COBAS

What COBAS does

COBAS (Communauté d'agglomération du Bassin Arcachon Sud) is a French public intercommunal authority (établissement public de coopération intercommunale) headquartered at 2, allée d'Espagne in Arcachon, mandated by law to coordinate and deliver public services across four member communes: Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, and Le Teich. The entity is governed through a Conseil Communautaire currently presided by Thierry Gouaichault, Mayor of La Teste-de-Buch. There is no private ownership, parent company, or subsidiary structure; COBAS is accountable to the elected representatives of the member municipalities.

The service portfolio spans waste collection and recycling (Pôle Environnement), public mobility (buses, sea buses, cycling lanes, Arcachon aerodrome), housing renovation assistance (Service Habitat under the OPAH and France Rénov programs), vocational training and apprenticeship (Bassin Formation, including a newly launched Bachelor program), economic development (Pôle Économique with incubator, nursery, and enterprise hotel), cultural services (Réseau des Médiathèques across the four communes), free legal guidance (Point-Justice), and health and social solidarity programs. Underlying delivery rests on a standard public-administration digital stack: the official website, an online service portal, Facebook, Instagram, and a Mag'Agglo multimedia publication.

Revenue mechanics are characteristic of French local government rather than commercial enterprise. COBAS is funded through local taxes, intergovernmental transfers, and service fees, with disclosed programmatic budgets including €7,500,000 for the 2025-2031 Habitat PLH and €3,492,629 HT for a single road rehabilitation project. Pricing is non-commercial across the portfolio. Distribution combines physical offices, appointment-based housing and energy consultants, mobile waste collection, and online self-serve channels. Marketing is informational, focused on resident communications rather than demand generation.

Name

COBAS

Legal name

Communauté de communes Bassin Arcachon Sud

Website

https://agglo-cobas.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COBAS is a French public intercommunal authority delivering waste collection, public transport, housing renovation assistance, vocational training, economic development, libraries, and social services across the four communes of Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, and Le Teich.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Services

NAICS

Other Similar Organizations (except Business, Professional, Labor, and Political Organizations) (81399), Community Housing Services (62422), Community Food and Housing, and Emergency and Other Relief Services (6242)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Mixed-Use Community Association Management (BPAJAHAF)

akta.pro secondary industry

Public Health Governance, Interagency Coordination & Partnerships (HLAJAMAD)

Keywords

• Waste management services
• Public transportation services
• Housing renovation assistance
• Vocational training programs
• Economic development support

Headquarters

HQ city

Arcachon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Local taxation and intergovernmental transfers: As a French intercommunality (Établissement public de coopération intercommunale), COBAS operates as a public administrative body funded primarily through local taxes (contributions fiscales), intergovernmental grants, and service fees from its member communes.

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

COBAS is a French public intercommunality (établissement public de coopération intercommunale) coordinating municipal services for four communes in the Bassin d'Arcachon Sud — Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, and Le Teich. Its service portfolio includes waste collection and recycling, public mobility (buses, sea bus, cycling infrastructure, aerodrome), housing renovation assistance through OPAH and France Rénov, vocational training (Bassin Formation CFA/APP), business incubation and economic development (Pôle Économique), a four-site library network, Point-Justice legal access, and health/social solidarity programs.

Product overview

COBAS operates as a unified municipal service platform offering multiple public services to the Bassin Arcachon Sud territory. The organization provides integrated services across leisure activities (ALSH), environmental services (waste collection and recycling), mobility (buses and sea buses), housing assistance, professional training (Bassin Formation), economic development support, library services, legal access points, and health/social solidarity programs. These services are delivered through dedicated departments including the Service Habitat, Pôle Économique, and Bassin Formation, serving the four municipalities of Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, and Le Teich.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pôle Économique de la COBAS: Economic development hub of COBAS supporting businesses, incubators, and employment services
• Bassin Formation
• Service Habitat de la COBAS
• Réseau des Médiathèques

Products and services

• Accueil de Loisirs Sans Hébergement (ALSH) Childcare and leisure services (centres de loisirs) for families, including holiday activities and recreational programs for children across the COBAS territory.
• Pôle Environnement - Gestion des Déchets Waste collection, recycling centers (déchèteries), and water management services across the COBAS territory, including evening collection rounds and seasonal schedule changes.
• Mobilités Public transportation services including buses, sea buses (bus de mer), cycling lanes, multimodal planning (PDM), and aerodrome operations under Director Stéphane Gardot.
• Service Habitat Housing assistance providing guidance on home renovation, energy efficiency, OPAH (Opération Programmée d'Amélioration de l'Habitat), social housing programs, and France Rénov support, implemented in partnership with SOLIHA and Anah.
• Bassin Formation Training and professional development center offering CFA (apprentice training center), APP (Atelier de Pédagogie Personnalisée), continuing education, alternance programs, and Bachelor's-level programming for students and job seekers.
• Pôle Économique de la COBAS Economic development services including business incubator (Incubateur), nursery (Pépinière), business hotel (Hôtel d'Entreprises), employment services, BA2E, and the call for innovative startup projects for local businesses and entrepreneurs.
• Réseau des Médiathèques Network of public libraries serving Arcachon, La Teste-de-Buch, Gujan-Mestras, and Le Teich municipalities, providing reading, cultural programming, and community resources.
• Point-Justice Legal access point operated with CDAD providing free legal information and guidance to citizens on rights and procedures.
• Solidarités et Santé Health and social services including the Contrat Local de Santé, Conseil Local de Santé Mentale, Accueil de Jour Itinérant, Accueil des Gens du Voyage, and Chèque Eau program.

