the professional branch. Apprentices receive a salary from their employer calculated as a percentage of the SMIC, and training at the centre is free for the beneficiary. OPCOs (OPCO EP, OPCO 2i, OPCO Mobilités, OPCO ATLAS, among others) finance the training based on branch-specific agreements.
2. Government and regional funding (adult learners): Adult learners in professionalization contracts, CPF, or France Travail-funded training are financed through their respective mechanisms. The region Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes co-finances access to training and the Pass'Région benefit card for apprentices.
3. Self-pay and direct financing: Self-financing option for individuals not covered by other mechanisms. Additional revenue from self/canteen meals (5.50€ apprentices, 6.50€ adults, 8.00€ external), internat accommodation (13.30€ apprentices, 19.00€ adults), and transport contributions.
4. Room and facility rental: The centre offers rental of its classrooms and technical workshops (plateaux techniques) to external parties, generating additional non-training revenue.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CECOF is a French apprenticeship training centre (Centre de Formation d'Apprentis) founded in 1976, operating a non-profit association in Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Ain. It delivers vocational qualifications from CAP to BTS level across seven trade sectors (food trades, hospitality and restaurant services, automotive, hairstyling, commerce and retail, floristry, and beauty services), combining classroom instruction with practical employer-based apprenticeships. It trains more than 1,000 apprentices and adult learners annually, supported by residential facilities, a teaching restaurant, a pedagogical hairdressing salon, a Fab Lab, and Erasmus+ international mobility.

Product overview

Cecof is a vocational apprenticeship training center (Centre de Formation d'Apprentis) established in 1976 in Ambérieu-en-Bugey, Ain, France. The center operates as a single, unified training institution offering approximately 50 different vocational qualifications across seven trade sectors: food trades (butchery, bakery, pastry, chocolate, charcuterie), hospitality and restaurant services (culinary arts, food service), automobile maintenance and bodywork, hairstyling, retail and commerce, and floristry. The portfolio includes foundational certificates (CAP), professional certificates (BP), baccalaureate-level programs (BAC PRO), higher technician certificates (BTS), technical mastery certificates (BTM), complementary mentions (MC), professional qualification certificates (CQP), and professional titles. Training is delivered through alternating between classroom instruction at the center and practical work experience with partner employers. The center also operates specialized facilities including a Fab Lab (Lab01) for digital fabrication, a teaching restaurant, a pedagogical hairdressing salon, and provides international mobility opportunities through Erasmus+ programs. A notable partnership with Volkswagen Group France (Volkswagen Academy) provides brand-specific automotive after-sales training for VW, Audi, Seat, and Skoda brands. The center serves over 1,000 apprentices annually and provides accommodation through its 153-place residence.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAP Fleuriste (Florist Certificate)

