IRFASE, Institut de Recherche et de Formation

What IRFASE, Institut de Recherche et de Formation does

IRFASE (Institut de Recherche et de Formation à l'Action Sociale de l'Essonne) is a French non-profit training and research association operating under the managing entity AGIRFASE, headquartered at Évry-Courcouronnes in Île-de-France. Founded in 1995, the institute delivers state-recognised social work diplomas across qualification levels 3 to 7 — covering specialisations such as Éducateur Spécialisé, Assistant de Service Social, Éducateur de Jeunes Enfants, Accompagnant Éducatif et Social, MJPM, CAFERUIS, CAFDES, and the DIREIS social innovation leadership programme — alongside an Executive Master for ESMS/ESS directors, continuing professional education, VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience), and applied research activities. It serves approximately 700+ students per year with a 91.8% diploma pass rate in 2025-2026, supported by a network of over 1,000 institutional partners across Île-de-France.

The institute's core technology stack comprises a Moodle-based e-learning platform (moodle.irfase.fr), a ypareo pre-registration portal, and a documentary resource centre (crd.irfase.fr). An award-winning collaborative digital learning platform was co-developed in 2021 with IRTS Île-de-France and partners WORKLIB and PIXAGO, recognised by Région Île-de-France's Trophées franciliens de l'innovation numérique dans le supérieur; the platform supports adaptive learning, social learning, micro-learning, and co-created digital content for social-sector learners. The institute is Qualiopi-certified (2024-2027), Erasmus+ certified, and holds Diplôme conférant grade de licence status from the French Ministry of Higher Education.

IRFASE's revenue mechanics rest on a published fee schedule with tuition quoted in euros excluding VAT (the association is not VAT-assujettie under Article 293 B CGI), augmented by multi-source public funding via OPCO, the Île-de-France regional council, and apprenticeship financing routed through CFA EVE. Go-to-market combines PARCOURSUP national admission, direct enrolment via the Pôle Admissions, regional student fairs and open days, organic social channels, and bespoke intra-company training for social and medico-social employers across Île-de-France. The customer base is fragmented between individual learners (B2C) and institutional buyers of continuing education (B2B), reducing single-customer concentration risk.

Name

IRFASE, Institut de Recherche et de Formation

Legal name

Association Institut de Recherche et de Formation à l'Action Sociale en Essonne

Website

https://irfase.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

IRFASE is a French non-profit training and research institute founded in 1995, delivering state-recognised social work diplomas (levels 3-7), continuing education, and applied research to 700+ students per year across Île-de-France. It serves future and current social work professionals through Qualiopi-certified programmes and a 1,000+ partner network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Work Education and Training

NAICS

Educational Services (611), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Professional and Management Development Training (611430)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Regional Education Service Agencies (ESAs/BOCES/Intermediate Units) (EDADABAC)

Keywords

• Social work education
• Professional training
• Diploma programs
• Social sector training
• Continuing education

Headquarters

HQ city

Évry, Île-de-France

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

IRFASE is a non-profit social work training and research institute offering state-recognised diploma programs (levels 3 to 7) for future social work professionals, including specialized educators, social service assistants, early childhood educators, and managers. It also provides continuing professional education, apprenticeship tracks (via CFA EVE), VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) pathways, applied research, and a documentary resource centre, supported by a collaborative digital learning platform.

Product overview

IRFASE (Institut de Recherche et de Formation à l'Action Sociale de l'Essonne) is a social work training and research institute offering a comprehensive portfolio of programs. The core offerings include 14 diploma programs at levels 3-7 (AES, ME, ASS, AEPE, EJE, ES, MJPM, SAP, RLHA, CAFERUIS, CAFDES, DIREIS, Executive Master), continuing professional education, VAE validation, and research activities. Programs span from entry-level qualifications (level 3) to executive education, covering specializations in early childhood education, social work, specialized education, and social innovation management. The institute also operates a documentation center and apprenticeship programs through CFA EVE partnerships.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• AES – Accompagnant Éducatif et Social (Educational and Social Accompanist) State-certified training program preparing students to become Educational and Social Accompanists, providing support and care to vulnerable populations.
• ME – Moniteur Éducateur (Educational Monitor) State-certified training program preparing students to become Educational Monitors, working with children, adolescents, and adults in educational settings.
• ASS – Assistant de Service Social (Social Service Assistant) State-certified training program preparing students to become Social Service Assistants, providing social support and guidance to individuals and families.
• AEPE – Accueillant Éducatif Petite Enfance (Early Childhood Educational Carer) Training program preparing students to work in early childhood education settings, welcoming and caring for young children.
• EJE – Éducateur de Jeunes Enfants (Early Childhood Educator) State-certified training program preparing students to become Early Childhood Educators, working with children from birth to around 6 years old.
• ES – Éducateur Spécialisé (Specialized Educator) State-certified training program preparing students to become Specialized Educators, providing educational support to individuals with social or psychological difficulties.
• MJPM – Licence professionnelle Mandataire Judiciaire à la Protection des Majeurs (Judicial Protection Officer for Adults) Professional license program training students to become Judicial Protection Officers for Adults, managing legal protection measures for vulnerable adults.
• SAP – Licence professionnelle Services à la Personne (Personal Services) Professional license program focused on personal services, training students to work in home care and assistance services.
• RLHA – Responsable de structure du Logement ou de l'Habitat Accompagné (Supported Housing Structure Manager) Training program preparing students to manage supported housing structures and residential facilities for vulnerable populations.
• CAFERUIS – Certificat d'Aptitude aux Fonctions d'Encadrement et de Responsabilité d'Unité d'Intervention sociale Advanced certification program preparing students for management and leadership roles in social intervention units.
• CAFERUIS – MASTER 1 GRH Sociologie du Travail (HR & Work Sociology pathway) Master 1 pathway under the CAFERUIS certification, focused on human resources management and sociology of work.
• CAFERUIS – MASTER 2 (Master 2 pathway) Master 2 pathway under the CAFERUIS certification for advanced managerial training in social intervention units.
• CAFDES (Director of Social and Healthcare Establishments) Advanced certification for directors of social and healthcare establishments.
• DIREIS – Directrice/Directeur d'Organisation ou d'Entreprise d'Innovation Sociale Advanced program training students to lead social innovation organizations and enterprises.
• Executive Master de Cadre dirigeant·e d'ESMS/ESS Executive master program for directors of health and social establishments (ESMS) and social economy organizations (ESS).
• Formation professionnelle continue (Continuing Professional Education) Continuing professional education programs for social work practitioners, including specialized workshops and seminars, as well as bespoke intra-company training.
• VAE – Validation des Acquis et de l'Expérience (Prior Learning Assessment) Recognition of prior learning and experience program allowing professionals to obtain formal certifications based on their work experience.
• Centre de Ressources documentaires (Documentation Resource Centre) Documentation center providing academic resources in social sciences for students and professionals.
• L'apprentissage à l'IRFASE (Apprenticeship Programs) Apprenticeship programs enabling students to combine theoretical training with practical work experience through partnership with CFA EVE.
• La recherche à l'IRFASE (Research Activities) Research activities including study days, colloquia, research lunches, and publications in social work and social sciences.

