Tutoring Franchise in Kazakhstan: The Complete 2026 Guide

Kazakhstan is a young, urbanising country where one exam shapes a teenager's options more than almost anything else: the Unified National Test, known in Russian as the ЕНТ and in Kazakh as ҰБТ. The score decides access to university places and state grants, so families plan for it years ahead. For anyone weighing a tutoring franchise in Kazakhstan, that matters: the demand for structured academic help already exists, and much of it is still served by individual tutors and independent learning centres rather than by branded networks with a consistent method.

This guide covers the school system and the UNT, why tutoring demand is strong, what a tutoring franchise is and how it compares with the alternatives families use, franchise regulation under the Civil Code, practical points on licensing and premises, and how Success Tutoring approaches Kazakhstan.

School, the UNT and why the stakes are high

Kazakh schooling runs through primary, lower secondary and upper secondary levels, with instruction mainly in Kazakh or Russian and a growing role for English. At the end of school, students who want a university place sit the UNT, run by the National Testing Centre (НЦТ).

According to reporting by Kazakh business media including Inbusiness.kz and Zakon.kz, the 2026 UNT kept its established format:

• Five subjects. Three compulsory subjects plus two profile subjects chosen to match the intended degree.
• 120 questions and a maximum of 140 points, with about four hours of testing in 2026.
• Thresholds. A minimum of 65 points for national universities and 50 for other institutions, with higher thresholds for some fields: 75 for law and teacher education and 70 for medicine.
• Several sittings. A March session (1 March to 6 April 2026) ran before the main summer UNT, for which applications were taken from 11 to 25 April.

Inbusiness.kz and Bes.media reported that around 233,000 school leavers took part in the main 2026 UNT and that just two candidates achieved the maximum 140 points. When a result is graded that finely and university funding depends on it, a few extra points in mathematics or a profile subject are worth paying for.

Why tutoring demand is strong in Kazakhstan

There is no reliable official measure of the size of Kazakhstan's tutoring market, so treat any headline figure with caution. The drivers, however, are visible:

• A single decisive exam. The UNT combines admission and state grant allocation in one score, which concentrates family spending on the final school years.
• Profile subjects. Mathematics, physics, chemistry, biology and other profile subjects carry the weight that separates a funded place from a paid one. These are the subjects families most often buy help with.
• Language and curriculum change. Students moving between Kazakh-, Russian- and English-medium learning, and the curriculum updates of recent years, create gaps that parents want closed.
• Urban growth. Almaty, Astana and Shymkent concentrate families with both the demand and the means to pay for regular support.

Today most of this demand goes to private tutors, often recommended by word of mouth, and to independent learning centres that prepare students for the UNT, IELTS and school subjects. Online preparation platforms have also grown. That fragmentation is the opportunity for a franchise: a brand that offers a consistent programme, trained tutors and transparent progress reporting can stand out.

What a tutoring franchise is

A tutoring franchise licenses you to run a learning business under an established brand, using its curriculum, systems, training and marketing. You own the business, sign the lease and employ the staff; the franchisor supplies the method and supports you to launch and grow. In Kazakh law this relationship is called a complex business licence (комплексная предпринимательская лицензия), which is the term you will see in contracts.

Success Tutoring runs a membership model in physical, retail-style centres for K–12 students, with a core focus on English and Mathematics. Families join as members for a set number of weekly sessions rather than booking lessons one by one, which gives a centre more predictable revenue and puts the focus on retention and results.

Franchise, private tutor or independent centre?

Families in Kazakhstan already have options, and each suits someone:

• Private tutors. Flexible and personal, often excellent for one subject in the final months before the UNT. Quality depends entirely on the individual, and there is rarely any reporting or continuity if the tutor moves on.
• Independent learning centres. Many are run by experienced teachers and do strong UNT preparation. An owner building one from scratch has to create the curriculum, the brand, the systems and the marketing alone.
• Online platforms. Convenient and affordable, good for motivated students. Younger children and students who need accountability often do better in person.
• A tutoring franchise. A tested system, training and launch marketing in exchange for fees and following the brand's standards. It suits an owner who wants to build a business rather than teach every lesson.

What to look for in a tutoring franchisor

1. Curriculum fit. Ask how the programme maps to the Kazakh school curriculum and to the UNT, and how it works in Russian and Kazakh as well as English.
2. Launch system. Ask exactly how the franchisor fills a centre before opening. See our launch support page.
3. Tutor recruitment and training. Ask how tutors are found, contracted and trained, and whether training is online so it scales across cities.
4. Premises. Ask what help is given with site selection, leasing and fit-out of a street-front or mall location.
5. Territory. Ask how territories are defined and protected. Our franchise territories page shows the cities and indicative territories we are considering in Kazakhstan.
6. Master franchise structure. In a new market, a master franchise partner often develops the network. Ask who you will deal with day to day, and how decisions reach head office.
7. Disclosure and references. Ask for full information on the network, the contract and the costs, and speak to existing franchise partners. Our list of questions to ask a tutoring franchisor is a good starting point.

