Collège Saint-Barthélemy, Liège

What Collège Saint-Barthélemy, Liège does

Collège Saint-Barthélemy is a Catholic secondary school located in the historic district of Liège, Belgium, operating under a Pouvoir Organisateur structured as an ASBL (non-profit) and serving approximately 1,570 students across its main Collège (1,120 students) and DOA / Direction de l'Enseignement Secondaire (450 students) divisions. Founded circa 1890 by the Brothers of Christian Schools and renamed Collège épiscopal in 1919, the institution delivers general secondary education from 1st through 6th year, organized into three distinct levels (Niveau 1-2, 3-4, 5-6) each with its own facilities, and supplemented by a preparatory 7th year for university transition.

The school's product portfolio is built on a core academic curriculum plus several specialized add-on programs: Septièmes Préparatoires in Math and Sciences streams (21h/week math and 5h/week sciences for Math; 11h/week math and 18h/week sciences for Sciences), Cambridge English B2 First preparation as an official exam center, medical and dental school entrance exam preparation (EXMD), Math+ and Sciences+ supplementary courses, remediation and peer tutoring, and a student well-being cell (La Bulle). Underlying technology consists of the third-party Smartschool learning management platform for messaging, grade reporting, attendance, and parent communication, plus a school-wide 1:1 Chromebook program with managed profiles and Google Family Link parental controls. There are no proprietary AI/ML systems; technology is standard EdTech infrastructure rather than differentiated IP.

Revenue is generated primarily through Belgian French Community government subsidies per enrolled pupil, supplemented by registration and ancillary fees (e.g., €182 for Septièmes registration covering registration rights, photocopies, and a solidarity contribution), book lending and materials fees, and Cambridge exam-related income. Distribution is exclusively direct-to-consumer via on-site enrollment at the secretarial office during government-defined registration windows (typically February–March), with marketing conducted through the school's website, Smartschool, alumni Facebook groups, and open-day events. The institution is governed by Director Damien Ledain, DOA Director Ugo Ceccato, and Deputy Director Benoît Fouarge, under a Pouvoir Organisateur of 7–8 co-opted civil-society members, with no parent company or external equity ownership identified.

Name

Collège Saint-Barthélemy, Liège

Legal name

Collège Saint-Barthélemy

Website

https://saintbar.be

Company type

Private

Founded year

1890

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Collège Saint-Barthélemy is a Catholic non-profit secondary school in Liège, Belgium, serving approximately 1,570 students across general secondary education (1st–6th year) and a university-preparatory 7th year, with specialized STEM, Cambridge English, and medical entrance exam programs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Secondary Education

NAICS

Elementary and Secondary Schools (6111)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Charter College-Prep & Advanced Academics Schools (EDAJACAJ)

Keywords

• Secondary education
• Catholic schooling
• Higher education preparation
• Digital learning platform
• Student support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Liège

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. 7th Year Registration Fees: Annual registration fees for preparatory 7th year programs covering registration rights, photocopies, and solidarity contributions
2. Educational Services and Materials: Book lending service and procurement system for all years, with photocopies and exercise booklets included in annual fees

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Collège Saint-Barthélemy is a Catholic secondary school in Liège, Belgium, providing general secondary education from 1st to 6th year plus a 7th preparatory year for higher education. The institution operates two divisions (Collège Saint-Barthélemy and DOA) with approximately 1,570 students and 150 staff, offering specialized programs including Cambridge English preparation, medical/dental entrance exam preparation, remedial support, and a 1:1 Chromebook program managed through the Smartschool digital platform.

Product overview

Collège Saint-Barthélemy is a Catholic secondary school offering general secondary education from 1st to 6th year, with approximately 1,570 students and 150 staff members. The institution operates two divisions: the main Collège (approximately 1,120 students) and DOA (approximately 450 students). The core educational offering is complemented by a digital learning platform (Smartschool) and specialized preparatory programs including Septièmes Préparatoires for Math and Sciences streams, Cambridge English B2 First preparation, and medical/dental entrance exam preparation. Additional pedagogical services include Chromebook 1:1 program, remediation and peer tutoring, well-being support (La Bulle), and sustainable development education (Agenda 21).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Smartschool Digital Platform Learning management and communication platform providing messaging, document sharing, grade tracking, attendance management, course materials, and news updates for students and parents at Collège Saint-Barthélemy.
• Septièmes Préparatoires (Math and Sciences) Pre-university preparatory year programs in Math and Sciences streams for students seeking to strengthen their academic foundation before entering higher education.
• Cambridge English B2 First Preparation Official Cambridge English B2 First exam preparation program recognized as an official exam center, offered to 6th and 7th year students.
• Concours Médecine/Dentisterie Preparation Free preparation program for the medical and dental school entrance exam (EXMD), including mathematics modules, mock exams covering all 8 subjects, and reflection groups.
• Chromebook 1:1 Program 1:1 device program providing Chromebooks to all students for daily use at school and home, with school-time restricted profiles and optional private profiles supervised by parents via Google Family Link.
• La Bulle - Cellule de bien-être Well-being support cell providing bullying prevention, conflict mediation, group cohesion activities, and intervention teams for students, staffed by 20 trained volunteer teachers and educators.
• Math+ and Sciences+ Supplementary Courses Optional supplementary courses for scientific track students: Sciences+ (1h/week) reinforces chemistry and physics; Math+ offers 2h/week in 5th and 6th year including engineering entrance exam preparation.
• Ecole Durable - Agenda 21 Sustainable Development Program Sustainable development education program engaging students across ecological, social, philosophical, economic, and health dimensions, with eco-committee of teachers and student eco-delegates achieving 'two planets' certification.
• Remédiation et Tutorat (Remediation and Tutoring) Academic support services including individualized remediation modules for all three degrees and peer tutoring program pairing 1st-year students with older students.

