CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH

What CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH does

CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH is a Germany-based B2B educational travel provider founded in 1997, operating as a subsidiary brand within Terra Education, a certified B Corporation. The company designs and operates customized faculty-led study abroad programs primarily for North American universities, handling logistics, housing, cultural excursions, and on-the-ground coordination so faculty leaders can focus on teaching. CEPA's core product suite includes custom short-term and long-term faculty-led programs, semester programs at ESC Strasbourg (European Study Center at Château de Pourtalès), summer STEM programs at ESC Heidelberg, and service-learning programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru. Additional offerings include a proprietary CEPA mobile application for participant engagement during programs, scholarship programs, and an annual student photo contest.

CEPA's distribution is entirely direct-to-university, with no consumer self-service channel — sales involve relationship-driven engagements with university study abroad offices and faculty leaders. Revenue is generated through quote-based program fees tied to destination, duration, group size, and included activities, with professional-services pricing that is not publicly disclosed. The company markets through its website, organic social channels (Facebook, Instagram, LinkedIn), a tri-annual newsletter, and industry conference presence (Forum on Education Abroad). Customer evidence spans 15+ named university partners across business, science, engineering, humanities, and biomedical disciplines, with several multi-year flagship relationships including Florida International University (12+ years), ESPM Brazil (10 years), and Texas Tech University (10 years).

The firm is led by Managing Directors Ulrike Leibrecht (Executive Director) and Peter Mombaur, alongside Academic Director Marketa Lepicovsky and on-the-ground program managers and coordinators. With 11-50 employees and offices in Ingersheim (HQ), Besigheim (European operations), and San Diego (US client relations), CEPA operates across 15 European and Central American countries. Technology stack is limited to the proprietary CEPA mobile app; the firm does not maintain public APIs or documented AI integrations, though recent academic positioning suggests emerging interest in predictive modeling for study abroad matching.

Name

CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH

Legal name

CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH

Website

https://cepa-abroad.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH is a Germany-based B2B provider of customized faculty-led study abroad programs for North American universities, offering semester, summer STEM, and service-learning programs across Europe and Central America.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Ingersheim

HQ country

Germany

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Custom Faculty-Led Program Fees: CEPA generates revenue through fees charged to universities and colleges for organizing and managing custom study abroad programs. Programs include logistics coordination, cultural excursions, housing arrangements, and academic site visits tailored to each faculty leader's curriculum.
2. Open Enrollment Program Fees: Revenue from semester programs (ESC Strasbourg) and summer programs (ESC Heidelberg) where individual students enroll in pre-designed academic programs at European locations.
3. Service Learning Program Fees: Fees from service learning programs in Costa Rica, Guatemala, and Peru that combine community service with educational components for participating students.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CEPA designs and delivers customized faculty-led study abroad programs for U.S. universities and individual students, providing full-service logistical support including housing, classroom space, excursions, and on-site coordination. The company operates dedicated European Study Centers (ESC Strasbourg at the Château de Pourtalès and ESC Heidelberg) and runs service-learning programs in Latin America (Costa Rica, Guatemala, Peru).

Product overview

CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH offers a comprehensive portfolio of study abroad programs primarily focused on Europe. The core offerings consist of semester programs at European Study Centers (ESC Strasbourg and ESC Heidelberg), faculty-led custom programs designed in partnership with universities, and service-learning opportunities in Central America. Additional offerings include a mobile app, scholarship programs, and a student photo contest. The company serves as a B2B partner to colleges and universities, enabling faculty leaders to focus on teaching while CEPA handles logistics, housing, excursions, and cultural immersion activities.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ESC Strasbourg: European Study Center at the Château de Pourtalès - semester and summer programs in Strasbourg, France
• ESC Heidelberg

Products and services

• ESC Strasbourg
• ESC Heidelberg Summer Engineering Program
• Faculty-Led Custom Programs
• Service-Learning Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• CEPA programs enable faculty to focus on teaching while CEPA handles all logistics, allowing faculty to deliver enhanced educational experiences abroad.

