UPS - Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques

What UPS - Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques does

UPS — Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques is a French non-profit professional association (association loi 1901) founded in 1927 and headquartered at 3 rue de l'École Polytechnique, Paris. It federates approximately 2,800 teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science working in scientific preparatory classes (CPGE), representing more than 90% of that population and achieving a ~92% membership rate among eligible teachers. Operationally, UPS is supported by a small staff of 12 and an elected bureau led by President Laurent Pater; its mission is professional representation, pedagogical coordination, and advocacy on behalf of scientific CPGE teachers.

Its core outputs are editorial, organizational, and digital. The association publishes the quarterly Bulletin Vert scientific journal (€11/year for four issues) and annual competition bulletins covering Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science (€32 per subject or €47 for the combined Physique+Chimie package), distributed through its secretariat and member intranet. It manages prepas.org, a free student-facing portal hosting orientation content, school listings for the ~200 accessible engineering schools, and a library of past competition problems and solutions used by the ~55,000 students currently enrolled across 1,272 classes nationwide. UPS also coordinates continuing-education stages jointly with ENS institutions and engineering schools (e.g., X-UPS Mathematics Days, X-ENS-UPS Physics Days, CPGE–ENS days, MP2I/MPI evaluation days) and engages in policy advocacy on diversity, gender equity, and teacher career matters.

Commercially, UPS operates on a diversified mix of small recurring and transactional streams: membership dues, Bulletin Vert subscriptions, per-subject competition bulletin sales, and continuing-education event fees. Distribution is direct — its own websites (ups-cpge.fr and prepas.org), establishment-level member correspondents in each CPGE, and the secretariat by phone and email. As a loi 1901 association, UPS is governed by its members, has no parent company or external investors, and does not disclose revenue.

Name

UPS - Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques

Legal name

Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques

Website

https://ups-cpge.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1927

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

UPS is a French non-profit association founded in 1927 that represents approximately 2,800 science teachers in scientific preparatory classes, publishes the Bulletin Vert journal and competition bulletins, and runs the prepas.org portal serving ~55,000 students.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Education Association

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Educational Services (61)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

Incumbent Worker Training & Upskilling (EDAAAOAE)

akta.pro secondary industry

Enrollment Yield, Matriculation & Onboarding Platforms (EDAFAMAG)

Keywords

• Professional teacher association
• Scientific preparatory education
• Pedagogical resources publishing
• Engineering school preparation
• Continuing education coordination

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Teachers join through establishment correspondents or individual applications accepted by the Committee. Discounted rates for new members starting in CPGE.
2. Publication sales: Sale of Bulletin Vert (quarterly scientific review) at 11€ annually (4 issues) or 3.10€ per issue, and competition bulletins (Mathématiques, Physique, Chimie, Informatique) at 32€ per subject per year or 47€ for Physique+Chimie combined. Older issues available at reduced prices.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

UPS is a professional association that represents and serves approximately 2,800 teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science in French scientific preparatory classes (CPGE). Its primary offerings include the prepas.org portal for students, the quarterly Bulletin Vert scientific journal, competition bulletins containing exam problems and solutions, coordination of continuing education programs with engineering schools, and advocacy on behalf of the CPGE system. The association also operates a private member intranet providing access to publications, document databases, and professional development resources.

Product overview

UPS (Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques) is an association of approximately 2,800 science teachers in French preparatory classes. Its core offerings include prepas.org - a comprehensive student-facing portal about scientific preparatory classes with free pedagogical resources, the Bulletin Vert - a quarterly scientific journal, and Competition Bulletins containing exam problems. A private member intranet provides access to publications, document databases, and professional development resources. These products serve to inform students, support teachers' professional practice, and facilitate communication between CPGE teachers and engineering schools.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• prepas.org: Portal for preparatory classes (CPGE) providing information for high school students and CPGE students about scientific and technological preparatory classes, their programs, schools offering them, and engineering schools, along with free pedagogical resources
• Bulletin Vert
• Bulletins de concours

Products and services

• prepas.org Portal A comprehensive portal managed and edited by UPS providing information about scientific and technological preparatory classes (CPGE) for high school and CPGE students. It includes program details, participating high schools, engineering schools, free pedagogical resources (competition problems and solutions), and orientation tools.
• Bulletin Vert (Green Bulletin) A quarterly scientific journal published by UPS covering physics, mathematics, chemistry, computer science, and epistemology topics, featuring interviews with engineering school directors and association news including competition examination reports. Sold by annual subscription at 11€ (4 issues) or per issue at 3.10€.
• Competition Bulletins (Bulletins de concours) Annual bulletins for Mathematics, Physics, Chemistry, and Computer Science containing problem statements and solutions from engineering school entrance exams, management school exams, and teacher recruitment competitions. Sold at 32€ per subject per year or 47€ for Physique+Chimie combined.
• Continuing Education Programs Professional development training organized by engineering schools and ENS institutions, coordinated by CGE in partnership with UPS, offering discipline-specific courses for CPGE teachers including Machine Learning, numerical methods, and other scientific topics.
• UPS Membership Annual membership for teachers of mathematics, physics, chemistry, and computer science in French scientific preparatory classes (CPGE), available through establishment correspondents or individual application. Includes access to member intranet, mailing lists, document exchange, continuing education resources, and association publications.

