Ligue de l'enseignement - centre confédéral

What Ligue de l'enseignement - centre confédéral does

Ligue de l'enseignement - centre confédéral is a French secular popular education movement founded in 1866 by Jean Macé, operating as a non-profit confederation (association loi 1901) headquartered in Paris. The organization is structured as a federative network comprising 102 departmental federations, 13 regional unions, and over 21,000 local associations, with collective governance through an elected National Board of Directors and a Bureau currently led by President Hélène Lacassagne (since July 2026). It serves more than 1 million individual members, supported by approximately 500,000 volunteers and 18,000 service civique volunteers, and delivers programs in four core fields: education and training, culture, vacation and leisure education, and sports for all.

The organization's portfolio is delivered through several branded sub-units. Ufolep (Union française des œuvres laïques d'éducation physique) is a multisports affinity federation with roughly 300,000 members. Usep (Union sport et culture pour l'école primaire) is a school sports federation for primary-school children with over 600,000 child licensees and about 34,000 volunteer adult animators. Vacances pour tous and Vacances passion operate vacation camps, holiday villages, and family stays; Vacances pour tous is identified as the first associative organizer of vacation camps in France. Infrep (Institut national de formation et de recherche pour l'éducation permanente) is the professional training institute created in 1980, supported by a network of 80 training organizations across France. Additional educational products include Les Veilleurs de l'info (media literacy), Micro-Folie (itinerant digital museum), Expédition ESS (social and solidarity economy pedagogical kit), Villag'ESS (serious game), the European EcoReactEU eco-anxiety MOOC, and a new DEJEPS state diploma in ecological transition coordination launching September 2026.

Revenue is generated through membership subscriptions (over 1 million individual members), training fees and apprenticeship programs, vacation program participation fees, sports federation license fees, government contracts (notably with the Ministry of National Education and Ministry of Culture), and European project funding (Erasmus+, EcoReactEU, MigrArts). Pricing is not publicly disclosed and varies by local federation and activity. The confederation has no parent company and is not publicly traded; financial figures are not published. International footprint is concentrated in European project partnerships rather than direct service delivery abroad.

Name

Ligue de l'enseignement - centre confédéral

Legal name

Ligue de l'enseignement

Website

https://laligue.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1866

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

Ligue de l'enseignement is a French secular popular education confederation founded in 1866, operating 102 departmental federations, 21,000 local associations, and 1M+ members to deliver educational, cultural, sports, vacation, and training programs across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Popular Education and Civic Engagement

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611), Sports and Recreation Instruction (611620)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Amateur Sport Governing Bodies & Federations (National/Regional) (MPAKACAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Life Skills & SEL Camps (Confidence, Executive Function, Social Skills) (EDAMALAO), Intergovernmental Education Cooperation & Bilateral/Multilateral Programs (EDADALAA)

Keywords

• Popular education
• Community associations
• Vacation camp services
• Professional training services
• Sports federation programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel

Revenue model

1. Vacation and leisure services: Through Vacances pour tous and Vacances passion brands, the organization operates vacation camps and holiday centers for children and families, generating revenue from participation fees.
2. Professional training services: 80 training organizations across France offer professional training in tourism, culture, healthcare, and animation sectors, generating revenue through training fees and apprenticeship programs.
3. Membership subscriptions: The confederation comprises affiliated associations and individual members who pay membership fees, representing over 1 million adherents.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Ligue de l'enseignement operates a confederation of 102 departmental federations, 13 regional unions, and over 21,000 local associations across France, delivering popular (secular) education, cultural, sports, vacation, and social integration programs. Its core branded services include vacation camps and adult stays (Vacances pour tous, Vacances passion), the multisports and school sports federations (Ufolep, Usep), and professional training through Infrep. Programs target children, youth, families, educators, and vulnerable populations including exiled persons.

Product overview

Ligue de l'enseignement - centre confédéral is a secular popular education movement operating as a confederation of 102 departmental federations, 13 regional unions, and over 21,000 local associations. Rather than a unified technology product, the organization offers a broad portfolio of educational, cultural, sports, and social programs. Key branded offerings include Ufolep (multisports federation, 300,000 members) and Usep (school sports federation for primary schools, 600,000+ child licensees) as sports sub-brands; Vacances pour tous and Vacances passion as vacation program brands; Infrep as the professional training institute; and various educational resources such as Les Veilleurs de l'info (media literacy), Expédition ESS (solidarity economy kit), Micro-Folie (digital museum), EcoReactEU (eco-anxiety project with MOOC), and Villag'ESS (serious game). The organization also publishes digital media through Chroniques Associatives. The portfolio is organized around four main action fields: education and training, culture, vacation and leisure education, and sports for all.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Vacances pour tous: First associative organizer of vacation camps in France, part of Ligue de l'enseignement
• Vacances passion
• Infrep
• Ufolep
• Usep

