CIVICA

What CIVICA does

CIVICA — The European University of Social Sciences is a consortium alliance of ten leading European higher education and research institutions founded in 2019 and coordinated by Sciences Po in Paris. The alliance is focused exclusively on social sciences, humanities, business management, and public policy, and its member institutions span nine European countries: Bocconi University (Italy), Central European University (Austria), European University Institute (Italy), Hertie School (Germany), IE University (Spain), National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (Romania), Sciences Po (France), SGH Warsaw School of Economics (Poland), Stockholm School of Economics (Sweden), and London School of Economics and Political Science (UK, associated partner). CIVICA serves roughly 72,000 students and PhDs, 13,000 academic staff, and 7,000 administrative staff across the member universities.

The alliance operates a transnational campus concept that links teaching, research, and civic engagement through both physical and digital infrastructure. Its core product is the CIVICA Education Platform, which delivers undergraduate mobility, master's dual and joint degrees, doctoral courses, summer schools, and the Europeanship Multi-Campus Course. Supplementary offerings include the futurEU student policy competition, the CIVICA Open Science Conference, the Meet the European Culture webinar series, Tours d'Europe public lectures, the CIVICA for All refugee support programme accessible via my.civica.eu, and a Student AI Summit hosted at Sciences Po. The underlying technology stack consists of an inter-university digital platform plus blended-learning course delivery; CIVICA emphasises open science practices and interdisciplinary approaches across member institutions.

CIVICA does not operate a commercial revenue model. It is funded primarily through European Commission Erasmus+ grants under the European Universities initiative, with cumulative disclosed awards of EUR 7.2 million (2019 pilot), up to EUR 14.4 million (2022-2027 phase), and EUR 7.2 million (2026-2028 renewal). Member universities contribute faculty, facilities, and operational resources. Tuition and fees are set by each individual member university rather than by the alliance itself.

Name

CIVICA

Legal name

CIVICA

Website

https://civica.eu

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

CIVICA is a European university alliance of ten institutions across nine countries, coordinated by Sciences Po, delivering joint degrees, mobility, and research programmes in social sciences funded by Erasmus+ grants from the European Commission.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Alliance

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Civic and Social Organizations (81341)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Civic, Citizenship & Community Engagement Education (EDAAAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Democracy, Voting Rights & Civic Participation Advocacy (BPAGAFAJ), Civil Society Strengthening & Civic Space (BPADAGAD), Civic Literacy (Voting, Rights, Community Participation) (EDAAAAAH)

Keywords

• European university alliance
• Social sciences education
• Transnational higher education
• Student mobility programs
• Academic research collaboration

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris (Coordinating hub)

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices11 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. European Commission Erasmus+ Funding: Primary funding from the European Commission's Erasmus+ programme for European Universities initiative. CIVICA received up to 14.4 million euros from Erasmus+ for the 2022-2027 roll-out phase. A renewed grant of EUR 7.2 million was awarded for 2026-2028.
2. Member University Contributions: Member universities contribute resources, faculty, staff, and facilities to the alliance. Sciences Po operates as the coordinating institution.
3. European Degree Label Exploration: CIVICA is exploring the European Degree Label as part of its forward-looking educational pathway development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

CIVICA is a European University Alliance coordinating cross-border higher education, research, and civic engagement programs across 10 leading universities in 9 European countries. It operates a transnational platform offering student mobility, joint master's and doctoral courses, summer schools, and research collaboration in social sciences, humanities, business management, and public policy. The alliance is primarily funded by the European Commission's Erasmus+ programme and coordinated by Sciences Po.

Product overview

CIVICA - The European University of Social Sciences is a platform alliance of 10 leading European higher education institutions united to foster transnational cooperation in social sciences, humanities, business management, and public policy. The offering comprises a core education platform providing joint degree programs, mobility opportunities, and summer schools, supported by supplementary modules including the futurEU policy competition, Meet the European Culture webinar series, CIVICA Public Lecture Series, CIVICA for All refugee support program, Open Science Conference, and the Student AI Summit. The alliance operates under a EUR 7.2M Erasmus+ grant (2026-2028) and aims to establish itself as a leading global voice for the social sciences through the physical and digital inter-university campus linking teaching, research, and civil society.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CIVICA for All: Support and resources for displaced and refugee students
• futurEU
• CIVICA Cafés
• CIVICA Public Lecture Series Tours d'Europe
• Meet the European Culture

Products and services

• CIVICA Education Platform
• CIVICA for All
• futurEU Competition
• CIVICA Global Forum

Quantifiable outcome

• 72,000 students and 13,000 faculty across 10 universities in 9 countries
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

18 partnerships are on record, tiered strategic, core and minor.

