éducation21
éducation21 is a Swiss foundation established in 2012 that serves as the national competence center for Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), providing free curated resources, films, and the 2,300+ school Schulnetz21 network to Swiss K-12 schools, teachers, and pedagogical universities, funded by eight federal and cantonal government bodies.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2012
- HeadquartersBern, Switzerland
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What éducation21 does
éducation21 (legal name: Stiftung éducation21) is a Swiss foundation established in 2012 and headquartered in Bern, serving as the national competence center for Education for Sustainable Development (BNE / Education for Sustainable Development) in Switzerland. It operates under the mandate of the Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education Directors (EDK) and is funded by a commissioning body of eight Swiss public bodies: EDK, the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DEZA), the Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU), the Federal Office of Public Health (BAG), the Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE), the State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI), the Federal Office for Energy (BFE), and Health Promotion Switzerland. The foundation's primary beneficiaries are Swiss K-12 schools and teachers, with secondary beneficiaries including Swiss pedagogical universities and external educational actors (NGOs, museums, nature parks). It is the steward of the Schulnetz21 network, which by 2026 connects more than 2,300 member schools across 23 cantonal and regional networks, reaching approximately 450,000 students.
The foundation's core products are (1) a curated online catalog of hundreds of BNE-aligned educational resources, films, and teaching materials, available in German, French, and Italian; (2) a free video-on-demand portal (Filme eine Welt VOD) for documentary and animated films with accompanying teaching materials; (3) the Schulnetz21 school-network platform with regional coordinators; and (4) ancillary content products including the news21 newsletter, studio21 podcast, ventuno practice magazine, and the L'Educateur professional journal. Resources are being produced with AI assistance under a published AI guideline. The underlying technology stack is a content management platform with searchable catalog, video streaming, and a multi-tenant school network management system.
The business model is entirely non-commercial: éducation21 generates no revenue from fees or commercial sales. All resources, materials, and services are provided free of charge to Swiss educational institutions, with operations funded by mandated grants from the eight federal and cantonal government bodies plus Health Promotion Switzerland. Governance is exercised through a Foundation Council (Stiftungsrat) and a Parliamentary Advisory Board. The organization employs approximately 92 staff across divisions covering leadership, portfolio, and resources, with field presence across all three Swiss language regions. As of June 2026, Lucia Winkler serves as Director.
éducation21 firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- éducation21
- Legal name
- Stiftung éducation21
- Website
- https://education21.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2012
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- éducation21 is a Swiss foundation established in 2012 that serves as the national competence center for Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), providing free curated resources, films, and the 2,300+ school Schulnetz21 network to Swiss K-12 schools, teachers, and pedagogical universities, funded by eight federal and cantonal government bodies.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
éducation21 industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Education for Sustainable Development Services
- NAICS
- Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- National/State Curriculum & Standards Authorities (EDADAEAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs (EDADALAB), Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB)
Keywords
Where éducation21 is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Bern
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
éducation21 business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Government Mandates and Public Funding: The foundation operates exclusively through public funding mandates from Swiss federal and cantonal government bodies. No commercial revenue generation occurs. The organization provides free educational resources and services to schools.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Freemium | Annual | Free access to all resources for Swiss educational institutions |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels4 records
Marketing channels7 records
éducation21 product offering
Product offeringCore offering
éducation21 (Stiftung éducation21) is the Swiss national competence center for Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), providing free validated curriculum-aligned teaching resources, films, thematic dossiers, and school development support to Swiss K-12 schools and teachers. It operates the Schulnetz21 network of 2,300+ member schools across 23 cantonal and regional networks, reaching approximately 450,000 students in German, French, and Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Schulnetz21: Swiss network of health-promoting and sustainable schools with over 2,300 member schools
- studio21
- ventuno
- news21
- L'Educateur
- Réseau d'écoles21
Products and services
- Schulnetz21 School Network Membership Membership network connecting 2,300+ Swiss schools across 23 cantonal and regional networks implementing the whole-school approach to health promotion and sustainable development. Members receive school development consulting, networking opportunities, quality frameworks, and access to regional coordinators supporting German, French, and Italian-speaking Switzerland.
- Online Catalog (Katalog) Searchable database of hundreds of BNE-aligned educational resources, films, teaching materials, methods, and practice examples for Swiss teachers across primary and secondary education. Access is free for Swiss educational institutions.
- Filme eine Welt Video-on-Demand Portal
Quantifiable outcome
- 2300+ schools supported through Schulnetz21 network
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use éducation21
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
éducation21 technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Integration2 records
AI capability1 record
Feature3 records
éducation21 partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and secondary.
- Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education Directors (EDK/CDIP)corePrimary mandate holder and coordinator of the foundation. EDK functions as the primary authorizing body for éducation21's national BNE coordination activities.
- Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation (DEZA/SDC)coreFederal funding partner supporting international dimensions of BNE education in Switzerland.
- Swiss Federal Office for the Environment (BAFU/FOEN)coreFederal funding partner contributing to environmental education dimensions of BNE.
- Swiss Federal Office of Public Health (BAG)coreFunding partner for health promotion aspects integrated into Schulnetz21 network activities.
