Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira

What Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira does

Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira (ESPF) is a public secondary school located in Paços de Ferreira, Portugal, established in 1974 and operated under the Portuguese Ministry of Education. The institution delivers Basic Education (3rd cycle, grades 7-9), Secondary Education (scientific-humanistic courses), and EQAVET-certified vocational/professional courses to the local student population, with enrollment processed via the national Portal das Matrículas. ESPF reported 44 employees and serves students, parents/guardians, and the wider Paços de Ferreira community, with supporting services including a Psychology and Guidance Service (SPO), school library, and learning support center.

The school's operational technology stack centers on the Inovar platform family: InovarAlunos (student information), InovarConsulta (parent/guardian portal), InovarPAA (annual activity planning), InovarRecorrente (recurrent/adult education), and Portal Unicard SIGE (integrated school management). These are third-party administrative systems; no proprietary AI/ML, API, or SDK capabilities are documented. The school participates in EU programmes including Erasmus+, eTwinning (44+ countries), Eco-Escolas, and has a PRR/Next Generation EU-funded Centro Tecnológico de Informática under development.

As a state school, ESPF is funded through Portuguese Ministry of Education budget allocations and charges no tuition. It is governed by a Conselho Geral (General Council) and is not a commercial entity. Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the campus in Paços de Ferreira (Rua da Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira, 43, 4590-894) and through the national education system. The institution generated no commercial revenue, holds no patents, and is not investable in the conventional PE/VC sense; relevant signals for analysis are modernization progress, certification maintenance, and leadership continuity.

Name

Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira

Legal name

Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira

Website

https://espf.edu.pt

Company type

Private

Founded year

1974

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira (ESPF) is a publicly funded Portuguese secondary school in Paços de Ferreira, offering basic and secondary education plus EQAVET-certified vocational courses to local students under the Ministry of Education.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paços de Ferreira

HQ country

Portugal

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Public Education Funding: Government-funded public education institution providing free education services to students. Funded by the Portuguese Ministry of Education with allocations for educational programs, staff salaries, and infrastructure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira is a public secondary school that delivers free basic education (3rd cycle, grades 7–9) and secondary education tracks, including scientific-humanistic courses and EQAVET-certified professional/vocational courses. The school supplements classroom teaching with student support services such as the Psychology and Guidance Service (SPO), School Library, and Learning Support Center, and operates internal digital portals (Inovar) for student records, parent communication, and school administration.

Product overview

Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira is a Portuguese public secondary school offering comprehensive educational services including Basic Education (3rd cycle), Secondary Education (científico-humanístico courses), and Professional Courses (EQAVET certified). The school provides administrative portals for students (InovarAlunos), parents (InovarConsulta), and staff (PortalUnicard/SIGE), alongside support services such as the Psychology and Guidance Service (SPO), School Library, Learning Support Center (Centro de Apoio à Aprendizagem), and various clubs and projects including eTwinning, Eco-Escolas, and Desporto Escolar. The institution operates from Rua da Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira, 43, 4590-894 Paços de Ferreira, Portugal.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Escola Secundária com 3.º Ciclo do Ensino Básico Paços de Ferreira:

Products and services

• Basic Education (3rd Cycle) Compulsory basic education for 7th, 8th, and 9th grade students, delivered as part of Portugal's national public education system. Provided free to enrolled students at the ESPF campus in Paços de Ferreira.
• Secondary Education (Scientific-Humanistic Courses) Upper secondary scientific-humanistic courses preparing students for national external examinations (Provas de Avaliação Externa) and progression to higher education. Provided free to enrolled students at the ESPF campus in Paços de Ferreira.
• Professional Courses (Cursos Profissionais) EQAVET-certified vocational education programs that combine practical training with theoretical education, preparing students for specific professions as an alternative pathway to higher education. Provided free to enrolled students at the ESPF campus in Paços de Ferreira.
• Psychology and Guidance Service (SPO) Dedicated student support service providing psychological and educational guidance (contact: [email protected]) to enrolled students at ESPF as part of the school's wider educational offering.
• School Library (Biblioteca Escolar) School library and learning resource service supporting teaching, reading promotion, and student research activities at ESPF, accessible via the Bibliodigital blog platform.
• Learning Support Center (Centro de Apoio à Aprendizagem) Learning Support Center providing targeted academic support to students as part of ESPF's broader educational and student-support offering.

Quantifiable outcome

• EQAVET certification maintained for professional education programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PRR / Next Generation EUcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 February 2025Partnership through the Portuguese Recovery and Resilience Plan (PRR) funding for the development of Centro Tecnológico de Informática (Computer Technology Center), a major infrastructure project for technology education
• European eTwinning NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive participation in the eTwinning Action of the Erasmus+ Programme, collaborating with schools from 44+ European countries on joint educational projects using ICT
• EQAVET (European Quality Assurance in VET)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerQuality assurance framework partnership for vocational education and training programs, maintaining European certification standards
• Euronics Paços de FerreiraminorOthersLocal business that donated a television for the student lounge, demonstrating community support for educational facilities
• Erasmus+ ProgrammecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean Union program supporting internationalization, professional development, and collaborative learning initiatives
• InovarcoreTechnology or IntegrationTechnology provider for student information management systems, including InovarAlunos, InovarConsulta, and Portal Unicard SIGE platforms

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• GEMS Education: GEMS Education operates one of the world's largest networks of K-12 private schools, with strong presence in Europe and the Middle East. Comparable to ESPF in offering a multi-track secondary curriculum including vocational/professional pathways, though serving a primarily fee-paying market.
• Cognita Schools: Cognita is a global K-12 schools operator running international and bilingual schools across multiple countries. It is comparable to ESPF as a multi-program secondary education operator with established quality frameworks and international accreditation focus.
• Nord Anglia Education: Nord Anglia operates a global network of premium K-12 schools, including those offering IB and international curricula. It is comparable to ESPF as a K-12 operator with international program partnerships and a strong brand in secondary education, although it serves a private/premium market segment.
• Inspired Education Group: Inspired Education is a global premium schools group operating K-12 institutions with strong European and Latin American presence. Comparable to ESPF as a multi-curriculum secondary operator with vocational and academic tracks, though in a private/fee-paying market.

Direct peers

• European Schoolnet (EUN): European Schoolnet operates the eTwinning platform, in which ESPF is an active and award-winning participant (European eTwinning School Label 2025). Both serve as European educational infrastructure/networks supporting school-level collaboration and innovation.

Others

• Porto Editora / Escola Virtual: Escola Virtual is a leading Portuguese K-12 digital learning platform widely adopted by Portuguese public schools. It is comparable to ESPF in serving the same Portuguese K-12 segment with complementary digital learning content alongside in-person instruction.
• Cedefop (European Centre for the Development of Vocational Training): Cedefop coordinates the European EQAVET quality assurance framework under which ESPF's vocational programs are certified. Both operate at the intersection of vocational education policy and practitioner-level implementation across European member states.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCO_3-OpTP0o2Xot17gPNUcA
• Facebookfacebook.com/espf.edu.pt
• Instagraminstagram.com/espf403374
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/escola-secund%C3%A1ria-de-pa%C3%A7os-de-ferreira

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Escola Secundária de Paços de Ferreira