• Hertie SchoolstrategicStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Hosted the futurEU 2026 finals in Berlin, bringing together students from across the CIVICA alliance for the 6th edition of the competition.
• Bocconi UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Located in Milan, Italy. Contributes to social sciences, humanities, and business management education and research across the alliance.
• Central European University (CEU)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Relocated from Budapest to Vienna, Austria. Focuses on political science, gender studies, and democracy research. Hosts CIVICA for All program coordination.
• European University Institute (EUI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member and intergovernmental organization. Located in Florence, Italy. Provides research excellence in European studies and transnational governance.
• Hertie SchoolcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Located in Berlin, Germany. Specializes in governance, public policy, and politics. Co-hosts CIVICA communications.
• IE UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Located in Madrid, Spain. Joined in October 2022 as part of the expanded alliance. Offers programs in business, law, and global affairs.
• National University of Political Studies and Public Administration (SNSPA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Located in Bucharest, Romania. Romania's school of governance contributing to political studies and public administration.
• Sciences PocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLead coordinating institution of the CIVICA alliance. Located in France with campuses in Dijon, Le Havre, Menton, Nancy, Paris, Poitiers, and Reims. President Luis Vassy leads the alliance coordination.
• SGH Warsaw School of EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Located in Warsaw, Poland. Joined in October 2022 as part of the expanded alliance. Focuses on economics and business education.
• Stockholm School of EconomicscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFull member of the CIVICA alliance. Located in Stockholm, Sweden. Contributes business and economics expertise to the alliance.
• London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociated partner of the CIVICA alliance. Located in London, United Kingdom. Provides expertise in economics, political science, and social sciences. LSE President Kevin H. Fogarty serves on alliance leadership.
• Five Ukrainian UniversitiesstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIVICA maintains ongoing commitment to partnership with five Ukrainian universities, supporting their closer integration into the European Higher Education Area.
• futurEU InitiativestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerStudent-led initiative founded in 2019 that brings students' ideas into real policy debate. CIVICA students participate in annual competitions; 328 students from 10 CIVICA universities participated in futurEU 2026.
• European ParliamentstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosted the European Student Assembly (ESA) 2026 in Strasbourg, bringing together students from European University Alliances to debate key challenges facing Europe.
• European Resilience Initiative CentreminorOthersSenior Security Policy Fellow Aaron Gasch Burnett served as judge at futurEU 2026 finals, providing expertise on European security and resilience.
• German Council on Foreign Relations (DGAP)minorOthersPolicy Fellows Nina Locher, Luise Quaritsch, and Marlene Schörner from DGAP served as judges at futurEU 2026 finals.
• CEU Democracy InstitutestrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributed research and analysis on Hungary's 2026 elections through Professor Zsolt Enyedi and other researchers.
• CIVICA-funded Brown to Green ProjectstrategicStrategic or Co-development PartnerProject examining political and distributive consequences of the green transition, led by Professor Anil Duman at CEU, investigating how climate policies interact with labor market inequalities.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Erasmus Mundus Joint Master Degrees: Erasmus Mundus is the EU's flagship international joint-degree program providing integrated master's courses across European universities. It is a partial competitor for transnational social-science graduate credentials and EU funding attention.
• Europaeum Scholars Programme: Europaeum is a smaller network of leading European universities (including Oxford, Leiden, Prague) focused on graduate education and interdisciplinary research in humanities/social sciences. It overlaps with CIVICA's niche but at smaller scale and without EU institutional funding.

Direct peers

• EPICUR Alliance: EPICUR is a European University alliance of eight research-intensive universities similarly structured under Erasmus+, with comparable mobility programs and joint degree exploration—directly comparable in scale and funding model.
• EELISA Alliance: EELISA is a European University alliance focused on engineering and social responsibility, also Erasmus+ funded, with similar governance and program structure—competing in adjacent disciplines and for the same EU funding pool.
• UNITE! Alliance: UNITE! is a European University alliance of nine technical and social science universities sharing the same Erasmus+ funding mechanism, civic engagement focus, and inter-university mobility mission—directly competing for EU budget and student mindshare.
• EUTOPIA Alliance: EUTOPIA is another European University alliance of 10 institutions also funded under Erasmus+ with overlapping focus on student mobility, joint educational offerings, and pan-European credentials. It is the closest direct peer given identical structure, funder, and target student segments.

Broad incumbents

• European University Association (EUA): EUA is the broader umbrella representing over 850 universities across Europe. CIVICA is not a member-as-such but operates in EUA's ecosystem; EUA shapes EU higher-education policy that CIVICA depends on for funding.
• League of European Research Universities (LERU): LERU is an established association of 23 leading European research universities, several of which overlap with CIVICA's membership. It is a broader, longer-standing incumbent operating in similar research-intensive European university space but pre-dates the European Universities initiative.
• Guild of European Research-Intensive Universities: The Guild is another established association of 20+ research-intensive European universities advocating for EU research and education policy. Several CIVICA institutions (Sciences Po, Sciences Po Paris) overlap with Guild membership; it competes for policy influence and EU funding direction.

Others

• European Consortium for Political, Social and Historical Studies (ECPR): ECPR is a thematic academic consortium focused specifically on political science research and graduate training across Europe. While not a direct competitor, it shares CIVICA's social-science disciplinary focus and provides an adjacent enabling platform for faculty collaboration.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CIVICA_EU
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/civica-eu

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 CIVICA