What UniHA does

UniHA (Union des Hôpitaux pour les Achats) is a French public hospital procurement cooperative operating as a Groupement de Coopération Sanitaire (GCS) de droit public, founded in 2004 and headquartered in Lyon. The organization aggregates purchasing demand on behalf of 1,550 public health establishments and 123-124 territorial hospital groups (GHTs), managing €7.7-8.6 billion in annual purchasing volume (2025) through approximately 514 active procurement markets across 16+ categories spanning biomedical engineering, biology, digital health, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, catering, transport, energy, and sterile services. Membership also includes access for medico-social establishments (coordinated via UGAP, addressing 22,000+ establishments) and certain non-profit private health establishments under Article L6133-2 of the French Public Health Code.

The cooperative operates a digital procurement platform comprising the PLACE (Plateforme des Achats de l'État) health sector space — France's centralized state procurement platform administered by UniHA since 2016 — alongside a member portal, the Hermès collaborative messaging system, and a Dynamic Acquisition System (SAD) for innovative digital health solutions. Service offerings are structured around group purchasing (groupement de commandes) and centralized purchasing (centrale d'achat) mechanisms, coordinated through specialized procurement streams (filières) led by expert buyers embedded in member hospitals. CAIH, a 2014-founded subsidiary, manages 35+ IT and telecom markets serving 2,000+ members. Recent capability additions include the InitIAtive AI deployment program (Feb 2025), Lab'innovation laboratory (2026), Unibiotech expertise pole for AI-driven diagnostics (Feb 2024), and value-based procurement pilots such as the EU-funded VBP.O in orthopedics.

UniHA operates a non-profit cooperative economic model with no margin on contracts and no financing from market holders. Revenue is generated through annual membership subscriptions — composed of a fixed component plus a variable component proportional to Titles 2 and 3 of each establishment's operating budget — combined with usage-based fees on centralized purchasing at approximately 0.25% of purchase volume (equating to €228 per €100,000 of purchases), and degressive fixed-rate fees on group purchasing procedures. The organization is governed by its member hospitals through a General Assembly and Board of Directors. President Pascale Mocaër (Director General of CHU de Limoges, elected November 2023) and Director General Walid Ben Brahim lead strategy, with Thomas Jan heading digital strategy and innovation across both UniHA and CAIH.

Name

UniHA

Legal name

GCS UniHA (Groupement de Coopération Sanitaire - Union des hôpitaux pour les achats)

Website

https://uniha.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2004

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

UniHA is France's largest public hospital procurement cooperative, aggregating €7.7-8.6 billion in annual purchasing volume across 1,550 member health establishments and 123+ territorial hospital groups through 514+ procurement markets in 16+ categories.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Healthcare Procurement Services

NAICS

Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (42345), Medical, Dental, and Hospital Equipment and Supplies Merchant Wholesalers (423450)

SIC

Wholesale-Medical, Dental & Hospital Equipment & Supplies (5047), Wholesale-Drugs, Proprietaries & Druggists' Sundries (5122)

akta.pro primary industry

Hospital Shared Services, GPOs & System Support Organizations (HLAFAAAO)

akta.pro secondary industries

Public Health Contracts, Procurement & Vendor Management (HLAJALAE), Public Procurement & Contracting (BPAIAEAE), Government & Public-Sector Pharmaceutical Supply (Tender/Prime Vendor) (HLAIAJAF)

Keywords

• Public hospital procurement
• Healthcare group purchasing
• Centralized purchasing cooperative
• Medical device sourcing
• Hospital supply chain

Headquarters

HQ city

Lyon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Subscriptions: UniHA's primary revenue is from annual membership subscriptions paid by its 1,550 health establishments. The subscription tariff is composed of a fixed component and a variable component proportional to Titles 2 and 3 of the establishment's operating budget. The model is designed to be equitable and accessible to establishments of all sizes. Members can also benefit from subscription fee reductions based on the GCS budget result.
2. Group Purchasing Procedure Fees: Fees for joining UniHA group purchasing procedures (groupement de commandes) are charged at fixed rates that vary across three levels of procurement complexity (simple, intermediate, advanced). Fees become more advantageous the more group purchasing procedures an establishment joins.
3. Centralized Purchasing Fees (Centrale d'Achat): Fees for using the centralized purchasing model are usage-based and proportional to the volume of purchasing entrusted to UniHA. Each member benefits from preferential pricing based on their utilization rate of UniHA markets. Fees are calculated as a percentage of the estimated purchase volume on the relevant procedure.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

UniHA is France's largest public healthcare procurement cooperative, operating approximately 514 active public procurement markets across 16 purchasing domains (biomedical engineering, biology, digital health, medical devices, pharmaceuticals, IT/telecom, transport, energy, catering) for its 1,550 member public health establishments and 123+ territorial hospital groups. It functions as a centralized purchasing body and group purchasing organizer, aggregating demand to negotiate supplier contracts on behalf of French public hospitals, with annual purchasing volume of €7.7–8.6 billion.

