CEPANI, The Belgian Center for Arbitration and Mediation

What CEPANI, The Belgian Center for Arbitration and Mediation does

CEPANI, the Belgian Centre for Arbitration and Mediation, is a non-profit association (ASBL/VZW) founded in 1969 under the auspices of the Belgian National Committee of the International Chamber of Commerce and the Federation of Belgian Enterprises (VBO/FEB). Headquartered in Brussels at the VBO/FEB building with a secretariat of approximately 57 staff led by Secretary General Emma Van Campenhoudt, it operates as Belgium's primary institution for alternative dispute resolution (ADR), administering arbitration, mediation, domain name dispute resolution, and specialized proceedings in sports (C-SAR) and construction (C-Build). The organization is governed by a Board of Directors and supported by a membership network of over 300 arbitrators, mediators, experts, professors, corporate counsel, lawyers and notaries, maintained through an online searchable directory.

CEPANI's product portfolio comprises core arbitration and mediation services, fully electronic .be domain name dispute resolution, the C-SAR and C-Build vertical divisions, and add-on modules covering technical expertise, contract adaptation and mini-trial procedures. Supporting infrastructure includes the multi-level CEPANI Arbitration Academy (Level 1, Level 2 Advanced, Level 3 International), the biannual b-Arbitra journal published in partnership with Wolters Kluwer, an online Cost Calculator for fee estimation, and hearing organization services for Brussels-based proceedings. Operations are delivered in English, French, Dutch and German. Major upcoming regulatory changes include new Mediation Rules (effective June 2025) and a comprehensive revision of the Arbitration Rules (effective autumn 2026), introducing digital procedures, virtual hearings, electronic signatures, mediation windows and an Arbitral Secretary annex.

Revenue is generated through transaction-based administrative fees on arbitration and mediation proceedings, arbitrator honoraria and expenses, recurring membership subscriptions from the 300+ member network, and journal royalties. Pricing scales with dispute amount and is delivered through expedited, standard one-arbitrator and standard three-arbitrator tiers. The organization pursues an event- and community-led go-to-market through annual colloquia, academic programming, the CEPANI40 young professionals initiative, monthly newsletters and international events such as Paris Arbitration Week and London International Dispute Week, alongside strategic partnerships with IBJ/IJE, Wolters Kluwer, Brussels Bar Associations, ICC Belgium, NAI, VIAC and White & Case.

Name

CEPANI, The Belgian Center for Arbitration and Mediation

Legal name

CEPANI NPO

Website

https://cepani.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1969

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CEPANI is Belgium's primary non-profit center for alternative dispute resolution, administering arbitration, mediation, and specialized sports (C-SAR) and construction (C-Build) proceedings for corporate parties, legal practitioners, and .be domain registrants via a Brussels-based secretariat and a 300+ member neutral network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Arbitration Administrative Fees: Fees charged for administering arbitration proceedings, including administrative expenses of CEPANI
2. Arbitrator Fees: Honoraria and expenses of arbitrators appointed through CEPANI procedures
3. Membership Fees: Revenue from member subscriptions (over 300 members)
4. b-Arbitra Journal: Biannual Belgian arbitration journal published via Wolters Kluwer partnership

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CEPANI administers arbitration, mediation, and other alternative dispute resolution (ADR) proceedings for parties in dispute, appointing independent arbitrators, mediators, and experts. The center provides administrative case management, procedural oversight, and enforceable decisions for commercial, sports (C-SAR), construction (C-Build), and domain name disputes, with multilingual support in English, French, Dutch, and German.

Product overview

CEPANI is a non-profit organization serving as Belgium's primary center for alternative dispute resolution, offering a comprehensive portfolio of dispute resolution services. The core offerings include Arbitration Services and Mediation Services as the main product lines, supplemented by specialized services for domain name disputes (Domain Name Dispute Resolution), sports arbitration (C-SAR), and construction disputes (C-BUILD). Additional add-on modules include Technical Expertise, Contract Adaptation, and Mini-Trial services. The organization provides supporting infrastructure including the CEPANI Arbitration Academy training program, a Cost Calculator tool, Hearing Organization Services for Brussels-based proceedings, and a searchable Member Directory of over 300 arbitrators, mediators, and experts. CEPANI40 serves young ADR professionals, while b-Arbitra publishes scholarly arbitration content. The portfolio operates through standardized rules for each dispute type, administered from Brussels with trilingual (Dutch, French, English) support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CEPANI40: A forum specifically aimed at young professionals with an interest in ADR, offering opportunities to exchange views, ideas and experiences on arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.
• C-SAR
• C-Build
• b-Arbitra
• CEPANI Arbitration Academy

