Fulbright France

What Fulbright France does

Fulbright France (legal name: Commission Franco-Américaine Fulbright) is a bilateral non-profit commission established in 1948 to administer the Fulbright educational exchange program between France and the United States. Headquartered at 9 rue Chardin in Paris (75016) with 38 employees, the organization operates the sole EducationUSA center in France and is jointly funded and supervised by the U.S. Department of State (Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs) and the French Ministry of Europe and Foreign Affairs, with additional involvement of the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research. France was among the first countries to sign a Fulbright bilateral agreement, and the program today spans 155+ country partnerships.

The Commission's portfolio comprises more than 20 mobility programs across five primary segments: French students pursuing Master's or PhD degrees in the U.S., French doctoral candidates conducting research stays as part of their thesis, French postdoctoral researchers and faculty, French Language Teaching Assistants (FLTA), and French secondary/higher education teachers. Specialized programs include Fulbright-Schuman (EU/U.S. transatlantic relations), the Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair (inbound American scholars), and the suspended NGO Leaders program. Partner scholarships add targeted funding streams through the Arthur Sachs Endowment (Harvard-bound), Monahan Foundation (sciences/medical), Georges Lurcy Foundation (American studies in SHS), and Nous Foundation (Louisiana research). Regional co-financing partnerships extend program reach with Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Grand Est, and Normandie regional councils, plus Université Paris-Saclay, Bordeaux, Grenoble Alpes, Montpellier, and CY Cergy Paris Université.

The underlying business model is government- and foundation-funded grant administration rather than commercial revenue generation. The Commission does not operate a proprietary technology platform — applications are managed through a centralized online portal, with candidate preselection by dossier review followed by interviews. Scholarship amounts vary materially by program, from $2,200/month for doctoral candidates up to $35,000 for Arthur Sachs or €30,000 for Monahan awards. Go-to-market is event- and community-led: monthly information sessions, webinars, education fairs (STUDYRAMA, EducationUSA LL.M. Fair), a multi-channel social and email presence, and 10 alumni ambassadors (2024/25) handling grassroots outreach. Revenue figures are not publicly disclosed.

Name

Fulbright France

Legal name

Commission Fulbright franco-américaine

Website

https://fulbright-france.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1948

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fulbright France is a non-profit bilateral commission that administers Fulbright scholarship programs between France and the United States, serving French students, doctoral candidates, researchers, language assistants, and educators seeking academic mobility to U.S. institutions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Educational Exchange Services

NAICS

International Affairs (928120), Administration of Education Programs (92311)

SIC

International Affairs (9721), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Government-Sponsored Scholarships & Exchange Funding (EDAIAOAF)

akta.pro secondary industries

Merit-Based Scholarships (Academic Excellence) (EDAIAOAA), Degree-Level Scholarships (Undergrad/Masters/PhD/Postdoc) (EDAIAOAE), Research Grants, Fellowships & Stipends (International) (EDAIAOAJ), Application Support, Matching Platforms & Scholarship Administration Services (EDAIAOAN)

Keywords

• Scholarship administration
• Educational exchange programs
• Academic mobility programs
• Research fellowships
• Fulbright scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Government Funding: The Fulbright programs in France are jointly funded by the American and French governments. The Commission receives subsidies from both governments to administer scholarship programs.
2. Private Foundation Partnerships: The Commission partners with private foundations (Arthur Sachs, Monahan, Georges Lurcy, Nous Foundation) that provide additional scholarship funding. These foundations contribute to scholarship amounts for selected candidates.
3. Regional Council Co-funding: French regional councils (Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Grand Est, Normandie) co-finance regional scholarship programs in partnership with the Commission.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Fulbright France (Commission Franco-Américaine Fulbright) administers merit-based scholarship programs that enable French nationals to study, conduct research, or teach in the United States and support American scholars in France. It operates over 20 mobility programs across student, doctoral, researcher, teacher, and language assistant tracks, along with partner foundation scholarships and the EducationUSA advising center.