Product overview

UniHA (Union des Hôpitaux pour les Achats) is France's largest public hospital procurement cooperative, operating as a Groupement de Coopération Sanitaire (GCS) de droit public. Its core offering is a platform of approximately 514 active public procurement markets across 16 purchasing domains, serving 1,550 member healthcare establishments and 123–124 territorial hospital groups (GHTs), with €8.6 billion in annual purchasing volume (2025). The portfolio spans biomedical engineering, biology, digital health (via CAIH subsidiary), medical devices, pharmaceuticals, catering, transport, energy, and sterile services. Key sub-offerings include: managed equipment services for surgical motors and organ perfusion machines (M_1682, M_1906); the CAIH IT and telecom subsidiary managing 35+ markets; the InitIAtive AI deployment program; the Lab'innovation innovation laboratory; the Efficience HA purchasing performance program; the SPASER sustainable purchasing framework; the PLACE national public procurement platform administered by UniHA for healthcare; the M_3182 sustainable development consulting market; and value-based procurement markets for orthopedic surgery robotics. The model is funded entirely by member subscriptions with no margin on contracts, achieving a cost of intermediation of €228 per €100,000 of purchases.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• CAIH: Centrale d'Achat de l'Informatique Hospitalière - subsidiary handling digital and telecom purchasing for healthcare establishments
• InitIAtive
• SPASER
• UniHAppro
• Lab'innovation
• Efficience HA

Products and services

• UniHA Purchasing Markets (Marchés UniHA)

Quantifiable outcome

• Cost savings: 0.25% intermediation rate (€250 per €100,000 of purchases)
• +7 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• PariSanté CampuscoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 May 2026UniHA President Pascale Mocaër and PariSanté Campus Director General Antoine Tesnière signed a partnership on May 22, 2026 at SantExpo to accelerate innovation deployment in health. The partnership aims to strengthen cooperation between hospital and industry actors, and support procurement performance for care excellence. Multiple joint initiatives are already underway, notably around UniHA's Lab'innovation.
• UGAP (Union des Группements d'Achats Publics)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 December 2025UniHA and UGAP signed a cooperation protocol on December 11, 2025 (signed May 21, 2026 at SantExpo) under DGOS/DGCS/ANAP roadmap. The partnership aims to strengthen public procurement performance for health and medico-social establishments through three levers: (1) targeted purchasing segment complementarity, (2) joint offering for the medico-social sector (22,000+ establishments), and (3) shared expertise on sovereignty, cybersecurity, deontology, and sustainable procurement. First joint seminar on sovereignty held March 25, 2026 addressing medical consumables, digital sovereignty, and a shared sovereignty barometer planned for 2027.
• DNS (Délégation au Numérique en Santé)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 July 2025DNS and UniHA signed a partnership on July 3, 2025 to facilitate scaling of innovative solutions from France 2030 health tech experimentation tiers-lieux. UniHA developed a Dynamic Acquisition System (SAD) market for innovative digital health solutions accessible to all members. DNS provides the regulatory and policy framework while UniHA provides procurement infrastructure and supplier onboarding support.
• GCS Achats Santé BretagneminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 29 May 2024Partnership signed May 29, 2024 in Rennes. GCS Achats Santé Bretagne contributes its territorial anchoring and field expertise, while UniHA provides national-level procurement scale and expertise. Both organizations cooperate on sustainable procurement, cybersecurity, and sovereignty topics.
• GCS Achats Santé d'Occitanie (GCS ASO)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 14 May 2024Partnership signed May 14, 2024 in Carcassonne. GCS ASO brings regional territorial knowledge and proximity support for establishments in Occitanie, while UniHA provides national procurement expertise, legal support, sourcing, and negotiation capabilities. Both organizations share a common cooperative DNA in hospital purchasing.
• CAIH (Centrale d'Achat de l'Informatique Hospitalière)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAIH is a related purchasing body created in 2014 under the impetus of 6 founding members, managing over 35 markets serving 2,000+ health, medico-social and social members. CAIH and UniHA jointly run the InitIAtive program for AI deployment in hospitals and share the same Director General (Thomas Jan). CAIH is responsible for IT and telecom procurement while UniHA handles broader health product categories.
• EIT HealthcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEIT Health is a European Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) on health and active aging under the European Institute of Innovation and Technology. UniHA and EIT Health jointly coordinate VBP.O (Value-Based Procurement Orthopedics), a €1M+ EU-funded project for value-based procurement in hip and knee surgery, involving French, Danish, and Spanish hospital partners.
• FHF (Fédération Hospitalière de France)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFHF unites and represents public hospitals and medico-social establishments in France. UniHA and FHF, together with CAIH, announced a joint national AI barometer for hospitals in May 2026, building on two separate 2025 barometers to create a shared reference framework for AI adoption measurement.
• AIS (Agence de l'Innovation en Santé)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerAIS supports the French health innovation ecosystem through the Innovation Santé 2030 plan, providing funding and strategic direction. UniHA aligns its innovation procurement initiatives with national innovation priorities set by AIS.
• ANap (Agence nationale de la performance sanitaire et médico-sociale)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerANap's mission is to support and equip professionals in health and medico-social establishments in improving performance. ANap is referenced as a partner supporting UniHA's cooperation with UGAP under the DGOS/DGCS/ANAP roadmap.
• Programme French Tech - 'Je choisis la French Tech'minorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe 'Je choisis la French Tech' program aims to double public and large private organization purchases from French tech startups by 2027. UniHA participates to facilitate startup access to hospital procurement and support innovative company growth.
• Ministry of Health (Ministère de la Santé et de l'Accès aux soins)minorOthersUniHA operates under the DGOS (Direction Générale de l'Offer de Soins) policy framework and aligns with national health procurement strategy, including the PHARE program objectives for hospital purchasing performance.
• Conférence des DG de CHRUminorGTM or Marketing PartnerThe Conference of CHR-CHU Director Generals (30 CHU, 2 CHR representing 40% of public hospitalization in France) is listed as a UniHA partner, representing the largest and most influential public hospital institutions.
• Club des RSSIminorGTM or Marketing PartnerClub of RSSI (Responsible for Information Systems Security) in public health establishments. Listed as a UniHA partner, likely relating to cybersecurity procurement coordination.
• UpCare Europe SASminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorUpCare Europe SAS is UniHA's distribution partner for Hyperfine's portable MRI system Swoop. UpCare was awarded a national referencing by UniHA to facilitate purchase of the Swoop portable brain MRI system by over 1,500 hospitals over three years, effective November 2025.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• RESAH (Réseau des Achats Hospitaliers): RESAH is a French public hospital Groupement d'Intérêt Public (GIP) operating as a centralized hospital purchasing body, directly comparable to UniHA in serving French public hospitals with cooperative procurement markets. It is one of UniHA's closest direct competitors in the French public hospital procurement landscape.
• UGAP (Union des Groupements d'Achats Publics): France's central public procurement body serving the broader public sector (education, local government, hospitals). UGAP directly overlaps with UniHA in health-adjacent categories and the two have signed a cooperation protocol (Dec 2025) — they are simultaneously competitors and partners in French public procurement.

