Fondation Ensemble
Fondation Ensemble is a private French foundation, founded in 2004 and hosted under Fondation de France, that grants funds and makes impact investments in sustainable development projects across agriculture, fishing, biodiversity, and sustainable technologies in developing countries and, since 2021, European rewilding.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2004
- HeadquartersParis, France
- Headcount—
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What Fondation Ensemble does
Fondation Ensemble is a private French grant-making foundation, founded in 2004 and hosted under the umbrella of Fondation de France at 40 avenue Hoche, 75008 Paris. It funds sustainable development projects in four interconnected sectors — Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Fishing, Biodiversity Conservation, and Sustainable Technologies — through three programs: a Programme Fund (€100,000–€150,000 per project, targeting organizations with minimum €500,000 annual budget), an Endangered Animal Species Small Grants program (maximum €8,000 over 1–2 years), and an Impact Investment Fund launched in 2017 that takes equity stakes in social enterprises such as ATEC Biodigesters and the Impact Finance Fund. Project selection is centralized through an annual call-for-proposals process (December publication, February deadline) and a 34-member volunteer Board of Experts (Collège des experts) that conducts evaluation and monitoring; recipients include NGOs, research institutes, local authorities, and social enterprises operating across Peru, Ecuador, Laos, Myanmar, Mozambique, Madagascar, and (since 2021) European countries for rewilding projects.
The foundation's revenue model is donations-based rather than commercial: it accepts notarized donations, temporary donations, bequests, and foreign donations, and is authorized to issue French tax-deductible receipts. Marketing and project origination run through its website, monthly email newsletters, Facebook and Twitter accounts, and annual reports and technical factsheets. The foundation has cumulatively deployed approximately $33 million across 348 projects since inception, with stated impact of 6.3 million individuals supported, 4.7 million hectares protected, 2.2 million trees replanted, and 120 animal species protected. Governance is led by Co-Chair Jacqueline Délia Brémond, Director Olivier Braunsteffer, and Communications Officer Benjamin Gicquaud; co-founder Jean-Louis Servan-Schreiber passed away in November 2020 from COVID-19 complications.
Critically, the foundation's operations are currently constrained: due to the financial impact of COVID-19, Fondation Ensemble has suspended all calls for proposals, is not engaging in new partnerships, and has no staff available to manage communications, indicating a material contraction in active program deployment despite a legal "operating" status.
Fondation Ensemble firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Fondation Ensemble
- Legal name
- Fondation Ensemble
- Website
- https://fondationensemble.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2004
- Operating status
- Operating
- Short description
- Fondation Ensemble is a private French foundation, founded in 2004 and hosted under Fondation de France, that grants funds and makes impact investments in sustainable development projects across agriculture, fishing, biodiversity, and sustainable technologies in developing countries and, since 2021, European rewilding.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Fondation Ensemble industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Environmental Philanthropy and Sustainable Development Grants
- NAICS
- Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (8132), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAM)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- International Grantmaking & Development Foundations (BPAGAKAH), Research & Science Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAI), Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)
Keywords
Where Fondation Ensemble is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Paris
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices1 record
Markets served
Fondation Ensemble business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Others
Revenue model
- Grant Funding: Provides grants to NGOs, associations, research institutes, and local authorities for sustainable development projects in four focus sectors: Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Fishing, Biodiversity Conservation, and Sustainable Technologies.
- Impact Investment: Since 2017, the Foundation invests in social enterprises through equity stakes, such as ATEC biodigester company. Investment range from EUR 100,000 to EUR 150,000.
- Donations and Philanthropy: Accepts notarized donations, temporary donations, bequests, and legacies. Can receive donations from abroad and issues official receipts for tax deductions in France.
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels5 records
Fondation Ensemble product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Fondation Ensemble is a nonprofit foundation that grants funds to organizations working on sustainable development across four areas: sustainable agriculture, sustainable fishing, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable technologies. It supports NGOs, research institutes, and local authorities through multiple funding programs, including the Programme Fund, Endangered Animal Species Small Grants, and Impact Investment Fund, alongside informational publications.
Product overview
Fondation Ensemble is a private French foundation acting in favor of sustainable human development integrating environmental protection. The foundation operates primarily as a funding organization with three core programs: the Programme Fund supporting projects in Sustainable Agriculture, Sustainable Fishing, Biodiversity Conservation, and Sustainable Technologies; the Endangered Animal Species Small Grants for species conservation with no country restrictions; and an Impact Investment Fund for social enterprises. Additionally, the foundation produces knowledge products including annual reports, newsletters, and technical factsheets. Since 2004, the foundation has supported 348 projects for $33 million, reaching 6.3 million individuals, protecting 4.7 million hectares, replanting 2.2 million trees, and protecting 120 animal species.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Programme Fund Primary grant-making program of Fondation Ensemble, providing funding for sustainable development projects across sustainable agriculture, sustainable fishing, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable technologies.
- Endangered Animal Species Small Grants Targeted small grants program focused on conservation of endangered animal species.
- Impact Investment Fund Impact investment fund channeling capital toward sustainable ventures and projects aligned with the foundation's environmental mission.
- Publications Informational publications produced by Fondation Ensemble to communicate its work and findings.
Quantifiable outcome
- 348 projects supported with $33 million since 2004
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use Fondation Ensemble
Customer profileNamed customers8 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles2 records
Fondation Ensemble technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Fondation Ensemble partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.
- ATEC BiodigesterscoreSocial enterprise funded by Fondation Ensemble via its Impact Investment fund. ATEC scales up biogas technology providing clean energy solutions. Fondation Ensemble participated in second funding round.