Product overview

Fulbright France is a scholarship administration organization managing the prestigious Fulbright mobility program between France and the United States. The organization operates a portfolio of interconnected programs including: core Fulbright scholarships for students, doctoral candidates, researchers, and teachers; partner foundation scholarships (Arthur Sachs for Harvard-bound students, Monahan Foundation for sciences/medicine, Georges Lurcy Foundation for American studies, Nous Foundation for Louisiana research); regional co-financed programs with French universities; and the EducationUSA center providing information on U.S. higher education. The overall offering is a unified scholarship ecosystem rather than a software product.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Fulbright Student Program Merit-based scholarship program for French nationals pursuing degree studies (Master or PhD) at U.S. higher education institutions.
• Fulbright FLTA (Foreign Language Teaching Assistant) Program for French students (Bac+3 minimum) to teach French language and culture at U.S. institutions.
• Fulbright Doctoral Program Scholarships for French doctoral candidates enrolled in French PhD programs to conduct research stays in the United States as part of their thesis.
• Fulbright Researcher Program Mobility scholarships for post-doctoral researchers and faculty to conduct research at U.S. institutions and develop collaborations with American counterparts.
• Fulbright Teacher Program Scholarships for secondary and higher education teaching professionals to conduct research or teach in the United States.
• Fulbright-Schuman Scholarship program for projects related to EU development, European policy, or EU-U.S. transatlantic relations, open to students, doctoral candidates, researchers, and professionals.
• NGO Leaders Program Program for actors in the associative sector in France for stays at U.S. universities or NGOs. Currently suspended.
• Arthur Sachs Endowment Scholarship Harvard-affiliated endowment offering 6-7 study scholarships ($5,000-$35,000) and 1-2 research scholarships for French nationals admitted to or applying to Harvard programs.
• Monahan Foundation Scholarship Scholarships (up to €30,000) for French students in sciences and medical researchers for 6-12 months of study or research in the United States.
• Georges Lurcy Foundation Scholarship Charitable trust scholarships (6-8 awards, $5,000-$30,000) for French students pursuing U.S. degrees or doctoral research in humanities and social sciences related to American studies.
• Nous Foundation Fellowship Complementary scholarship (up to 2 fellowships of €1,500 each) for Fulbright recipients conducting research in Louisiana.
• EducationUSA Advising Center Official U.S. Department of State-supported information center providing personalized advising on U.S. higher education; the only EducationUSA center in France, located at the Commission in Paris.
• Regional Partner Scholarship Programs Co-financed scholarship programs with French regional councils (Normandie, Hauts-de-France, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Grand Est) and universities (Paris-Saclay, Bordeaux, Grenoble Alpes, Montpellier, CY Cergy Paris) to support mobility of doctoral students and researchers to U.S. institutions.
• Fulbright-Tocqueville Distinguished Chair Prestigious chair program bringing distinguished American scholars to France for research collaborations at French institutions.
• Global Language & Culture in Vichy Program Short immersive program in French language and culture at CAVILAM - Alliance Française de Vichy, developed with Boston University Wheelock College of Education & Human Development.

Quantifiable outcome

• 102 laureates in 2018-2019 cohort
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• IIE (Institute of International Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner agency that provides support services to Fulbright awardees during their stays. Awardees are under the responsibility of IIE during their research periods.
• J. William Fulbright Foreign Scholarship BoardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOversight body that provides final approval for all Fulbright scholarship awards.
• France Fulbright Alumni AssociationmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of former Commission awardees that manages alumni networks and organizes reunions and events.
• EducationUSA NetworkmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGlobal network of 430+ information centers on US higher education, supported by the US Department of State. The Commission hosts the sole center in France.
• French Embassy in the United StatesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in supporting Franco-American educational exchanges.
• Organisation internationale de la FrancophonieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational Francophone organization partnering with Nous Foundation.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Campus France: French national agency for the promotion of higher education, international student services, and scholar mobility. Highly comparable to Fulbright France in its French government mandate to facilitate international academic exchange, though focused on inbound rather than outbound mobility.
• DAAD (Deutscher Akademischer Austauschdienst): Germany's national agency for international academic exchange, administering scholarship programs for students, doctoral candidates, and researchers. A close functional analog to Fulbright France in scale, government sponsorship, and program breadth.
• Chevening Scholarship: UK government scholarship program funded by the Foreign, Commonwealth & Development Office, supporting international students to study in the UK. Directly comparable to Fulbright in being a government-sponsored, merit-based, internationally competitive scholarship brand.
• German-American Fulbright Commission: The bilateral Fulbright commission for Germany, operating under the same U.S.-Germany governmental framework and administering the same family of Fulbright scholarship programs (Student, FLTA, Doctoral, Researcher, Teacher) with a parallel structure to Fulbright France.
• US-UK Fulbright Commission: The bilateral Fulbright commission for the United Kingdom, administering an equivalent portfolio of Fulbright scholarships and awards between the U.S. and the UK. Operates with the same ECA oversight and partner-foundation model as Fulbright France.

Broad incumbents

• British Council: The UK's international organization for cultural relations and educational opportunities. Operates broader cultural and education exchange programming globally and serves as the structural analog to a bilateral commission like Fulbright France, but at a much larger scale and broader mandate.
• Institute of International Education (IIE): A core strategic partner of Fulbright France that administers and supports Fulbright awardees during their U.S. stays. Operates the broader Fulbright program globally on behalf of the U.S. State Department and runs its own portfolio of international scholarship and exchange programs.
• Alliance Française: Paris-based international network promoting French language and culture, with a comparable binational/governmental heritage and a global footprint of local chapters. Comparable in mission overlap (Franco-focused cultural and educational exchange) though focused on language promotion rather than scholarship administration.
• Erasmus+ Programme: EU's flagship education and training mobility program, supporting student and staff exchanges across Europe and beyond. Comparable in targeting French students for international mobility and in being a government-sponsored scholarship/exchange program, though EU-rather-than-bilateral in scope.

Emerging players

• Rhodes Trust: Administers the Rhodes Scholarship at the University of Oxford, one of the world's most prestigious international graduate scholarship programs. Comparable in prestige tier, merit-based selection, and global brand recognition, though structurally different as a single-university program.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/ComFulbrightFR
• Facebookfacebook.com/fulbrightfrance
• Instagraminstagram.com/fulbrightfrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/fulbright-france

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Fulbright France