CIOFF® NGO
CIOFF® International is a UNESCO-accredited cultural NGO founded in 1970 that federates 82 National Sections across six geographical sectors to safeguard intangible cultural heritage through 298+ folklore festivals, 500+ folklore groups, and 55,000+ amateur artists worldwide.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1970
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What CIOFF® NGO does
CIOFF® International (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts) is a non-governmental, non-profit organization founded in 1970 in Confolens, France, dedicated to safeguarding, promoting, and disseminating intangible cultural heritage through folklore festivals and international cultural exchange. The organization operates a federated governance model composed of 82 National Sections (one per country) grouped into six geographical sectors (Central and North Europe, South Europe, North America, Asia and Pacific, Latin America, Africa), coordinated by a 17-member Council and an annual General Assembly. Since 1984, CIOFF has held Official Partner status with UNESCO and is accredited to the UNESCO Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage, providing advisory services for the implementation of the 2003 Convention.
CIOFF's core offerings include a tiered festival recognition program (National Festivals, CIOFF® Festivals, and Recognized CIOFF® International Festivals, with the latter requiring a minimum five-day duration and participation from at least five foreign groups with live dance and music), a quadrennial flagship event called the World Folkloriada, an annual World Congress, and a Youth Program for participants aged 15-26. Supporting digital infrastructure includes the Festival Finder and Group Finder (searchable online databases) and the CIOFF® Intranet for member collaboration. Educational sub-products include Playing Together Magazine, the CIOFF® Youth Coloring Book (circulated in 15+ countries), and a Photographic Exhibition of Traditional Musical Instruments covering approximately 30 countries.
The business model is membership-based: organizations, institutions, festivals, groups, and individuals join through their respective National Sections, with membership fees not publicly disclosed. CIOFF reports no commercial revenue, no funding rounds, no parent company, and no M&A activity; it operates on a non-profit membership dues structure supplemented by volunteer labor (500+ active volunteers) and event-driven contributions. Scale indicators include 298+ festivals worldwide, 500+ folklore groups, 55,000+ amateur artists engaged, and an average participant age of 28 years. CIOFF's GTM motion is community-led, operating through National Sections rather than direct commercial outreach.
CIOFF® NGO firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- CIOFF® NGO
- Legal name
- International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts
- Website
- https://cioff.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1970
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- CIOFF® International is a UNESCO-accredited cultural NGO founded in 1970 that federates 82 National Sections across six geographical sectors to safeguard intangible cultural heritage through 298+ folklore festivals, 500+ folklore groups, and 55,000+ amateur artists worldwide.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
CIOFF® NGO industry classification
Industry- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Civic and Social Organizations (813410)
- SIC
- Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Miscellaneous Amusement & Recreation (7990)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks) (MPAGAEAG)
Keywords
Where CIOFF® NGO is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
CIOFF® NGO business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- National Section Membership: CIOFF operates through a membership structure with National Sections representing countries. Organizations, institutions, festivals, groups and individuals that accept the aims and policies of CIOFF have the opportunity to be members of the National Section.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
CIOFF® NGO product offering
Product offeringCore offering
CIOFF® (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts) is a global non-governmental organization that safeguards, promotes, and disseminates traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage. Its core offerings revolve around coordinating a worldwide network of 298+ folklore festivals across 82 countries through National Sections, organizing flagship events such as the World Folkloriada (every four years) and the World Congress (annually), and certifying festivals under the Recognized CIOFF® International Festival tier. Supporting services include digital databases (Festival Finder, Group Finder), a member Intranet, the CIOFF® Youth Program, and educational resources such as Playing Together Magazine and the Youth Coloring Book.
Product overview
CIOFF® International is a global non-governmental organization dedicated to safeguarding, promoting, and disseminating traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage through festivals, cultural exchange, and international cooperation. The organization's core offerings include a network of over 300 folklore festivals worldwide, the World Folkloriada (flagship event held every four years), annual World Congress gatherings, and the CIOFF® Youth Program for young people aged 15-26. Supporting these are digital platforms: Festival Finder and Group Finder (searchable databases for exploring festivals and folklore groups), and the CIOFF® Intranet (exclusive member platform). The organization also produces educational resources including the Playing Together Magazine, Youth Coloring Book, and Photographic Exhibition of Traditional Musical Instruments. Festival services are tiered into National Festivals, CIOFF® Festivals, and Recognized CIOFF® International Festivals based on international participation and quality standards.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Quantifiable outcome
- 55,000+ amateur artists engaged annually
- +2 more outcomes
Companies that use CIOFF® NGO
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments3 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
CIOFF® NGO technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
CIOFF® NGO partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
One partnership is on record.
