Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios - CIES

What Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios - CIES does

Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios (CIES) is a non-profit Colombian educational institution founded in 2002 under Personería Jurídica No 1469, headquartered in Bogotá with six campuses across Bogotá, Cali, Fusagasugá, Bucaramanga, Ibagué, and Neiva. It delivers "Educación para el Trabajo y el Desarrollo Humano" through a two-cycle model: a first-cycle technical auxiliary career followed by a second-cycle professional career enabled by articulation agreements with INCCA, CUN, CENDA, and Universidad Iberoamericana. The portfolio spans 12 technical programs (Sistemas, Diseño Gráfico, Administración, Contabilidad y Finanzas, Enfermería, Clínica Veterinaria, Seguridad Ocupacional, Recreación y Deporte, Primera Infancia, Recursos Humanos), an accelerated Bachillerato por Ciclos high school program, and in-person plus virtual English courses aligned to the European Common Framework.

The underlying technology stack consists of a Learning Management System-based CIES VIRTUAL platform (powered by ELL Technologies for 24/7 English instruction), the Q10 academic management system for pre-inscription and enrollment processing, and Microsoft 365 for institutional productivity. Distribution combines physical campuses, a national virtual channel, WhatsApp Business for direct enrollment, and B2B partnerships with Colombian companies that use CIES SENA-recognized programs to fulfill apprenticeship quotas under Decree 2585/2003. Marketing reach is supported by Facebook, Instagram, YouTube, and the institutional website cies.edu.co.

The business model is constrained by CIES's non-profit structure: full semestral matrícula of approximately $800,000 COP per student is covered by the BECA CIES scholarship for all enrolled students, so revenue is generated primarily from inscription fees (currently discounted 50% to $108,000 COP under the Programa de Alivios Económicos), monthly study materials ($60,000-$80,000 COP per subject), English program fees, and B2B apprenticeship contracts with enterprises. The institution holds ISO 9001 and NTC 5555/5581/5580/5663/5666 certifications and operates under Rector Nacional Luis Eivar Criollo.

Name

Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios - CIES

Legal name

Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios - CIES

Website

https://cies.edu.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios (CIES) is a Colombian non-profit vocational education institution operating six campuses and a national virtual platform, delivering 12 technical programs, accelerated high school, and English courses to economically disadvantaged populations under a scholarship-funded model.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Technical and Trade Schools (6115)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHAEAF

Cooperative Education (Co-op) Technical Universities

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Technical & Polytechnic Universities

SECONDARYEDAAALAF

Engineering & Technical Professions (PE, Engineering CPD)

Education/Adult & Continuing Education/Professional Licensure & Continuing Professional Education (CE/CPE)

SECONDARYEDANAIAB

Nursing & Allied Health Certification Prep (CNA, EMT/Paramedic, Radiology, Sonography, PT/OT)

Education/Tutoring & Test Preparation/Professional Certification & Licensure Exam Prep

Keywords

• Vocational training programs
• Technical auxiliary education
• Distance learning platform
• Adult high school programs
• Language certification courses

Headquarters

HQ city

Bogotá

HQ country

Colombia

HQ region

Latin America

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Technical Program Tuition: Tuition fees for technical auxiliary programs in various areas including Systems, Design, Administration, Accounting, Health Sciences, and Humanities. Tuition covered by BECA CIES scholarship for enrolled students.
2. Semestral Enrollment Fee: Semestral enrollment/inscription fee charged per academic period. Currently subject to 50% discount program for economic relief.
3. Study Materials: Monthly fees for pedagogical/study materials per subject, ranging from $60,000 COP (general programs) to $80,000 COP (nursing and English programs).
4. English Language Training: In-person and virtual English language programs with associated enrollment and material fees, offering certification aligned with European Common Framework (MCE) levels.
5. High School (Bachillerato) Programs: Cyclic high school education (Bachillerato por Ciclos) allowing students to complete 2 grades in 1 year, with low-cost enrollment and material fees designed for accessibility.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios (CIES) is a non-profit Colombian educational institution delivering competency-based technical auxiliary programs, accelerated high school (Bachillerato por Ciclos), and English language training. The institution operates across six physical campuses (Bogotá, Cali, Fusagasugá, Bucaramanga, Ibagué, Neiva) and a 24/7 virtual learning platform (CIES Virtual), with tuition covered by the BECA CIES scholarship and articulation pathways to partner universities.

