SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency)

What SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency) does

SAIA, n. o. (Slovenská akademická informačná agentúra) is a Slovak non-governmental non-profit organization founded in 1990, headquartered in Bratislava with regional offices in Banská Bystrica, Košice, Nitra, and Žilina. The organization operates as the officially mandated national administrator of academic mobility and scholarship programmes for Slovakia, including the National Scholarship Programme, the Aktion Austria-Slovakia bilateral programme, CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies, 16 member countries), and EURAXESS Slovakia (part of a European network of approximately 600 service centres across 42 countries). It also administers a portfolio of bilateral scholarship agreements with 50+ governments and smaller programmes such as the Swiss-Slovak Sciex-NMSch fund and the EEA/Norwegian Financial Mechanism scholarships.

The organization's core technology consists of a web-based grants and scholarships database (granty.saia.sk) with online application management, supplemented by dedicated sub-portals for studying and researching in Slovakia (studyinslovakia.saia.sk, researchinslovakia.saia.sk, ceepus.saia.sk, euraxess.sk) and a monthly Bulletin SAIA newsletter. Services are delivered free of charge to end beneficiaries (students, PhD candidates, researchers, and teachers) through in-person advisory at five offices, telephone, and online consultations (MS Teams, Skype). The scholarship database and publication library (International Student's Guide, Researcher's Guide, country guides, taxation guides) constitute SAIA's primary intangible knowledge assets.

SAIA's business model is funded through public procurement contracts with the Slovak Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth, supplemented by European Commission funding (EURAXESS), EEA/Norwegian Financial Mechanism grants, and the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme. The organization has an annual operating budget of approximately €2 million covering scholarships, projects, and operational expenditure. SAIA does not charge end users (it is not a VAT payer), and generates no commercial revenue in the traditional sense — its funding flows directly from programme administration mandates. The organization employs approximately 11–21 staff and operates with an Executive Committee led by Executive Director Michal Fedák and Deputy Director Karla Zimanová.

Name

SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency)

Legal name

SAIA, n. o. (Slovenská akademická informačná agentúra)

Website

https://saia.sk

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

SAIA, n. o. is a Slovak non-profit organization founded in 1990 that administers national and international academic mobility and scholarship programmes on behalf of the Slovak Ministry of Education, serving students, researchers, and teachers across Slovakia through five regional offices and a multilingual web portal ecosystem.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Bratislava

HQ country

Slovakia

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Program Administration Services to Public Authorities: SAIA delivers services as a contractor to public procuring authorities (primarily the Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak Republic) for the administration of scholarship and mobility programs. The organization implements programs and projects financed from sources of public contracting authorities in accordance with Slovak public procurement law.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SAIA, n. o. is a non-governmental non-profit organization that administers national and international scholarship and academic mobility programs for Slovakia. It provides free advisory services on study, research, and teaching opportunities abroad and in Slovakia, manages intergovernmental scholarship programs (Action Austria-Slovakia, CEEPUS, Bilateral agreements, National Scholarship Programme, EURAXESS Slovakia, BPDFS), and maintains a comprehensive web portal ecosystem including a searchable scholarships and grants database.

Product overview

SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency) is a non-governmental non-profit organization that operates as a comprehensive academic mobility and internationalization service. The organization's portfolio consists of multiple interconnected programmes and digital platforms: the core Academic Mobility Programme and National Scholarship Programme provide scholarship-based mobility services; the Austria-Slovakia Action and CEEPUS programmes offer bilateral and regional exchange opportunities; EURAXESS Slovensko delivers researcher support services through the European service center network; and the Scholarships and Grants Database serves as a searchable portal for finding opportunities. These programmes are complemented by the Study in Slovakia and Research in Slovakia web portals and various publications including the Bulletin SAIA monthly newsletter and country-specific guides. The organization does not offer a unified SaaS platform but rather provides programme administration services, information portals, and publications for students, researchers, and academic institutions seeking international mobility support.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Academic Mobility Programme (Akademické mobility) Advisory service for study and research abroad, providing scholarship stays based on international bilateral agreements and foreign government offers for students, PhD candidates, university teachers, and researchers.
• National Scholarship Programme of the Slovak Republic (Národný štipendijný program SR) Scholarship programme for students, PhD students, and postdoctoral researchers from Slovak higher education institutions and research organizations, as well as foreign applicants for study and research stays in Slovakia.
• Action Austria – Slovakia (Akcia Rakúsko – Slovensko) Bilateral programme supporting cooperation between Austria and Slovakia in higher education, science, and research, offering scholarships and project cooperation opportunities.
• CEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies) Central European exchange programme for university studies supporting academic mobility across Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe, administered through national offices including SAIA's National CEEPUS Office for Slovakia.
• EURAXESS Slovakia Service centre for researchers and research organizations, part of a European network of approximately 600 service centres in 42 countries, providing support for researcher mobility and career development.
• BPDFS – Scholarship for French Language Lecturers (Štipendium pre francúzskych lektorov) Scholarship programme for French language lecturers and non-language subject teachers coming to teach at Slovak secondary and higher education institutions.
• Scholarships and Grants Database (Databáza štipendií a grantov) Online searchable database of scholarship and grant offers administered by SAIA and other organizations, enabling filtering by support category, target group, country, and field of study.
• Study in Slovakia Portal Web portal providing comprehensive information about studying in Slovakia including list of higher education institutions, study programmes, admissions, tuition fees, and scholarships for international students.
• Research in Slovakia Portal Web portal providing general information about research in Slovakia including list of research institutions, visa and entry conditions, daily life information, and funding opportunities.

