LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCHE SUR LES TRANSFORMATIONS ECONOMIQUES ET SOCIALES (LARTES-IFAN)

What LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCHE SUR LES TRANSFORMATIONS ECONOMIQUES ET SOCIALES (LARTES-IFAN) does

LARTES-IFAN (Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Transformations Economiques et Sociales) is a non-profit academic research laboratory formally established in 2012 within IFAN Cheikh Anta Diop at Université Cheikh Anta DIOP de Dakar, Senegal. The lab originated in the 1990s through collaborative research programs with the Institut de Recherche en Développement (IRD). It operates as a multidisciplinary unit comprising 21 researchers across sociology, anthropology, demography, econometrics, statistics, economics, computer science, and geography, supported by an administrative and logistics team for a total headcount of 32. LARTES-IFAN conducts applied social science research spanning education, public health and reproductive health, gender equality, social protection, migration, environmental governance, food and nutrition, social and solidarity economy, and public policy evaluation.

The laboratory's core work encompasses large-scale household surveys (16,000 households surveyed in 2019), policy impact evaluations, barometer monitoring, longitudinal poverty and vulnerability analyses, and citizen-led education assessments reaching over 9 million children across 15+ countries via the People's Action for Learning (PAL) Network. It also supports doctoral and master's training in Applied Social Sciences for Development under the LMD reform framework. Notable projects include the PRE (Elementary School Remediation) program with Dubai Cares Foundation and the Senegalese Ministry of Education, which equipped 76 schools and supported 41,000 children, as well as the Youth Employment Evidence and Insights Hub with the Mastercard Foundation and the PACE consortium.

LARTES-IFAN's business model is grant-funded and non-commercial. Revenue is generated exclusively through research grants and project contracts awarded by international foundations (Mastercard Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, Dubai Cares Foundation, CRDI, Hewlett Foundation, Robert Bosch Foundation), international development organizations, and Senegalese government ministries. The lab does not sell products or services on a commercial basis; research outputs are disseminated through publications, annual reports, academic conferences, policy briefs, and direct institutional engagement. Its primary customer segments are government agencies, international development organizations, academic institutions, and NGOs working across West and Central Africa.

Name

LABORATOIRE DE RECHERCHE SUR LES TRANSFORMATIONS ECONOMIQUES ET SOCIALES (LARTES-IFAN)

Legal name

Laboratoire de Recherche sur les Transformations Economiques et Sociales (LARTES-IFAN)

Website

https://lartes-ifan.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

LARTES-IFAN is a non-profit multidisciplinary social science research laboratory at Université Cheikh Anta DIOP de Dakar, Senegal, conducting policy evaluations, large-scale household surveys, and education assessments for governments, international foundations, and development organizations across West and Central Africa.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Science Research Services

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Other Scientific and Technical Consulting Services (541690)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDADADAI

Higher Education Governance & Quality Policy Research

Education/Education Administration, Accreditation & Policy/Education Policy, Research & Think Tanks

Keywords

• Social science research
• Policy evaluation services
• Education research
• Household survey research
• Development program assessment

Headquarters

HQ city

Dakar

HQ country

Senegal

HQ region

Africa

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research Grants and Project Funding: LARTES-IFAN operates through externally funded research programs and projects commissioned by governments, international development organizations, foundations, and multilateral institutions. The lab conducts evaluations, assessments, and studies for entities such as the Mastercard Foundation, Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, and various UN agencies.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

LARTES-IFAN is a university-affiliated research laboratory that conducts multidisciplinary social science research on economic and social transformations in Senegal and West/Central Africa. It delivers research programs, large-scale household surveys, education assessments, policy evaluations, and impact studies for governments, international development organizations, and foundations. The laboratory also supports doctoral and master's training in Applied Social Sciences for Development at Université Cheikh Anta DIOP de Dakar.

