What FEPADE does

FEPADE (Fundación Empresarial para el Desarrollo Educativo) is a Salvadoran non-profit educational foundation founded in 1987 and headquartered in Antiguo Cuscatlán, El Salvador. It operates as a bridge between the private sector, international donors (USAID, European Union), and the public education system (MINEDUCYT), serving public schools, students, teachers, and families across all 14 departments of El Salvador. Over 38 years, the organization has supported more than 2,000 public schools—approximately 40% of the national school system—through 56 educational corridors, mobilizing tens of millions of dollars in international and private-sector funding for infrastructure, teacher training, scholarship administration, and socio-emotional learning programs.

Its core program portfolio comprises: (1) Edubecas, an online scholarship administration platform covering preschool through university and serving 2,245 cumulative scholarship recipients with 52 corporate sponsors; (2) Félix y Susana, an early-childhood program licensed from Fundación SURA Colombia and CONAPINA-accredited under Ley Crecer Juntos; (3) Los Amigos de Zippy, a socio-emotional learning program licensed from Partnership for Children (England); (4) Campaña Nacional del Libro, an annual book donation and library-creation campaign running since 1998; (5) Revista AB-sé, a pedagogical magazine published since 1998; (6) Educar y Convivir, a Global Development Alliance with USAID that mobilized US$20 million; and (7) Desarrollo Empresarial, a fee-based training and facility-rental operation offering open courses, diploma programs, closed corporate training, and conference venue rentals (Auditorio ILC). Two operating subsidiaries—ISEADE (graduate business education) and ITCA FEPADE (technical and vocational institutes with campuses in Santa Tecla, Santa Ana, and San Miguel)—deliver higher-education and technical-training services.

FEPADE's revenue model combines four streams: corporate sponsorships funding Edubecas scholarships; international development grants from USAID, EU and partners for infrastructure and education projects; fee-based training, diploma, and facility-rental income through Desarrollo Empresarial; and tuition-related revenue from ISEADE and ITCA FEPADE. The foundation employs 82 staff, is governed by a Board of Directors elected at the annual Junta General (with Ricardo Ávila elected Director in April 2025 and Ana de Bardi as Executive Director), and distributes services through direct school engagement, corporate sponsorship relationships, and facility-based training operations across El Salvador.

Name

FEPADE

Legal name

Fundación Empresarial para el Desarrollo Educativo

Website

https://fepade.org.sv

Company type

Private

Founded year

1987

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

FEPADE is a Salvadoran non-profit educational foundation founded in 1987 that mobilizes private-sector and international donor funding to support public schools, scholarship recipients, teachers, and families across all 14 departments of El Salvador through scholarship administration, socio-emotional learning programs, infrastructure improvements, and fee-based training services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Foundation Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (6117), Educational Services (61), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (611310)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Education Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAK)

akta.pro secondary industries

Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support Platforms (EDAFAMAF), Scholarship, Financial Aid & FAFSA Support (EDAMAKAF)

Keywords

• Educational foundation services
• Scholarship programs
• Teacher training programs
• Educational infrastructure projects
• Early childhood education

Headquarters

HQ city

Antiguo Cuscatlán

HQ country

El Salvador

HQ region

Latin America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Corporate Sponsorships for Edubecas: FEPADE receives funding from corporate sponsors to administer scholarship programs (Edubecas) for employees' children at various education levels from preschool through university.
2. International Development Grants: Funding from international donors such as USAID, European Union, and other development organizations to implement educational projects and infrastructure improvements in public schools.
3. Facility Rentals: Rental of conference facilities, training rooms, and auditorium spaces to generate revenue for organizational operations.
4. Training and Course Fees: Revenue from open enrollment courses and closed corporate training programs through the Desarrollo Empresarial division.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

FEPADE is a non-profit educational foundation that delivers educational programs supporting public schools in El Salvador. Its core offerings include the Edubecas scholarship program (2,245+ recipients since 1999), socio-emotional early childhood programs (Félix y Susana and Zippy's Friends), the Campaña Nacional del Libro literacy initiative, the Revista AB-sé pedagogical magazine, teacher training and diploma programs, the Educar y Convivir school improvement project, and facility rentals for events and training. Supporting institutions include ISEADE (graduate business education) and ITCA FEPADE (technical education).

