What Fondation Entre-lacs does

Fondation Entre-Lacs is a Swiss private foundation recognized as being of public utility (établissement privé reconnu d'utilité publique), headquartered in Yverdon-les-Bains, Canton of Vaud, Switzerland. Founded in 2006 through the merger of the Association du Centre d'enseignement et d'éducation spécialisés Florère and the Fondation du Centre logopédique et pédagogique du Nord Vaudois, the foundation provides specialized pedagogy, socio-professional support, residential boarding, and temporary respite reception for children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 with behavioral, intellectual, psychological, or physical difficulties. It operates 35 staff across four physical sites: Maison Rouge and Cheminet in Yverdon-les-Bains (externat specialized pedagogy for primary and secondary school children), Florère in Le Lieu (Vallée de Joux, externat and internat), and La Carène in Yverdon-les-Bains (temporary reception unit for family respite).

The foundation's technology profile is that of a non-digital service provider with no proprietary platform or software described; all services are delivered in person at fixed physical sites. It does not operate any commercial go-to-market motion: admissions require formal validation by the Office du soutien pédagogique et de l'enseignement spécialisé (OSPES) and, for the socio-professional sector, the Office cantonal pour l'Assurance-Invalidité (OAI). Both bodies also serve as the principal funders of mandatory services through public subsidies, with additional private donations and grants supporting specific projects. Parental contributions are limited to meals (day students) and boarding fees (residential students), and temporary reception stays are billed separately based on stay type and disability-related supplements.

Governance is exercised by a Conseil de Fondation chaired by Pierre Badoux (President), with Rafaela Cantone as Vice-President and Jean-Luc Raymondaz as Treasurer; Jean-Marc Sueur serves as Director. The foundation operates exclusively within the Nord Vaudois and Vallée de Joux regions of the Canton of Vaud and does not maintain any commercial sales, marketing, or distribution channels. Its strategic posture is that of a stable, publicly funded regional institution focused on delivering a continuum of special-needs education and care services rather than pursuing growth or geographic expansion beyond its cantonal mandate.

Name

Fondation Entre-lacs

Legal name

Fondation Entre-Lacs

Website

https://entre-lacs.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondation Entre-Lacs is a Swiss public-utility foundation operating four sites in Nord Vaudois and Vallée de Joux, delivering specialized pedagogy, residential care, and family respite services for children and adolescents aged 0-18 with behavioral, intellectual, psychological, or physical disabilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Special Education and Socio-Pedagogical Care Services

NAICS

Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (623210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Respite Care for Families of Children with Disabilities (HSAAAIAL)

akta.pro secondary industry

Emergency / On-Demand Respite Care (HSABAGAD)

Keywords

• Specialized education services
• Special needs care
• Residential child care
• Respite care services
• Socio-professional training

Headquarters

HQ city

Yverdon-les-Bains

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public subsidy-funded care and education services: Mandatory services are funded by public subsidies from OSPES (Office du soutien pédagogique et de l'enseignement spécialisé) and OCAI for the socio-professional sector. Some projects receive supplementary funding from private donations and occasional grants. Parents contribute financially only for meals (day students) and boarding costs (residential students). Temporary reception unit (UAT) stays are billed separately based on type of stay, disability allowances, and intensive care supplements.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Core offering

Fondation Entre-lacs delivers specialized pedagogy, residential care, and pre-vocational socio-professional support for children and adolescents aged 0-18 who present behavioral, intellectual, psychological, or physical difficulties. Services are delivered across four sites — Maison Rouge, Cheminet, Florère, and La Carène — covering day externats, an internat, early-childhood day care (0-4), and a temporary reception unit for respite stays. Operating territory spans the Nord Vaudois region and the Vallée de Joux in Canton Vaud, Switzerland.

