CFA FormaSup ARL

What CFA FormaSup ARL does

CFA FormaSup ARL is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) headquartered in Lyon that operates as a Centre de Formation d'Apprentis (CFA) coordinating apprenticeship programs in higher education across the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region. Founded in 1995 by employer federations (MEDEF, CPME, CCI) and academic institutions, the organization manages 7,604 apprentices through 18 partner training establishments and 273 training programs, reporting an 81% professional integration rate and 96% graduation rate. It is structured into five service divisions: FormaSup Opérateur (apprenticeship lifecycle management), FormaSup Training (manager/master training), FormaSup Conseil (recruitment and placement), FormaSup Impact (diversity and ESG animations), and FormaSup Edition (digital tools).

The organization's core technology stack centers on Ofa-Link, an administrative and financial management platform for apprenticeship contracts that automates CERFA generation, OPCO submissions via the API Convergence integration, and mass invoicing at a ratio of one administrator per 500 contracts. Two proprietary serious games — MAP IN BLACK for training masters of apprenticeship and SKILLS PROTOCOL for apprentice soft-skill development — are offered as white-label licensable products alongside GEMAP competency tracking. E-learning delivery runs on a Moodle LMS. The company is Qualiopi-certified (2021, valid 2024-2027), ISO 9001-certified since 2007, and was the first CFA in France to receive the AFNOR Diversité label in 2013.

Revenue is generated through professional training services priced at €460-€800 per participant for inter-enterprise sessions and €2,000-€4,500 per group for customized intra-enterprise programs, plus volume-based e-learning pricing and software licensing of Ofa-Link and the serious games. Named enterprise customers include Hermès Sellier (luxury goods), Serge Ferrari (industrial materials), and Kem One (chemical industry). Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the association operates with 37 employees and a regional coordination model in which OPCO funding flows largely to partner établissements rather than retained by FormaSup ARL itself.

Name

CFA FormaSup ARL

Legal name

CFA FormaSup ARL

Website

https://formasup-arl.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CFA FormaSup ARL is a Lyon-based non-profit CFA coordinating higher-education apprenticeships across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes via 18 partner establishments and 7,604 apprentices, offering manager training, proprietary digital tools (Ofa-Link, MAP IN BLACK serious game), and consulting services to enterprises.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training Services: Professional training programs for masters of apprenticeship, managers, and company executives. Offered in inter-enterprise, intra-enterprise, and e-learning formats. Revenue generated through participant fees and group rates.
2. FS Conseil - Recruitment Services: Recruitment consulting services for companies seeking apprentices. Includes skills need identification, prequalification interviews, contract setup support, and integration follow-up. High-value-added service with personalized approach.
3. FS Conseil - Placement Services: Student placement support including collective workshops for professional project qualification, job search techniques, CV preparation, interview coaching, and networking with employer partners.
4. Ofa-Link Software Licensing: Software platform licensing for CFAs and training organizations to manage apprenticeship administrative and financial processes. Includes implementation support and ongoing updates aligned with regulatory changes.
5. Serious Games White-Label Licensing: White-label licensing of MAP IN BLACK and SKILLS PROTOCOL serious games to companies and CFAs. Includes customization to client branding, access management, and competency tracking dashboard.
6. FS Impact - Thematic Animations: Custom animation services for CFA and enterprise clients covering diversity, inclusion, gender equality, disability, and sustainable development topics. Provided as part of Qualiopi compliance support.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion4 records

Distribution channels7 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CFA FormaSup ARL operates a Centre de Formation d'Apprentis managing 273 higher-education training programs across 18 partner establishments in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, serving 7,604 apprentices. It sells manager and apprenticeship-master training programs (Manager un.e alternant.e, Manager la Génération Z, Transmission des compétences), FS Conseil recruitment and placement services, FormaSup Impact inclusion programs (What'Sup QPV, What'Sup Handicap), and proprietary software (Ofa-Link contract management platform plus MAP IN BLACK and SKILLS PROTOCOL serious games) licensed to CFAs and companies.

Product overview

CFA FormaSup ARL operates as a Centre de Formation d'Apprentis (CFA) offering a multi-product ecosystem centered on alternance (apprenticeship) management. The core products include Ofa-Link (administrative/financial management platform for apprenticeship contracts with API Convergence integration) and two serious games (MAP IN BLACK for training masters of apprenticeship, and Skills Protocol for developing apprentice soft skills). The training division offers structured programs including Manager son alternant.e (flagship training with MAP IN BLACK), Manager la Génération Z, and Transmission des compétences, delivered via presential, distance learning, or Moodle-based e-learning formats. The consulting division (FS Conseil) provides recruitment and placement services, while the Impact division runs accompaniment programs (What'Sup QPV and What'Sup Handicap) for disadvantaged populations seeking alternance opportunities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• FormaSup Opérateur: Operator service accompanying companies at every stage of apprenticeship, from program opening to contract management and apprentice support
• FormaSup Training
• FormaSup Conseil
• FormaSup Impact
• FormaSup Edition
• FS Edition
• FS Conseil

Products and services

• Ofa-Link

Quantifiable outcome

• 81% professional integration rate of graduates
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

Yes

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and moderate.

