Institution Notre Dame des Minimes

What Institution Notre Dame des Minimes does

Institution Notre Dame des Minimes is a private Catholic educational institution headquartered in Lyon, France, operated under the patronage of the Salesians of Don Bosco congregation since 1961. Founded in 1826 by Père Détard, it provides continuous education across four levels — École (primary), Collège (middle school), Lycée (high school, including séries générale and technologique), and Enseignement Supérieur (higher education) — serving approximately 1,681 students annually. The institution delivers instruction using the Salesian preventive method based on reason, religion, and affection, integrating pastoral formation with academic preparation. Higher education offerings include Prépa ECG (with 100% placement in Top 10 French business schools), Prépa Sciences Po, Prépa Horizon Droit, a Bachelor in Management validated by Grenoble École de Management, and Prélépa Lyon II in partnership with Université Lumière Lyon II. The infrastructure comprises two Lyon campuses — the historic Point-du-Jour site at 65 rue des Aqueducs (4 hectares, opened 1968) and the newer Fourvière site opened in 2024 — along with three boarding facilities totaling approximately 154 places.

The business model is tuition-driven with supplementary boarding and donation revenue streams. Higher education tuition is publicly disclosed at €8,900–€9,900 per year for the Bachelor program; primary/secondary tuition is not publicly listed. Revenue is generated through annual recurring tuition fees across all educational levels, subscription boarding fees (including internat and externé options), and donations processed through the Association Familiale Scolaire des Minimes Batonniers Crétinon via the HelloAsso platform, with a current fundraising priority of chapel renovation. The go-to-market is sales-led and relationship-driven: prospective families engage via direct website contact, phone inquiries, and scheduled Portes Ouvertes (open house) events at all levels, with higher education programs funneled through the national Parcoursup platform. Distribution is regional, concentrated in Lyon and surrounding areas, complemented by international student exchange partnerships within the global Don Bosco network spanning 130 countries. The institution does not employ proprietary technology platforms and operates as a nonprofit organization under French law.

Name

Institution Notre Dame des Minimes

Legal name

Institution des Minimes de Lyon

Website

https://lesminimes-lyon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1826

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Institution Notre Dame des Minimes is a private Catholic school in Lyon, France, operated by the Salesians of Don Bosco since 1961, offering continuous education from primary through higher education to approximately 1,681 students annually across two campuses.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Private Catholic Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYEDAHABAB

STEM-Focused Research Universities (Engineering & Applied Sciences)

Education/Higher Education (Colleges & Universities)/Private Research Universities

Keywords

• Private Catholic education
• Salesian pedagogy schools
• Preparatory classes France
• K-12 education institution
• Higher education programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Tuition and Registration Fees: Annual tuition fees charged across all educational levels (École, Collège, Lycée, Enseignement Supérieur). Fees vary by program level, with higher education programs having specific annual tuition rates.
2. Boarding/Internat Services: Revenue from student boarding facilities including internat (full boarding) and externé (boarding student living off-campus but participating in boarding life) at multiple sites with 111 student capacity at Point-du-jour and 112 places split between Michel-Magnon and Raoul-Follereau locations.
3. Donations and Charitable Contributions: Fundraising through the Association Familiale Scolaire des Minimes Batonniers Crétinon, accepting donations via check, bank transfer, and credit card through HelloAsso platform. Current fundraising focus on chapel renovation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Institution Notre Dame des Minimes is a private Catholic educational institution in Lyon, France, operating under the Salesians of Don Bosco congregation. It delivers a continuous academic pathway from primary school (École) through middle school (Collège), high school (Lycée), and higher education, including preparatory classes for elite French business schools (ECG), Sciences Po, law, and a Bachelor in Management in partnership with Grenoble École de Management. The institution also operates boarding facilities (internat) across three sites and runs international exchange programs.