Products and services

• Vacances pour tous

Named customers4 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• EkoGreececoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Partner in the European EcoReactEU project focused on addressing eco-anxiety among youth. The project, launched in 2023 for a duration of three years, aims to train and equip youth workers to understand and address eco-anxiety in young people.
• Arci (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Italian partner in EcoReactEU and MigrArts projects. In MigrArts, partners worked on promoting cultural rights of exiled persons through arts and culture over a three-year period.
• Utrecht University (Netherlands)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023Academic partner in the EcoReactEU project bringing research expertise on youth eco-anxiety and educational approaches.
• Center for peace studies (Croatia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MigrArts project focused on promoting cultural rights of migrants and exiled persons through arts and culture.
• Community development institute (North Macedonia)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the MigrArts project contributing to the promotion of cultural rights of exiled persons.
• Office franco-allemand pour la jeunesse (Ofaj)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHistorical partner for Franco-German youth exchange programs. Works with Ligue de l'enseignement to facilitate European mobility and intercultural understanding.
• Solidar NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network committed to social justice and just transition. Ligue de l'enseignement participates in General Assemblies and contributes to European advocacy alongside over 50 organizations.
• European Erasmus+ programcoreGTM or Marketing PartnerEuropean funding program supporting youth mobility, international projects, and educational initiatives. Ligue participates through various projects including Just4All for ecological transition.
• Centre national du LivreminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational book center that supported the production of a practical guide for developing reading in leisure centers.
• Ministry of National EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry with which Ligue de l'enseignement maintains official partnerships for educational programs and school support activities.
• Ministry of CulturecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment ministry partnering on cultural programs including reading promotion and artistic education initiatives.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• Emmaüs France: Federated French non-profit federation tackling social exclusion through housing, employment, and integration programs. Comparable federated association structure and social-action mission targeting vulnerable populations similar to Ligue's exiled-persons programs.

Broad incumbents

• Secours populaire français: Major French non-profit providing social aid, solidarity programs, and vacation/leisure access for disadvantaged families through a national network of volunteers and federations. Comparable scale, volunteer-driven social mission, and vacation program (analogous to Vacances pour tous).
• MGEN (Mutuelle Générale de l'Éducation Nationale): Major French mutual insurance organization rooted in the education sector, providing health coverage and related services to education community members. Comparable target customer base (educators, education sector) and historical roots in French secular education movement.
• Croix-Rouge française: One of France's largest non-profits, delivering humanitarian aid, social services, training, and volunteer-led programs through a national network. Comparable scale (volunteers, federated structure, training operations) and overlaps with Ligue's social services and training arms.

Direct peers

• Scouts et Guides de France: Largest French scouting association delivering youth civic education and outdoor programming through a federated network of local groups. Directly comparable target audience, volunteer-led delivery model, and secular educational positioning.
• CEMEA (Centres d'Entraînement aux Méthodes d'Éducation Active): Major French non-profit federation delivering popular education training, animation, and youth worker credentialing (BAFA, BAFD, DEJEPS). Comparable to Ligue's Infrep training arm and Ufolep/Usep educational programming.
• Fédération Française des Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture: Federation of Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture (MJC) operating local cultural and educational centers across France. Similar grassroots association model, cultural diffusion network, and secular civic-education positioning to Ligue de l'enseignement.
• Les Francas: Federation of associations focused on popular education, leisure centers, and youth civic engagement in France. Highly comparable to Ligue de l'enseignement: operates a similar federation model delivering secular extracurricular, educational, and leisure programs to children and families across departmental networks.
• Scoutisme Français: Umbrella organization for French scouting associations, similarly structured as a confederation delivering youth education, civic engagement, and outdoor activities through local groups nationwide. Comparable target audience (children and youth) and volunteer-driven federated model.

Emerging players

• France Bénévolat: French non-profit dedicated to developing and connecting volunteer engagement across associations nationwide. Comparable mission around volunteer-driven associative activity, though focused on volunteer intermediation rather than direct program delivery like Ligue.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@Liguedelenseignement
• Facebookfr-fr.facebook.com/laliguedelenseignementnationale
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ligue-de-l-enseignement-centre-conf%C3%A9d%C3%A9ral
• Instagraminstagram.com/ligue_enseignement

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Ligue de l'enseignement - centre confédéral