SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM is a Swiss association that consults, trains, and certifies organizations on business excellence via the EFQM Model, its proprietary Digital Excellence and Swiss Ethics frameworks, paid seminars, executive coaching, employee surveys, and a 200+ member network.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersSursee, Switzerland
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM does
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM is a private association headquartered in Sursee, Canton of Lucerne, Switzerland, operating as a competence center for impact- and future-oriented business management since its founding in 1999/2000. It serves Swiss CEOs, executives, middle managers, and board members, plus member organizations ranging from startups to large enterprises across healthcare, manufacturing, hospitality, public sector, and education. Its portfolio spans company analyses, organizational development, business excellence consulting based on the EFQM Model, and business ethics assessment via its proprietary Swiss Ethics Model, supported by employee and customer surveys, executive coaching, and a tiered membership program.
The organization's core intellectual property consists of proprietary frameworks — the Digital Excellence Model, the Swiss Ethics Model, RADAR assessment logic, and the Excellence-Toolbox — which structure its consulting, seminar, and in-house training offerings. It runs multi-day paid seminars (Executive Excellence at CHF 9,900, Operational Excellence at CHF 5,600, Board Member Training at CHF 2,500), public webinars on AI and EFQM updates, executive retreats such as 'Boxenstopp im Tessin', and the annual Swiss Ethics Award ceremony at KKL Luzern. Distribution is delivered through direct in-house workshops, open-enrollment seminars at CAMPUS SURSEE, an online webinar channel, and a recurring Excellence-Talks event series.
Revenue is generated from five streams: paid training seminars (professional services), tiered annual membership subscriptions (CHF 60–2,500+), customized corporate consulting and in-house workshops, Swiss Ethics Award corporate sponsorships (CHF 300–20,000), and EFQM Model publication sales (CHF 45–65). The go-to-market is a hybrid of sales-led, community-led, and event-driven motions, anchored by strategic partnerships with EFQM, the UN Global Compact Network Switzerland, SAQ, STV, and Küche Schweiz, plus a network of 30+ industry experts and over 200 member organizations.
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM
- Legal name
- SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM
- Website
- https://swiss-excellence-forum.ch
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM is a Swiss association that consults, trains, and certifies organizations on business excellence via the EFQM Model, its proprietary Digital Excellence and Swiss Ethics frameworks, paid seminars, executive coaching, employee surveys, and a 200+ member network.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Business Excellence Consulting
- NAICS
- Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (54)
- SIC
- Services-Management Consulting Services (8742), Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations (EDADACAJ)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks (BPADAKAL), Accreditation Coordination, Recognition & Meta-Accreditation Bodies (EDADACAH), Functional Summits (HR, Finance, IT, Marketing, Procurement, Legal) (THAHAMAJ)
Keywords
Where SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Sursee
- HQ country
- Switzerland
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Operations, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Training Seminars: Revenue from conducting seminars including Executive Excellence, Operational Excellence, AI webinars, and EFQM update sessions. Pricing varies from CHF 400 to CHF 9,900 depending on program length and content.
- Membership Fees: Annual membership fees ranging from CHF 60 (students) to CHF 2,500 (large organizations) with tiered pricing based on company size. Provides access to network, tools, and member discounts.
- Corporate Consulting: Customized inhouse trainings and workshops, business coaching, and organizational development services tailored to client needs.
- Swiss Ethics Award Sponsorships: Revenue from corporate sponsorships of the Swiss Ethics Award program, with tiers from CHF 300 (patrons) to CHF 20,000 (Premium Partners).
- EFQM Model Publications: Sale of EFQM Model publications and brochures (CHF 45-65) to members and non-members.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Executive Excellence Seminar - 9 days |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Operational Excellence Seminar - 7 days |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | AI Webinar - 4 modules of 2.5 hours each |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | EFQM Update Webinar |
| One time/ perpetual license | Multi-year contract | Board Member Training - 2 days |
| One time/ perpetual license | Pay-as-you-go | Boxenstopp im Tessin - 2.25 days workshop |
| Subscription | Annual | Individual Membership |
| Subscription | Annual | Organization Membership - tiered by size |
| Subscription | Annual | Swiss Ethics Award Sponsorship Tiers |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels7 records
Marketing channels8 records
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Swiss Excellence Forum is a Swiss competence center that enables, advises, and connects leaders and organizations through consulting, training, and a professional network. The core offering consists of company analyses, organizational development, business excellence consulting based on the EFQM Model, business ethics services anchored in the Swiss Ethics Model, and employee/customer surveys. Training and education are delivered through public seminars, in-house workshops, executive retreats, AI webinars, and a tiered membership program supported by events such as Excellence-Talks and the annual Swiss Ethics Award.
Product overview
Swiss Excellence Forum is a consulting and training organization offering a comprehensive portfolio of services for impact- and future-oriented business management. The core offering includes company analyses, company development, Business Excellence consulting based on the EFQM Model, and Business Ethics with the Swiss Ethics Model. These are supported by employee and customer surveys, coaching services, and membership programs. The academy division provides seminars, inhouse trainings, and specialized programs including the Executive Excellence Seminar (for top management) and Operational Excellence Seminar (for middle management), as well as AI-focused offerings like the KI-Webinar for practical AI application. The Digital Excellence Model and Excellence-Toolbox serve as methodological frameworks and tools. The network organizes Excellence-Talks, awards the annual Swiss Ethics Award, and offers various events. Together, these services form an integrated ecosystem for holistic organizational development from strategic analysis through implementation and continuous improvement.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Swiss Ethics Award: Recognition for outstanding ethical projects in business and organizations that set new ethical standards and create measurable impact for society, environment, and economy.
