Authorisation of BAFA and BAFD training organisations
Mandatory: only organisations authorised by the youth ministry may run BAFA (activity leader) and BAFD (director) training sessions for children's group activities.
Issued by: The French ministry responsible for youth affairs
Popular-education associations and organisations wishing to train leaders and directors of children's group activities.
What this scheme covers
- C.1BAFA general-training and specialisation/qualification sessions, and BAFD sessions.
- C.2Authorisation granted on the basis of an educational project and organisational capacity compliant with the regulations on children's group activities.
- C.3Administrative tracking of candidates' journeys through the ministry's online services.
The link with Qualiopi
BAFA and BAFD are voluntary-activity credentials, not professional certifications: ministerial authorisation suffices to run them. Qualiopi only becomes relevant if the organisation also develops funded professional training (BPJEPS, activity-sector CQPs…).
The process, summarised
- 1.Build the educational project and training system to meet the authorisation criteria.
- 2.File the authorisation request with the youth ministry according to the national calendar.
- 3.Run the declared sessions and track candidates through the official online services.
FAQ — BAFA-BAFD authorisation
+Is BAFA a professional qualification?
No: it is a voluntary-activity credential for occasionally supervising minors. Professional qualifications in the sector (notably BPJEPS) fall under other schemes.
+Can BAFA be funded through the CPF?
As BAFA is not a registered professional certification, it is not CPF-eligible; specific subsidies do exist however (family-benefits fund, local authorities, youth schemes).
+Is the authorisation permanent?
No: it is granted for a limited period and renewed on application, with checks on continued compliance.
- Renewing the BAFA-BAFD authorisation: obligations and long-run stewardship7 min
- BAFA-BAFD authorisation vs Qualiopi: which framework for which activity?7 min
- Becoming a BAFA-BAFD training organisation: the authorisation step by step8 min
- BAFA-BAFD authorisation criteria: building a file that passes (and the traps)8 min
- Is the BAFA eligible for the CPF? The real ways to fund the training7 min
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- e-AFAQ training labelVoluntary
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- ISO 21001Voluntary
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