Product overview

Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios (CIES) is a non-profit educational institution offering vocational training and human development programs through a two-cycle career system: Technical (first cycle) and Professional (second cycle, subject to university agreements). The institution operates CIES Virtual (a Learning Management System platform for distance learning), Colegio CIES (accelerated high school program), 12 technical auxiliary programs across Systems, Design, Administration, Accounting, Health, Human Resources, Early Childhood Education, Recreation, and Languages, plus financial support programs including the CIES Scholarship and Economic Relief programs. The institution has physical campuses in Bogotá and Cali with national coverage.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Colegio CIES: High school program (Bachillerato por Ciclos) allowing students to complete 2 grades in 1 year, with approval from Secretaría de Educación under Resolución 15-014 de 2012.
• CIES VIRTUAL

Products and services

• CIES Virtual

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000+ graduates trained in 20 years of operation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Universidad INCCAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity articulation partnership allowing CIES graduates to continue professional studies at Universidad INCCA upon meeting academic, administrative, and financial requirements.
• CUN (Corporación Unificada Nacional de Educación Superior)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity articulation partnership enabling CIES technical program graduates to pursue higher education degrees at CUN institutions.
• CENDAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity articulation partnership allowing CIES graduates to continue their educational pathway at CENDA through recognized academic pathways.
• Universidad IberoamericanacoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity articulation partnership enabling CIES graduates to pursue university-level programs at Universidad Iberoamericana.
• SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSENA recognition for CIES technical labor programs enables companies to fulfill apprenticeship quota requirements under Decree 2585/2003. Programs include Systems, Human Resources, Administration, Nursing, Accounting, Veterinary, Design, Occupational Safety, Early Childhood Education, Recreation, and English.
• Q10 Academic Management PlatformcoreTechnology or IntegrationQ10 platform integration for academic management including pre-inscription, institutional requests, and enrollment processing at site2.q10.com.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• SENA (Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje): Colombia's national public vocational training agency offering subsidized technical programs across the country. Direct comparator in Colombian workforce training, though SENA is the regulator CIES partners with rather than a pure competitor; both serve similar economically disadvantaged populations with technical certification.
• Politécnico Grancolombiano: Large private Colombian higher-education institution offering technical, technological, and professional programs with virtual and in-person modalities. Comparable to CIES in articulated technical-to-professional pathway and national reach, but operates at significantly larger scale.
• Servicio Nacional de Aprendizaje - Centros de Formación: Public vocational training centers offering free technical programs in the same disciplines CIES covers (Sistemas, Enfermería, Seguridad Ocupacional, Contabilidad). Competes directly for the same economically disadvantaged student base in Colombian cities.

Direct peers

• Universidad Nacional Abierta y a Distancia (UNAD): Colombia's largest public distance-learning university offering technical and professional programs nationwide via virtual methodology. Closely comparable to CIES Virtual in delivery model, target audience of underserved populations, and distance education infrastructure.
• Instituto Técnico Central (ITC): Bogotá-based public technical institution offering technical auxiliary and technology programs with Secretaría de Educación approvals. Comparable in program portfolio (Sistemas, Diseño, Administración) and regulatory approval pathway through SED.
• Universidad Iberoamericana (Bogotá): Private university partner of CIES via articulation agreement, offering professional programs that CIES technical graduates can continue into. Functions both as an upstream academic partner and as an adjacent competitor for the same two-cycle educational journey.
• Fundación Universitaria CEIPA: Colombian private university based in Antioquia focused on professional and technical education with strong virtual and corporate learning programs. Comparable to CIES in adult-learner technical orientation, virtual delivery, and articulation pathway model.

Emerging players

• Policía Nacional - Escuela de Suboficiales / INCAP: Colombian technical and higher-education institution delivering vocational and technical programs via distance learning with national reach. Comparable to CIES in competency-based technical training and use of LMS platforms to reach geographically dispersed learners.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CiesBogota
• Facebookfacebook.com/CorporacionCIES
• Instagraminstagram.com/corporacion_cies
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/corporaci-n-iberoamericana-de-estudios---cies

Compliance6 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 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 Corporación Iberoamericana de Estudios - CIES