EUDEC - European Democratic Education Community

Name

EUDEC - European Democratic Education Community

Legal name

European Democratic Education Community (EUDEC e.V.)

Website

https://eudec.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2008

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

EUDEC is a German-registered non-profit association, founded in 2008, that coordinates a pan-European network of more than 100 democratic schools, 61 start-up groups, and 13 mission partners through annual conferences, exchanges, and the EUDEC Diploma credential. It is sustained by tiered membership fees and EU project grants.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Education Network Services

NAICS

Professional Organizations (813920), Educational Services (611)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Erasmus+ and Government-Sponsored Exchange Partnerships (EDAIABAJ)

Keywords

• Democratic education
• Alternative schooling
• Education networks
• Student exchange programs
• Education advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Berlin

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: EUDEC generates revenue through annual membership fees from individuals, schools, organizations, and start-up groups. Fee structure includes tiered pricing based on entity type and student count, with reduced rates available.
2. Conference Revenue: Annual conferences are organized by member schools, hosting workshops, meetings, and networking activities. While the primary purpose is community building rather than revenue generation, conference participation fees may contribute to organizational funding.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

EUDEC operates a pan-European membership network that connects more than 100 democratic schools, school start-up groups, partner organizations, and individual supporters to promote democratic education. It delivers annual conferences, facilitates student and teacher exchanges across member schools, issues the EUDEC Diploma credential through member schools, and provides a Start-Up Support Pack to help communities found new democratic schools.

Product overview

EUDEC operates as a unified community network rather than a commercial platform with modular products. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs and services: its core network connecting European democratic schools, annual conferences as the highlight of its calendar, the EUDEC Diploma credentialing system, student/teacher exchange programs, startup support for new schools, regional chapters for local action, and publications/resources supporting democratic education theory and practice. These services work together to promote democratic education across Europe.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• EUDEC Membership Tiered annual membership program offering individuals, schools, organizations, and start-up groups access to the EUDEC network, conferences, exchange programs, and resources. Schools pay per-student fees; organizations pay a flat rate; reduced fees are available for those unable to afford standard rates; students under 18 from member schools are free.
• EUDEC Annual Conference Annual multi-day conference hosting hundreds of participants from across Europe and globally, featuring workshops, meetings, open space sessions, and networking. Conference content is participant-driven, embodying democratic education principles.
• EUDEC Diploma A standardized credential issued exclusively by EUDEC member schools, consisting of a common introductory part and an individual text written by community members to document competencies acquired through democratic education.
• Exchange Programs Coordination service facilitating student and teacher exchanges between EUDEC member schools, including reciprocal visits, one-way exchanges, individual or group exchanges, and mixed exchanges involving both teachers and students, often aligned with European framework programs such as Erasmus+.
• Start-Up Support Pack Practical guidance resource created by the EUDEC Council to help communities in the process of founding new democratic schools, covering vision, planning, and operational establishment of learning communities.

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 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 minor and core.