- UNESCOcoreCIOFF is an Official Partner of UNESCO and is accredited to the UNESCO Committee for the Safeguarding of Intangible Cultural Heritage. This partnership strengthens its role in protecting and promoting cultural traditions globally. CIOFF participates in UNESCO General Assemblies and provides advisory services to the Intergovernmental Committee for the implementation of the 2003 Convention.
Scale indicators9 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
CIOFF® NGO competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- International Music Council (IMC): IMC is a UNESCO-affiliated NGO that promotes traditional and contemporary music globally through festivals, exchanges, and member organizations — directly comparable to CIOFF's mandate for folk music, dance, and rituals.
- European Festivals Association (EFA): EFA is a membership-based umbrella organization representing 100+ festivals across Europe, comparable to CIOFF in coordinating festival networks, setting quality standards, and advocating for the festival sector.
- Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage: The Smithsonian Center produces the annual Smithsonian Folklife Festival and leads intangible cultural heritage documentation, sharing CIOFF's mission of safeguarding traditional culture through festivals and public programming.
- International Council of Museums (ICOM): ICOM is the global NGO network for museums and cultural institutions, parallel to CIOFF in operating a federated membership structure with National Committees in 100+ countries and formal UNESCO partnership status for cultural heritage work.
Emerging players
- Traditional Music Forum: A specialist advocacy and networking organization for traditional music, comparable to CIOFF in promoting folk music traditions internationally, though with a narrower geographic and genre focus.
- World Dance Alliance (WDA): WDA is an international NGO promoting dance as cultural heritage and cultural exchange across regions — overlapping with CIOFF's folk dance and traditional performance focus, though narrower in scope.
Broad incumbents
- International Theatre Institute (ITI): ITI is a UNESCO-affiliated performing arts NGO with centers in 90+ countries, comparable to CIOFF in its international performing-arts mandate, UNESCO partnership, and member-based festival/performing arts work.
- International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA): IFACCA is the global network of arts councils and cultural agencies, comparable to CIOFF as a membership-based international cultural-policy organization but focused on government arts-funding bodies rather than folk arts festivals.
- International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS): ICOMOS is a UNESCO-associated global NGO for cultural heritage conservation with National Committees in 100+ countries, comparable to CIOFF in operating a federated cultural-heritage network under UNESCO framework.
Others
- European Association for the Promotion of Poetry (EAPP): A European network promoting poetry as intangible cultural heritage, adjacent to CIOFF's traditional-culture mandate but focused on poetry rather than folklore festivals and folk arts.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
CIOFF® NGO social profiles
Digital presenceCIOFF® NGO compliance and trust
Trust signalCompliance1 record
CIOFF® NGO financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
CIOFF® NGO leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
CIOFF® NGO funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
CIOFF® NGO 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 CIOFF® NGO
What does CIOFF® NGO do?
CIOFF® (International Council of Organizations of Folklore Festivals and Folk Arts) is a global non-governmental organization that safeguards, promotes, and disseminates traditional culture and intangible cultural heritage. Its core offerings revolve around coordinating a worldwide network of 298+ folklore festivals across 82 countries through National Sections, organizing flagship events such as the World Folkloriada (every four years) and the World Congress (annually), and certifying festivals under the Recognized CIOFF® International Festival tier. Supporting services include digital databases (Festival Finder, Group Finder), a member Intranet, the CIOFF® Youth Program, and educational resources such as Playing Together Magazine and the Youth Coloring Book.
Is CIOFF® NGO a public or private company?
CIOFF® NGO is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was CIOFF® NGO founded?
CIOFF® NGO was founded in 1970. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is CIOFF® NGO based?
CIOFF® NGO is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does CIOFF® NGO make money?
One revenue line is on record: national Section Membership.
Who are CIOFF® NGO's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are International Music Council (IMC), European Festivals Association (EFA), Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage and International Council of Museums (ICOM). Emerging players are Traditional Music Forum and World Dance Alliance (WDA). Broad incumbents are International Theatre Institute (ITI), International Federation of Arts Councils and Culture Agencies (IFACCA) and International Council on Monuments and Sites (ICOMOS). European Association for the Promotion of Poetry (EAPP) is listed as an others.
Does CIOFF® NGO have an API?
No public API is recorded for CIOFF® NGO.
What industry is CIOFF® NGO in?
Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAHAG, Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations, with a secondary code of MPAGAEAG, Arts & Culture Community Festivals (Multidisciplinary Arts Weeks). Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8600.