Quantifiable outcome

• Since March 2021, nearly 1,600 households contacted the Service Habitat; 355 benefited from OPAH support; 1,164,000 € TTC of renovation work completed.
• +2 more outcomes

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• SOLIHAcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerSOLIHA is the service provider for the Service Habitat's public renovation service (mission de service public de rénovation de l'habitat). The market for assistance to project owner was renewed in April 2024.
• SYBARVALcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOBAS collaborates with SYBARVAL (Syndicat du Bassin d'Arcachon et du Val de l'Eyre) for responses to regional calls for projects, including the France Rénov Pacte Territorial initiative.
• COBANcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOBAS works with COBAN (Communauté de communes du Nord Bassin) for joint responses to regional calls for projects including the France Rénov initiative.
• VAL DE L'EYREcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOBAS collaborates with VAL DE L'EYRE for the joint response to the Region Nouvelle-Aquitaine's call for the new Public Service for Housing Renovation (Service Public de Rénovation de l'Habitat) in the context of France Rénov.
• DomofranceminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorDomofrance is a social housing operator (bailleur social) that COBAS supports financially for the construction of social housing units. Stéphane Moreau from Domofrance participated in the COBAS Innovation jury.
• Centre Hospitalier d'ArcachonminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMariane Lavignon from Centre Hospitalier d'Arcachon participated in the jury for the COBAS 2026 startup innovation call for projects.
• SIBA (Syndicat Intercommunal du Bassin d'Arcachon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSIBA is referenced for water management and stormwater infrastructure coordination on road rehabilitation projects.
• EDFminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPhilippe Bougeard from EDF participated in the COBAS 2026 innovation jury. EDF is also involved in public lighting projects on road rehabilitation sites.
• Airbus DéveloppementminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYvon Gaubert from Airbus Développement participated in the jury for the COBAS 2026 startup innovation call for projects.
• La FrenchTech BordeauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMikael Lozano from La FrenchTech Bordeaux participated in the COBAS 2026 innovation jury.
• Bordeaux TechnowestminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJean-Francois Guilbon from Bordeaux Technowest participated in the COBAS 2026 innovation jury. Bordeaux Technowest is a startup/innovation ecosystem player.
• Barreau de BordeauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerJulie Morel from Barreau de Bordeaux (Bar Association) participated in the COBAS 2026 innovation jury.
• SafranminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChristelle Bouchonnet from Safran participated in the COBAS 2026 innovation jury.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• COBAN (Communauté de communes du Nord Bassin): Sister intercommunality immediately adjacent to COBAS on the Bassin d'Arcachon; same Nouvelle-Aquitaine geography, similar service mandate (waste, mobility, housing, economic development), and active joint partner on France Rénov responses.
• Communauté d'Agglomération du Pays Basque: Nouvelle-Aquitaine intercommunality with a comparable coastal service portfolio including waste, mobility, housing (OPAH/France Rénov), vocational training, and economic development; similar population scale and governance structure.
• Communauté d'Agglomération de La Rochelle: Coastal Nouvelle-Aquitaine communauté d'agglomération delivering the same mix of urban transport, waste, housing, training, and cultural services; directly comparable operating model to COBAS at similar scale.

Broad incumbents

• Bordeaux Métropole: Large-scale intercommunality in the same Nouvelle-Aquitaine region; provides the same waste/mobility/housing/economic development portfolio across many communes, anchoring a broader set of competencies than COBAS's smaller footprint.
• Nantes Métropole: Established French intercommunality providing integrated waste, mobility, housing, economic development, and cultural services; a broader incumbent offering a reference operating model for COBAS's expanding platform.
• Toulouse Métropole: Major French intercommunality delivering a multi-vertical public service platform including transport, waste, housing, training, and economic development; comparable mandate at significantly larger scale.
• Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole: Mediterranean-coast French intercommunality running an integrated mobility, waste, housing, and economic development portfolio; directly analogous public service model at metropolitan scale.
• Rennes Métropole: French intercommunality combining mobility, waste, housing, economic development, and training delivery under a unified council; a benchmark integrated public-services platform analogous to COBAS's structure.
• Strasbourg Eurométropole: Cross-border French intercommunality with a comprehensive waste, mobility, housing, and economic development mandate; illustrates the scaled operating model toward which COBAS's integrated platform can evolve.

Others

• SYBARVAL (Syndicat du Bassin d'Arcachon et du Val de l'Eyre): Syndicat mixte active in the same Bassin d'Arcachon geography and a core COBAS partner on France Rénov responses; not a direct administrative peer but a tightly coupled ecosystem player in housing and territorial planning.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xfacebook.com/cobaslagglo
• Facebookfacebook.com/cobaslagglo
• Instagraminstagram.com/agglocobas2024/profilecard/?igsh=YXcwNjNycnd1Yzc
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cobas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 COBAS