• SWELL - Self directed learning for Wellbeing of Educators and Lifelong LearnersminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2025Erasmus + KA2 EDU-2025-PEX-TEACH-ACA project (December 2025 to December 2028). SWELL Academy empowers teachers and educators to take ownership of their wellbeing and professional growth through Self-Directed Learning.
• I-CIVIC - Innovative Learning and Civic Engagement for Democratic EducationminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 November 2025HORIZON Europe MSCA-2024-SE-01-011 Staff exchanges project (November 2025 to November 2029). Establishes a multidisciplinary network of international experts to explore and strengthen democratic engagement, civic participation, and digital literacy across Europe.
• FutureEd - Co-creating Rights-Centered Education for a Sustainable FutureminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2025Erasmus + KA210-SCH project (September 2025 to September 2026). Seeks to co-create a rights-centred educational framework that supports sustainability, digital responsibility, and active citizenship.
• YOUDEX - Youth Democratic ExperiencesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2025Erasmus + KA210-YOU project (March 2025 to May 2026). Collects and spreads real-stories about experiences of Youth related to democracy, showcasing the impact of a pedagogy that recognizes children's bundle of rights to participate.
• LearningPlanet FestivalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 20 January 2025EUDEC is an official partner of the LearningPlanet Festival 2025. Since its launch in January 2020, the annual LearningPlanet Festival – initiated by the Learning Planet Institute and supported by UNESCO – has been a free, open-to-all event dedicated to celebrating education and lifelong learning.
• ALHE - University of the Basque CountrycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch group of the Faculty of Education, Philosophy and Anthropology of the University of the Basque Country, Spain - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Bundesverband Freie Alternativschulen (BFAs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFree and Alternative Schools network in Berlin, Germany - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Bullerbyn FoundationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDemocratic education network located in Warsaw, Poland - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Büro für KollaborationskulturminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization supporting participatory, democratic and collaborative structures in schools, organisations, companies, and communities, in Feldkirch, Austria - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• ReDesign-CEREHARDminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and educational projects network in Bucharest, Romania - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Collective UpminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSocial digital impact Startup in Ghent, Belgium - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Democratic Education IrelandcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUmbrella organisation for democratic schools in Sligo, Ireland - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Evolving EducationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and training organisation in Malaga, Spain - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Joyce'n'funminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLiving Network of Learning and Joy in Skiathos, Greece - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• QUESTminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch and policy network in Brussels, Belgium - formal mission partner of EUDEC
• Spring AcademyminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntergenerational and interdisciplinary learning community in Corfu, Greece - formal mission partner of EUDEC

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Democratic Education Ireland: Democratic Education Ireland is a national umbrella for democratic schools in Ireland and a formal EUDEC mission partner. It mirrors EUDEC's function at the national level for Irish member schools and start-up groups.
• Bundesverband Freie Alternativschulen (BFAS): BFAS is the German federal association of free and alternative schools and a formal EUDEC member organization. Both organizations advocate for alternative/democratic schooling in German-speaking Europe, coordinate member schools, and overlap on governance and policy advocacy.
• International Democratic Education Conference (IDEC): IDEC is the global annual gathering for democratic education and a natural counterpart to EUDEC's European conference. EUDEC already partners with IDEC for joint conferences, and both serve overlapping communities of democratic/free schools, making them direct peers in the same niche.
• Sudbury Valley School: Sudbury Valley is a foundational democratic school whose model underpins much of Europe's democratic/free school movement. It operates a training/mentorship programme (SVSLI) for those founding democratic schools, comparable in function to EUDEC's Start-Up Support Pack.
• Education Otherwise: Education Otherwise is a UK membership organization supporting alternative and home education, including democratic schooling approaches. It serves a similar parent/educator community in the UK and operates as a membership and advocacy peer to EUDEC.
• Phoenix Education Trust: Phoenix is a UK-based organization supporting democratic education and a formal EUDEC member organization. It plays a role analogous to EUDEC at a national level, serving similar schools and stakeholders with overlapping mission and constituency.

Broad incumbents

• European Council for Steiner Waldorf Education (ECSWE): ECSWE represents Waldorf/Steiner schools across Europe and is a larger, established umbrella for an alternative pedagogy network. While its pedagogy differs, it shares EUDEC's model of coordinating independent schools across European countries with policy advocacy.
• Alternative Education Resource Organization (AERO): AERO is a long-established US-based organization promoting alternative education models including democratic, free, and Sudbury schools. It is broader and older than EUDEC but operates in the same alternative/democratic education space, making it a broad incumbent peer.

Others

• Council of Europe — Education for Democratic Citizenship: The Council of Europe's Education for Democratic Citizenship programme is a policy/funder ecosystem participant relevant to EUDEC. EUDEC engages with EDC frameworks and SALTO Participation (e.g., Tallinn forum), making this a thematically connected enabling institution.

Regional players

• European Parents for Education (EPE): EPE is a European federation of parent associations active in parent-participation and democratic schooling movements. It overlaps with EUDEC on parent advocacy for democratic education but operates from a different angle (parents as organizers).

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/eudecde
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/eudec---european-democratic-education-community

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about EUDEC - European Democratic Education Community