What Pole Sante does

Pôle Formation Santé (PFS) is a French non-profit association (Association Loi 1901) founded in 2007 and headquartered in Lyon, operating as part of Groupe ACPPA, a private associative group that has managed 60+ elderly care facilities since 1983 and serves approximately 6,400 residents daily. The organization delivers continuing education and skills training to French healthcare and medico-social professionals, alongside accredited evaluations of Social and Medico-Social Establishments and Services (ESSMS). Its customer base spans medical-social and health establishments (EHPAD and related facilities), independent liberal nurses (IDEL), speech therapists, community pharmacists and pharmacy teams, and individuals/job-seekers entering healthcare careers such as aide-soignant and secrétaire médicale. Training is delivered through four regional offices (Lyon, Montpellier, Bordeaux, Saint-Pierre-du-Perray in the Paris region) and a network reaching 30 French cities.

PFS organizes its offering around five activities: continuing education for medico-social and health institutions; continuing education for liberal health professionals; diploma- and certification-granting programs through a Centre de Formation des Apprentis (CFA) established in 2019; COFRAC-accredited ESSMS evaluations (n°3-2031); and project-management consulting for healthcare organizations. The underlying platform combines in-person sessions, an e-learning platform with 90 self-paced modules accessible 24/7, virtual classroom (classe virtuelle), and blended-learning modalities including AFEST (Action de Formation en Situation de Travail). Differentiated product lines include voyage-formation packages combining all-inclusive international travel (Rhodes, Mexico, Cape Verde, Mauritius, Dominican Republic, Bali) with clinical training. The organization holds Qualiopi certification (since 2022) for training, VAE, and apprenticeship, ANDPC organism status for DPC-funded programs, Charte H+ commitment for disability access (since 2017), and inclusion on the HAS official external-evaluation list.

The business model is a professional services model monetized through per-session training fees (typically EUR 550 per training block within voyage-formation bundles), institutional contracts with medico-social and health establishments, and publicly co-funded pathways (DPC, FIF-PL, Taxe d'Apprentissage). PFS goes to market through direct-to-consumer enrollment on segment-specific subdomain websites, supplemented by webinars, newsletters, and professional-network referrals (CPTS/MSP, professional orders), and employs an event-driven premium channel via its voyage-formation product. Pricing for individual learners is supported by Klarna payment plans and DPC/FIF-PL funding integration. Revenue is not publicly disclosed; the firmographic core headcount is 11–50 staff supported by a network of approximately 250 trainers and consultants.

Name

Pole Sante

Legal name

Pôle Formation Santé

Website

https://poleformation-sante.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2007

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Pôle Formation Santé is a French non-profit healthcare training organization delivering continuing education, COFRAC-accredited ESSMS evaluations, and diploma programs for nurses, speech therapists, pharmacists, medico-social establishments, and individuals across France via in-person, e-learning, and blended formats.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Continuing Education for Medical-Social Structures: Professional development training for employees of medico-social and health establishments
2. Continuing Education for Liberal Health Professionals: Training for independent nurses, speech therapists, and pharmacy professionals, funded through DPC and FIF-PL mechanisms
3. Diploma and Certification Training (CFA): Initial and apprenticeship training programs through Centre de Formation des Apprentis (CFA) established in 2019
4. ESSMS Evaluation Services: Accredited evaluation services for Social and Medical-Social Establishments and Services (ESSMS)
5. Project Management Consulting: Support services for project management in healthcare organizations
6. Travel Formation Programs: Combined travel and training packages to international destinations (e.g., Rhodes, Mexico, Mauritius) with all-inclusive accommodation and professional development

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pôle Formation Santé is a French nonprofit health-training association that designs and delivers continuing-education programs for liberal healthcare professionals (nurses, speech therapists, pharmacists) and salaried staff of medico-social and health establishments, delivered in four modalities — in-person, e-learning, virtual classroom, and blended (AFEST). It also conducts COFRAC-accredited external evaluations of social and medico-social establishments (ESSMS), runs diploma and apprenticeship training through its CFA, and offers project-management consulting to healthcare organizations.

