Uberall
Mandatoryncreases its charge to us. These amounts are a pass-through to you; we do not upcharge the vendor’s fees. You may (but have no obligation to) purchase a telephone for your School. Uberall $20 per mont
From the filings
+53.333% units YoYHQ-led decisions
Big Blue Swim School Franchising
Youth servicesSoftware purchasing at Big Blue Swim School is controlled at the headquarters level, with Co-Founder and President Chris DeJong and CEO Brandon Bean among the key executives. The franchise mandates LESSONBuddy as its operational platform across a system of 42 total units. With 53.3% year-over-year unit growth, the addressable market is expanding rapidly for vendors who align with the brand's tech requirements.
For software vendors selling into US franchise brands.
Live signals
Total units
42
23 franchised
Unit growth YoY
+53.333%
vs prior filing
AUV
—
Item 19, 2025
Royalty
6%
of gross sales
Ad fund
2%
national + local
Initial fee
$50K
per unit
Investment range
$2.11M–$3.76M
all-in, Item 7
Procurement
Franchisor controlled
from the filing
Non-compete
2 years
from the filing
Item 19
No claims
from the filing
Ongoing fee load
What the operator pays every month
The recurring percentage of gross sales named in this filing, before rent, labour or any technology fee.
8%of gross sales (FY2025)
15% reference
Mandated & recommended tech
The systems vendors compete with
1 of these are mandated in the franchise agreement. Each is named in Item 11 of the filing, the incumbents a challenger must displace or integrate with.
Franchisor behaviours
What the franchisor requires
22 requirements the franchisor states in this filing, each in its own words; 2 explicit no's; 10 questions the text does not settle, which is not a no.
Accounting
Must the franchisee use an accounting or bookkeeping system designated or approved by the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
you must acquire at your own expense and then use our preferred accounting and bookkeeping system that we prescribe from time to time
Does the franchisor have direct or independent electronic access to the franchisee's financial, sales or customer records?
YesFranchise agreement
We may, as often as we deem appropriate (including on a daily, continuous basis), independently access the Computer System and retrieve all information regarding the School’s operation (other than School employee records, as you control exclusively your labor relations and employment practices).
Must the franchisee submit periodic financial statements (monthly, quarterly or annual) to the franchisor?
YesFranchise agreement
within thirty (30) days after the end of each fiscal quarter, the School’s operating statements and financial statements (including a balance sheet and cash flow and profit and loss statements) as of the end of that fiscal quarter
How the franchisor buys
Is there a franchisee advisory council, association or committee?
YesItem 20
We have formed a Franchise Advisory Council (“FAC”) to serve as a sounding board for new ideas and initiatives and to provide feedback to us on issues of concern and priorities.
How much revenue did the franchisor and its affiliates earn from franchisee purchases in the last fiscal year?
0Item 8
We did not derive any revenue during 2024 from direct purchases or leases of goods and services by unaffiliated franchisees.
Item 8 gives this proportion in one of two shapes: separate percentages for establishing the business and for operating it, or one figure covering "establishing and operating" together. Where they are separate, answer with the operating percentage; where the passage gives only the combined figure, answer with that. What percentage of the franchisee's purchases must come from designated or approved suppliers?
100Item 8
Collectively, your purchases and leases from us or our affiliates, from designated or approved suppliers and distributors, or according to our standards and specifications represent about 100% of your overall purchases and leases to establish and then to operate the School.
Does the franchisor charge a fee to evaluate a proposed supplier?
YesItem 8
We have the right to be reimbursed for the costs of testing new products or services or inspecting new suppliers you propose.
Can a franchisee propose a new supplier for the franchisor's approval?
YesItem 8
If you want to purchase or lease any Operating Assets, products, or services from a supplier or distributor we have not then approved (if we require you to buy or lease the asset, product, or service only from an approved supplier or distributor), then you must establish to our reasonable satisfaction that the…
Data and IT
Must the franchisee comply with PCI, data-security or cybersecurity standards set by the franchisor?
YesItem 11
You must upgrade the Computer System, and/or obtain service and support, as we require or when necessary because of technological developments, including complying with PCI Data Security Standards.
Franchise management
Does the franchisor conduct periodic inspections, audits or evaluations of the franchised business?
