Institut de la Francophonie pour l’éducation et la formation (IFEF - OIF)

What Institut de la Francophonie pour l’éducation et la formation (IFEF - OIF) does

IFEF (Institut de la Francophonie pour l'éducation et la formation) is the specialized education institute of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), headquartered in Dakar, Senegal. Established in 2015 with roots tracing to the 2012 launch of its flagship ELAN project, IFEF is a non-profit intergovernmental body of approximately 42 employees whose mission is to advance quality and inclusive education across francophone Africa. It operates a portfolio of thematic programs: ELAN (École et langues nationales) promotes bi-plurilingual education integrating national African languages with French; IFADEM delivers teacher professional development; RELIEFH targets girls' education and gender equality; KIX drives educational knowledge and innovation; and Formation professionnelle (including the Inserjeune sub-program) supports vocational training and youth employment. The E-IFEF digital library provides an online infrastructure for distributing pedagogical resources.

The organization reaches teachers, primary schools, and ministries of education in 10 active partner countries — Burundi, Cameroon, Côte d'Ivoire, Gabon, Guinea, Madagascar, Mauritania, DRC, Senegal and Togo — with a historical footprint of 14 countries since ELAN's inception. Its go-to-market is enterprise field sales into government ministries, supplemented by international coordination committees, academic partnerships (UCAD, Université de Genève, AUF), and advocacy engagements with UNESCO, UNICEF, and the French Ministry for Europe and Foreign Affairs (MEAE). All distribution occurs through institutional partnerships rather than commercial pricing.

IFEF's revenue model is institutional funding: as a specialized body of the OIF, it is financed by member-state contributions and development partner grants, principally from the Agence française de développement (AFD), MEAE, and co-financing from UNESCO and UNICEF. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. Distribution of outputs is anchored by direct engagement with ministries of education and by recurring biannual coordination committee meetings, complemented by international events such as the International Colloquium on Multilingualism (2025, Dakar) and documentary advocacy campaigns.

Name

Institut de la Francophonie pour l’éducation et la formation (IFEF - OIF)

Legal name

Institut de la Francophonie pour l'éducation et la formation

Website

https://ifef.francophonie.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFEF is the specialized education institute of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie, advancing bilingual and inclusive education across francophone Africa. It serves ministries of education, teachers, and schools in 10 partner countries through programs like ELAN, IFADEM, RELIEFH, KIX, and vocational training.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakar

HQ country

Senegal

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional Funding: IFEF operates as a specialized body of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF), funded through member state contributions and development partnerships

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IFEF designs and implements educational programs promoting quality, inclusive, and bi-plurilingual education across Francophone Africa. Its portfolio includes ELAN (bilingual teaching using national languages alongside French), IFADEM (teacher training), RELIEFH (girls' education and gender equality), KIX (knowledge and innovation), and vocational training programs like Inserjeune. Programs are delivered through direct partnerships with ministries of education in 10 active partner countries and supported by the E-IFEF digital library of educational resources.

Product overview

IFEF (Institut de la Francophonie pour l'éducation et la formation) is a specialized body of the Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF) focused on quality and inclusive education in the Francophone space. The organization operates a multi-program portfolio centered on educational innovation and capacity building: ELAN (École et langues nationales) promotes bi-plurilingual teaching by integrating national African languages with French; IFADEM provides teacher training; RELIEFH addresses girls' education and gender equality; KIX drives knowledge and innovation initiatives; and Formation professionnelle delivers vocational training including programs like Inserjeune. The E-IFEF digital platform, including the Bibliothèque numérique (digital library), provides an online infrastructure for accessing educational resources. These programs work together to strengthen educational systems across approximately 10 partner countries in Francophone Africa.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ELAN (École et langues nationales): Program for bilingual multilingual education supporting the integration of national languages alongside French in education systems
• IFADEM
• RELIEFH
• KIX
• Inserjeune

Products and services

• ELAN (École et langues nationales) Bi-plurilingual education initiative that supports the integration of national African languages alongside French in primary school systems, aimed at ministries of education, teachers, and learners in Francophone Africa.
• IFADEM

Quantifiable outcome

• Improved learning outcomes in bilingual schools participating in ELAN programs
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, flagship and supporting.

• Agence universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity network partner collaborating on research, academic frameworks, and university engagement for the ELAN project.
• UNESCOmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUnited Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization - strategic partner for global education advocacy and policy frameworks.
• UNICEFmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration on education sector initiatives, particularly around child-centered educational approaches and educational access.
• Organisation internationale de la Francophonie (OIF)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent organization - IFEF is the specialized education institute of the OIF, providing institutional framework and member state access.
• UNESCO-BIE (Bureau international de l'éducation)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-organizer of the International Colloquium on Multilingualism with IFAN-UCAD and University of Geneva.
• Université Cheikh Anta Diop (UCAD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLeading Senegalese university collaborating on research and hosting educational events and programs.
• Université de GenèvemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner for multilingual education research and international colloquium organization.
• Solidarité LaïquesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench association producing documentary film 'J'apprends si je comprends' with IFEF support, documenting bilingual education benefits.
• ConfemensupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerConference of Ministers of Education of French-Speaking Countries - regional education ministry conference.
• VVOBsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerBelgian development organization focused on education quality, participating in multilingual education roundtables.
• Institut fondamental de l'Afrique noire (IFAN)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch institute at UCAD co-organizing the international colloquium on multilingualism and diversity.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• British Council: British Council delivers English-language and broader education programs across many francophone and African countries. Comparable as a national-cultural agency delivering language-focused education in overlapping geographies.
• UNESCO: UNESCO is a strategic IFEF partner on multilingual education policy and the GEM Report advisory council. It is a broad incumbent operating globally across education rather than specializing in francophone bilingual education.
• GIZ (Deutsche Gesellschaft für Internationale Zusammenarbeit): GIZ is Germany's bilateral development agency with extensive education programs across Africa, comparable to AFD in structure and mandate. Comparable as a parallel European bilateral funder/implementer in African education development.
• Agence Française de Développement (AFD): AFD is IFEF's largest financial partner for the ELAN project and a major bilateral education funder across francophone Africa. Comparable as a financing institution operating in the same education development space, though AFD's role is funding rather than direct program delivery.
• UNICEF Education: UNICEF is an IFEF co-implementation partner on education access programs. As a global agency, it operates across many education domains beyond bilingual/multilingual instruction but is comparable as a multilateral funder/implementer in the same geographies.

Direct peers

• VVOB – education for development: VVOB is a Belgian development organization focused on education quality in Africa and an IFEF roundtable participant. Directly comparable as a bilateral NGO delivering teacher training and education quality programs in francophone Africa.
• Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie (AUF): AUF is the higher-education counterpart within the Francophonie ecosystem and an active IFEF partner on the ELAN project. It is directly comparable as a specialized OIF agency delivering education programs across francophone countries.
• CONFEMEN (Conférence des Ministres de l'Éducation des États et Gouvernements de la Francophonie): CONFEMEN is the ministerial-level body coordinating francophone education policy, partnering directly with IFEF on programs like ELAN. It is a direct peer given its parallel role convening the same ministries of education.

Emerging players

• SIL International: SIL International focuses on language development and mother-tongue-based education globally, with significant African presence. Comparable as a niche specialist in multilingual/bilingual pedagogy that competes for the same ministry-level partnerships.
• Aga Khan Foundation: Aga Khan Foundation operates education programs across multiple African and Asian countries including bilingual instruction models. Comparable as a non-state actor delivering teacher training and multilingual education in similar geographies.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@IFEFOIF
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ifef-oif

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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