Products and services

• Arbitration Services Traditional arbitration proceedings providing parties with expert assessment, procedural fairness, and enforceable decisions for efficient dispute resolution outside state courts.
• Mediation Services Collaborative dispute resolution process facilitating dialogue and settlement tailored to parties' unique needs through a neutral mediator.
• Domain Name Dispute Resolution Fully electronic procedure for resolving .be domain name disputes with expertise and efficiency.
• C-SAR Sports Arbitration Belgian Centre for Sports Arbitration - a specific section of CEPANI that administers arbitration procedures in the field of sport under CEPANI's auspices.
• C-Build Construction Dispute Resolution Specialized division focusing on construction sector disputes, offering arbitration, mediation, expert opinions, and standing dispute boards for construction-related conflicts.
• Technical Expertise Services Technical assessment on specific aspects opposing parties, resulting in either binding or non-binding opinions depending on parties' choice.
• Contract Adaptation Service Service for revising contracts when initial circumstances have changed over time, providing mechanisms for equitable contract modification.
• Mini-Trial Service Dispute resolution method involving senior representatives from each party to negotiate and resolve conflicts.
• b-Arbitra Journal Belgian arbitration journal published biannually by CEPANI, accepting contributions in English, Dutch, French, and German with English summaries. Published by Wolters Kluwer.
• CEPANI40 Initiative specifically for young professionals interested in ADR, providing forum for exchanging views and experiences on arbitration and alternative dispute resolution.
• Hearing Organization Services Assistance with organizing hearings in Brussels, including venue details, translation services, court reporting, and logistical support.
• Member Directory Search engine for finding CEPANI's 300+ members including arbitrators, mediators, and experts with filters for specialization, language, and experience.
• CEPANI Arbitration Academy Multi-level training program (Level 1, Level 2 Advanced, Level 3 International) for arbitration practitioners covering enforcement, evidence, complex arbitration scenarios, and international topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• Average 15-month resolution time for ordinary arbitration procedures
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration5 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• IBJ/IJE (Institut des Juristes d'Entreprise / Instituut voor Bedrijfsjuristen)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Belgian business lawyers organization to promote ADR among in-house counsel. Both organizations exchange information and publications, and invite representatives to each other's events. IBJ represents 2,500+ in-house lawyers.
• Wolters KluwercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublishing partnership for b-Arbitra, the Belgian arbitration journal. Wolters Kluwer provides global distribution and access to arbitration research community.
• VBO/FEB (Federation of Belgian Enterprises)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding organization and current host of CEPANI offices. CEPANI was founded in 1969 under the auspices of VBO/FEB and Belgian ICC committee.
• NAI (Netherlands Arbitration Institute)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint events during Paris Arbitration Week with NAI and VIAC for young arbitration practitioners.
• VIAC (Vienna International Arbitral Centre)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint events during Paris Arbitration Week with NAI and VIAC for young arbitration practitioners.
• ICC BelgiumcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizing bilingual mediation and arbitration colloquium with Brussels Bar associations, CJBB, IJE, FEB, and ICC Belgium.
• Brussels Bar Associations (Dutch and French-speaking)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint organization of bilingual mediation and arbitration events to promote ADR among legal practitioners.
• White & CaseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCo-hosting of Brussels Pre-Moot for Vis International Commercial Arbitration Moot.
• ie-netminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organization of Dispute Boards roundtable discussion at FEB-VBO.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ICC International Court of Arbitration: The world's most prominent international arbitration institution, headquartered in Paris under the International Chamber of Commerce. Competes directly with CEPANI for international commercial arbitration caseload and sets the procedural benchmarks CEPANI references in its rule revisions.
• Stockholm Chamber of Commerce Arbitration Institute (SCC): Leading Northern European arbitration institution administered by the Stockholm Chamber of Commerce. Directly comparable to CEPANI as a mid-sized European regional center competing for cross-border commercial disputes.
• Hong Kong International Arbitration Centre (HKIAC): Hong Kong-based international arbitration institution and a leading Asian hub for cross-border disputes. Competes with CEPANI for international caseload, particularly disputes involving Greater China parties and Belt-and-Road matters.
• Singapore International Arbitration Centre (SIAC): Asia's preeminent arbitration institution and a global hub for international disputes. Competes with CEPANI for caseload involving Asian parties and global commercial disputes, often cited alongside ICC as a top alternative.
• Vienna International Arbitral Centre (VIAC): Vienna-headquartered European arbitration institution; CEPANI has a formal partnership with VIAC for joint events during Paris Arbitration Week. Closely comparable mid-sized European peer with overlapping party base and rule structures.
• Netherlands Arbitration Institute (NAI): Dutch arbitration institution and one of CEPANI's closest geographic peers; CEPANI and NAI co-host joint events during Paris Arbitration Week. Highly comparable Benelux peer targeting similar parties and dispute types.
• American Arbitration Association / ICDR: AAA's international division (ICDR) is one of the world's largest ADR providers. Comparable breadth of services including arbitration, mediation, and domain name dispute resolution, making it a broad incumbent peer across multiple product lines.
• Swiss Arbitration Centre: Swiss institution (formerly Swiss Chambers' Arbitration Institution) administering international arbitrations from Geneva and Zurich. Direct competitor for European and financial-services-related disputes, often chosen over Brussels by parties preferring a Swiss seat.
• WIPO Arbitration and Mediation Center: World Intellectual Property Organization's ADR center administering arbitration, mediation, and domain name disputes. Structurally and operationally comparable to CEPANI, with a specialized vertical focus analogous to CEPANI's C-SAR and C-Build verticals.
• London Court of International Arbitration (LCIA): Long-established London-based arbitration institution administering international commercial disputes. Competes with CEPANI for European and cross-border caseload, particularly for parties still choosing London despite post-Brexit dynamics.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/cepani
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cepani
• YouTubeyoutube.com/cepani

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 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 CEPANI, The Belgian Center for Arbitration and Mediation