Sogama

What Sogama does

Sogama Crédit Associatif is a French regulated financial company (société financière) licensed by the ACPR under number 23930L and headquartered at 75 rue Saint-Lazare, 75009 Paris. Founded in April 1977 by approximately fifty associations, congregations, and foundations under the leadership of François Bloch-Lainé, the company functions as France's reference guarantor for associations and Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) actors seeking bank credit. It addresses a documented market failure: non-profit borrowers typically lack the real estate collateral banks require, so Sogama absorbs and shares the credit risk with the borrower's bank, enabling access to financing that would otherwise be unavailable.

Sogama offers a three-tier suite of guarantee products. Short-term guarantees (6-24 months, EUR 50,000-100,000 per borrower, flat maximum fee of 2% comprising a 0.30% opening commission and 0.10% prorata per authorized month) cover the prefinancing of public subsidies and working-capital needs. Medium/long-term guarantees (2-35 years, EUR 50,000 to EUR 4.7M per borrower for medico-social and private-education sectors; up to EUR 1.7M elsewhere) are lissé (spread) over loan duration and cover investment, real estate, equipment, and working-capital needs. Administrative guarantees (up to 100% coverage, up to EUR 1M per beneficiary) protect local authorities and public bodies against subsidy misuse or guarantee CARSAT loans for medico-social establishments. Pricing is transaction-based and proportionate to risk share, with reduced commissions under the InvestEU and EaSI EU programmes.

Sogama operates bank-neutrally, working with all major French banking networks (Société Générale, Crédit Mutuel, CIC, La Banque Postale, Crédit Agricole, BNP Paribas, LCL, Crédit Coopératif, BPCE, La NEF) without exclusivity. Loan applications are submitted by the borrower's bank and Sogama issues a guarantee decision within five business days of receiving a complete file. Capacity is amplified by a co-guarantee convention with Bpifrance (reference shareholder since 2014) and counter-guarantee facilities with the European Investment Fund (EUR 30M under EaSI in 2019 and EUR 40M under InvestEU on 29 September 2023). In 2024, Sogama delivered 137 guarantees totalling EUR 44.2M, supporting EUR 90M in ESS borrowing and EUR 184M in realised investments, and serves 150-200 ESS structures annually across health, medico-social, education, insertion, sport, leisure, and social housing verticals.

Name

Sogama

Legal name

Sogama Crédit Associatif

Website

https://sogama.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1977

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Sogama Crédit Associatif is a French ACPR-licensed financial institution providing credit guarantees to associations and Social and Solidarity Economy actors, enabling bank financing across health, medico-social, education, sport, and social housing sectors via bank-neutral products and EU-supported counter-guarantee facilities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Credit Guarantee Services

NAICS

Other Nondepository Credit Intermediation (52229)

SIC

Surety Insurance (6351)

akta.pro primary industry

Surety & Bond Brokerage (FSAEADAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Notary / Bail / Miscellaneous Consumer Bonds (FSAJAIAK)

Keywords

• Credit guarantee services
• Social economy financing
• Association banking guarantees
• ESS loan guarantees
• Risk sharing finance

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

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, Others

Revenue model

1. Guarantee commissions: Sogama earns commissions on guarantees issued to banks, proportional to the risk share. The cost is spread over the loan duration for medium/long-term guarantees. For short-term guarantees, a flat fee of maximum 2% of the guaranteed amount applies, comprising an opening commission of 0.30% and a prorata temporis commission of 0.10% per authorized month. Under the InvestEU programme with the European Investment Fund, each loan benefits from a reduction of 10 basis points on the guarantee commission compared to standard rates.
2. Co-guarantee fees: Sogama shares risk with partner banks through co-guarantee arrangements, notably with Bpifrance, enabling it to guarantee up to 4.7 million euros per borrower in the medico-social or private education sectors, with the risk shared between Sogama and the bank.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Sogama provides credit guarantees to associations and other Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) actors in France, enabling them to access bank financing for investment, working capital, and public subsidy prefinancing. Sogama works with all major French banking networks without exclusivity, sharing credit risk with banks and issuing guarantee decisions within 5 business days. The product range covers short-term guarantees (6–24 months), medium/long-term guarantees (2–35 years), and administrative guarantees for subsidies and CARSAT loans, with guarantee coverage up to €4.7 million per borrower in the medico-social and private education sectors.