Product overview

FEPADE (Fundación Empresarial para el Desarrollo Educativo) is a non-profit educational foundation based in El Salvador with over 38 years of trajectory. The organization offers a portfolio of interconnected programs rather than a unified technology product. Core offerings include: (1) the Edubecas scholarship platform for managing educational grants across all levels, (2) pedagogical programs like Félix y Susana and Los Amigos de Zippy for early childhood and socio-emotional development, (3) the AB-sé Pedagogical Magazine for teacher professional development, (4) the Campaña Nacional del Libro for literacy promotion, (5) the Educar y Convivir project for school support and violence prevention, and (6) Desarrollo Empresarial for business training and facility rentals. Supporting educational institutions include ISEADE (higher education) and ITCA FEPADE (technical institutes). The organization operates primarily as an educational NGO rather than a technology company.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Edubecas: Scholarship program providing financial support for students from preschool to university level education.
• Educar y Convivir
• Félix y Susana
• Campaña Nacional del Libro
• Revista Pedagógica AB-sé
• Los Amigos de Zippy
• Desarrollo Empresarial

Products and services

• Edubecas (Sistema de Becas) Online scholarship management platform for Salvadoran students at parvularia, basic, secondary (bachillerato), and higher education levels. The system allows students to apply digitally, generate tokens, and submit required documentation. Sponsored by 52+ corporate partners and has delivered 2,245+ scholarships to date.
• Félix y Susana Early childhood education program developed with Fundación SURA (Colombia) that contributes to children building meaningful learning experiences and making decisions about body care, relationships, and life through strengthening protective and inclusive educational environments. Includes formation of directors and teachers, pedagogical materials, educational videos, family orientation, and systematic accompaniment. Currently implemented in 29 public schools across La Libertad, Santa Ana, Chalatenango, Sonsonate, and San Salvador departments. CONAPINA-accredited since April 2025.
• Los Amigos de Zippy (Zippy's Friends) Program executed under a license with Partnership for Children (England), sponsored by Banco Davivienda. Through children's stories starring Zippy (an insect), it offers spaces for children in preschool, first and second grade to face challenges about friendship, communication, loneliness, bullying, loss, and change. Implemented in 30 countries across America, Europe, and Asia.
• Campaña Nacional del Libro Annual book donation campaign since 1998 that supports the creation of libraries in public schools and promotes reading. Includes book donations and community reading corners for public educational centers.
• Revista AB-sé (Pedagógica) Pedagogical magazine supporting professional development of teachers and school directors through dissemination of best practices. Published periodically since 1998, covering school management, teaching-learning methodologies, inclusive education, educational technologies, school coexistence, family and community participation, learning assessment, and attention to diversity.
• Desarrollo Empresarial Business development services including open courses, diploma programs, closed courses, and training for professional development. Offers facilities for events with rooms, open spaces, and auditorium rental. Generated 50 events and 14,702 participants in June 2025 with 64.77% room occupancy.
• Educar y Convivir (Project) Education and Coexistence project executed under Global Development Alliance with USAID (2018-2024), mobilizing US$20 million (50% USAID, 50% private sector). Provided support to 200 public schools in areas of public-private partnerships, administrative and pedagogical management strengthening, violence prevention, and infrastructure and educational technology provision. Coverage extended to 580 additional schools through educational corridors approach.
• Programa de Infraestructura Educativa Educational infrastructure program (2019-2025) in strategic partnership with Ministry of Education of El Salvador. Includes improvements to classrooms, sanitary services, roofs, computer labs, administrative areas, and school feeding spaces. 131 schools attended in 2019, 100 more added in 2020, over 225 schools revitalized to date.
• ISEADE (Instituto Superior de Economía y Administración de Empresas) Higher education institute operated by FEPADE offering graduate programs including Master's in Business Administration with specializations in finance, international business, and marketing.
• ITCA FEPADE (Instituto Tecnológico Centroamericano) Technological institute providing technical education and training, with campuses in Santa Tecla, Santa Ana, and San Miguel offering diploma programs and technical courses.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 2,000 public schools supported (40% of school system)
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