Quantifiable outcome

• Labeled 'two planets' for sustainable development initiatives under Agenda 21 framework

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration3 records

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• C.O.R.E.N. (Coordinateur Regional de l'Enseignement Numerique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe college signed a commitment charter with C.O.R.E.N. to implement a three-year action plan for sustainable development under the Agenda 21 framework, with ongoing continuation
• Université de Paix de NamurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerStaff training provider for the 'La Bulle' student well-being cell; approximately 20 teachers and educators participated in training to create and manage the harassment prevention and well-being support team
• ULiège (Université de Liège)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for student preparation: college students participate in ULiège-organized competitions 'Faites le pont' and 'Ça plane pour toi' for engineering exam preparation; also hosts student encounter days with university students and professionals
• Cambridge English Language AssessmentcoreTechnology or IntegrationThe college is an official preparation center for Cambridge English Qualifications, specifically offering B2 First exam preparation to 6th and 7th year students
• Amnesty InternationalminorOthersActive Amnesty student group operating for over 20 years, organizing candle sales and petition campaigns for human rights; successful case including liberation of Atena Daemi after five years of imprisonment
• Oxfam BelgiumminorOthersPartnership for food and clothing collection; college hosts Oxfam shop; organizes 'Made in Dignity' Christmas lunches with local products
• École Royale Militaire (Belgian Royal Military Academy)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollege prepares students for military academy entrance exams in both engineering and social/military sciences sections

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Athénée Royal de Liège: Large public secondary school network in central Liège (Athénée Royal de Liège, Athénée Royal de l'Air Pur, Athénée Royal Charles Rogier). Public-sector counterpart competing for the same secondary cohort, including the transition from primary to secondary.
• Collège Saint-Servais: Jesuit Catholic secondary school in Liège offering the 1st-6th year secondary programs and preparatory tracks. Most direct geographic, religious, and curricular comparable to Collège Saint-Barthélemy — competing for the same Liège metropolitan Catholic families.

Broad incumbents

• Cognita: International group operating premium private schools across Europe and globally. Provides a benchmark for how a multi-site Catholic/heritage-rooted premium school operator scales digital, well-being, and premium add-on programs at portfolio level.
• GEMS Education: Large global K-12 operator with a premium school portfolio. Provides a reference point for how a faith-rooted or premium-positioned school chain monetizes university-prep tracks (Cambridge, IB, national exams) at scale.
• Institut Saint-Louis (Brussels): Catholic secondary school in Brussels offering general secondary education with strong university-prep orientation. Operates in the same French Community subsidized Catholic network (SeGEC) as Saint-Barthélemy, with comparable structural and regulatory profile.
• Collège Saint-Michel (Brussels): Jesuit Catholic secondary school in Brussels with a long history and wide academic offering. Operates as a larger Catholic incumbent in the same SeGEC network with a comparable curriculum and a similar university-prep institutional identity.
• Nord Anglia Education: Global premium K-12 operator with strong digital and well-being programs (in partnership with MIT and UNICEF). Useful peer for benchmarking the digital + premium-program revenue model that Saint-Bar is independently building.
• Sint-Jan Berchmanscollege: Jesuit Catholic secondary school in Belgium with a comparable emphasis on academic rigor and university preparation. Belongs to the same Jesuit/Catholic tradition and competes within the broader Belgian Catholic secondary market.

Regional players

• Athénée Royal de Namur: Public secondary school in Namur offering the same general secondary tracks and serving a similar demographic as Saint-Bar in neighboring Liège. Comparable in structure and curriculum, but operates in a different Walloon city.

Others

• Educatis (Réseau Libre): Umbrella network for Catholic-subsidized schools in Wallonia-Brussels Federation. Comparable as an enabling/ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor; coordinates policy, pedagogy, and shared services for schools in the same SeGEC network as Saint-Barthélemy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/260131968032867
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saint-barthelemy-liege

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 Collège Saint-Barthélemy, Liège