Product overview

Sogama offers a unified suite of bank guarantee products specifically designed for the social economy sector. The portfolio comprises three main guarantee categories: short-term guarantees (6-24 months) for working capital needs related to public subsidies; medium-long-term guarantees (2-35 years) for real estate investments, equipment, and working capital; and administrative guarantees for subsidy risk coverage. These products integrate with co-guarantee arrangements with Bpifrance and counter-guarantee facilities with the European Investment Fund under the InvestEU program, enabling guarantees up to 4.7 million€ for qualifying borrowers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Garantie des prêts court terme Short-term loan guarantee for associations with public subsidies, covering working capital needs arising from public funding cycles. Duration ranges from 6 to 24 months (renewable), quotity up to 70% of authorized overdraft, with amounts between €50,000 and €100,000 per borrower. Flat cost of maximum 2% of guaranteed amount, comprising an opening commission of 0.30% and a pro rata temporis commission of 0.10% per authorized month.
• Garantie des prêts moyen-long terme Standard Standard medium and long-term loan guarantee covering investments, renovations, equipment purchases, and working capital for associations, cooperatives, and mutual societies. Duration 2–32 years with up to 2 years of fund mobilization; guaranteed amounts from €50,000 to €4,700,000 (medico-social and private education: up to €4.7M; other sectors: up to €1.7M) with cost spread over loan duration.
• Garantie des prêts MLT InvestEU Medium-long term loan guarantee under the European InvestEU program for social enterprises meeting specific social impact criteria. Loan amounts up to €2 million (tranches possible), with a 10 basis point reduction in guarantee commission compared to standard rates.
• Garantie des prêts MLT Banque des Territoires Guarantee for loans granted by Banque des Territoires (Caisse des Dépôts) to social housing actors, covering construction, acquisition, and renovation projects for social and medico-social premises. Duration 2–35 years (with up to 2 years of fund mobilization), guaranteed amount from €50,000 to €4,300,000, with cost spread over loan duration.
• Garantie Familles Rurales Specialized guarantee for associations and federations affiliated with the Fédération nationale des Familles Rurales network, covering investment loans and working capital needs. Duration 2–32 years, up to 80% of credit amount, with fixed cost spread over loan duration.
• Garantie Intégration Guarantee for associations working toward social integration of disadvantaged populations in priority neighborhoods or sites, covering investments and working capital for 2 to 15 years.
• Garantie Administrative - Subventions OGEC Administrative guarantee covering 100% of subsidies granted by local authorities to private secondary schools under state contracts (OGEC), up to €1 million per beneficiary, protecting local authorities against misuse of funds.
• Garantie Administrative - Garantie Financière Financial guarantee for associations responding to public procurement calls from local authorities or European institutions, covering subsidies or public contracts up to €1 million per beneficiary, with cost depending on subsidy amortization duration.
• Garantie Administrative - Garantie des prêts CARSAT Guarantee for loans from CARSAT (pension and occupational health insurance funds) granted to associations, foundations, congregations, and related entities, covering real estate and equipment investments up to 30 years and €4.3 million (capped for medico-social establishments).