Quantifiable outcome

• More than 4,000 additional students enrolled in CPGE between 2022 and 2024 (10% increase)
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers5 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Conférence des Grandes Écoles (CGE)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPS is a member of CGE and participates in its activities, contributing to the coordination between CPGE and engineering schools.
• Conférence des Directeurs d'Écoles Françaises d'Ingénieurs (CDEFI)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPS participates in CDEFI's work, contributing to the dialogue between CPGE teachers and engineering school directors.
• Association des Professeurs de Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Écoles (APHEC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner association for economics and commerce preparatory class teachers. UPS collaborates on shared concerns for CPGE.
• Association des Professeurs de Physique de Classes Préparatoires (APPLSnée APPLS)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of physics teachers in preparatory classes. Collaborates with UPS on physics-related educational matters.
• Union des Professeurs de Physique et de Chimie (UdPPC)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of physics and chemistry teachers. Partners with UPS on chemistry education and conferences such as the Colloque 'De la Recherche à l'Enseignement'.
• Association des Professeurs de Mathématiques de l'Enseignement Public (APMEP)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation of mathematics teachers in public education. Collaborates with UPS on mathematics education policy.
• Académie des SciencesmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Academy of Sciences. UPS maintains privileged relations with this learned society.
• Société Chimique de France (SCF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Chemical Society. Partners with UPS on chemistry conferences and competitions including the Colloque 'De la Recherche à l'Enseignement'.
• Société Mathématique de France (SMF)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Mathematical Society. Collaborates with UPS on mathematics education and Olympiads.
• ENS (Écoles Normales Supérieures)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUPS organizes joint events with ENS institutions including Mathematics Days and Physics Days. ENS Lyon, Télécom Paris, and UPS co-organized MP2I/MPI evaluation days.
• Engineering SchoolscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 200 engineering schools accessible through CPGE. Engineering schools provide continuing education for CPGE teachers through CGE-coordinated programs.
• prepas.orgcoreOthersPortal managed and edited by UPS, providing information about scientific and technological preparatory classes, engineering schools, and free pedagogical resources.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Emerging players

• L'Étudiant: Major French student information and orientation media group with salons, school listings, and educational resources. Comparable in serving the same student/parent orientation need for engineering schools and CPGE programs; listed as a UPS media partner.
• Studyrama: French student information platform and event organizer covering higher education choices including CPGE and engineering schools. Comparable orientation-focused offering reaching the same student audience as prepas.org; listed as a UPS media partner.
• Thotis: Emerging French student media platform providing higher education orientation content including CPGE and engineering school guidance. Comparable in serving the student orientation niche alongside prepas.org; listed as a UPS media partner.

Direct peers

• APPLS - Association des Professeurs de Physique de Classes Préparatoires: Specialized physics teacher association within the CPGE ecosystem. Directly comparable as a discipline-specific teacher association serving CPGE physics teachers with publications, events, and professional representation; UPS itself cites APPLS as a partner.
• APHEC - Association des Professeurs de Classes Préparatoires aux Grandes Écoles: French professional association for teachers in economics and commerce preparatory classes, structurally identical to UPS but covering a different CPGE track. Directly comparable in mission, membership model, publications, and partnership-based representation of CPGE faculty.
• UdPPC - Union des Professeurs de Physique et de Chimie: French professional association of physics and chemistry teachers active in secondary and post-secondary education. Comparable in membership-driven representation, scientific publications, and continuing education for science teachers; UPS collaborates with UdPPC on chemistry conferences.

Broad incumbents

• APMEP - Association des Professeurs de Mathématiques de l'Enseignement Public: Larger and broader mathematics teacher association covering the full French public education system, not only CPGE. Comparable as a teacher membership body with publications, events, and policy advocacy; UPS cites APMEP as a partner on mathematics education matters.

Others

• Société Chimique de France (SCF): French learned society for chemistry. Adjacent peer covering chemistry education, conferences, and competitions; UPS partners with SCF on chemistry conferences including the Colloque "De la Recherche à l'Enseignement."
• Académie des Sciences: Prestigious French learned society covering all scientific disciplines. Adjacent peer in the French scientific ecosystem; UPS maintains "privileged relations" with the Académie as a partner institution.
• Société Mathématique de France (SMF): Learned society promoting mathematics in France, including Olympiads and academic publishing. Adjacent peer in the broader mathematics ecosystem; UPS collaborates with SMF on mathematics education and Olympiads.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/union-des-professeurs-de-classes-pr%C3%A9paratoires-scientifques

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 UPS - Union des Professeurs de classes préparatoires Scientifiques