Named customers12 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

Feature1 record

Partnerships

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

• DHBW Stuttgart (Duale Hochschule Baden-Württemberg)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 May 2024DHBW Stuttgart partnered with University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and CEPA for a three-day business simulation activity using TOPSIM 'Mastering General Management' game. Collaboration includes mixed student teams and intercultural exchange programs.
• Florida International UniversityflagshipStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 December 2012Long-standing partnership of over 12 years. First program was a 2-week faculty-led program in London, December 2012. CEPA directors visited FIU in February 2025 to discuss continued collaboration.
• Terra EducationflagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerra Education is the parent company and umbrella organization for CEPA and other educational travel brands including Beyond Sports, Discover Corps, Global Leadership Adventures, Summer Springboard, TEPA, and The Good Life Abroad. Terra Education is a certified B Corporation.
• Terra Education Europe GmbHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTerra Education Europe GmbH is part of Terra Education and supports program development for the CEPA brand. Located in Besigheim, Germany, it focuses on European operations and program development.
• European Study Center at Château de Pourtalès (ESC Strasbourg)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEPA operates the European Study Center at Château de Pourtalès in Strasbourg, France, offering semester programs for business, political science, and biomed students. Applications open for Spring 2027 and Summer 2027.
• ESC HeidelbergcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEPA operates summer engineering and STEM programs at ESC Heidelberg in Germany. Launching new Summer STEM program for 2027.
• Georgia College and State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGeorgia College and State University has partnered with CEPA for nearly a decade. CEPA Executive Director Uli Leibrecht received Omicron Delta Kappa member-honoris-causa from GCSU in 2023 for leadership in international education.
• ESPM Escola Superior de Propaganda e Marketing (Brazil)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCEPA has run programs with ESPM for 10 years, including communication and marketing delegations, summer programs in France and Eastern Europe. Partnership led by Dr. Vivian Strehlau and Tatiana Visnevski of CEPA Foundation.
• Texas Tech University - College of BusinesscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTexas Tech University College of Business has partnered with CEPA for 10 consecutive years for the Management in Europe program led by Dr. Hans Hansen, covering Germany, France, and the United Kingdom.
• University of Wisconsin-MilwaukeecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUWM has partnered with CEPA for accounting study abroad programs, business simulations with DHBW Stuttgart, and Eastern Europe programs. Programs include Ernst & Young Accounting Study Abroad Program and Business in Eastern Europe (UWinteriM).
• Ernst & YoungminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEY Accounting Study Abroad Program involves collaboration between UWM, DHBW Stuttgart, and CEPA, with EY branding on the international business simulation program.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• ISA (International Studies Abroad): Leading study abroad provider offering customized, semester, and short-term programs globally with a strong presence in Europe. Comparable B2B2C university partnerships and customized program offering.
• IES Abroad: Chicago-based non-profit study abroad provider offering customized faculty-led and semester programs across multiple European cities. Closely mirrors CEPA's model of university partnerships, semester centers, and customized programming.
• CIS Abroad: US-based study abroad organization offering customized, semester, and short-term programs. Directly comparable B2B university model with similar custom and direct-enrollment offerings.
• DIS - Study Abroad in Scandinavia: Copenhagen-based study abroad provider offering semester and faculty-led programs across Europe. Comparable European-based model with direct university partnerships and owned study centers.
• CAPA The Global Education Network: Boston-based study abroad organization offering customized faculty-led programs and city-based centers in London, Florence, Dublin, and other locations. Directly comparable B2B custom program model with owned study centers.
• API (Academic Programs International): US-based study abroad provider focused on customized and direct-enrollment programs for US university students across Europe, Latin America, and Asia. Strongly comparable B2B model with similar faculty-led custom offering.
• SAI Programs: San Francisco-based study abroad provider offering customized and direct-enrollment programs primarily in Italy and Europe. Closely comparable B2B model with custom faculty-led programs and partner university relationships.
• USAC (University Studies Abroad Consortium): University of Nevada, Reno-affiliated consortium offering study abroad programs at multiple European and global sites. Comparable direct enrollment and customized B2B offering for US university students.

Broad incumbents

• WorldStrides: Large global education travel provider (K-12 and university) acquired by Eurazeo, offering faculty-led trips and customized educational travel. Wider portfolio and broader scope than CEPA but overlapping custom-program delivery model.
• CIEE (Council on International Educational Exchange): One of the largest and oldest US-based study abroad organizations offering faculty-led, semester, and customized programs globally. Directly comparable B2B-university model with broader geographic coverage and greater scale than CEPA.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/CEPAStudyAbroad
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cepastudyabroad
• Instagraminstagram.com/CEPAStudyAbroad

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 CEPA Customized Educational Programs Abroad GmbH