Intercultura

What Intercultura does

Intercultura (legal name: Intercultura APS) is an Italian non-profit educational association founded in 1955 and headquartered in Colle di Val d'Elsa (Siena), with a branch in Milan and a registered contact address in Rome. The organization runs international school-exchange programs for Italian high school students (aged 15–17), placing roughly 2,200 participants per year in 50+ destination countries, and welcomes nearly 1,000 incoming international students to Italy annually. Operations are delivered through a volunteer-based model: approximately 5,500 unpaid volunteers organized into ~160 local chapters across Italy, supported by a 39-person paid staff handling program organization, volunteer training, school relations, IT, logistics, administration, ministerial and consular relations, and marketing/communications. The technology stack is modest — a student portal, an online registration/concourse management system, and standard back-office IT — with no disclosed AI/ML components.

The product portfolio spans multiple program durations (full academic year, semester, trimester, bimester, and four-week summer STEAM/linguistic formats), an inbound hosting program for foreign students placed with Italian host families, and a minority-language program for Italian linguistic-minority citizens. Underlying infrastructure and pipeline is supplied by the global AFS Intercultural Programs network (active in 65+ countries, of which Intercultura is the Italian affiliate), EFIL (European Federation for Intercultural Learning), and consultative status at UNESCO and the Council of Europe. A wholly-owned subsidiary, Fondazione Intercultura ETS (established 2007), funds research, scholarships, and innovation in educational mobility; the Osservatorio Nazionale sull'Internazionalizzazione delle Scuole e la Mobilità Studentesca (founded 2009) documents Italian secondary-school internationalization.

The revenue model blends paid participation (one-time program fees tiered by destination and duration, ranging from approximately €7,000 to €28,900) with diversified non-fee funding: corporate and foundation scholarships (hundreds annually from entities including INPS Programma ITACA, Fondazione Cariverona, Fondazione CRT, Fondazione Compagnia di San Paolo, Barilla, A2A, Terna, Unipol, Open Fiber), Italian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Ministry of Education co-financing for inbound and European-destination scholarships, 5x1000 tax-designation donations, crowdfunding campaigns (e.g., the '70 anni di Intercultura' scholarship for Ukrainian students), and the volunteer labor of 5,500 unpaid contributors. Distribution is multi-channel: a self-serve online registration portal (open September 1–November 10), 160 volunteer-led local chapters, school partnerships, and inbound flows via the AFS global network.

Name

Intercultura

Legal name

Intercultura APS

Website

https://intercultura.it

Company type

Private

Founded year

1955

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Intercultura is an Italian non-profit founded in 1955 that runs international school-exchange programs for ~2,200 Italian high school students and hosts ~1,000 foreign students annually across 65+ countries, delivered through 5,500 volunteers in 160 local chapters as the Italian affiliate of AFS Intercultural Programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Student Exchange Programs

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Educational Support Services (611710)

SIC

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

akta.pro primary industry

Secondary School Exchange Programs (Academic Year/Semester) (EDAIAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Direct Enrollment & Third-Party University Study Abroad Programs (EDAIAAAB), Third-Party Short-Term Academic Program Providers (Multi-Discipline) (EDAIAIAB), Cultural Adjustment & Integration Services (intercultural programs, community connection) (EDALANAD), Cultural Adjustment & Intercultural Training Programs (EDAIAKAB), Language Immersion & Cultural Exchange Programs (THAKAGAE)

Keywords

• International student exchange
• High school study abroad
• Intercultural education programs
• Host family placement
• Study abroad scholarships

Headquarters

HQ city

Colle di Val d'Elsa (Siena)

HQ country

Italy

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Participation Fees: Students pay participation fees that vary by destination country and program duration (annual, semester, trimester, bimonthly). Fees range from approximately €7,000 to €28,900 depending on destination.
2. Corporate and Foundation Scholarships: Hundreds of scholarships funded by companies, banks, foundations, and local governments are administered through Intercultura to support student participation.
3. 5x1000 Donations: Tax designation donations from individuals supporting educational scholarships for students.
4. Public Contributions: Funding from Italian government ministries and public institutions supporting scholarship programs.
5. Crowdfunding Campaigns: Special campaigns such as the '70 anni di Intercultura' scholarship crowdfunding for Ukrainian students.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels13 records

Core offering

Intercultura is an Italian non-profit educational association that organizes international student exchange programs for Italian high school students aged 15-17 and welcomes international students to Italy. It offers programs of varying durations (annual, semester, trimester, bimester, and summer STEAM), places participants in host families and local schools across 50+ destinations, and administers a large scholarship system funded by companies, foundations, banks, and government entities. The organization coordinates all activities through a network of about 160 local volunteer chapters and the global AFS network spanning 65+ countries.