- Swiss Federal Office for Spatial Development (ARE)secondaryFederal partner for spatial planning and sustainable development policy integration.
- State Secretariat for Education, Research and Innovation (SBFI)secondaryFederal funding for vocational education and training dimensions of BNE.
- Swiss Federal Office for Energy (BFE)secondaryFunding partner for energy education components within BNE.
- Health Promotion Switzerland (Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz)coreCo-funder of the Schulnetz21 network for health-promoting and sustainable schools.
- Swiss Pedagogical Universities ConferencecoreCollaboration with all Swiss pedagogical universities (Pädagogische Hochschulen) for BNE expertise integration in teacher training.
- L'Educateur JournalsecondaryProfessional educational journal publishing BNE content in partnership.
- Cantonal Education Departmentscore23 cantonal and regional networks coordinated through cantonal education departments supporting school implementation.
- External Educational Actors NetworksecondaryNetwork of NGOs, associations, museums, and nature parks providing validated external educational activities for schools.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
éducation21 competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz: Health Promotion Switzerland co-funds the Schulnetz21 network alongside éducation21 and operates a parallel national foundation model focused on health-promoting schools. It is a structurally similar Swiss competence foundation with overlapping school-network mandate.
- Schweizerisches Netzwerk Gesundheitsfördernder Schulen: Swiss Network of Health-Promoting Schools coordinates the health-promoting schools movement across Switzerland and overlaps closely with the health promotion dimension of Schulnetz21. It is a structurally similar cantonal-network model for whole-school development.
- Stiftung SILVIVA: Swiss foundation focused on outdoor, sustainability, and experiential education. It is comparable as a national foundation providing curriculum-linked environmental and sustainability education resources to Swiss schools.
- Pädagogische Hochschulen (Swiss Pedagogical Universities): Swiss pedagogical universities are core strategic partners that integrate BNE into teacher training curricula. They are comparable institutions operating in the same BNE content domain and serving the same Swiss education ecosystem.
Others
- BAFU / Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN): FOEN is one of the core federal funding partners of éducation21 and a co-shaper of the BNE mandate. It is comparable as a public-sector stakeholder that defines the environmental education agenda that the foundation operationalizes in classrooms.
- Lehrplan 21 (Curriculum 21 Editorial Team): The Lehrplan 21 editorial team defines the cantonal curriculum framework to which éducation21's BNE resources must align. It is comparable as the upstream standard-setting body whose outputs the foundation's content is built to support.
Regional players
- mySchool (Schweizer Schulnetzwerk): mySchool is a Swiss digital learning platform providing curriculum-aligned educational resources and community features for teachers. It is a regional digital competitor in the same Swiss K-12 resource market, though not sustainability-specific.
Broad incumbents
- UNESCO Section of Education for Sustainable Development: UNESCO is the global convener of ESD and sets the international framework (including the 17 SDGs) that éducation21 implements at the national level. It is comparable as the upstream policy and standards authority for the same educational mission.
- Schweizerische Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektoren (EDK/CDIP): Swiss Conference of Cantonal Education Directors is the primary mandate holder and coordinator of éducation21. It is the direct governmental authority that defines curriculum frameworks (Lehrplan 21) and commissions the foundation, making it the closest institutional counterpart.
Emerging players
- Ashoka Switzerland: Ashoka Switzerland supports education changemakers and social innovation in education. It is comparable as a foundation-funded entity driving educational innovation and partnering with schools on systemic change initiatives.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
éducation21 social profiles
Digital presenceéducation21 financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
éducation21 leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles4 records
éducation21 funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
éducation21 M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about éducation21
What does éducation21 do?
éducation21 (Stiftung éducation21) is the Swiss national competence center for Education for Sustainable Development (BNE), providing free validated curriculum-aligned teaching resources, films, thematic dossiers, and school development support to Swiss K-12 schools and teachers. It operates the Schulnetz21 network of 2,300+ member schools across 23 cantonal and regional networks, reaching approximately 450,000 students in German, French, and Italian-speaking Switzerland.
Is éducation21 a public or private company?
éducation21 is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was éducation21 founded?
éducation21 was founded in 2012. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is éducation21 based?
éducation21 is headquartered in Bern, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does éducation21 make money?
One revenue line is on record: government Mandates and Public Funding.
Who are éducation21's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Gesundheitsförderung Schweiz, Schweizerisches Netzwerk Gesundheitsfördernder Schulen, Stiftung SILVIVA and Pädagogische Hochschulen (Swiss Pedagogical Universities). Others are BAFU / Federal Office for the Environment (FOEN) and Lehrplan 21 (Curriculum 21 Editorial Team). mySchool (Schweizer Schulnetzwerk) is listed as a regional player. Broad incumbents are UNESCO Section of Education for Sustainable Development and Schweizerische Konferenz der kantonalen Erziehungsdirektoren (EDK/CDIP). Ashoka Switzerland is listed as an emerging player.
Does éducation21 have an API?
No public API is recorded for éducation21.
What industry is éducation21 in?
éducation21's product category is Education for Sustainable Development Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADAEAA, National/State Curriculum & Standards Authorities, with a secondary code of EDADALAB, International Development & Donor-Funded Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 611710 and its SIC code is 8200.