Product overview

Institution Notre Dame des Minimes operates a comprehensive educational ecosystem spanning primary school (École), middle school (Collège), high school (Lycée), and higher education (Enseignement supérieur). The institution follows Salesian pedagogy under the Don Bosco educational framework. Higher education offerings include Prépa ECG (preparatory class for business schools), Prépa Sciences Po (political science IEP prep), Prépa Horizon Droit (law prep), Bachelor en Management (in partnership with GEM), and Prépa Lyon II (L3). Supporting infrastructure includes three boarding facilities (internat) with approximately 154 total places and extensive international exchange programs with Don Bosco network schools across multiple countries. The institution also integrates pastoral programs and integral formation principles throughout all educational levels.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• École (Primary School) Primary school education from maternelle (preschool) through elementary school, providing foundational academic instruction within the Salesian educational framework for children of families in Lyon and surrounding regions.
• Collège (Middle School) Lower secondary education covering grades 6ème through 3ème, preparing students for the lycée (high school) with a comprehensive academic curriculum.
• Lycée (High School) Upper secondary education with série générale and technologique tracks, including specialities such as STL SPCL/BIOTECH and STMG, preparing students for the French baccalauréat.
• Internat (Boarding) Boarding facilities for students across three sites with 111 places at Point-du-jour, 43 at Michel-Magnon, and 69 at Raoul-Follereau, including full boarding (interne) and partial boarding (externé) options; 98% of higher education students are internes or externés.
• Prépa ECG (Classes Préparatoires Économiques et Commerciales)
• Prépa Sciences Po
• Prépa Horizon Droit Law preparatory program offering personalized support for first-year law students with tutoring, methodology sessions, exam preparation, and housing options at the Fourvière site.
• Bachelor en Management (GEM partnership)
• Prépa Lyon II (L3 AES)
• Pastoral Program
• International Programs and Exchanges

Quantifiable outcome

• 100% ECG students admitted to Top 10 French business schools
• +3 more outcomes

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered primary, core, secondary and minor.

• Liceo Vittoria Colonna ArezzoprimaryStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Italian partner school in Tuscany. Long-standing exchange relationship (since 2014) between 3ème and 2nde students. Includes reciprocal visits with cultural activities in Arezzo, Florence, and Siena. 10th anniversary of exchange celebrated in 2026.
• Salésiens de Don Bosco (Salesians of Don Bosco)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1961The Salesians of Don Bosco congregation assumed guardianship of the institution in 1961 at the request of the Archbishop of Lyon, Mgr Gerlier. They provide the pedagogical framework and educational charism based on Don Bosco's preventive method (affection, reason, religion). The institution belongs to the Don Bosco educational network spanning 130 countries with over 1 million students.
• Université Lumière Lyon IIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for parallel university enrollment allowing ECG students to register simultaneously at Lyon II and Prépa Sciences Po students to access L2 Droit with convention. ECG students follow university curriculum alongside preparatory classes with credits transferable.
• Université Jean Moulin Lyon IIIsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for parallel university enrollment for ECG preparatory students allowing dual registration with Lyon III.
• Grenoble École de Management (GEM)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGEM partnership for Bachelor in Management delivered at Fourvière site. GEM provides degree validation (Bac+3 grade licence), career coaching, job board access with thousands of offers, and network of 47,000 graduates. Students access GEM's full alumni ecosystem and recruitment events.
• Université Lumière Lyon II - AEScoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Lyon II for Prépa Lyon II (L3) allowing students to complete Licence AES 3rd year while preparing for management school entrance (EM Lyon, EDHEC, SKEMA, HEC, etc.) through TAGE and TOEIC preparation.
• Concours Passerelle 2 and Tremplin 2coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAccess to major French business school admission competitions allowing Prépa Lyon II students to integrate top schools including EM Lyon, EDHEC, SKEMA, HEC, Toulouse BS, and KEDGE through standardized national concours.
• Platen-Gymnasium AnsbachprimaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerLong-standing German partner school in Bavaria. Annual student exchange program between 3ème, 2nde and 1ère levels. French students stay with German families and attend Platen-Gymnasium. German students reciprocate visit to Lyon. Relationship established for over a decade.
• Colegio San Juan Bosco ValenciaprimaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish partner school in Valencia. Annual exchange program for 3ème students (ages 14-15). Includes cultural visits (Bioparc, Oceanogràfic), culinary experiences (rice museum), and family homestays. Also partner in Erasmus+ water management project.
• Salesianos Valencia (Erasmus+)secondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerErasmus+ partnership focused on water management and marine ecosystem protection education. Includes student mobility to Valencia for water sampling, laboratory analysis, and environmental education activities.
• eTwinning Platform PartnerssecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSecure European platform for collaborative projects with schools. 3ème Italian students worked with school in Filadelfia (Calabria) on environmental awareness project including quizzes, Canva presentations, and digital storytelling.
• Convitto Nazionale di RomasecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention with national Italian boarding school allowing Italian students to attend Les Minimes for 3-month immersion periods. Students are fully integrated into classes and evaluated like French students.
• Waldorfschule Wiehre FreiburgsecondaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerGerman Waldorf/Steiner pedagogy school visited by 5ème German students for joint activities, sports, music sessions, and eco-quarter Vauban tour.
• Colegio y Liceo Nuestra Señora del Carmen Salto (Uruguay)primaryStrategic or Co-development PartnerSalvian sister school in Uruguay, first point of arrival of Salesian Sisters in Latin America. Student volunteering program for 1ère and Terminale students. Includes cultural immersion with host families and activities with local youth. 2nd edition in October 2025, with Uruguay students visiting Lyon in May 2026 for bicentenary.
• Don Bosco Network Schools (Lebanon and India)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerStrong ties with Don Bosco institutions in Lebanon and India within the Catholic educational network, enabling cultural and educational exchanges.
• Ludilyon AssociationminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLyon-based association organizing food and gastronomy discovery tours. Collaborated on Valencia exchange program for culinary cultural activities including visit to Les Halles Paul Bocuse.
• Association Familiale Scolaire des Minimes Batonniers CrétinoncoreOthersParent-school association managing fundraising and donations. Partners with HelloAsso platform for online donations. Currently fundraising for chapel renovation project.