Product overview

LARTES-IFAN is a research laboratory at Université Cheikh Anta Diop de Dakar that provides social science research services, doctoral training support, and policy evaluation. The laboratory conducts multidisciplinary research programs across thematic areas including education, health, gender, migration, social protection, and environmental governance. Their work encompasses research project implementation, large-scale data collection, policy impact assessment, and academic thesis supervision within the Applied Social Sciences for Development doctoral program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Research Programs and Projects
• Policy Evaluation and Barometer Services
• Data Collection and Field Research
• Doctoral and Master's Training Support

Quantifiable outcome

• 16,000 households surveyed for poverty and living conditions research
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Ministry of Microfinance and ESS (Senegal)majorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 July 2024Meeting with Minister Alioune Dione to discuss social economy and microfinance policy research.
• Université Cheikh Anta DIOP de DakarcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLARTES-IFAN is institutionally hosted by UCAD within IFAN Ch. A. Diop, supporting the Doctoral Training 'Applied Social Sciences for Development' under the LMD reform.
• Institut de Recherche en Développement (IRD)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLARTES was created in the 1990s following collaboration programs with IRD. IRD remains a key historical partner in research collaboration.
• People's Action for Learning (PAL) NetworkcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational South-South partnership of organizations in Africa, Asia, and Americas united for children's learning assessment. LARTES conducts ICAN and ICARe evaluations.
• Pan-African Collective for Evidence (PACE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPACE hosts the Youth Employment Evidence and Insights Hub. LARTES-IFAN is a consortium member providing research expertise on education and employment.
• Centre d'excellence Evidence-Policy-Action (EPA) / IPARmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional initiative to bridge research, policy, and public action, supporting Evidence-Informed Policy (EIP) in Francophone West Africa.
• Ministry of Education (Senegal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on education research, evaluations, and school remediation programs including PRE project.
• WAPEQ HubmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWest African Evidence and Policy Hub - LARTES participates in WAPEQ activities focused on education.
• Africa Evidence Network (AEN)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPan-African community of 5,000+ people fostering collaboration in evidence-informed decision-making.
• RENAFETSminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork for Social and Solidarity Economy - LARTES conducts capacity building workshops for members.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights8 records

Direct peers

• African Population and Health Research Center (APHRC): Leading African research institution conducting policy-relevant research in population, health, education, and development across multiple African countries. Comparable to LARTES-IFAN in its multidisciplinary applied-research model, large-scale household surveys, and strong foundation funding base.
• South African Institute of International Affairs (SAIIA): African policy research institute producing research on governance, economics, and international affairs. Comparable as an African think tank doing applied social science research for governments and development partners, though based in Southern Africa and Anglophone-focused.
• Initiative Prospective Agricole et Rurale (IPAR): Senegalese think tank focused on agricultural, rural, and public policy research, partnered with LARTES-IFAN in the Evidence-Policy-Action (EPA) center. Directly comparable as a Francophone Senegal-based policy research organization serving government and development partners.
• African Economic Research Consortium (AERC): Pan-African premier network of economic policy research and graduate training. Comparable to LARTES-IFAN in combining applied economic research, doctoral training support, and pan-African policy engagement, though AERC's footprint is continent-wide and Anglophone-led.
• CODESRIA (Council for the Development of Social Science Research in Africa): Pan-African social science research council headquartered in Dakar. Most directly comparable to LARTES-IFAN as a multidisciplinary social science research organization focused on African development, with shared themes of policy research, doctoral training, and pan-African network building.

Broad incumbents

• Brookings Africa Growth Initiative: Major global think tank with dedicated Africa-focused economic and policy research. Comparable in producing evidence-to-policy outputs for African development, though operates at significantly larger scale with broader thematic scope and English-language orientation.
• Institut de Recherche pour le Développement (IRD): French public research institution and LARTES-IFAN's historical founding partner from the 1990s. Comparable as a major multidisciplinary research organization with deep presence in Senegal and Francophone Africa, though IRD operates globally with significantly greater resources and a physical/biological sciences mandate.
• International Food Policy Research Institute (IFPRI): Global leader in food and agricultural policy research with strong Africa programs. Comparable to LARTES-IFAN in conducting evidence-based policy research for development funders and governments, though IFPRI operates globally with much larger scale and broader thematic reach.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/laboratoire-de-recherche-sur-les-transformations-economiques-et-sociales-lartes-ifan

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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