In brief: The NDA (numéro de déclaration d'activité) is the official registration number assigned by the French state to any continuing professional training provider. Without it, access to funding bodies, individual training accounts and public procurement is blocked. For training organisation managers, founders and independent trainers operating in France, it is the first unavoidable administrative step before delivering any training action.
The NDA, or training-activity registration number, is the unique identifier assigned by the DREETS (the French regional authority for economic, employment, labour and social affairs) to any provider of continuing professional training. It is issued following the first activity declaration, submitted within three months of the first training agreement or contract signed.
In practice, the number consists of 11 digits: the first two identify the registration region, the next six correspond to the organisation's SIRET company number, and the last three form a sequential identifier. Each training organisation receives a unique, non-transferable number.
For training organisation managers, whether a private provider, an apprenticeship centre, a business school or a self-employed trainer, this number is the prerequisite for operating legally and accessing professional training funding mechanisms in France.
Obtaining the NDA starts with submitting an activity declaration to the DREETS in the region where the organisation has its registered office. This must be filed within three months of signing the first training contract or agreement.
The file to compile includes several documents:
Once the complete file is received, the DREETS processes the application and assigns the NDA number. This number must then appear on all official documents: training agreements, contracts, attendance certificates, invoices and commercial documents.
Obtaining the NDA is not the end of the process. It comes with ongoing obligations that structure the day-to-day administration of any training organisation manager.
A common confusion among training organisation managers is to equate the NDA with quality certification (such as France's Qualiopi). These two elements are complementary but distinct.
The NDA is a mandatory administrative declaration for any training provider, regardless of size or quality level. It simply attests that the organisation exists legally and has declared its activity. As such, it is the gateway to funding via public bodies and individual training accounts.
Quality certification, by contrast, is optional for operating but required to access public and pooled training funds. It attests to a level of pedagogical and organisational rigour according to a national standard. An organisation can hold an NDA without being quality-certified, but it will not be able to access public funding.
For training organisation managers targeting quality certification, the NDA is therefore the first step, and the compliance of training documents (attendance records, agreements, certificates) is the condition for passing the audit without stress.
Contrary to popular belief, the NDA does not need to be renewed annually. It is granted indefinitely, as long as the organisation continues to carry out continuing professional training activity and fulfils its reporting obligations.
However, the NDA can lapse in several situations:
The DREETS can conduct inspections at any time, on paper or on-site. These focus on the reality of the training delivered, the quality of the trainers and the compliance of the documents. An organisation without signed attendance sheets or with incomplete agreements risks suspension of its number.
Edusign does not issue the NDA, but the platform automates the entire document chain that conditions the maintenance of this number and access to the associated funding.
For training organisation managers preparing a quality audit or anticipating a DREETS inspection, Edusign provides all the required documentary evidence in a few clicks: attendance records, agreements, evaluations. Continuous compliance, with no additional administrative burden.
Any natural or legal person who delivers continuing professional training actions for a fee must declare their activity and obtain an NDA. This covers private training organisations, apprenticeship centres, self-employed trainers, associations delivering paid training and companies delivering training to third parties. Internal training delivered by a company for its own employees does not fall within this framework unless it is subject to a training agreement with a third-party funder.
The average timeline is two to four weeks after submitting a complete file to the DREETS. This can extend if the file is incomplete or during periods of high administrative activity. It is therefore recommended to file the declaration as soon as the first contract or training agreement is signed, rather than waiting for the second or third session. The three-month statutory deadline is a legal obligation, not a recommendation.
Operating as a training provider without an NDA exposes the organisation to administrative and financial penalties. Funding bodies can refuse to cover training from an unregistered provider. In the event of an inspection, training agreements concluded without an NDA may be declared void, leading to repayment of funds received. For self-employed trainers, the absence of an NDA can also block access to individual training account funding platforms.
The NDA is a mandatory administrative declaration for any training provider: it attests to the legal existence of the activity. Quality certification is obtained through a file review and audit by an accredited certification body. It is optional for operating, but required to access public and pooled professional training funds. In short: the NDA authorises you to operate, quality certification authorises you to receive public funding.
The NDA must appear on all official documents of the organisation: training agreements, contracts, attendance certificates and invoices. During a quality audit or DREETS inspection, the organisation must also produce signed attendance sheets for each session, learner evaluations and the annual pedagogical and financial report. These documents form the complete body of evidence required. Digitalising them with a tool like Edusign ensures they are always available, time-stamped and legally enforceable.
