Network of Education Policy Centers (NEPC)

What Network of Education Policy Centers (NEPC) does

NEPC is a non-profit education policy network headquartered in Zagreb, Croatia, founded in 2006. The organization operates through a federation-style model connecting independent education policy member organizations across Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe. NEPC coordinates cross-border programs, research publications, and professional development initiatives targeting educational inequality, inclusive school leadership, ecojustice education, and migrant learner support. Its core offerings include multi-year collaborative projects (ARISE: 2025-2028; Lead for EcoJustice: 2023-2026), research publications (SIRIUS Watch reports, UNESCO GEM regional analyses), professional development resources (PIQET principles, EcoJustice Glossary, Ready for EcoJustice self-assessment tool), an annual flagship conference (Primary Colors of Education, 10th edition in 2026), and the edufocus multimedia platform.

NEPC serves four primary stakeholder segments: education policymakers and government officials seeking evidence-based recommendations, school leaders and principals requiring capacity-building programs, teachers and educators needing professional development resources, and education researchers/NGOs participating in collaborative research. Distribution relies on a member network that implements programs nationally across countries including Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, Slovenia, and Hungary. NEPC does not develop proprietary technology products; its digital surface consists of content repositories, an online self-assessment tool (edu-ecojustice.net), and multimedia content delivered through edufocus.

NEPC's business model is grant-funded rather than commercially monetized. Revenue streams include multi-year project grants from institutional funders such as UniCredit Foundation (ARISE project, 2025-2028), European Commission co-funded programs (SIRIUS Network on Migrant Education, Erasmus+ PIQET), Croatian Science Foundation, and contributions from member organizations. Conference registration fees for the Primary Colors of Education Conference (Early Bird and Regular tiers) represent a minor disclosed revenue stream. The core staff of 7 employees operates as a lean secretariat coordinating activities across the broader member network, with member organizations such as CEI Step by Step (Bosnia and Herzegovina), Open Academy Step by Step (Croatia), Forum for Freedom in Education (Croatia), CIP Center and CEP (Serbia), and ERI (Slovenia) acting as national implementing partners.

Name

Network of Education Policy Centers (NEPC)

Legal name

Mreža centara za obrazovne politike / Network of Education Policy Centers

Website

https://edupolicy.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

NEPC is a Zagreb-based non-profit education policy network founded in 2006, coordinating member organizations across Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe. It delivers multi-year projects, research publications, and professional development focused on inclusive education, school leadership, and ecojustice.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Policy Research and Advocacy

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Education Policy Research Institutes & Think Tanks (EDADADAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Education Equity, Access & Inclusion Policy Research (EDADADAF), Workshops, Webinars & Live Masterclasses (MPACALAD), Continuing Education (CE/CPD) & Provider Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAF)

Keywords

• Education policy research
• School leadership training
• Education advocacy services
• Inclusive education programs
• Education network consulting

Headquarters

HQ city

Zagreb

HQ country

Croatia

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Project Funding and Grants: NEPC operates as a non-profit network funded through international project grants, institutional funding, and membership contributions. The organization receives funding from organizations such as UniCredit Foundation, European Commission, Erasmus+ programs, and Croatian Science Foundation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

NEPC is a non-profit network of education policy centers that conducts education policy research, advocates for inclusive and equitable education, and delivers professional development programs for school leaders and teachers across Central, Eastern, and South-Eastern Europe. Its offerings include collaborative projects (ARISE, Lead for EcoJustice), the Policy Lab methodology, professional development toolkits (PIQET), research publications (SIRIUS Watch, UNESCO GEM analyses), the edufocus multimedia platform, and the annual Primary Colors of Education Conference.

