Ecole Supérieure des Affaires

What Ecole Supérieure des Affaires does

Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA Namur) is a Belgian adult education institution headquartered at Rue du Collège 8 in Namur, operating under the legal entity CBC Namur-Luxembourg – Enseignement & Formations, an ASBL (non-profit association). Founded in 1897 as École Pratique de Commerce by the Belgian Commercial Travelers' Syndicate, the school has delivered recognized higher education to working adults in Wallonia for over 125 years. It offers a portfolio of nine professional bachelor's degrees (in Accounting, IT/Application Development, Law, Marketing, Public Relations–Communication, Artificial Intelligence, International Business, Tourism Management, and Public Administration), one specialization bachelor's in Business Data Analysis, a co-organized Master in Sales Management with HEC Liège, and standalone language courses in English, Dutch, and Spanish. Programs are delivered exclusively in evening (18h–21h) and Saturday (8h30–13h) schedules to accommodate adults in active employment, and several are co-organized with partner institutions (Henallux, HEC Liège, IPFS, ILFOP) that provide facilities and academic co-branding.

The institution operates on a direct-to-consumer GTM model, reaching prospective students via its esa-namur.be website, social channels (LinkedIn, Facebook, Instagram, YouTube), open evenings, program-specific information sessions, school visits, personalized appointments, and a student ambassador program recognized by AEQES in 2025. Annual registration windows (e.g., 19 August – 2 October 2026) drive a seasonal enrollment cycle. Revenue derives almost entirely from annual tuition fees (minerval) of €400–€500 per student, with exemptions available for job seekers, CPAS beneficiaries, persons with disabilities, and others; supplemental fees cover Valorisation des Acquis (VA) processing and integrated exam registration. The technology stack is commodity: SmartSchool as the LMS for all enrolled students and a Microsoft Office 365 license provided during studies. All diplomas are officially recognized by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles and accredited by AEQES, with continuous quality evaluations every six years, giving ESA's credentials full legal equivalence to daytime higher education degrees within the regulated Belgian adult education system.

Name

Ecole Supérieure des Affaires

Legal name

École Supérieure des Affaires

Website

https://esa-namur.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1897

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA Namur) is a Belgian non-profit adult education institution founded in 1897, offering accredited bachelor's, master's, and language programs exclusively in evening and Saturday schedules for working adults in Wallonia.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Namur

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition fees (minerval): ESA generates revenue through annual tuition fees (minerval) charged to enrolled students. The minerval is calculated based on the number of course periods a student registers for and includes the registration fee plus fixed operating costs. Payment can be split into two installments with director approval. Reduced fees apply for students in co-diplomation programs who have already paid fees at partner institutions.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels11 records

Core offering

ESA Namur delivers recognized higher-education programs (bachelor's degrees, a specialization bachelor's, a master's, and language courses) to working adults through evening and Saturday classes. The portfolio spans accounting, IT/application development, law, marketing, public relations/communication, artificial intelligence, international business, tourism management, and public administration. Several programs are co-organized with partner Hautes Écoles (Henallux, HEC Liège, IPFS, ILFoP), with instruction also taking place at partner campuses.