YesFranchise agreement
we and our designated representatives and vendors (including “mystery” shoppers) have the right before you open the School for business and afterward from time to time during your regular business hours, and without prior notice to you, to inspect and evaluate the School
Can the franchisor change the operations manual and brand standards unilaterally?
YesItem 11
We have the right to modify the Operations Manual periodically to reflect changes in Brand Standards, but those modifications will not alter your fundamental rights or status under the Franchise Agreement.
Must the franchisor approve the franchisee's site or location before opening?
YesItem 12
You may operate the School only at the accepted site.
Marketing
Is the franchisee prohibited from operating its own website or social media accounts, or required to use pages the franchisor provides?
YesItem 11
You may not develop, maintain, or authorize any digital marketing or social media mentioning or describing the School or displaying any Marks without our prior written approval and, if applicable, without complying with our Brand Standards for such digital marketing and social media.
Is the franchisee required to spend a minimum amount on local advertising or marketing, as a percentage of sales or a fixed amount?
YesItem 11
You must spend 6% of the School’s quarterly Gross Revenue on approved Marketing Materials and programs for the School.
Must the franchisee participate in a customer loyalty or rewards program?
YesItem 8
You must participate in, and comply with the requirements of, our Loyalty Program Media and customer loyalty/affinity and similar programs.
Must the franchisee participate in a regional advertising cooperative when one exists?
YesItem 11
You automatically will become a member of any existing or new Cooperative formed in your market area and must participate in the Cooperative as we require.
Operations
Must the franchisee buy products from a designated distributor?
YesItem 8
Despite these procedures, we have the right to limit the number of approved suppliers and distributors, designate sources you must use, and refuse your requests for any reason, including because we already have designated an exclusive source (which might be us or our affiliate) for a particular item or service or…
Must equipment be purchased from designated or approved suppliers?
YesItem 8
You must buy or lease all Operating Assets, products, and services you use or sell at the School only according to Brand Standards and, if we require, only from manufacturers, suppliers, or distributors we designate or approve
Payments
Are royalties and other fees collected by automatic bank debit (ACH or electronic funds transfer) from the franchisee's account?
YesItem 6
You must authorize us to debit your business checking or other account automatically for the Royalty, Software License Fee, Brand Fund contribution, MSC Fees, and other amounts due under the Franchise Agreement or otherwise.
People
Does the franchisor require minimum staffing levels or specific roles?
YesItem 15
The School always must have on staff at least 2 fully-trained (or “certified”) managers for the first 6 months of operations; after that, the School must have on staff one person who is fully trained.
Point of sale
Does the franchisor have independent access to the data in the franchisee's POS or computer system?
YesItem 11
We have independent, unlimited access to the information the Computer System generates (and to the content of any BIG BLUE Swim School email accounts we provide you).
Training
Is attendance at an annual convention or conference mandatory for the franchisee?
YesItem 11
Besides attending and/or participating in various training courses and programs, at least 1 of your representatives (an owner or another designated representative we approve) must at our request attend a periodic meeting of all BIG BLUE Swim School franchisees at a location we designate.
The filing answers no to 2 questions
- Does the franchisor or an affiliate receive rebates, commissions or other revenue from designated or approved suppliers?Item 8
- Is a minimum grand opening advertising spend required?Item 6
The vendor opportunity at Big Blue Swim School
Big Blue Swim School operates 42 total units in the youth services segment, with a mix of 19 company-owned and 23 franchised locations. The brand is headquartered in Georgia and reported 53.3% year-over-year unit growth in its 2025 Franchise Disclosure Document. For software vendors, this growth trajectory signals a franchise system that is actively scaling, which often correlates with evolving technology needs and new location openings that require provisioning.
The franchise charges a 6.0% royalty fee and operates under a 10-year initial term. Average unit volume is not disclosed in the most recent FDD. While the system is not among the largest in the youth enrichment space, the rapid expansion rate and the presence of a mandated technology platform make it a focused target for vendors whose products complement or integrate with the existing stack.
Who controls software purchasing
Software purchasing decisions at Big Blue Swim School are centralized at the headquarters level. The 2025 FDD lists five key executives in Item 1. Chris DeJong serves as Co-Founder and President, and Brandon Bean holds the Chief Executive Officer role. The marketing function is led by Tracy Stockard as Chief Marketing Officer, while Andrea McPike oversees strategy and product enablement as Executive Vice President. Tyson Fraser, Executive Vice President of Real Estate, rounds out the named leadership team.