Quantifiable outcome

• 93.8% exam pass rate in 2024, with over 600 graduates attending the annual Laureates Evening
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Volkswagen Group France (Volkswagen Academy)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCECOF is an official partner of Volkswagen Group France for training expert technicians and service receptionists for Volkswagen, Audi, Seat, and Skoda brands. This Volkswagen Academy program offers specialized automotive after-sales training tracks for apprentices pursuing careers in the Volkswagen dealer network.
• Erasmus+ (European Union)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCECOF participates in the Erasmus+ European programme for education, training, youth, and sport. The program enables apprentices to work several weeks at a European company, facilitating mobility to acquire professional experience within the EU. Apprentices from CAP to Baccalauréat Professionnel can participate in stages of 3 to 9 weeks. Extended post-graduation mobility of up to 6 months is also available. Partners include Destination Europe, CRMA (Chambre Régionale des Métiers et de l'Artisanat), and international host companies in Ireland, Finland, Spain, and Colombia.
• OPCO EP (Opérateur de Compétences des Entreprises de Proximité)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOPCO EP is the primary skills operator financing apprenticeship training costs for CECOF apprentices in proximity services sectors.
• OPCO 2icoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOPCO 2i is one of the sectoral skills operators that finances apprenticeship training costs for CECOF apprentices in certain professional branches.
• OPCO MobilitéscoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOPCO Mobilités is the skills operator for the mobility/transport sector that finances apprenticeship training for CECOF automotive and vehicle maintenance programs.
• OPCO ATLAScoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorOPCO ATLAS is one of the sectoral skills operators financing apprenticeship training at CECOF for hospitality, restaurant, and food trades programs.
• ANFA (Association Nationale pour la Formation Automobile)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorANFA is the national association for automotive training that supports the automotive sector's training needs and contributes to financing CECOF's automotive programs.
• CCI Ain (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie de l'Ain)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCI Ain is the local chamber of commerce and industry in the Ain department. CECOF's logo is displayed on CCI materials indicating a collaborative relationship to promote vocational training and business connections.
• CMA Ain (Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat de l'Ain)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCMA Ain is the local chamber of trades and craftsmanship in the Ain. It collaborates with CECOF on competitions, events, and is part of the Erasmus+ consortium led by the regional chamber (CRMA).
• Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe regional council is a major institutional partner, awarding CECOF the Ambassadeur Or H+ certification for disability inclusion, providing Pass'Région benefits to apprentices (cultural access, sports, transport aid), and supporting various training initiatives.
• France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorFrance Travail refers job seekers to CECOF for funded training through AIF (Aide Individuelle à la Formation) and API (Action Projet Individuelle) mechanisms.
• AgefiphminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAgefiph supports the inclusion of people with disabilities in vocational training and employment. CECOF's H+ labelling connects to Agefiph's resources for assistive equipment and support for disabled apprentices.
• Destination EuropeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDestination Europe is an international mobility operator that helps French apprentices find post-training placements in Irish companies, providing language preparation, cultural integration, and enterprise matching services. CECOF participates in this program alongside other French CFAs (SEPR, EFMA) under the CRMA-led consortium.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AFTRAL: AFTRAL is France's leading transport, mobility and logistics vocational training network, operating CFAs nationally with apprenticeship programmes financed by OPCO Mobilités — directly comparable to CECOF's automotive and vehicle-maintenance tracks and its OPCO Mobilités funding channel.
• AFPA: AFPA is the principal French national public vocational training operator, delivering apprenticeship and adult retraining programmes across construction, services and industry, with comparable reliance on France Travail/OPCO funding — a direct functional peer to CECOF's apprenticeship model.
• Compagnons du Devoir et du Tour de France: A historic French apprenticeship organisation training craftspeople through itinerant workplace learning and CFA-style curricula; directly comparable as a peer apprenticeship operator focused on trades (cuisine, pastry, automotive, construction) and on producing competition winners.
• GRETA (Réseau des GRETA): GRETA is the national Éducation nationale adult vocational training network offering CAP-to-BTS programmes through regional academies; comparable to CECOF in programme structure, public financing mix and adult retraining mission.
• Maisons Familiales Rurales (MFR): MFR is a federated network of rural apprenticeship centres operating under alternance pedagogy with strong ties to local SMEs — directly comparable to CECOF's regional, employer-anchored apprenticeship model in a non-metropolitan French territory.
• INBP (Institut National de la Boulangerie Pâtisserie): INBP is a national reference institute for bakery and pastry vocational training, delivering CAP, BP and BTM programmes with similar employer partnerships and OPCO financing — a direct peer for CECOF's CAP/BP Boulanger, CAP/BTM Pâtissier and chocolatier tracks.

Broad incumbents

• Ferrandi Paris: Ferrandi is a Paris-based hospitality and culinary arts higher school offering CAP Cuisine, CAP Pâtisserie, BP and Bachelor programmes with strong employer partnerships — a broader, premium-positioned incumbent offering the same culinary and pastry qualifications CECOF delivers, but at national/upscale price points.
• Pigier: Pigier is a national network of business and commerce schools offering BTS MCO, BTS GPME and BAC Pro Commerce via alternance — directly comparable to CECOF's commerce tracks (BTS Management, BTS GPME, Bac Pro Commerce et Vente) at a broader national scale.
• École Lenôtre: Lenôtre is a renowned pastry and culinary institute offering CAP Pâtissier, BTM and continuous education in baking, chocolate and confectionery — directly comparable to CECOF's pâtisserie/chocolatier/BTM offerings, but operating predominantly at premium/national segment.

Regional players

• CCI Ain (Formation): The Ain Chamber of Commerce delivers its own apprenticeship and continuous training programmes in trade, commerce and services across the same territory as CECOF, making it the most direct local competitor for employer-funded seats and OPCO-financed retail/commerce tracks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cfacecof
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/cfa-cecof
• Instagraminstagram.com/cfacecof

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Cecof - Centre de formation