Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires

What Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires does

Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires (C.R.A) is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded in 2001 that operates a national business transfer marketplace connecting small and medium business sellers (cédants) with prospective buyers (repreneurs) of TPE/PME businesses across France. The platform currently lists 552 business opportunities for sale and connects users with 1,276 qualified buyers, spanning sectors including manufacturing, services, IT, construction, hospitality, and digital learning, with listed deal values ranging from approximately €220,000 to €2.9M. The core offering is the online marketplace augmented by regional volunteer delegate (bénévole) networks covering all 13 French metropolitan regions plus Belgium, providing personalized advisory support throughout the transfer process.

C.R.A generates revenue through two primary streams: recurring annual membership fees paid by both cédants and repreneurs, and professional training fees from C.R.A Formation, which delivers approximately 20 training sessions per year. The training portfolio includes Les compétences du repreneur (120-hour in-person certification program delivered across seven French cities), L'Atelier Digital de la Reprise (45-hour digital tutor-supported program launched April 2026), Les priorités des 100 jours après la reprise (2-day post-acquisition workshop), and Cadrer son projet de reprise et le communiquer. Training programs are registered in the French répertoire spécifique and eligible for CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation) funding.

The organization is a member-based non-profit governed by its members and supported by volunteer delegates; it has no parent company, no institutional investors, and no external funding rounds. Strategic alliances include RESEAU ENT & REP, the European transeo network, BPI France's Bourse de la Transmission platform, and the French government's Objectif Reprises national mobilization plan for business succession. C.R.A holds Qualiopi certification for training quality through partner regional training entities, and operates a headquarters in Paris (45 rue Vivienne, 75002) with 101-250 employees organization-wide.

Name

Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires

Legal name

Association Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires

Website

https://cra.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

101–250 employees

Short description

Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires (C.R.A) is a French non-profit association founded in 2001 that operates a national business transfer marketplace connecting SMB sellers (cédants) with prospective buyers (repreneurs), supplemented by professional training programs and a regional volunteer delegate network across France and Belgium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Transfer Services

akta.pro primary industry

M&A / Corporate Finance Finders (Deal Origination) (FSAEAMAD)

akta.pro secondary industry

Valuation, M&A & Corporate Development (EDABAJAN)

Keywords

• Business transfer facilitation
• SMB acquisition support
• Business succession services
• Entrepreneur training programs
• Business brokerage network

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices14 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: Annual membership fees for repreneurs (buyers) and cédants (sellers) providing access to the business listing database, delegate support, and association resources.
2. Training Programs: C.R.A Formation offers professional training courses including Les compétences du repreneur (120 hours), L'Atelier Digital de la Reprise (45 hours digital), Les priorités des 100 jours après la reprise (2 days), and Cadrer son projet de reprise. Training is registered in the specific directory and eligible for CPF funding.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

C.R.A operates a national business transfer marketplace that connects SMB sellers (cédants) with prospective buyers (repreneurs) across France, listing over 552 business opportunities and 1,276 qualified buyers. It complements the marketplace with C.R.A Formation, a structured training division offering certified courses in legal, financial, management, and negotiation skills required for TPE/PME acquisition, supported by a nationwide network of volunteer regional delegates.

Product overview

Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires (C.R.A) operates as a national business transfer marketplace and professional association connecting business sellers (cédants) with prospective buyers (repreneurs) of TPE/PME businesses across France. The platform features a database of over 552 business opportunities for sale and connects users with 1,276 qualified buyers. The core offering consists of C.R.A's listing platform complemented by C.R.A Formation, which provides structured training programs including 'Les compétences du repreneur' (in-person, 120 hours), 'L'Atelier Digital de la Reprise' (digital, 45 hours), and specialized programs for the first 100 days post-acquisition. Additional services include information meetings, expert search tools, and support from regional volunteer delegates. The platform categorizes businesses by sector including BTP, manufacturing, services, IT/software, agriculture, automotive, and more.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• C.R.A Formation: Training division offering programs for business buyers including 'Les compétences du repreneur', 'Atelier Digital de la Reprise', and 'Les priorités des 100 jours après la reprise'