Quantifiable outcome

• 91.8% diploma pass rate (258 graduates out of 281 presented candidates, 2025-2026)

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• IRTS Ile-de-France Montrouge Neuilly-sur-MarnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 October 2021IRFASE and IRTS Ile-de-France jointly developed an innovative 'Collaborative platforms for social and medico-social sector learners' project, awarded the Trophées franciliens de l'innovation numérique. The partnership spans three Île-de-France departments (Essonne, Hauts-de-Seine, Seine-Saint-Denis) and aims to build a participative network accompanying social workers from orientation through training, placement, and career consolidation.
• WORKLIBcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 October 2021WORKLIB is a community recruitment and internship search tool chosen as part of the collaborative digital platform project to facilitate connections between learners and field placement organisations in the social sector.
• PIXAGOcoreTechnology or Integration · 21 October 2021PIXAGO is a pedagogical cooperative exclusively serving the social, medico-social, and health sectors. They support the digital transformation of pedagogical devices through adaptive learning, social learning, micro-learning, and serious game development, as well as co-producing digital content with and for learners.
• CFA EVE (Centre de Formation des Apprentis)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCFA EVE is the apprenticeship training centre partnered with IRFASE for delivering apprenticeship-track programmes. A dedicated contact (Kenny-Jones ASSELIE) manages apprenticeship-related enquiries and permanences during closure periods.
• Université Évry Paris-SaclaymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerA partnership convention signed on 15 October 2025 formalises academic collaboration between IRFASE and the university, facilitating joint research, student pathways, and pedagogical innovation.
• Grand Paris SudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGrand Paris Sud territorial authority collaborates with IRFASE on student events, the Pass Culture programme, and information stands during open days.
• Conseil Départemental de l'EssonneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe departmental council of Essonne co-organises open days and student events with IRFASE and is a key institutional partner in the local social work ecosystem.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge Compétence: National training arm of the French Red Cross delivering health and social work diplomas, apprenticeship tracks, and continuing education across multiple regions. Larger scale and broader portfolio than IRFASE, but directly overlaps on social work diplomas, VAE, and intra-company training for medico-social employers.
• AFPA: France's largest adult vocational training organisation with broad coverage of professional qualifications. While not specialised in social work, AFPA delivers certain overlapping qualifications (services à la personne, etc.) and competes for the same adult learner and apprenticeship funding pools as IRFASE.

Direct peers

• ETSUP: Paris-based école de travail social delivering the same state-recognised social work diplomas (éducateur spécialisé, assistant de service social, etc.) to a comparable learner profile. Operates in the same Île-de-France geography with similar Qualiopi certification and continuing education offerings.
• IRTS Île-de-France Montrouge Neuilly-sur-Marne: Direct partner of IRFASE (co-developer of the award-winning digital platform) operating in the same Île-de-France region with an overlapping portfolio of state social work diplomas and continuing education. Same accreditation regime, same student pool, near-identical program catalogue.
• ASKORIA: Formerly ARIFTS, a French social work training institute delivering niveau 3-7 state diplomas across Brittany. Same diploma portfolio structure, same Qualiopi framework, same customer segments (future and active social work professionals) — providing a regional analogue of IRFASE's model.
• ARIFOR: Paris-region training institute offering diplomas and certifications in the social, medico-social, and healthcare fields. Overlaps with IRFASE on Qualiopi-certified programs, apprenticeship delivery, and continuing professional education for active practitioners.

Regional players

• IRTS Hauts-de-France: Regional social work training institute covering Hauts-de-France with the same state-recognised diplomas niveau 3-7. Comparable pedagogical model and target segments, but operates in a separate geography and does not directly compete for IRFASE's Île-de-France students.

Others

• Université Évry Paris-Saclay: Academic partner of IRFASE via the October 2025 convention, sharing students in licence professionnelle pathways (MJPM, CAFERUIS Master). Comparable in the regional higher-education ecosystem and a key academic counterpart rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/irfase-institut-de-recherche-et-de-formation

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IRFASE, Institut de Recherche et de Formation