Quantifiable outcome

• 44.2 million euros in guarantees granted in 2024 (+9% YoY), enabling 90 million euros in borrowing and 184 million euros in investments
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments8 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Sogama ConseilcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Sogama Conseil (formerly Sogama before the 2014 restructuring) is the associative shareholder of Sogama Crédit Associatif, representing ESS beneficiaries and major associative federations. It participates in Sogama's governance by providing an opinion on the quality of guarantee applications presented to Sogama Crédit Associatif. It was also a co-investor in the 2018 capital increase.
• Fédération Française de Tennis (FFT)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1977The French Tennis Federation is a founding member of Sogama, represented in Sogama's governance bodies (Sogama Conseil). The FFT plays an important role in investment decisions for regional leagues and member clubs, and participates with Sogama in supporting the development of tennis infrastructure across France. Sogama has 11 million euros in guaranteed credits in the tennis sector since 2022.
• Société Générale (SG)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorSociété Générale is a key banking partner of Sogama, offering Sogama-backed guarantees to its association clients. Sogama's guarantee enables SG to extend credit to ESS borrowers with reduced risk exposure. SG is represented in the Sogama ecosystem through the 2018 capital raise and ongoing commercial partnership.
• Crédit MutuelcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrédit Mutuel is a major banking partner of Sogama, providing credit with Sogama's guarantee to association borrowers. Featured as a partner at the 2025 General Assembly, demonstrating active GTM collaboration.
• CIC (Crédit Industriel et Commercial)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCIC is a long-standing banking partner of Sogama, distributing Sogama guarantee products to its association clients across France.
• La Banque PostalecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLa Banque Postale is a partner bank of Sogama, offering guarantee-backed loans to ESS actors and associations.
• Banque des Territoires (Caisse des Dépôts)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorThe Banque des Territoires (Caisse des Dépôts) partners with Sogama specifically for housing finance (Habitat Spécifique). Sogama guarantees loans originated by the Banque des Territoires for construction, acquisition, or renovation of social and medico-social premises, with guarantees of up to 100% of credit outstanding on terms of up to 35 years.
• Crédit AgricolecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrédit Agricole is a key partner bank of Sogama, distributing guarantee products to its broad base of association and ESS clients throughout France.
• Crédit CoopératifcoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCrédit Coopératif, the cooperative bank focused on the ESS sector, is a natural partner of Sogama, sharing Sogama's mission of supporting social economy actors.
• Familles RuralescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe national federation Familles Rurales is a member of Sogama Conseil and participates in Sogama's governance. Sogama offers a dedicated 'Garantie Familles Rurales' product for associations affiliated with the federation. Duration 2 to 32 years, up to 80% of credit amount, with fixed cost spread over loan duration.
• UNAPEIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNAPEI is a major federation representing people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Member of Sogama Conseil governance, bringing expertise in the medico-social sector to Sogama's guarantee activities.
• APAJHcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAPAJH (Association Pour Adultes et Jeunes Handicapés) is a federation active in the disability sector, represented in Sogama's governance through Sogama Conseil, providing specialist knowledge of medico-social risk for guarantee decisions.
• FEHAP (Fédération des Etablissements Hospitaliers et d'Aide à la Personne)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFEHAP is the federation of healthcare and social care establishments, represented in Sogama's governance. Its participation brings critical expertise in healthcare and medico-social risk assessment.
• OGEC (Office Général de l'Enseignement Catholique)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOGEC is the national office of Catholic education, representing private Catholic schools under contract with the State. Member of Sogama Conseil. Sogama offers dedicated 'Garantie Administrative OGEC' products for private education subsidies guaranteed by OGEC member schools.
• UFCV (Union Française des Centres de Vacances et de Loisirs)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFCV is a federation in the youth, leisure, and holiday sector, participating in Sogama's governance through Sogama Conseil.
• UNIOPSS (Union Nationale Interfédérale des Oeuvres et Organismes Privés Non Lucratifs Sanitaires et Sociaux)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNIOPSS is a major federation of private non-profit health and social organisations, represented in Sogama's governance through Sogama Conseil.
• La NEF (Nouvelle Économie Fraternelle)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLa NEF is a cooperative bank specialising in ethical and social finance, listed as a banking partner of Sogama.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Initiative France: Initiative France is a national network of locally-funded loan guarantee associations supporting business creation. It is comparable to Sogama in offering credit guarantees (with co-guarantees from Bpifrance) to underserved borrowers, though its target is entrepreneurial creation rather than the broader ESS sector.
• France Active: France Active is a French solidarity-finance network providing guarantees and loans to social enterprises and ESS actors. It is the closest direct peer to Sogama in terms of customer base (associations, social enterprises), guarantee product offerings, and mission focus on financing the Social and Solidarity Economy.
• Crédit Coopératif: Crédit Coopératif is a French cooperative bank dedicated to the ESS sector and one of Sogama's distribution partners. While it originates loans (Sogama does not), it shares the same customer base (associations, cooperatives, mutuals) and ESG/ESS strategic positioning.
• La NEF (Nouvelle Économie Fraternelle): La NEF is a French cooperative bank specialising in ethical and social finance, listed among Sogama's distribution partners. Like Crédit Coopératif, it originates loans (rather than guaranteeing them) but targets the same ESS borrower segment with overlapping GTM into associations.
• SIAGI: SIAGI is a French mutual guarantee institution providing credit guarantees to small businesses, craftspeople, and liberal professions. While focused on a different customer segment than Sogama, it shares the same underlying business model (credit guarantee société de caution) and similar regulatory perimeter under ACPR.

Broad incumbents

• Bpifrance: Bpifrance is France's public investment bank and Sogama's reference shareholder. It operates a much broader portfolio (loans, equity, export, innovation) but includes guarantee activities through its co-guarantee convention with Sogama and direct guarantee offerings for SMEs and ESS actors.
• European Investment Fund (EIF): The European Investment Fund is an EU-level counter-guarantor and SME/impact investor. Sogama benefits from two EIF counter-guarantee facilities (€30M EaSI 2019, €40M InvestEU 2023); EIF operates on a much larger scale and across all EU member states but uses the same credit-enhancement instrument model.
• Caisse des Dépôts: Caisse des Dépôts is the French public financial institution that was Sogama's reference shareholder before Bpifrance in 2014 and remains a major counterparty through Banque des Territoires. It operates a much broader portfolio of public-interest finance but shares the ESS/social-housing mission in areas where Sogama's guarantees back its loans.

Emerging players

• Réseau Entreprendre: Réseau Entreprendre is a French non-profit network supporting business creators through mentoring and loan guarantees. It serves a more entrepreneurial segment than Sogama's ESS associations, but its guarantee-fund structure (locally pooled, co-guaranteed with Bpifrance) makes it a comparable model of localised credit enhancement for under-served borrowers.

Others

• France Horizon: France Horizon is a French non-profit association providing integration services for displaced populations. While an Sogama customer (testimonial partner at 2025 General Assembly) rather than a direct competitor, it illustrates the institutional buyer profile Sogama serves and offers perspective on customer-side operating context.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sogama

Compliance3 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Sogama