SEPR

What SEPR does

SEPR (Société d'Enseignement Professionnel du Rhône) is a French non-profit vocational training association founded in 1864 in Lyon by François Barthélémy Arles-Dufour and recognized as a public utility since 1878. The organization operates Centres de Formation d'Apprentis (CFA) in Lyon and Annonay, a professional high school (Lycée des Métiers d'Art et de l'Image), and a continuing education division, delivering over 100 training programs from CAP to BAC+5 across 60+ trades organized into six poles of excellence: technical trades and IT, visual communication, business and sales, arts and creation, beauty/health/social, and food/hospitality. It serves approximately 4,400 learners annually (2023) with a staff of about 450 across 46,000+ m² of workshops and training laboratories.

The core technology platform is the Colibri digital learning environment for resource sharing and interactive learning activities, supplemented by Microsoft Forms for admissions data collection, the NetYParéo job board for apprenticeship candidates, and a CFA Extranet portal for employer contract administration. SEPR runs an international department coordinating Erasmus+ VET mobility with 100+ partner schools across Europe, Asia, Africa, and the Americas.

SEPR's revenue model combines government and OPCO (Opérateurs de Compétences) funded apprenticeship contracts, professionalization contracts for employees and job seekers, customized corporate training, space rental of specialized workshops and event venues, and the taxe d'apprentissage (apprenticeship tax) income, supplemented by donations to the Fonds Horizon SEPR endowment fund. For 2025, SEPR offers a simplified flat-rate remainder of €300 per apprentice per year to enterprises (€200 if hiring two simultaneously), reducing administrative friction in the apprenticeship financing stack. The go-to-market is sales-led for enterprises, supported by partnership channels with OPCOs, Région Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, CPME, MEDEF, CMA, and CCI, and reinforced by the La Toile SEPR alumni network for ongoing engagement.

Name

SEPR

Legal name

Société d'Enseignement Professionnel du Rhône

Website

https://sepr-groupe.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1864

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

251–500 employees

Short description

SEPR is a French non-profit vocational training association founded in 1864 in Lyon, operating CFAs, a professional high school, and continuing education across 60+ trades from CAP to BAC+5, serving approximately 4,400 learners and hundreds of enterprises annually in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Vocational Training Services

NAICS

Technical and Trade Schools (6115), Apprenticeship Training (611513)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction, Engineering & Skilled Trades Licensure Prep (EDAAANAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Bar & Beverage (Bartending/Mixology/Coffee/Tea) (EDAOAKAH), Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH), EMS Training & Competency Development (EUAHAIAH)

Keywords

• Vocational training services
• Apprenticeship programs
• Corporate training solutions
• Continuing professional education
• Professional certification training

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Apprenticeship Training (Formation par Apprentissage): Government-funded and OPCO-supported training where enterprises pay only the remainder after OPCO coverage. For 2025, SEPR offers a simplified model with a flat remainder of €300 per year per apprentice.
2. Professionalization Contracts (Contrats de Professionnalisation): Training contracts for job seekers and employees where companies bear the remaining costs after OPCO coverage. Processing time is 8-10 days for contract establishment.
3. Customized Business Training (Formation Sur-Mesure): Tailored training programs for enterprises covering technical, managerial, or cross-functional competencies. OPCO and France Travail financing support available.
4. Space Rental: Rental of training spaces including meeting rooms, specialized workshops (jewelry, aesthetics, hairdressing, fashion, pastry, cheese-making), conference halls, and event spaces at Lyon and Annonay campuses.
5. Taxe d'Apprentissage (Apprenticeship Tax): Companies can allocate their apprenticeship tax balance to support SEPR's Lycée des Métiers d'Art et de l'Image, funding equipment purchases and new training development.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

SEPR is a non-profit vocational training organization offering professional education from CAP to BAC+5 across 60+ trades and 100+ training programs. It delivers apprenticeship training, professionalization contracts, customized corporate training, international mobility via Erasmus+, and continuing education through its CFA centers in Lyon and Annonay, with nearly 4,400 learners enrolled annually.