Scale indicators14 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Sainte-Croix de Neuilly: Prestigious Parisian Catholic school offering K-12 with strong academic outcomes. Comparable as a high-performing French Catholic institution whose families use placement to elite higher education as a primary value proposition.
• Cours Fénelon: French Catholic school with classes préparatoires track, targeting academically selective families. Comparable as a Catholic K-12-to-prépa institution in the broader French private Catholic school competitive set.
• Institution des Chartreux: Private Catholic school in Lyon offering K-12 through classes préparatoires with similar Salesian-adjacent heritage. Most directly comparable peer given shared city, Catholic identity, and integrated K-12-to-prépa offering.
• Lycée Saint-Louis (Paris): Historic Parisian Catholic secondary school renowned for its classes préparatoires program. Comparable because it is a Catholic institution that competes for the same nationally mobile pool of prépa-bound high-achieving students.
• École Jeannine Manuel: Elite French private school with multiple campuses offering K-12 plus international baccalaureate pathways. Comparable as a high-performing French private school targeting academically selective families, with a broader national reach.
• ALSACIENNE: Elite private Catholic school in Paris known for rigorous K-12 plus prépas. Comparable as a top-tier Catholic institution with similar outcomes-driven positioning for families seeking elite higher education pathways.
• Stanislas: Catholic school network with campuses in Paris and Cannes, offering K-12 and well-regarded prépas. Comparable as a Catholic K-12-plus-prépa competitor targeting the same academically ambitious family demographic.
• Sainte-Marie Lyon: Private Catholic institution in Lyon spanning primary through secondary education. Comparable because of shared city, Catholic mission, and similar parent demographic seeking values-based education.

Broad incumbents

• Université Catholique de Lyon: Larger Catholic higher education institution in Lyon offering degree-granting programs. Comparable as a same-city, same-faith higher education provider, though its model is full degree conferral rather than preparatory classes.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/lesminimeslyon/?locale=fr_FR
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institution-notre-dame-des-minimes
• Instagraminstagram.com/notre_dame_des_minimes

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Institution Notre Dame des Minimes