Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec

What Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec does

The Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec (AICQ) is a Quebec-based non-profit professional association founded in 1991 that convenes IT leaders (Responsables des Ressources Informationnelles, or RERIs) from the province's 48 public CEGEPs and private colleges. The organization operates as a membership-based peer network rather than a technology provider, delivering value through two flagship events per year — a spring colloquium and an autumn general assembly — plus the "Les Souris" presenter awards program and a technical forum. AICQ's core product is not software but a curated knowledge-sharing and governance platform connecting IT decision-makers across Quebec's college system, with formal ties to the Fédération des Cégèps via the Commission des Ressources Informationnelles (CRI). Revenue is generated through tiered annual membership dues ($250-$350 CAD/year depending on college size) and structured sponsorship packages ($1,150-$3,490 per event) sold to technology vendors seeking access to the CEGEP IT buyer base. The association is coordinated by a 6-member elected Board of Directors drawn from member institutions plus 2 administrative staff (Comptabilité and Coordonnateur d'événements), operating virtually without a physical office. Over 35 years, AICQ has built durable institutional recognition, a registered trademark (the 1993 arrow logo), and recurring event participation (250+ attendees at the 2023 cybersecurity colloquium) within a closed, geographically constrained market.

Name

Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec

Legal name

Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec

Website

https://aicq.site

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

AICQ is a Quebec-based non-profit professional association that convenes IT leaders (RERIs) from the province's 48 public CEGEPs and private colleges through an annual spring colloquium, autumn general assembly, and tiered membership program, funded by dues and event sponsorships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Quebec

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: Annual membership fees charged per establishment. Fees are tiered based on college size (Petit, Moyen, Grand). The RERI of each college is the member representative. Membership is open to both public and private CEGEPs in Quebec.
2. Sponsorship Packages: Revenue from partner-sponsors who participate in AICQ's annual colloquia. Sponsorship packages include Logo Visibility (K1: $1,750), Booth Space (K2: $3,490), Conference slots (K3: $1,950 for 45 min, K4: $1,150 for 20 min), and additional participant passes (K5: $380). These sponsor fees fund the association's colloquia and activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

AICQ is a non-profit professional association that unites IT and information resources leaders (RERIs) from Quebec's public and private colleges into a peer community for knowledge sharing. Its core deliverables are an annual spring colloquium and a fall General Assembly, tiered institutional membership subscriptions, technology-vendor sponsorship packages tied to its events, and the 'Les Souris' awards program recognizing top presenters. The association does not sell software or hardware but delivers governance, networking, and professional development services to Quebec's CEGEP network through in-person and virtual events.

Product overview

AICQ (Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec) is a non-profit professional association serving as a central hub for information resources managers across Quebec's public and private colleges. Rather than a unified software platform, AICQ's portfolio consists of event-based services including its annual spring colloquium (Colloque annuel), autumn general assembly, and technical forums that facilitate networking and knowledge sharing among IT professionals. The association also operates a membership program with tiered subscriptions based on college size, and runs the 'Les Souris' awards program recognizing outstanding presentations at its events. The organization serves as a bridge between technology vendors and college IT decision-makers through its sponsor and partner programs.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Institutional Membership Services Annual institutional membership subscriptions for Quebec's public and private CEGEPs, tiered by college enrollment size (Petit, Moyen, Grand). The RERI of each college is the member representative, granting the institution access to AICQ events, networking, and knowledge-sharing resources.
• Annual Spring Colloquium (Colloque annuel) Annual three-day spring colloquium bringing together IT managers, professionals, and technicians from Quebec's public and private colleges for networking, conferences, workshops, vendor exhibitions, and the Les Souris awards ceremony.
• Annual General Assembly (Assemblée générale annuelle) Annual autumn General Assembly reserved for RERIs and their senior management teams, providing governance, strategic direction, board elections, and budget approval for AICQ.
• Les Souris Awards Program Recognition program presented by the AICQ Board of Directors to the three top-rated presenters at each colloquium, awarding Gold, Silver, and Bronze Mouse trophies.
• Technical Forum (Forum technique) Forum for technicians from CEGEPs to discuss technical topics, complementing the manager-focused General Assembly in AICQ's annual programming.
• Vendor Sponsorship Packages (K1–K5) Invitation-only sponsorship packages for technology vendors participating in AICQ's annual colloquia, including logo visibility, booth space, conference slots, short presentations, and additional participant passes.

Quantifiable outcome

• 250+ participants at annual spring colloquium (2023)
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• JACOBB - Centre d'intelligence artificielle appliquéeminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026AI applied research center working with CEGEPs. Pierre Rosin from JACOBB will present at the 2026 colloquium on an AI chatbot serving the registrar's office at Collège Bois-de-Boulogne.
• Fédération des Cégeps - CRI (Commission des Ressources Informationnelles)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Formal institutional partnership established following the implementation of Law 133 on Information Resource Governance and Management (LGGRI) in 2012. The CRI was officially recognized by Fédération des Cégeps in 2016. AICQ's President sits on the CRI governance committee, representing IT leaders from the 48 public CEGEPs. Events are co-organized with aligned programming.
• RISQ (Réseau d'informations scientifiques du Québec)coreTechnology or Integration · 1 January 2010RISQ is the private network for Quebec's educational institutions. RISQ representatives participate in AICQ colloquia and present their services. RISQ+ offers new cloud-based services to CEGEP members. Collaboration on network infrastructure and cybersecurity initiatives including the National Cybersecurity Evaluation funded by CANARIE.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• ADTEQ (Association pour le développement de la technologie de l'éducation au Québec): Quebec-based professional association advancing educational technology. Closely comparable as a regional professional membership body serving technology decision-makers in Quebec's education sector, though focused on K-12 and pedagogical technology rather than college IT.
• CANHEIT (Canadian Association for the Needs of Higher Education IT): National Canadian association for higher education IT professionals, organizing annual conferences. Directly comparable as a membership association convening post-secondary IT decision-makers, though at a national scope rather than a single province.
• CAUCE (Canadian Association of University Chief Information Officers): Canadian association of university CIOs and senior IT leaders. Directly comparable as a Canadian peer-to-peer network for post-secondary IT executives, though serving the university sector rather than the CEGEP college network.
• AQISEP (Association québécoise des informaticiens et informaticiennes scolaires): Quebec professional association for IT staff in school service centers (school boards). Direct analog to AICQ in mission and structure — membership-based association serving IT professionals in Quebec's primary/secondary education network rather than CEGEPs.

Broad incumbents

• EDUCAUSE: Large North American non-profit association serving higher education IT. Highly comparable in mission (networking, professional development, advocacy for IT in higher education), with annual conferences and topical communities; significantly larger scale and US-centric.
• ISACA: Global professional association for IT governance, risk, and cybersecurity professionals. Comparable in that AICQ members frequently engage with ISACA frameworks (COBIT, LGGRI alignment), but ISACA operates at much larger scale with certification programs and global chapters.

Emerging players

• (ISC)²: Global non-profit membership association for cybersecurity professionals. Comparable in providing a peer network and professional development for IT/security practitioners, with growing relevance as AICQ members face increasing cybersecurity mandates from Law 133.

Others

• Fédération des Cégèps du Québec: Quebec federation representing all 48 public CEGEPs. Not a direct peer in membership model, but AICQ's primary institutional partner through the CRI and the channel through which it engages the broader CEGEP network.
• ITAC (Information Technology Association of Canada): National Canadian technology industry association. Comparable as a sector-based membership organization, but focused on the technology vendor and services industry rather than buyer-side IT leadership in education.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/aicqinfo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 Association des Informaticiens des Collèges du Québec