- Ocean Revolution MozambiquecoreMarine conservation organization implementing projects in Mozambique. Inhambane Bay Community Conservation Network achieved Blue Spark designation under this partnership.
- Marine Megafauna Foundation (MMF)coreSupported marine conservation work in Mozambique leading to new laws protecting whale sharks, manta rays, and mobulas.
- People In NeedcoreCzech NGO implementing biodigester projects in Cambodia. Partnership started in 2014 for sustainable technology deployment.
- Conservation InternationalcoreLong-term partner for biodiversity conservation projects and conservation agreements methodology.
- Blue VenturescorePartner for sustainable fishing and community-based marine conservation projects.
- Peace Parks FoundationcoreImplementing marine conservation projects in Mozambique, including biodiversity of Ponta do Ouro Partial Marine Reserve.
- TAKHcoreAssociation pour le cheval de Przewalski - supported for reintroduction of Przewalski's horse in Mongolia. Three grants provided (2014, 2016, 2020).
- Coalition Française des Fondations pour le ClimatmajorFondation Ensemble is a signatory of the manifesto launched November 2020 to mobilize foundations on climate action.
- Marine Conservation InstitutemajorThrough Ocean Revolution partnership, contributed to Inhambane Bay achieving Blue Spark designation for marine conservation excellence.
Scale indicators7 records
Recent moves12 records
Expansion highlights5 records
Fondation Ensemble competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Fondation Nicolas Hulot: A French independent foundation funding environmental protection, biodiversity, and sustainable development. It is a close peer in mission (French-anchored environmental grantmaking), scale, and donor base, operating with similar project-based grant cycles and policy-advocacy ambitions.
- The Christensen Fund: A US family foundation supporting biocultural diversity, sustainable agriculture, and conservation across the Global South. Comparable as a small, expert-led, theme-specific grantmaker operating in similar geographies (e.g., Peru, Madagascar) with comparable grant sizes.
- Adessium Foundation: A European family foundation funding environment, nature conservation, and sustainable development. Closely comparable as a privately endowed, multi-thematic environmental grantmaker of similar size and operational style, with grants to NGOs in developing countries.
- Blue Marine Foundation: UK-based marine conservation grantmaker focused on sustainable fishing and ocean protection. Directly comparable in the marine-and-fisheries segment of Fondation Ensemble's portfolio, with overlapping partners (Blue Ventures) and similar project-grant mechanics.
- MAVA Foundation: A Swiss-anchored private foundation historically focused on biodiversity, climate, and oceans with similar four-sector logic and long-tenured expert governance. Highly comparable in program design, although historically larger in assets deployed and now winding down.
- Fondation Oak: A current strategic partner of Fondation Ensemble co-commissioning studies on marine ecosystems in Peru and Mozambique. Oak is a direct peer: a family-founded, environment-and-conservation-focused grantmaker operating in the same geographies with comparable grant sizes and a similar long-horizon, expert-driven project model.
Broad incumbents
- WWF France: The French affiliate of a global conservation NGO, working on biodiversity and sustainable resource use with funding mechanisms that overlap Fondation Ensemble's. Comparable mission and French footprint, but operating at a vastly larger scale with both grants and direct program delivery.
- Fondation de France: Parent umbrella of Fondation Ensemble and France's largest philanthropic network, distributing hundreds of millions of euros annually across causes. It is directly comparable as a French grantmaking platform, though vastly larger in scale, breadth of themes, and operational capacity.
- ClimateWorks Foundation: A larger philanthropic platform funding climate mitigation and adaptation worldwide, including nature-based solutions that overlap with Fondation Ensemble's Sustainable Agriculture and Biodiversity Conservation sectors. It is broader in mandate and budgets, making it an incumbent reference point rather than a head-to-head competitor.
Others
- Conservation International: A long-term implementation partner of Fondation Ensemble using Conservation Agreements methodology. It is not a peer grantmaker but a downstream implementer/partner receiving Foundation funding; useful as ecosystem context for evaluating Foundation impact and pipeline.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
Fondation Ensemble social profiles
Digital presenceFondation Ensemble financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Fondation Ensemble leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles3 records
Fondation Ensemble subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
Fondation Ensemble funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Fondation Ensemble M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments1 record
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Fondation Ensemble
What does Fondation Ensemble do?
Fondation Ensemble is a nonprofit foundation that grants funds to organizations working on sustainable development across four areas: sustainable agriculture, sustainable fishing, biodiversity conservation, and sustainable technologies. It supports NGOs, research institutes, and local authorities through multiple funding programs, including the Programme Fund, Endangered Animal Species Small Grants, and Impact Investment Fund, alongside informational publications.
Is Fondation Ensemble a public or private company?
Fondation Ensemble is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was Fondation Ensemble founded?
Fondation Ensemble was founded in 2004.
Where is Fondation Ensemble based?
Fondation Ensemble is headquartered in Paris, France, in the Europe region.
How does Fondation Ensemble make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Grant Funding is the primary driver. The others are impact Investment and donations and Philanthropy.
Who are Fondation Ensemble's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Fondation Nicolas Hulot, The Christensen Fund, Adessium Foundation, Blue Marine Foundation, MAVA Foundation and Fondation Oak. Broad incumbents are WWF France, Fondation de France and ClimateWorks Foundation. Conservation International is listed as an others.
Does Fondation Ensemble have an API?
No public API is recorded for Fondation Ensemble.
What industry is Fondation Ensemble in?
Fondation Ensemble's product category is Environmental Philanthropy and Sustainable Development Grants. Its primary akta.pro industry code is BPAGAKAM, Environmental & Climate Grantmaking Foundations, with a secondary code of BPAGAKAH, International Grantmaking & Development Foundations. Its NAICS code is 813211.