Ecole de Production de Belfort

What Ecole de Production de Belfort does

Ecole de Production de Belfort is a private, non-profit technical education institution founded in October 2023 in Cravanche (Territoire de Belfort, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, France), at the initiative of UIMM Franche-Comté and local industrial companies. It delivers two-year CAP vocational programs (CAP Métallier and CAP RICS - boilermaking and welding) to young people aged 15-18 who lack a school or professional solution after 3ème, using the FNEP 'Faire pour apprendre' (learning by doing) pedagogy in which students produce real metalwork orders for industrial clients under the supervision of master professionals.

The school's core technology is an industrial-grade metalworking workshop (100-ton press brake, numerical shear, plasma cutting table, punch press, roller, tube bender, band saw, and MAG/TIG welding stations) combined with a structured order-fulfillment methodology (feasibility, quote, production, invoice, delivery). Approximately two-thirds of training time is spent in workshop practice. The school charges no tuition; it is financed by production revenue from client orders, 'taxe d'apprentissage' collected via SOLTÉA, and corporate donations / mécénat (notably from Fondation TotalEnergies, Banque des Territoires, and a cohort of eight industrial sponsors including Alstom, GE, and LISI).

The institution claims a 100% diploma success rate for its first cohort (5 graduates, all with mentions) and reports that graduates receive 5-6 job offers each. Operationally it is small (5 staff, ~19 enrolled students across two cohorts), and is led by Director Philippe Comont under President Jean-Philippe Kohler, with Etienne Boyer of FNEP and David Journet of Alstom among governance stakeholders.

Name

Ecole de Production de Belfort

Legal name

Ecole de Production de Belfort

Website

https://epb-belfort.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2023

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Ecole de Production de Belfort is a non-profit technical school in Cravanche, France, training 15-18 year-olds in metalworking and welding (CAP Métallier, CAP RICS) via real production orders for local industrial clients, financed by production sales, apprenticeship tax, and corporate donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Education and Training

NAICS

Other Technical and Trade Schools (611519), Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Metalworkg Machinery & Equipment (3540), Miscellaneous Fabricated Metal Products (3490)

akta.pro primary industry

Boilermaking, Pressure Vessels & Tank Fabrication Training (EDAOADAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Pipe Welding & Industrial Piping Fabrication Training (EDAOADAB), Ornamental Ironwork & Artistic Metalwork Training (EDAOADAO), Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL), Skilled Trades, Safety & Compliance Certification Prep (OSHA, HAZMAT, welding, electrical, HVAC) (EDANAIAM)

Keywords

• Vocational training
• Metalworking education
• Welding certification
• Production school
• Apprenticeship programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Exincourt

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Production Revenue (sale of student-made products): Companies submit orders (commandes) at market price for metal components that are fabricated by students in the workshop under professional master supervision. The revenue from these sales partially finances the school's operations. This is the core revenue mechanism — the school does not charge tuition to students.
2. Taxe d'apprentissage contributions: Companies allocate a portion of their 'taxe d'apprentissage' (apprenticeship tax) to the school via SOLTéA platform, using the school's UAI number (0900472Z) or SIRET (92326100200011). This is a statutory tax contribution that French companies direct toward vocational training institutions.
3. Donations and Mécénat (charitable contributions): Companies and individuals provide financial donations or skills-based mecénat (mécénat de compétences) to fund equipment purchases. Donors receive tax deductions: 66% for individuals (up to 20% of taxable income) and 60% for professionals (up to €10,000 or 5% of turnover).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

The École de Production de Belfort is a French non-profit vocational training school that delivers two-year CAP (Certificat d'Aptitude Professionnelle) certification programs — CAP Métallier (metalworking) and CAP RICS (Réalisation en Chaudronnerie Industrielle et Soudage — industrial boilermaking and welding) — to youth aged 15 to 18. Training is delivered through a "learning by doing" production-school pedagogy: students produce real industrial orders on the school's metalworking workshop machinery while completing their certification, serving both educational and industrial-subcontracting purposes.

Product overview

Ecole de Production de Belfort operates as a non-profit private technical training establishment offering two main vocational certification programs: CAP Métallier (metalworking) and CAP RICS (industrial boilermaking and welding). Both are 2-year programs for students aged 15-18, delivered through the 'Faire pour apprendre' (learning by doing) pedagogy where students produce real industrial orders for regional clients. The school features a fully equipped industrial machine park. Training emphasizes practical workshop work (2/3 of time) supported by theoretical instruction, with the goal of direct employment or continued studies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• CAP Métallier certification program
• CAP RICS certification program
• Industrial metalworking and welding production services

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% of students who completed the CAP Métallier program received their diploma with mentions (1 Très Bien, 2 Bien, 2 Assez Bien)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered founding/flagship, core, key corporate sponsor, key corporate sponsors, institutional partner, local government partner and minor.