Product overview

Ecole Supérieure des Affaires (ESA) is an adult education institution offering a portfolio of 9 professional bachelor's degrees, 1 specialization bachelor's, 1 master's program, and standalone language courses. The bachelor's programs include Accounting, IT/Application Development, Law, Marketing, Public Relations-Communication, Artificial Intelligence, International Business, Tourism Management, and Public Administration. Programs are offered in evening and weekend schedules to accommodate working adults, with several programs co-organized with partner institutions (Henallux, ILFOP, IPFS, HEC Liège). The institution follows a modular system allowing students to progress at their own pace and capitalize credits across the adult education network.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Bachelor in Accounting (Bachelier en Comptabilité) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in accounting with specializations in taxation or management, including integrated internships, recognized by the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, providing a pathway to the chartered-accountant (ITAA) qualification. Designed for working adults in evening and Saturday schedules.
• Bachelor in IT — Application Development (Bachelier en Informatique – Orienté Développement d'Application) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in computer science focused on application development, covering programming, databases, cybersecurity, and project management, with mandatory internships. Designed for working adults in evening and Saturday schedules.
• Bachelor in Law (Bachelier en Droit) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in law covering civil, tax, social, and economic law, with practical training including mediation courses and professional internships. Designed for working adults in evening and Saturday schedules.
• Bachelor in Marketing (Bachelier en Marketing) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in marketing covering consumer behavior, market research, digital marketing, brand strategy, and sales techniques. Designed for working adults in evening and Saturday schedules.
• Bachelor in Public Relations — Communication (Bachelier en Relations Publiques – Communication) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in public relations and communication covering 360° communication strategies, event organization, digital communication, and multilingual skills. Includes the signature ESA Events student-run project. Designed for working adults in evening and Saturday schedules.
• Bachelor in Artificial Intelligence (Bachelier en Intelligence Artificielle) A 3-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in artificial intelligence co-organized with Henallux, covering machine learning, deep learning, NLP, data analysis, and AI ethics. Taught during daytime hours at the IESN Namur campus.
• Bachelor in International Business (Bachelier en International Business) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in international business, co-organized with Henallux, covering global trade, supply chain, international marketing, and multilingual commerce. Designed for working adults in evening and Saturday schedules.
• Bachelor in Tourism and Leisure Management (Bachelier en Management du Tourisme et des Loisirs) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in tourism and leisure management, co-organized with ILFoP, covering tourism marketing, event management, e-tourism, and hospitality operations.
• Bachelor in Public Administration and Administrative Sciences (Bachelier en Gestion Publique et Sciences Administratives) A 4-year professional bachelor's degree (180 ECTS credits) in public administration and management, co-organized with IPFS, covering public law, administrative sciences, public finance, and government management.
• Specialization Bachelor in Business Data Analysis (Bachelier de Spécialisation en Business Data Analysis) A 1-year specialization bachelor's degree co-organized with Henallux, covering data visualization, statistical analysis, data mining, ETL processes, and business intelligence for strategic decision-making. Targeted at graduates holding a prior bachelor's degree.
• Master in Sales Management (Master en Sales Management) A 2-year professional master's degree (120 ECTS credits) in sales management, co-organized with HEC Liège and three other Hautes Écoles, delivered in alternating format combining 2 days of courses per week with 3 days in enterprise. Focused on commercial strategy and business development.
• Language Courses (Cours de Langues) Standalone language courses offered in English, Dutch, and Spanish for adults, with level-based instruction from beginner to advanced and a professional-application focus. Includes French as a Foreign Language (FLE) conversational tables for non-native speakers.

Quantifiable outcome

• Graduates of the accounting bachelor's can pursue chartered accountant (ITAA) certification after completing required stages and examinations.
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Integration2 records

AI capability3 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Fédération Wallonie-BruxellescoreOthersESA operates under the regulatory authority of the Fédération Wallonie-Bruxelles, which grants official recognition to all its programs. The federation sets curriculum standards, awards official diploma validity, and oversees quality through AEQES.
• Le ForemcoreOthersLe Forem is the Walloon public employment service. ESA collaborates with Le Forem by accepting their attestations for tuition fee exemptions for registered job seekers and unemployed individuals. Le Forem also partially reimburses employers for paid education leave (congé-éducation) under its support programs.
• HenalluxflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA co-organizes three programs with Henallux: Bachelier en Intelligence Artificielle (daytime, 3 years), Bachelier de spécialisation en Business Data Analysis (1-year specialization), and Bachelier en International Business (evening/saturday, 3 years). Henallux is a major Haute École in Namur providing complementary academic expertise and facilities (IESN campus).
• HEC Liège (Université de Liège)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA is one of four Hautes Écoles co-organizing the Master en Sales Management with HEC Liège — the first such master in Belgium dedicated to commercial talent development. HEC Liège delivers 2 days/week of instruction at its campus, while ESA students attend evening classes at ESA and work 3 days/week in their companies throughout the 2-year program.
• IPFS (Institut de Formation Permanente)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA and IPFS co-organize the Bachelier en Gestion publique et sciences administratives (Public Administration and Management Sciences). IPFS provides facilities and contributes its expertise in adult and continuing education in the Namur region.
• ILFoP (Institut Liégeois de Formation Permanente)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA and ILFoP co-organize the Bachelier en Management du tourisme et des loisirs (Tourism and Leisure Management), sharing educational values focused on student wellbeing and personalized follow-up. ILFoP provides facilities and expertise in adult education in the Namur region.
• CBC Namur-Luxembourg (Compagnie Belge des Comptables)flagshipOthersCBC is the professional union of accountants that historically founded ESA and continues as its organizing authority (Pouvoir Organisateur). ESA maintains a special link with CBC for its accounting bachelor's, reflecting the school's deep roots in the accounting profession. CBC provides governance oversight and professional network access.
• Pôle Académique de NamurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESA participates in the Pôle Académique de Namur, an academic consortium coordinating higher education institutions in the Namur region to promote collaboration and academic synergies.
• APEF-FEBI (Association Professionnelle des Experts et Fiscalistes Belges)minorOthersAPEF-FEBI is a Belgian professional association for tax experts and fiscalists. ESA collaborates with APEF-FEBI as part of its professional network supporting accounting and fiscal education.
• FELSIminorOthersFELSI is a professional association in the accounting/finance sector with which ESA maintains a partnership, contributing to its professional network and educational relevance.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@ecolesuperieuredesaffaires8942/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/esanamur
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/esa-namur
• Instagraminstagram.com/esa_namur/?hl=fr

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 Ecole Supérieure des Affaires