SFCoach

What SFCoach does

SFCoach (Société Française de Coaching) is a French non-profit professional association founded circa 1996-1997, headquartered in Paris, that serves as the recognized reference body for professional coaching practitioners in France. The association brings together a community of professional coaches, managers, HR directors, and specialists in the human sciences around an humanistic and demanding vision of coaching practice. SFCoach's core offerings are organized around a three-tier accreditation system (Praticien, Associé, Titulaire) plus a Postulant pathway, governed by a binding Code of Ethics enforced through a dedicated Comité d'Agrément et de Déontologie (CAD). Beyond accreditation, the association operates a searchable online directory of accredited coaches, a mentorship program pairing junior and senior practitioners, monthly Practice Groups (GEP), co-development workshops using the Payette and Champagne method, and a calendar of regional events across five French territories (Ile-de-France, Grand-Ouest, Sud, Rhône-Alpes-Auvergne, Grand-Sud-Ouest).

SFCoach is not a technology company — it provides no software product, API, or proprietary platform. Its primary technology-adjacent infrastructure consists of a WordPress-based website hosting the member directory, a YouTube channel (SFCoach TV) for conference recordings and member testimonies, OpenCafé virtual sessions, and standard social media presence on LinkedIn, Facebook, and Twitter. The association is GDPR-compliant and registered with the CNIL under number 1454153. Day-to-day operations are managed by a small team (1-10 employees) led by an Operational General Delegate (Déléguée Générale Opérationnelle, Maguelone Laurens), with governance provided by an elected Board of Directors most recently renewed in June 2025 under President Florence Gazeau (mandate 2025-2027).

The business model is membership-funded: SFCoach generates revenue exclusively through annual membership dues and accreditation filing fees across its four tiers. There is no venture capital, private equity, or external investment; ownership and control rest with the collective membership body. End-client pricing for coaching services delivered by members ranges from €100-200 per session for individual coaching to €5,000-€10,000 for enterprise engagements typically comprising 6-10 sessions over six months, though SFCoach itself does not bill clients — it serves as a referral and accreditation layer between accredited coaches and the market.

Name

SFCoach

Legal name

Société Française de Coaching

Website

https://sfcoach.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1997

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SFCoach (Société Française de Coaching) is a French non-profit professional association founded circa 1996-1997, accrediting professional coaches through a three-tier system, enforcing a Code of Ethics, and serving as the recognized reference body for coaching in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Coaching Association Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

National Governing Bodies (NGBs) (MPAKAFAC)

Keywords

• Professional coaching accreditation
• Coaching association services
• Executive coaching referral
• Coaching ethics framework
• Coach professional development

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues and Accreditations: SFCoach generates revenue through annual membership dues and accreditation fees from its members (Titulaire, Associé, Praticien, Postulant levels). The association is registered as a non-profit organization (association à but non lucratif) under French law.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

SFCoach is a French non-profit professional association that accredits professional coaches through a three-tier system (Praticien, Associé, Titulaire) plus a Postulant pathway. It maintains a public directory of accredited members, runs a mentorship program, organizes regional practice groups (GEP), co-development workshops, and conferences, and enforces a binding Code of Ethics through its Comité d'Agrément et de Déontologie.

Product overview

SFCoach (Société Française de Coaching) is a professional association serving as the reference organization for professional coaching in France for over 25 years. Rather than a unified software product, SFCoach offers a portfolio of services including accreditation programs for coaches at three levels (Praticien, Associé, Titulaire), a searchable directory of accredited members, a mentoring program pairing junior coaches with seniors, and regular professional development events including workshops, conferences, and practice groups. The association provides a Code of Ethics framework and various regional communities for peer exchange and professional development. SFCoach does not offer a traditional SaaS product but rather professional association services, certification programs, and networking opportunities for the coaching profession.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coach Accreditation Programs

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• Forum des Réseaux de l'EntrepriseminorGTM or Marketing Partner · 1 January 2025SFCoach is a partner of the 14th Forum des Réseaux (Enterprise Networks Forum) in Marseille, participating in workshops and conferences on professional topics.
• OpiiecminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2022SFCoach collaborated with Opiiec on a market study of the coaching profession in France, providing industry insights and professional market analysis.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves2 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Emerging players

• AoEC (Academy of Executive Coaching): AoEC is a specialist executive coaching training provider and accrediting body, overlapping with SFCoach on professional development and accreditation, but focused on training delivery rather than ongoing association membership.

Direct peers

• EMCC (European Mentoring and Coaching Council): EMCC is a pan-European professional body for coaches and mentors, running accreditation (EQA), ethics frameworks, and member services across multiple countries — directly comparable to SFCoach's accreditation tiers and Code of Ethics approach.
• ICF (International Coaching Federation): ICF is the world's largest coaching federation with multi-tier credentialing (ACC, PCC, MCC), a Code of Ethics, and chapter-based community — the global analog and primary competitor to SFCoach's reference-position in the French market.
• European Coach Federation (ECF): ECF is a pan-European coach association offering membership tiers, ethics standards, and regional chapters — directly comparable in operating model to SFCoach but oriented across multiple European geographies.
• IAC (International Association of Coaching): IAC provides multi-level coach certification, ethics standards, and a global directory of practitioners; functionally equivalent to SFCoach's directory + accreditation + ethics offering but globally oriented.
• WABC (World Association of Business Coaches): WABC is an international association of business coaches offering chartered credentials, ethics standards, and member networking — operating the same membership-accreditation-community model SFCoach uses in France.

Others

• Institute of Coaching (IOC): IOC is a research-focused coaching institute affiliated with Harvard Medical School that convenes practitioners and disseminates evidence-based practice; comparable to SFCoach's "Pôle Recherche" and content-publishing activities.
• CCE (Center for Credentialing & Education): CCE provides third-party credentialing for coaches globally; comparable to SFCoach's accreditation function but operating as an external certification body rather than membership association.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/sfcoachinfo
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCF3YTaWUNB1sGYNSmdBpdnQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sfcoach

Compliance1 record

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 SFCoach