Product overview

SEPR (Société d'Enseignement Professionnel du Rhône) is a professional training organization operating as a platform of interconnected educational services. The core offerings include SEPR École des métiers for learner training, Formations entreprises for corporate training solutions, and CFA SEPR (Centres de Formation d'Apprentis) in Lyon and Annonay. The ecosystem encompasses apprenticeship recruitment services (Recrutement alternance), professionalization contracts, SEPR International for Erasmus+ mobility, La Toile SEPR alumni network, and the Fonds Horizon SEPR endowment fund supporting learners. Space rental services and international recruitment programs round out the portfolio. The organization offers over 100 training programs from CAP to BAC+5 across 60+ trades.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• SEPR École des métiers (Vocational Training Programs)
• Formations entreprises (Corporate Training Solutions)
• Recrutement alternance (Apprenticeship Recruitment)

Quantifiable outcome

• Nearly 4,400 learners enrolled (2023)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers4 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

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Fonds Horizon SEPRcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015Endowment fund supporting learners through scholarships, innovative projects, international cooperation, campus development, and cultural initiatives. Financed by donors and corporate sponsors.
• Région Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerKey institutional partner supporting SEPR's mission to promote training excellence and youth employment in the region. Region provides funding and strategic alignment for training programs.
• CPME Auvergne-Rhône-AlpescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBusiness association representing SMEs, collaborating on apprenticeship promotion and workforce development initiatives.
• MEDEF Lyon-RhônecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMajor employers' federation partnership for promoting vocational training and apprenticeship opportunities.
• Chambre de Métiers et de l'Artisanat (CMA) Lyon-RhônecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChamber of Trades partnership for artisan training and apprenticeship placement in crafts sector.
• Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) Lyon MétropolecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChamber of Commerce partnership for business training and commercial sector development.
• La Toile SEPR (Alumni Association)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlumni network created in 2014 connecting former students, providing job opportunities, networking events, and mentorship for current learners.
• ENSEIS (École Nationale des Solidarités)majorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPartnership for social work education and training; SEPR supports enrollment and contract management for social sector trainees.
• AFPAmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic employment and training service; collaboration on national training initiatives and workforce development programs.
• International Partner Schools (100+ institutions)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with vocational schools across Europe (Finland, France, Spain, Italy, Portugal, Estonia, Belgium, Netherlands, Slovenia), Asia (Turkey, Thailand), Africa (Ivory Coast, Burkina Faso), and Americas (Canada, Albania). Enables student and staff mobility, joint projects, and cultural exchange.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves10 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• GRETA: Network of public secondary-education continuing training organizations providing vocational and professional development programs for adults. GRETA operates as a direct peer to SEPR's continuing education and corporate training streams, sharing OPCO/France Travail funding channels and enterprise customers.
• CMA Formation: Chamber of Trades training network providing apprenticeship and continuing education in crafts trades. SEPR's longstanding partnership with CMA Lyon-Rhône places CMA Formation as a direct peer in artisan-sector apprenticeship, especially for jewelry, pastry, hairdressing and beauty trades.
• CCI Campus (CCI Formation): Chamber of Commerce training arm offering alternance and professional training across France. SEPR already partners with CCI Lyon Métropole, making CCI Campus a direct comparator in commercial-sector apprenticeship recruitment and corporate training.
• AFPA: France's national public employment and vocational training agency offering apprenticeship, professionalization and continuing education across all trades. AFPA is the most direct scale competitor to SEPR in French vocational training, with overlapping customer base (enterprises, job seekers) and similar OPCO funding model.
• Pôle Formation UIMM: Federation-driven training network for industrial trades (UIMM / metallurgy). Comparable to SEPR's technical and IT pole, sharing enterprise apprentice recruitment, OPCO funding and the same employer customers in manufacturing.
• AFTRAL: Leading French training provider specialized in transport, logistics and supply-chain trades. Comparable to SEPR as a sector-specific CFA with similar apprenticeship model, OPCO dependency and enterprise placement focus, though narrower in scope.

Broad incumbents

• ManpowerGroup France: Global workforce solutions provider with significant training and apprenticeship/talent development operations in France. Comparable as an enterprise-facing intermediary that competes for the same alternance placements and corporate upskilling budgets, though broader in scope.
• CNAM (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers): National public institution providing continuing professional education across all trades from technician to engineer level. Comparable to SEPR's continuing education streams and corporate training mission, with broader geographic reach and degree-granting authority.

Regional players

• Doranco: Paris-region digital and web training organization offering alternance programs in IT, design and digital marketing. Comparable to SEPR's visual communication and IT pole, with similar apprenticeship financing model but distinct Île-de-France geography.

Emerging players

• ISCOD: Alternance-focused digital training school specializing in marketing, IT, design and business. Comparable to SEPR's corporate training and apprenticeship offerings for digital trades, with a more digital-native delivery model and emerging brand.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/school/sepr

Compliance12 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Subsidiaries3 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 SEPR