Product overview

Fondation Entre-Lacs is a private foundation recognized as being of public utility, specializing in the care and education of children and adolescents aged 0 to 18 with behavioral, intellectual, psychic, or physical difficulties. The foundation operates four distinct sites providing complementary services: Maison Rouge and Cheminet offer specialized pedagogy in externat format for primary and secondary school children respectively; Florère provides both externat and internat (boarding) services; and La Carène serves as a temporary reception unit providing respite care for families of children with disabilities. Services are funded through public subsidies from OSPES and OAI.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Accueil de jour (day care, 0-4 years) Day-care program for children aged 0-4 with disabilities or developmental difficulties, delivered at the foundation's early-childhood site under canton-level pedagogical oversight.
• Maison Rouge — externat spécialisé (primary, 4-12 years) Specialized-pedagogy day school (externat) for primary-age children aged 4-12 presenting behavioral, intellectual, psychological or physical difficulties, located in Yverdon-les-Bains.
• Cheminet — externat spécialisé (secondary, 12-16 years) Specialized-pedagogy day school (externat) for secondary-age adolescents aged 12-16 presenting behavioral, intellectual, psychological or physical difficulties, located in the Nord Vaudois region.
• Florère — externat, internat and socio-professional track Combined externat, internat (boarding) and socio-professional program for adolescents and young adults (typically 16-18 and over) in the Vallée de Joux, providing both day schooling and residential care alongside pre-vocational training.
• La Carène — Unité d'accueil temporaire (UAT) / respite care Temporary reception (Unité d'accueil temporaire) unit offering short-stay respite placements for children, adolescents, and young adults aged 18 and over presenting difficulties, with daily billing per stay.

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• OSPES (Office du soutien pédagogique et de l'enseignement spécialisé)coreOthersOSPES exercises high-supervision over the foundation's activities and provides public subsidies that fund mandatory services. The OSPES validation is a prerequisite for service access. This is the foundation's primary institutional oversight and funding relationship.
• OAI (Office cantonal pour l'Assurance-Invalidité)coreOthersThe OAI (Cantonal Office for Disability Insurance) co-funds the socio-professional sector services and validates admissions for that sector. Together with OSPES, OAI represents the foundation's core institutional funding and regulatory partnerships.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights3 records

Broad incumbents

• Mencap: UK charity supporting people with learning disabilities through schools, supported living, respite, and family services. Comparable in delivering a continuum of special-education, residential, and respite services to a disabilities population, though at national UK scale and with a broader age range.
• Inclusion Handicap: Swiss umbrella association of disability organizations coordinating advocacy, policy, and service-provision partnerships. Comparable as a national-level disability-services coordinator, though it operates as a federation rather than a direct service operator.
• Pro Infirmis: Switzerland's largest disability-services organization, offering advisory, residential, and supported-living services across all cantons. Comparable in mission and disability-services focus, but operates at national scale and across all age groups rather than a single cantonal region.
• Procap: Swiss disability self-help organization providing social advice, legal support, and accessibility services to people with disabilities nationwide. Adjacent in population served, though Procap is primarily an advocacy and advisory body rather than a direct service provider.

Emerging players

• National Autistic Society: UK charity providing specialized education, residential schools, and adult services for autistic children and adults. Comparable in operating specialist schools and residential settings for children with developmental conditions, though focused specifically on autism rather than multi-disability profiles.

Direct peers

• Together Trust: UK charity providing special education, residential care, and short-break respite services for children and young people with disabilities, autism, and complex needs. Closely comparable in service mix (specialized schools + internat + family respite) and age band to Fondation Entre-Lacs.
• Camphill Communities: International network of residential special-education communities serving children and adults with developmental disabilities, intellectual disabilities, and special social needs through integrated living, pedagogy, and therapeutic programs. Comparable mission and operational model to Florère's internat, though Camphill operates internationally.

Regional players

• Stiftung Cerebral: Swiss foundation serving children and adults with cerebral palsy and similar disabilities through residential, respite, and therapeutic services. Comparable as a Swiss disability-services nonprofit providing family respite and residential care, though its population skews toward adults.
• Fondation de l'Hôpital de l'Enfance: Swiss foundation supporting pediatric care and special-needs children through hospital partnerships in the Lake Geneva region. Comparable as a child-focused Swiss foundation addressing special needs, with overlapping cantonal referral networks.
• Fondation Pestalozzi: Swiss foundation providing educational and residential support to disadvantaged and special-needs children, with a comparable blend of pedagogy, boarding, and institutional funding. Operates in a different canton (St. Gallen / Ticino) but follows a similar nonprofit public-utility foundation model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-entre-lacs

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Fondation Entre-lacs