Regional players

• GCS Achats Santé: Regional Groupements de Coopération Sanitaire focused on health purchasing at the regional level (e.g., Occitanie, Bretagne). Several regional GCS structures have partnered with UniHA but historically competed with it at the regional level for hospital member loyalty and procurement volume.

Broad incumbents

• NHS Supply Chain: UK state-owned national procurement body for the National Health Service. Operates a model closely comparable to UniHA — centralized public healthcare procurement — and serves as a useful international benchmark for scale, governance, and category coverage.
• Premier Inc. The largest US healthcare Group Purchasing Organization (GPO), serving thousands of hospitals and health systems. Comparable to UniHA in aggregating hospital purchasing power, though operating as a for-profit commercial enterprise versus UniHA's cooperative model.
• Vizient: Major US healthcare performance and GPO company serving academic medical centers, hospitals, and ambulatory providers. Comparable to UniHA in providing aggregated procurement and performance solutions, with greater scale and a for-profit capital structure.
• HealthTrust: US healthcare GPO owned by HCA Healthcare, serving a large member network of hospitals and ambulatory operators. Comparable as a hospital-focused GPO providing aggregated contracting, though structured as a private commercial entity.

Others

• EIT Health: European Knowledge and Innovation Community (KIC) under the European Institute of Innovation and Technology, focused on health innovation. UniHA partners with EIT Health on VBP.O and other innovation procurement projects, making it an adjacent ecosystem participant rather than a direct competitor.
• DGOS (Direction Générale de l'Offre de Soins): The French Directorate General for Healthcare Supply, part of the Ministry of Health. DGOS sets the PHARE national hospital purchasing performance program that mandates UniHA's role — an institutional policy counterpart rather than a competitive peer.
• CAIH (Centrale d'Achat de l'Informatique Hospitalière): UniHA's subsidiary for IT and telecom procurement, managing 35+ markets for 2,000+ members. Shown here for completeness as a related entity rather than a competitor — operates under the UniHA umbrella.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/uniha_hopital
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/uniha

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Subsidiaries3 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 UniHA