Product overview

Intercultura (AFS Italy) is a non-profit educational organization that offers a comprehensive portfolio of international student exchange programs. The core offerings include school exchange programs of varying durations (academic year, semester, trimester, bimester, and summer), along with programs hosting international students in Italy. The portfolio includes scholarship programs (Borse di Studio Intercultura and ITACA/INPS scholarships), supported by Fondazione Intercultura ETS which provides additional funding and research activities. The Osservatorio per l'Internazionalizzazione delle scuole provides research and documentation on school internationalization. All programs are coordinated through approximately 160 local volunteer chapters across Italy.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual school exchange programs (Programmi scolastici annuali)

Quantifiable outcome

• 97% of participants develop improved personal and social competence
• +8 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AFS Intercultural ProgramscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAFS is the worldwide organization that invented and promoted educational exchanges of teenagers since the end of World War II. Active in more than 65 countries, AFS provides intercultural learning opportunities. Intercultura represents AFS in Italy.
• EFIL (European Federation for Intercultural Learning)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded in Brussels in 1971, EFIL unites 23 AFS groups across Europe and promotes activities in intercultural learning and global education. Intercultura represents EFIL in Italy.
• Fondazione Intercultura ETScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2007 as a separate legal entity from Intercultura Association. Promotes scientific research, conferences, innovative youth exchange programs, and awards scholarships to economically disadvantaged students.
• ANP (Associazione Nazionale Dirigenti Pubblici e Alte Professionalità della Scuola)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association of school administrators and education professionals, established 1987. Collaborates on promoting internationalization in Italian schools.
• ASViS (Alleanza Italiana per lo Sviluppo Sostenibile)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerItalian Alliance for Sustainable Development, launched February 2016, uniting over 220 institutions to promote the UN 2030 Agenda for Sustainable Development. Intercultura joined in 2016.
• ANILS (Associazione Nazionale Insegnanti Lingue Straniere)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerOldest professional association of foreign language teachers in Italy, promoting language teaching in schools without exclusions.
• SIETAR ItaliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCultural association for intercultural education, training, and research. Independent affiliate of SIETAR Europa and worldwide SIETAR network.
• Osservatorio Nazionale sull'Internazionalizzazione delle ScuoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEstablished in 2009 to document internationalization processes in Italian secondary schools. Collaborates with Ministry of Education and ANP.

Scale indicators13 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• EFIL (European Federation for Intercultural Learning): European umbrella federation uniting 23 AFS groups; Intercultura represents EFIL in Italy. Comparable as a peer federation coordinating volunteer-based exchange programs across Europe with consultative status at EU institutions and Council of Europe.
• AFS Intercultural Programs: Global parent network of which Intercultura is the Italian affiliate. Operates in 65+ countries with 400,000 alumni; provides the reciprocal infrastructure that allows Intercultura to host inbound students and offer outbound destinations. Directly comparable because it executes the same exchange model across all other geographies.
• Erasmus+ (EU Program): EU-funded mobility program that includes school pupil mobility for 14-18 year olds with scholarships. Competes for the same Italian secondary school cohort, often at lower cost to families due to public funding, but with shorter typical durations.

Direct peers

• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): Major US-headquartered nonprofit exchange provider offering high school study abroad, gap year, and exchange programs globally. Operates similar full-immersion year/semester models with scholarship programs and serves overlapping Italian school partnerships.
• Greenheart Exchange: US-based nonprofit administering high school exchange programs (J-1 visa) and short-term summer programs in partnership with organizations worldwide. Comparable full-immersion year/semester model with host family placement and scholarship offerings.
• World Learning (School for International Training): Nonprofit operating SIT Study Abroad and high school exchange programs across multiple countries. Comparable volunteer-driven, scholarship-supported model with focus on intercultural learning and global citizenship outcomes.
• Youth For Understanding (YFU): One of the largest direct competitors in international high school student exchanges, operating in 60+ countries with similar program durations (year, semester, summer) and volunteer-driven model. Directly competes for Italian students and for inbound student placement in Italy.
• Rotary Youth Exchange: Global Rotary-sponsored long-term student exchange program for 15-18 year olds, operating in 100+ countries including Italy. Comparable volunteer-based model with strong local club infrastructure and scholarship emphasis, competing directly for the same student cohort.
• Aspect Foundation: Nonprofit exchange organization providing year and semester high school programs with scholarship support. Operates similar volunteer-coordinated model targeting language acquisition and intercultural competence.
• Nacel Educational Exchanges: International student exchange organization offering high school year, semester, and short-term programs in multiple countries. Comparable volunteer-based local coordinator model and host family matching process.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat7 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Intercultura_IT
• YouTubeyoutube.com/interculturaafsita
• Facebookfacebook.com/intercultura.odv
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/intercultura
• Instagraminstagram.com/interculturait
• TikToktiktok.com/@intercultura

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Intercultura