Products and services

• C.R.A Business Transfer Marketplace National online marketplace listing over 552 TPE/PME business opportunities for sale across all French regions, with detailed dossiers covering financials, sector, and location, available to members through the regional delegate network.
• Les compétences du repreneur In-person certified training program (certification: Réussir sa reprise d'entreprise TPE-PME) covering legal, financial, management, and negotiation competencies needed to acquire a TPE/PME; 12 sessions annually, 120 hours total, CPF-eligible.
• L'Atelier Digital de la Reprise Digital tutor-supported training program of 45 hours over 4 weeks delivering the same key legal, financial, management and negotiation competencies for TPE/PME acquisition as the in-person program.
• Les priorités des 100 jours après la reprise Short in-person program (3 sessions, 2 days each) focused on the priorities for the first 100 days following a business acquisition, delivered in Rueil Malmaison, Nantes, and Lyon.
• Cadrer son projet de reprise et le communiquer Two-day in-person program (2 sessions per year) helping learners clarify and communicate their personal business acquisition project, available in Rueil Malmaison, Lille, and Lyon.
• Réunions d'information Regular in-person and webinar information meetings for prospective buyers (and sellers) about the business acquisition and transmission process, held in multiple French cities.
• Regional Delegate Support Network Network of volunteer delegates (bénévoles) providing personalized advisory support to members throughout the business transfer process, organized across regional delegations covering all French territories.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1276 qualified buyers (repreneurs qualifiés) in the network
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers10 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

Four partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Objectif Reprises (French Government)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026National mobilization plan by the French State to facilitate business transfers. C.R.A actively contributes to this national initiative alongside other business transfer stakeholders.
• RESEAU ENT & REPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork of enterprises and repreneurs (business buyers) that C.R.A collaborates with to facilitate business transfers in France.
• transeocoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEuropean network for business transfer professionals that C.R.A participates in for cross-border business transfer expertise and best practices sharing.
• BPI bourse de la transmissioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBPI France's business transfer exchange platform that C.R.A collaborates with to increase visibility of business transfer opportunities.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Cessionpme.com: French online marketplace for SMB business transfer (cession de PME). Directly competes with C.R.A for buyers and sellers, serving the same TPE/PME segment with a digital-first approach.
• Avenir Transmission: French association supporting business transmission to family members or third parties. Operates a similar non-profit ethos with regional delegate networks, focused on the same succession-planning pain points as C.R.A.
• Repreneurs.net: French SMB acquisition platform connecting repreneurs with businesses for sale. Operates a near-identical business transfer marketplace model to C.R.A, though as a for-profit digital platform rather than a non-profit association.
• Transmission-Entreprise (Bourse des Cessions): French business transfer marketplace serving cédants and repreneurs across France. Directly comparable in scope and target audience to C.R.A, with listings spanning similar industry verticals and deal sizes.
• PRAXXIS Conseil: French consulting firm specializing in business transmission (transmission d'entreprise) advisory. Complements C.R.A's marketplace by providing fee-based consulting where C.R.A's volunteer model offers guidance.

Broad incumbents

• Lincoln International: Global M&A advisory firm with a dedicated lower-middle-market practice. While not French-focused, it represents the type of for-profit, professionally-staffed M&A intermediary that competes for the larger end of C.R.A's deal universe.
• BPI France: French government investment bank that operates the "Bourse de la Transmission" — a national business transfer exchange that C.R.A explicitly partners with. BPI France is both a collaborator and a broader competitor with public-policy backing and capital deployment capabilities.

Regional players

• Transeo: European federation of business transfer organizations that C.R.A participates in as a member. Operates a broader pan-European scope with similar non-profit positioning, providing cross-border transfer expertise and best-practice sharing.
• Generational Equity: US-based M&A firm focused exclusively on SMB business transfers and succession planning. Operates the US equivalent of C.R.A's marketplace function with a fee-based model, providing a benchmark for international comparison.

Emerging players

• Linkience: French digital platform for business valuation and transfer support. Represents the emerging wave of technology-enabled alternatives to traditional broker and association-based transfer services like C.R.A.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCMt-EQsJVUcoJQDSTbuRpbg
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/c-dants-et-repreneurs-d%27affaires
• Xx.com/cra_asso

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Cédants et Repreneurs d'Affaires