• UIMM Franche-Comtéfounding/flagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 October 2023UIMM Franche-Comté is the founding initiator of the Ecole de Production de Belfort. The school is part of UIMM Franche-Comté's broader ecosystem which includes the CFAI, AFPI (Pôle Formation UIMM Franche-Comté), and GEIQ Industries Franche-Comté. UIMM provides institutional leadership, corporate connections, and helps direct both trainee flows and client orders to the school.
• FNEP (Fédération Nationale des Ecoles de Production)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe school is a member of the Fédération Nationale des Ecoles de Production (FNEP), the national network of production schools. This affiliation provides the pedagogical framework ('Faire pour apprendre'), peer support among the network of schools, and national visibility. Vice-President Etienne Boyer from FNEP attended the school inauguration.
• Alstomkey corporate sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlstom is a key corporate sponsor and founding supporter of the school. The company's representatives (including Industrial Director Madame Willame and Vice-President David JOURNET) participate in school ceremonies and governance. Alstom represents the industrial sector the school trains for (transport/rail).
• GE (General Electric)key corporate sponsorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeneral Electric is a founding supporter and corporate partner. The school is housed in premises previously occupied by GE at the Techn'hom 5 site, making GE both a facility provider and supporter of the school's mission in the industrial ecosystem.
• Alstom, AE2I, GE, LISI GROUP, Métalhom, MGR Group Monnier, M-Plus Group, Noirotkey corporate sponsorsStrategic or Co-development PartnerThese eight industrial companies are listed as founding/inaugural corporate sponsors who attended the school inauguration and support its mission. They represent diverse industrial sectors including transport (Alstom), energy (AE2I), aerospace/manufacturing (LISI), metalworking (Métalhom, MGR Group), and other industrial applications.
• Préfecture du Territoire de Belfortinstitutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Prefecture of the Territoire de Belfort (represented by Préfet Alain Charrier and Sous-Préfète Laurence Béguin) is an institutional supporter and partner. The Préfet attended the inauguration and the ministerial visit, demonstrating government backing for the school's mission.
• Région Bourgogne-Franche-Comtéinstitutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe regional council is listed as a supporter of the school. Regional Counselor ARNAUD MARTHEY attended the inauguration. The region provides institutional and potentially financial support to the school's development.
• Département du Territoire de Belfortinstitutional partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe departmental council (President Florian Bouquet) is a supporting institutional partner. The department's logo appears on the school's supporters page, indicating financial or political backing.
• Grand Belfort and Commune de Cravanchelocal government partnerStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrand Belfort (represented by President Damien Meslot) and the Commune of Cravanche (represented by Mesdames Girardey and Truong) are local government supporters. Cravanche is the host municipality of the school's Techn'hom 5 campus.
• France 3 Bourgogne Franche-ComtéminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFrance 3 Bourgogne Franche-Comté produced a television report on the school, featuring the first promotion and the unique training model. This coverage serves as earned media and marketing visibility for the school.
• INRS (Institut National de Recherche et de Sécurité)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerINRS collaborated with the school on a workplace accident prevention campaign, which was carried out with the students. This partnership provides specialized safety training content as part of the school's pedagogical program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Fédération Nationale des Ecoles de Production (FNEP): National federation of French production schools to which EPB Belfort belongs. FNEP sets the pedagogical framework, organizes peer support across 40+ member schools, and provides national visibility—directly comparable as the umbrella for the same business model.
• Pôle Formation UIMM Franche-Comté (AFPI / CFAI): Broader UIMM Franche-Comté training ecosystem, including AFPI (adult training) and CFAI (apprenticeship). Sister organization providing industry training in the same region; competes for the same employer demand and trainee pool but uses a traditional apprenticeship model.

Emerging players

• GEIQ Industries Franche-Comté: Sibling organization within the UIMM FC ecosystem providing industrial insertion pathways via alternance. Targets overlapping youth segments and serves the same Franche-Comté industrial employers with alternative work-study models.
• Lycée Professionnel du Pays de Belfort (Lycée Raoul Follereau / Lycée Diderot): Public vocational lycées in the same Territoire de Belfort offering metalworking and industrial CAP programs. Compete for the same post-3ème student segment, though through traditional classroom-based curricula rather than the production-school model.

Regional players

• Ecole de Production de Strasbourg: Member of the same FNEP network applying the production-school model in Alsace. Comparable pedagogy and employer base but operates in a different region, so no direct competition for trainees or orders in Territoire de Belfort.
• Ecole de Production de Lyon: FNEP-member production school based in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Same pedagogical approach and target market (industrial trades), but geographically distant, serving a different industrial ecosystem.

Direct peers

• Ecole de Production de Besançon (EPB Besançon): Sister school founded in 2017 by the same parent organization, UIMM Franche-Comté, applying the identical 'Faire pour apprendre' production-school pedagogy. Operates in the same region and ecosystem, making it the closest comparable institution.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/epb.belfort
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ecole-de-production-de-belfort

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 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 Ecole de Production de Belfort