Franchise regulation in Kazakhstan

Kazakhstan regulates franchising directly. The Civil Code (Special Part) contains a dedicated chapter titled "Complex business licence (franchising)", and a separate Law "On the complex business licence (franchising)" adds detail. Under these rules the franchisor is the complex licensor (комплексный лицензиар) and the franchisee the complex licensee (комплексный лицензиат).

Points that Kazakh legal commentators, including the legal services portal Dogovor24 and Zakon.kz, highlight:

• Rights of the licensee. The franchisor must hand over the technical and commercial documentation needed to use the franchise and provide training and advice on using the rights granted.
• Registration. Commentators discuss state registration of franchising contracts and note that the law does not say clearly which party files; the contract usually allocates it. Confirm with a lawyer whether, where and by whom your contract and any trademark licence must be registered, and what happens if they are not.
• Trademark. Check that the brand is registered or protected in Kazakhstan before you invest in signage and marketing.

Kazakhstan does not have a pre-contract disclosure regime as prescriptive as the Franchise Rule in the United States or the Loi Doubin in France, so check with your lawyer what the franchisor must give you before signing, and ask for more. Take advice from a Kazakh franchise lawyer and an accountant before signing anything.

Licensing, premises and practicalities

• Educational activity. Kazakhstan licenses some educational activity, while other types of supplementary education and tutoring services fall under lighter regimes. How a centre is classified determines what it needs, and the rules have changed in recent years. Check the current position with the education authorities and a lawyer before you open.
• Company set-up. Most franchise partners trade through a limited liability partnership (ТОО) or as an individual entrepreneur; get tax advice on the regime that fits.
• Premises. Fire safety and sanitary requirements apply to premises where children study. Make sure the lease permits educational use and budget for compliance in the fit-out.
• Staff checks. Check requirements for criminal record certificates for people working with children and build them into recruitment.

How Success Tutoring approaches Kazakhstan

Success Tutoring was founded in Sydney, Australia, in 2017 by Michael Black and has been franchising since around 2020. It has announced international markets including New Zealand, the United States, Singapore, Canada, the United Kingdom and India. Kazakhstan is not one of the markets it has announced: at the time of writing (October 2026), Success Tutoring is looking for franchise partners and a master franchise partner for Kazakhstan, and it has not announced any launch or open centre there.

The model offered is the one built in Australia: retail-style learning centres for K–12 students focused on English and Mathematics; a membership model with launch and pre-marketing support; site selection, leasing and fit-out support; tutor recruitment and online tutor training; learning resources and ongoing marketing under a global brand; and a flat structure in which franchise partners deal directly with head office leadership. Franchise partners do not need to be teachers. Success Tutoring is a member of the Franchise Council of Australia and the International Franchise Association.

Fees and costs are not published in articles; see the investment schedule, and read our complete tutoring franchise guide. For the neighbouring market, see our guide to a tutoring franchise in Uzbekistan.

Frequently asked questions

Is there demand for a tutoring franchise in Kazakhstan?

Yes. Around 233,000 school leavers took the main UNT in 2026, according to Kazakh media, and the score decides university places and state grants. Most of that demand is served by private tutors and independent centres, which leaves room for a branded centre with a consistent method.

How is Success Tutoring different from a private tutor or a local UNT centre?

A private tutor offers one person's expertise; a local centre offers its owner's programme. Success Tutoring offers families a structured K–12 membership in English and Mathematics, with trained tutors and progress reporting, and offers partners a tested business system. Many families use more than one option, and each can suit different needs.

How is franchising regulated in Kazakhstan?

By a chapter of the Civil Code on the complex business licence (franchising) and a separate law on franchising. Registration of the contract and of trademark licences should be checked with a Kazakh lawyer before signing.

Do I need to be a teacher to own a tutoring franchise?

No. The franchisor provides the curriculum, systems and tutor training. You need to lead a team, build relationships with families and run the business well.

Is Success Tutoring open in Kazakhstan?

No centres have been announced. Success Tutoring is looking for franchise partners and a master franchise partner for Kazakhstan; see the investment schedule and get in touch.

Next steps

A tutoring franchise in Kazakhstan sits on top of real, exam-driven demand that is still served mostly by individuals and independent centres. If you want to build a branded learning business in Almaty, Astana or another growing city, read why us for how Success Tutoring supports franchise partners, then follow the process from enquiry to opening day.

All third-party trademarks belong to their respective owners. Figures about other franchises are taken from their public websites, disclosure documents or reputable franchise directories at the time of writing and may have changed; verify them directly before making any decision. This article is general information, not financial or legal advice.