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

• CASATUR (Cámara Salvadoreña de Turismo)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2025Strategic alliance to strengthen technical training in tourism, youth employability, and sustainable development of human capital in El Salvador. Includes creation of a tourism school pilot project, specialized training programs, and opportunities for youth and women in the tourism sector. Initial duration of 2 years.
• Fundación SURA (Colombia)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOriginal developer and licensor of the Félix y Susana program, which FEPADE implements in El Salvador since 2015. Program focuses on early childhood education and healthy coexistence in preschools and elementary schools.
• Good Neighbors El SalvadormajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance under the Education and Coexistence Project to support 26 schools in various municipalities. Jointly funded by Good Neighbors and USAID, benefiting approximately 8,000 students through infrastructure, materials, and community strengthening.
• MINEDUCYT (Ministerio de Educación)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment partner coordinating all educational initiatives. FEPADE has executed important contracts with MINEDUCYT and coordinates projects at national and local levels.
• My Path FoundationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership to promote increased educational coverage and business competitiveness. First project through alliance includes 17 university scholarships for youth from limited resources.
• OEI (Organización de Estados Iberoamericanos)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational organization collaborating on educational projects including teacher training webinars and the Alice Lardé Project for cultural and creative industries innovation.
• Partnership for Children (England)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLicensor of the Zippy's Friends program implemented in 30 countries. Program provides emotional support through stories for preschool and early elementary children.
• Holcim El SalvadorminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in environmental leadership program through the Educar y Convivir project, promoting environmental awareness in schools.
• AIR (American Institute for Research)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerContracted for design, piloting and application of evaluative tests in language and mathematics for grades 3, 6, and 9.
• REDUCAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of REDUCA network (since 2011), an organization of civil society and research centers present in 15 Latin American and Caribbean countries.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• REDUCA: Latin American and Caribbean network of civil society organizations and research centers focused on education policy, of which FEPADE is a founding member. Comparable as a regional education-focused entity, though REDUCA functions primarily as a network rather than a direct program implementer.

Direct peers

• Fundación SURA: Colombian foundation that originally developed the Félix y Susana early-childhood program which FEPADE implements in El Salvador. Operates a similar business-affiliated foundation model channeling corporate resources into education and social programs across Latin America.
• Empresarios por la Educación: Peruvian business-led civil society organization focused on improving public education outcomes. Highly comparable to FEPADE as a private-sector-driven education foundation that partners with government, international donors, and corporations to run programs in public schools.
• Save the Children El Salvador: International NGO with country presence in El Salvador focused on child rights, education, and school-based programming. Comparable to FEPADE in serving the same geography and beneficiary base (public school children) with donor-funded programming.
• Fe y Alegría El Salvador: Jesuit-affiliated education network operating across Latin America, including El Salvador, running schools and educational programs for underserved populations. Comparable model of combining direct educational service delivery with donor-funded expansion.
• Glasswing International: Regional NGO operating across Central America (including El Salvador) that delivers education, health, and workforce programs in public schools. Directly comparable geographic footprint and education-focused programming model to FEPADE.
• Partnership for Children: UK-based charity that developed and licenses the Zippy's Friends / Los Amigos de Zippy emotional development program implemented by FEPADE. Comparable NGO model of developing/licensing educational curricula and partnering with local implementers in 30+ countries.

Others

• United Way El Salvador: Local chapter of the United Way network operating in El Salvador. Comparable as a community-focused fundraising and grantmaking intermediary that channels corporate and donor resources into education and social programs in the same geography.

Regional players

• Fundación Pellas: Nicaraguan business-led foundation supporting education, health, and community development. Comparable private-sector foundation model in neighboring Central American geography, though focused on Nicaragua rather than El Salvador.

Broad incumbents

• Junior Achievement Americas: Global education NGO with a major presence across the Americas, including El Salvador. Comparable in running donor-funded programs in public schools for youth development, though at significantly larger geographic and financial scale than FEPADE.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fepade

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about FEPADE