Product overview

Pôle Formation Santé is a healthcare training organization offering a multi-modal training platform with in-person courses across 30 French cities, e-learning modules (90 available), virtual classrooms, and blended learning formats. The organization structures its offerings around five core activities: continuing education for medico-social and health professionals, continuing education for liberal health professionals (nurses, speech therapists, pharmacists), diploma/certification programs via their CFA (since 2019), ESSMS evaluations (COFRAC accredited), and project management consulting. Specialized training trips to international destinations provide combined travel and professional development experiences. The organization serves individual professionals and institutional clients across the healthcare sector, with programs covering clinical skills (wound care, diabetes, vaccination), practice management (NGAP billing), emergency response (AFGSU), and healthcare coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Continuing Education Training Programs (multi-modal for healthcare professionals) Continuing-education curricula for healthcare professionals (nurses, speech therapists, pharmacists, medico-social staff) delivered through four modalities — in-person classes in 30 French cities, 90 self-paced e-learning modules, live virtual classroom, and blended/AFEST — covering topics such as NGAP billing, wound care, palliative care, vaccination, diabetes management and AFGSU emergency response.
• E-learning Platform (elearningpoleformationsante.fr) Self-paced online learning platform providing 24/7 access to 90 interactive training modules for healthcare professionals, accessible via subscription or individual course purchase, integrated with Klarna financing.
• Voyages Formation (Travel-and-Training Packages) All-inclusive international travel packages combining 7–9 night stays at destinations such as Rhodes, Mexico, Cape Verde, Mauritius and the Dominican Republic with expert-led training courses on NGAP, wound care and preventive health assessments, priced as separate travel (1,780€–3,590€) and training (550€) components with single-room supplements.
• ESSMS External Evaluations (COFRAC-accredited) External evaluation services for Social and Medico-Social Establishments and Services (ESSMS) conducted under COFRAC accreditation n°3-2031 and the HAS evaluation framework, used by EHPADs and care facilities to satisfy mandatory quality assessments.
• Diploma and Certification Programs (CFA) Initial and apprenticeship-based diploma and certification programs delivered through the PFS Centre de Formation des Apprentis (CFA) since 2019, targeting individuals pursuing healthcare careers (aide-soignant, secrétaire médicale, responsable coordonnateur) under Qualiopi-certified apprenticeship frameworks and funded via la Taxe d'apprentissage.
• Project Management Consulting (Accompagnement à la gestion de projet) Consulting and support services for healthcare organizations seeking to implement new initiatives, processes or organizational changes, delivered by PFS trainers and senior consultants.

Quantifiable outcome

• 9,074+ trainees trained annually with 95% success rate
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, flagship and minor.

• Groupe ACPPA (Accueil et Confort Pour Personnes Âgées)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerParent associative group managing PFS since its creation. ACPPA has been managing private associative facilities since 1983, with 60+ structures supporting approximately 6,400 elderly persons daily. PFS is a structure of the ACPPA group, sharing humanist and ethical values, solidarity, and commitment principles.
• UniviflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerWhite-label partnership with Univi to strengthen professionalization of grand age careers. Joint initiative to provide training solutions for the aging sector workforce.
• MG FORMminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorTraining partnership with MG FORM for shared educational content and professional development resources.
• Lona SantéminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorPôle Formation Santé referenced by Lona Santé as a training provider partner for healthcare professionals.
• COFRACcoreOthersCOFRAC accreditation (n°3-2031) for ESSMS evaluations. This regulatory accreditation enables PFS to conduct official evaluations of Social and Medical-Social Establishments.
• ANDPC (Agence Nationale du DPC)coreOthersOfficial DPC (Continuing Professional Development) accredited training provider, enabling healthcare professionals to access mandatory triennial training through public funding.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• AFPA: France's leading public vocational training organization with broad sector coverage including healthcare tracks; comparable as a multi-region training operator competing for similar healthcare professional learners but at significantly larger scale.
• SGS: Global testing, inspection, and certification company with a French footprint offering accredited ESSMS evaluations; broader service portfolio than PFS but competes directly for evaluation contracts.
• CNFPT: National training center for French territorial civil servants, including healthcare and medico-social personnel employed by local authorities; competes for the same institutional training budgets and segments relevant to PFS.
• CNAM: Major French higher education institution (Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers) delivering continuing professional education including health and paramedical tracks; competes with PFS for adult learners seeking recognized qualifications.
• Bureau Veritas: Global certification and assessment provider with French operations conducting accredited ESSMS evaluations; comparable to PFS in evaluation accreditation but with much broader service breadth and international reach.

Others

• Korian: Large French elderly-care operator with in-house training programs for nursing, care, and management staff; relevant both as a potential customer of PFS-style external training and as a competitor for the broader training audience in geriatric care.
• INRS: French national institute for occupational health and safety research and training; adjacent to PFS's health and medico-social training scope, particularly for institutional healthcare-sector training programs.

Direct peers

• AFNOR Certification: Major French accreditation and certification body; competes with PFS in COFRAC-accredited ESSMS evaluations while also providing certification services that overlap with PFS's evaluation revenue stream.
• Croix-Rouge Compétence: Professional training arm of the French Red Cross delivering continuing education and certifications across healthcare and social-service professions; directly comparable to PFS on training audience, regulatory environment, and DPC-funded programs.
• Apave: Leading accredited inspection and certification group in France; operates COFRAC-accredited ESSMS evaluations and quality certifications that overlap with PFS's accredited evaluation services.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

Compliance4 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Pole Sante