Product overview

NEPC operates as a network of education policy organizations rather than a technology product company. Its offerings consist of collaborative projects (ARISE, Lead for EcoJustice), professional development resources (PIQET principles and training programs), research publications (SIRIUS Watch reports, UNESCO GEM analyses), an educational content platform (edufocus), policy development methodology (Policy Lab), and an annual conference (Primary Colors of Education). These initiatives focus on education policy research, school leadership development, and advocacy for equitable and sustainable education across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ARISE: Empowering Schools to Break Barriers and Build Equitable Learning Environments Multi-country project (2025-2028) funded by UniCredit Foundation that tackles educational poverty and promotes equity by empowering school leadership teams in Croatia, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Serbia, and Slovenia through mentoring, training, and peer-to-peer learning.
• Lead for EcoJustice NEPC-led program that transforms schools toward appreciation of nature, justice, and sustainability by improving schools' processes and procedures according to ecojustice education, building the capacity of school leaders to create sustainable school cultures.
• PIQET (Principles of Quality in Education of Teachers) A set of nine quality principles for the recruitment, training, and ongoing support of continuous professional development (CPD) educators, developed by Educational Research Institute (Slovenia), Open Academy Step by Step (Croatia), and International Step by Step Association (Netherlands).
• PIQET Training Programme for Continuous Professional Development Educators Three-day training model based on PIQET Principles for professional growth of CPD educators, usable for self-reflection and as a framework for quality assurance in recruitment and ongoing support of CPD educators.
• PIQET Handbook for CPD Educators Handbook highlighting the crucial role of CPD educators and introducing the PIQET Transformative Pathway, a self-improvement framework with tools such as Transformative Pathway Plan, Guidelines for Reflective Discussion, and Professional Learning Community model.
• Ready for EcoJustice Self-Assessment Tool Self-assessment tool for schools to evaluate their readiness and progress toward ecojustice education and sustainable school cultures.
• SIRIUS Watch 2026 Report — Bridging the Gap: Strengthening Language Support and Multilingual Education Report examining multilingual education policy in 16 EU Member States, offering insights into how European education systems support migrant and refugee learners.
• edufocus NEPC's multimedia platform for educational content providing articles, video lectures, webinars, and podcasts on various current topics in education including sustainability, inclusion, and ecojustice.
• Policy Lab Innovative methodology that empowers diverse stakeholders to engage meaningfully in formulation of public policies through structured two-step events combining expert presentations with collaborative small-group discussions.
• Primary Colors of Education Conference NEPC's annual conference series (10th edition in 2026) celebrating 20 years of NEPC, bringing together educators and changemakers from across Europe.
• UNESCO GEM Regional Analysis: Country Perspectives on Inclusive Leadership Regional edition covering Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia, presenting evidence-based recommendations for governments and stakeholders to enhance inclusion and facilitate SDG 4 implementation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 20 years of continuous operation and network building across Europe
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• UNESCO Global Education Monitoring ReportcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 March 2025NEPC partnered with UNESCO GEM Report on the 2025 Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia regional edition focusing on leadership and inclusion. NEPC members contributed 8 country studies and comparative analysis.
• SIRIUS Network (International Policy Network on Migrant Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC is part of the SIRIUS network, an international Policy Network on Migrant Education co-funded by the European Commission. NEPC contributes to annual SIRIUS Watch reports examining multilingual education policy across EU Member States.
• Center for Educational Initiatives Step by Step (CEI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC member organization from Bosnia and Herzegovina implementing ARISE project. CEI has developed resources for over 10,000 teachers and operates the inskola.com platform for educational resources.
• Open Academy Step by Step (OA SbS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC member from Croatia, partner in ARISE project and PIQET initiative. Contributed to development of PIQET Principles and Training Programme for Continuous Professional Development Educators.
• Forum for Freedom in EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC member from Croatia, partner in ARISE project and Lead for EcoJustice project. Has published resources on COVID-19 education response and student participation.
• Center for Interactive Pedagogy (CIP Center)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC member from Serbia, partner in ARISE project. Contributes to comparative research on policies for supporting low SES students.
• Centre for Education Policy (CEP)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC member from Serbia, partner in ARISE project and Lead for EcoJustice project. Works on education policy research and school improvement.
• Educational Research Institute (ERI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC member from Slovenia, partnered with Open Academy Step by Step and International Step by Step Association on PIQET initiative to develop Principles of Quality in Education of Teachers.
• International Step by Step Association (ISA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner from Netherlands in PIQET initiative with NEPC members Educational Research Institute and Open Academy Step by Step to publish nine quality principles for CPD educators.
• European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-published the 2021 Global Education Monitoring Central and Eastern Europe, Caucasus and Central Asia Report on inclusion in education.
• European Research Institute (Hungary)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in Lead for EcoJustice project, implementing ecojustice education programs and capacity building activities in Hungary.
• OŠ Janka Leskovara Pregrada (Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in Lead for EcoJustice project implementing ecojustice education practices in Croatia.
• Feszek Waldorf Iskola (Hungary)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in Lead for EcoJustice project implementing ecojustice education practices in Hungary.
• OŠ Brinje Grosuplje (Slovenia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in Lead for EcoJustice project implementing ecojustice education practices in Slovenia.
• OŠ Kralj Petar Prvi, Belgrade (Serbia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner school in Lead for EcoJustice project implementing ecojustice education practices in Serbia.
• ARISE NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNEPC builds on successful ARISE Network, expanding its mission to tackle educational inequalities through inclusive leadership and stronger school cultures.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Education International: Global federation of teachers' unions representing over 30 million educators. Overlaps with NEPC on teacher professional development, education equity, and policy advocacy, though its scale and labour-union orientation differ.
• OECD Directorate for Education and Skills: Major intergovernmental producer of comparative education policy analysis (PISA, TALIS, Education at a Glance). Operates at a much larger scale but covers overlapping topics of school leadership, equity, and skills that are core to NEPC's work.
• UNESCO Global Education Monitoring Report: UN's flagship education monitoring instrument, partner with NEPC on the 2025 Central and Eastern Europe regional edition. Comparable as a global thought leader on education policy and inclusion whose regional analyses directly engage NEPC's audience.
• Open Society Foundations (Education Program): Major philanthropic funder of education equity and Roma/inclusive education in CEE/SEE. While a foundation rather than a peer organization, it is one of the most influential shapers of the education policy space NEPC operates in.

Direct peers

• International Step by Step Association (ISA): Netherlands-based NGO partnering with NEPC on the PIQET initiative for Continuous Professional Development educators. Shares NEPC's focus on quality early childhood and continuing education in Central and Eastern Europe and operates a similar member-network model.
• SIRIUS Network – International Policy Network on Migrant Education: European Commission co-funded policy network on migrant education of which NEPC is a member. Its annual SIRIUS Watch reports and convenings overlap almost entirely with NEPC's own multilingual education work.
• European Educational Research Association (EERA): European association of national educational research associations organising the European Conference on Educational Research. Comparable as a pan-European education research and policy network serving academic and practitioner members.
• Center for Universal Education at Brookings: Global education policy think tank within Brookings producing influential research on girls' education, inclusion, and education systems. Closely aligned with NEPC in mission and audience (policymakers, donors, implementers).
• European Agency for Special Needs and Inclusive Education: Co-published the 2021 GEM regional report with NEPC on inclusion in education. Operates as an intergovernmental network of member countries focused on inclusive education policy in Europe, directly comparable in mission and stakeholder model to NEPC.

Emerging players

• European Policy Centre (Education and Skills programme): Brussels-based think tank producing EU policy analysis including on education and skills. Comparable as an independent education policy think tank influencing European-level policy debates.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCImMSYxBNbukmeUvfxjw5cA/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/edupolicy
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/edupolicy

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Network of Education Policy Centers (NEPC)