Products and services
- Unternehmensanalysen (Company Analyses)
Quantifiable outcome
- Organizations achieve measurable improvements in competitive strength, future competency, and transformation capability through systematic application of EFQM and Excellence frameworks.
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM
Customer profileNamed customers10 records
Segments5 records
Ideal customer profiles5 records
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability3 records
Feature4 records
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management)coreOfficial partnership with EFQM, the European body for quality management and business excellence. Enables the Forum to offer EFQM model-based consulting, assessments, and certification support. Positions the Forum as the Swiss representative for Excellence methodology.
- UN Global Compact Network SwitzerlandcorePartnership with the Swiss network of the UN Global Compact, the world's largest corporate sustainability initiative. Supports alignment with UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) and provides credibility for the Forum's ethics and sustainability focus.
- SAQ (Swiss Association for Quality)majorPartnership with SAQ for joint seminar offerings and member discounts. Provides cross-promotion opportunities and access to SAQ's professional network.
- ibw Höhere Fachschule SüdostschweizmajorPartnership with the ibw Higher Technical College for joint educational offerings and expert exchange. Facilitates knowledge transfer and credibility in the education sector.
- Küche Schweiz - Der BranchenverbandmajorPartnership with Küche Schweiz (Swiss Kitchen Association) providing member discounts and joint programs for the hospitality industry.
- STV (Schweizer Tourismus-Verband)majorPartnership with the Swiss Tourism Association providing member discounts and joint programs for the tourism sector.
- CAMPUS SURSEEmajorVenue partnership with CAMPUS SURSEE training center for seminars and events. Provides professional training facilities for Excellence programs.
- Cyclo Consulting GmbHminorPartner organization providing additional consulting services in sustainability and environmental consulting.
- SunHeart Business LeadersminorNetwork partnership with SunHeart Business Leaders for leadership development and member cross-promotion.
- m&q Management und QualitätminorPartnership with m&q for quality management expertise and cross-referrals in the professional services space.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- IMD Business School: Switzerland-based global executive education provider. Competes with the Forum's Executive Excellence Seminar and board-level training for senior Swiss executive mindshare, but with a much broader international footprint and degree-bearing programs.
- Avenir Suisse: Swiss think tank producing policy-oriented research used by executives. Comparable in thought-leadership positioning and Swiss brand authority, but operates from a policy rather than consulting framework.
- SGS SA: Swiss-headquartered global testing, inspection, and certification giant. Comparable in Swiss pedigree and quality-assurance heritage; offers overlapping training/certification services but at vastly greater scale and geographic reach.
- TÜV SÜD Akademie: Global certification body's training arm offering management systems, quality, and leadership courses. Competes for the same corporate training budgets as the Forum, particularly around ISO/quality frameworks that overlap with EFQM.
- University of St. Gallen Executive School: Swiss-German executive education provider competing for the same corporate training budgets as the Forum, particularly on leadership and management development. Operates with academic credibility the Forum does not have.
Direct peers
- EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management): European-level quality and excellence standards body and the Forum's core strategic partner. Both organizations operate in the EFQM ecosystem — EFQM owns the Model, while the Forum delivers it operationally in Switzerland — making them the closest direct comparable.
- Digitalswitzerland: Swiss cross-industry association driving digital transformation. Overlaps directly with the Forum's KI & Digitale Transformation offering and Digital Excellence Model, competing for the same Swiss corporate digital-transformation budgets.
- SAQ (Swiss Association for Quality): Swiss quality association and active channel partner of the Forum (joint seminars, member discounts). Operates in the same Swiss quality/excellence market with overlapping member audiences and similar training and certification offerings.
Others
- KMU Magazin: Swiss SME business magazine and active media partner of the Forum. Operates in the same Swiss SME ecosystem and shares audience but functions as media rather than consulting/training.
Regional players
- BWI (Betriebswirtschaftliches Institut der Industrie): Austrian management training and consulting organization with comparable excellence/quality offerings. Operates in the same DACH quality-management space as the Forum but primarily in Austria rather than Switzerland.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses4 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM social profiles
Digital presenceSWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles8 records
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM
What does SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM do?
Swiss Excellence Forum is a Swiss competence center that enables, advises, and connects leaders and organizations through consulting, training, and a professional network. The core offering consists of company analyses, organizational development, business excellence consulting based on the EFQM Model, business ethics services anchored in the Swiss Ethics Model, and employee/customer surveys. Training and education are delivered through public seminars, in-house workshops, executive retreats, AI webinars, and a tiered membership program supported by events such as Excellence-Talks and the annual Swiss Ethics Award.
Is SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM a public or private company?
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM is a private company. It is classified as founder individual operated bootstrapped and is currently operating.
When was SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM founded?
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM was founded in 2000. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM based?
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM is headquartered in Sursee, Switzerland, in the Europe region.
How does SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM make money?
Five revenue lines are on record. Training Seminars are the primary driver. The others are membership Fees, corporate Consulting, swiss Ethics Award Sponsorships and EFQM Model Publications.
Who are SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are IMD Business School, Avenir Suisse, SGS SA, TÜV SÜD Akademie and University of St. Gallen Executive School. Direct peers are EFQM (European Foundation for Quality Management), Digitalswitzerland and SAQ (Swiss Association for Quality). KMU Magazin is listed as an others. BWI (Betriebswirtschaftliches Institut der Industrie) is listed as a regional player.
Does SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM have an API?
No public API is recorded for SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM.
What industry is SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM in?
SWISS EXCELLENCE FORUM's product category is Business Excellence Consulting. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDADACAJ, Accreditation Standards, Benchmarking & Framework Organizations, with a secondary code of BPADAKAL, Assessment, Certification & Qualifications Frameworks. Its NAICS code is 5416 and its SIC code is 8742.