No dedicated Chief Information Officer, Chief Technology Officer, or VP of Technology is listed in the filing. For vendors, this means initial outreach should likely target the President or CEO for strategic software conversations, while the CMO and EVP of Strategy and Product Enablement may be relevant for marketing technology, customer experience platforms, or operational tools. The absence of a named IT executive suggests that technology evaluation may be distributed among the existing leadership team.
Mandated and current tech stack
The only mandated technology system disclosed in the 2025 FDD is LESSONBuddy, which serves as the operational platform for the franchise. No additional point-of-sale, scheduling, CRM, payroll, or accounting systems are named as mandatory or recommended in the available data. This creates a landscape where LESSONBuddy is the core system of record, and any software vendor pitching into Big Blue Swim School must address integration with or displacement of that platform.
For vendors selling complementary tools—such as marketing automation, staff scheduling, payment processing, or business intelligence—the mandate of LESSONBuddy means your value proposition should clearly articulate how your product works alongside it. If you are selling a competing operational platform, be prepared for a longer sales cycle that requires demonstrating significant differentiation from an incumbent that is contractually required.
Procurement, renewals, and timing
Item 8 procurement signals are not available in the extracted FDD data, so the specific supplier designation model—whether designated supplier, approved supplier list, or open purchasing—is not disclosed in the most recent filing. Vendors should investigate this directly when engaging the brand.
Item 17 renewal conditions provide insight into potential software evaluation windows. Franchisees seeking a successor franchise must conduct a business review, provide formal notice at least three months before the term ends, and sign the then-current franchise agreement. The 10-year term and the requirement to remodel or upgrade the school upon renewal suggest that technology re-evaluation may coincide with these renewal-driven operational refreshes. For vendors, tracking franchise agreement expiration dates across the 23 franchised locations could surface timing opportunities.
How to read the Big Blue Swim School FDD
The 2025 FDD is the primary source for understanding Big Blue Swim School's technology mandates, procurement rules, and decision-making structure. The embedded PDF viewer below contains the full filing. Key sections for software vendors include Item 1 (executive team and buying center), Item 8 (procurement restrictions), Item 11 (mandated technology and suppliers), and Item 17 (renewal conditions that may trigger tech re-evaluation).
When reviewing the FDD, pay close attention to any supplier designations that may create gatekeepers for your product category. The presence of a single mandated system like LESSONBuddy indicates a franchisor that is willing to enforce technology standards, which can work for or against you depending on whether you are pitching a complement or a replacement. For a ranked target list of franchise systems matched to your software category, FranCloud can help prioritize your outreach.
Questions vendors ask
Big Blue Swim School Franchising, answered from the filing
The buying center includes Co-Founder and President Chris DeJong, CEO Brandon Bean, CMO Tracy Stockard, and EVP of Strategy and Product Enablement Andrea McPike. No dedicated CIO or CTO is listed in the 2025 FDD.
The 2025 FDD mandates LESSONBuddy as the operational technology platform. No other mandated POS, scheduling, or management systems are disclosed in the filing.
There are 42 total units, consisting of 19 company-owned and 23 franchised locations. The brand reported 53.3% year-over-year unit growth in its most recent FDD.
The procurement model is not detailed in the available FDD extracts. Item 8 signals regarding designated suppliers, approved suppliers, or open purchasing were not disclosed in the data provided.
Franchise agreements run for an initial 10-year term. Renewals require a business review and formal notice at least 3 months before expiration, creating potential re-evaluation windows around those milestones.
The FDD was filed with state franchise regulators in 2025. You can review the embedded PDF viewer below to analyze the full document directly.
Source
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FDD alert
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Operator footprint
Who runs the locations
38 operators run 38 mapped locations. 0 of them are multi-unit. Aggregate counts from the filing; no names.
Operators by units owned
Single-unit38
Top states by locations
| NJ | 5 |
|---|---|
| TX | 4 |
| PA | 4 |
| MI | 3 |
| UT | 3 |
Ownership
The portfolio behind Big Blue Swim School Franchising
unknown of big blue swim school holdco.
Related Youth services brands
Primary franchise filings · updated June 2026. Every figure is source-traceable and QA-checked.