• API ConvergencecoreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2024Technical integration partnership for automated OPCO dossier submission and mass invoicing through Ofa-Link platform. Enables efficient contract processing and regulatory compliance.
• AwaykeminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in What'Sup QPV and What'Sup Handicap programs. Supports group accompaniment of candidates from priority urban areas or disability holders seeking apprenticeship.
• Les Vitaminés de l'EmploiminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2022Partner in What'Sup QPV program. Provides employment support services including job search techniques, confidence building, and public speaking training.
• 7 Companies (Charte de l'entreprise citoyenne)moderateChannel Partner/ Reseller/ Distributor · 1 January 2022Seven companies have signed the Charte de l'entreprise citoyenne pour un apprentissage responsable, committing to support apprenticeship. Teams participate in workshops, networking interviews, and knowledge transfer.
• AFMD (Association Française des Managers de la Diversité)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Diversity management association. Formasup ARL is a member to develop new projects and share best practices in diversity management.
• FACE Grand Lyon (Fondation Agir Contre l'Exclusion)moderateGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Foundation fighting exclusion through employment. Annual participation in Jeux de la Diversité event. Partnership on What'Sup QPV and What'Sup Handicap programs for supporting disadvantaged populations in apprenticeship.
• OPE (Objectif Pour l'Emploi)minorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Employment objective organization. Partnership for sharing diversity best practices and developing inclusion initiatives.
• Les Cités d'OrminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Partner organization in diversity initiatives. Collaborates on What'Sup QPV program for supporting candidates from priority urban areas in apprenticeship search.
• Lyon – La DuchèreminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Football club partner in diversity initiatives. Participation in joint events promoting inclusion and professional integration.
• Nes & CitéminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013Partner organization for diversity and inclusion initiatives. Collaboration on supporting diverse candidates in apprenticeship programs.
• L'Autre CercleminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2013LGBT+ rights organization. Formasup ARL is signatory of the Charte LGBT+ demonstrating commitment to inclusive practices.
• MEDEF (Mouvement des Entreprises de France)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Founding member organization representing employers. Co-founded the CFA in 1995 along with other business confederations and academic institutions. Represents business community interests in apprenticeship development.
• CPME (Confédération des Petites et Moyennes Entreprises)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Founding member representing small and medium enterprises. Co-founded the CFA in 1995 to promote apprenticeship in higher education across all business sizes.
• CCI (Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Founding member representing commercial and industrial chambers. Co-founded the CFA in 1995 to strengthen ties between academia and business sector.
• Universities and Grandes EcolescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1995Academic founding members providing higher education programs and student pool for apprenticeship placements. Multiple partner institutions including Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3, INSA, and others across Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Scale indicators16 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• ISCOD: ISCOD is a French digital and web training organization specializing in alternance/work-study programs, closely matching FormaSup's core CFA operator and training model. Both serve enterprise customers seeking apprenticeship-based talent development.
• WebForce3: WebForce3 is a French web-development training organization delivering intensive alternance-style bootcamps to enterprises and individuals, paralleling FormaSup's training division focus on skill development for specific occupations.
• ENI École Informatique: ENI École Informatique provides IT and digital training in France with an alternance model, offering a similar mix of corporate training programs and apprenticeship pathways targeting professional reskilling.
• CESI: CESI is a French engineering school operating alternance apprenticeship programs across multiple campuses, directly comparable to FormaSup's operator and training activities in higher-education apprenticeship delivery.
• M2i Formation: M2i Formation is a French IT and digital skills training provider with strong enterprise and alternance offerings, comparable in catalog breadth, corporate customer base, and training program structure.

Broad incumbents

• AFPA: AFPA is France's largest national vocational training organization offering a broad portfolio of certifications and apprenticeships across all sectors, making it a broad incumbent with overlapping CFA, Qualiopi-certified training, and enterprise services.
• Cegos: Cegos is a global corporate training leader operating in France with management and leadership development offerings, broadly comparable to FormaSup Training's manager/apprentice-master programs and enterprise delivery model.
• CCI France: CCI France operates chambers-of-commerce-affiliated training networks across France delivering alternance programs, directly comparable as a co-founding partner of FormaSup and as a national-scale CFA/training incumbent.

Emerging players

• Yparéo: Yparéo is a French apprenticeship management software vendor serving CFAs and training organizations, the closest direct functional competitor to FormaSup Edition's Ofa-Link platform in the CFA back-office software category.
• Orsys: Orsys is a French IT and management training specialist focused on short-form professional programs for enterprises, offering overlapping manager training content but without the integrated CFA operator offering FormaSup provides.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/formasup-arl

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 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 CFA FormaSup ARL