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Ministry of Education, Research, Development and Youth of the Slovak RepubliccoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIA was established at the Ministry of Education in the 1990s and has been officially mandated to administer several national programs, including the National Scholarship Programme (since 2011, following public procurement), since 1993 to administer Aktion Austria-Slovakia and CEEPUS, and since 2004 to participate in EURAXESS. The Ministry is the primary public procurement authority and funder of SAIA's program administration activities.
• EURAXESS (European Commission)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2004, SAIA has been part of the EURAXESS European network of approximately 600 service centres in 42 countries, providing services for researcher mobility and career development. SAIA administers EURAXESS Slovakia as a service centre for researchers and research organizations, funded by the European Commission and the Slovak Ministry of Education.
• CEEPUS Member Countries (Albania, Austria, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Hungary, North Macedonia, Moldova, Montenegro, Poland, Romania, Serbia, Slovakia, Slovenia, Kosovo)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEEPUS (Central European Exchange Programme for University Studies) is a multilateral program supporting academic mobility in Central, Eastern, and Southeast Europe. SAIA serves as the National CEEPUS Office (NCO) for Slovakia, responsible for program administration, scholarship payments, and network coordination. Mobility takes place primarily through networks of cooperating higher education institutions.
• Intergovernmental Bilateral Agreement Partners (Belarus, Bulgaria, China, Egypt, France, Greece, Croatia, India, Israel, Japan, Kazakhstan, Korea, Hungary, Moldova, Poland, Romania, Russia, Slovenia, North Macedonia, Serbia, Switzerland, Taiwan, Ukraine, Germany, USA, UK, Australia, Belgium, Ireland, Canada, New Zealand, Uzbekistan, Estonia, Indonesia, Jordan, South Africa, Lithuania, Latvia, Malaysia, Turkey, Vietnam, Thailand, Albania, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Cyprus, Montenegro, Denmark, Finland, Netherlands, Iceland, Luxembourg, Malta, Norway, Sweden, and others)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIA administers bilateral scholarship agreements with numerous countries based on intergovernmental treaties. The Academic Mobility program covers bilateral scholarship stays for Slovak students and foreign students based on international bilateral agreements and foreign government offers. Countries are served through dedicated regional office contacts.
• European Cooperation in Science and Technology (COST)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIA serves as an intermediary for COST (European Cooperation in Science and Technology) program information and application support. COST funds interdisciplinary research networks (COST Actions) and provides financial support for joint activities such as conferences, short-term scientific exchanges, and publications. The national coordinator for Slovakia is Andrea Dankova at the Ministry of Education.
• Interreg VA SK-AT (CARLiS Project)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIA participated in the CARLiS (Careers in Life Sciences) project under the Interreg VA Slovakia-Austria program. The project focused on developing capacities and programs for PhD students in life sciences for better labour market integration. NFP305010ABB8, Contract No. Z SKATV608, Call Code: INTERREG V-A SK-AT/2016/01.
• Norwegian Financial Mechanism and EEA Financial Mechanism (EHP Programs)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIA managed the 'Fond NIL' program for cooperation in education supported by the EEA and Norwegian Financial Mechanisms from 2007 to April 2011, and subsequently the follow-on 'EHP Scholarship Programme Slovakia' from 2014, supporting cooperation between Slovak and Norwegian/Icelandic/Liechtenstein institutions.
• Swiss-Slovak Scholarship Fund (Sciex-NMSch)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeginning in 2010, SAIA served as the coordination unit for the Sciex-NMSch (Swiss-Slovak Scholarship Fund), a program supported through the Swiss-Slovak Cooperation Programme in the enlarged European Union, facilitating researcher and student exchanges between Switzerland and Slovakia.
• Studia Academica Slovaca (Comenius University Bratislava)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAIA collaborates with the Studia Academica Slovaca summer school organized by the Faculty of Philosophy of Comenius University in Bratislava, facilitating international participation in the annual 3-week intensive Slovak language and culture course offered to university students, PhD students, researchers, and teachers.

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saia-n-o

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about SAIA, n. o. (Slovak Academic Information Agency)