SAW-B
SAW-B is a Belgian non-profit federation and consulting agency for the social economy in Wallonia and Brussels, offering accompaniment, training, social impact evaluation, public-procurement advisory, and field projects to 130+ member organizations and hundreds of social enterprises.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1981
- HeadquartersMonceau-sur-sambre, Belgium
- Headcount11–50
- GTM typeB2B
- OfferingServices
What SAW-B does
SAW-B (Solidarité des Alternatives Wallonnes et Bruxelloises) is a Belgian non-profit association (ASBL) founded in 1981 and headquartered in Monceau-sur-Sambre (Charleroi), with a secondary office in Brussels. It operates a 360° model combining (i) a federation of 130+ social-economy member organizations across Wallonia and Brussels, (ii) an approved consulting/accompaniment agency active since 1988, (iii) a permanent-education-recognized training program, (iv) a participative social-impact evaluation practice, (v) a responsible public-procurement advisory service (part of the SPW Helpdesk and the Walloon-Brussels Social Clauses Facilitators network), (vi) a publications and critical-analysis library, and (vii) co-created field experiments such as Carolostore, Coopcity, Cabas, CACM, Fabruka, and the Fabrique à Initiatives de Dinant.
Its offering is service- and methodology-led, not a software product. The technology stack is standard off-the-shelf (WordPress, Google Analytics, WP Engine, Cobea Coop as web partner); differentiation rests on ~40 years of accumulated know-how, the participative action-research evaluation framework, proprietary pedagogical tools (ÉCONOMIA, CAPITALISME, Sauvons la Scierie, Récits-Diviste, Tarot de l'évaluation), and the federation's network effects. Revenue is a hybrid of institutional subsidies (FWB for permanent education, FSE+, Wallonia, FEDER, Wallonie Entreprendre) — often the majority of funding — and decentralized fees from accompaniment, on-demand training, custom workshops, and publication/tool sales. Distribution is direct via two offices and an online B2B/B2G directory (pro.economiesociale.be), supplemented by annual events (Chantiers de l'Économie Sociale), newsletters, and active social media presence. The customer base spans cooperatives, ASBLs, social enterprises, public authorities, and individual practitioners across sectors including housing, food, culture, health, agriculture, finance, and media.
SAW-B firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- SAW-B
- Legal name
- SAW-B ASBL
- Website
- https://saw-b.be
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1981
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 11–50 employees
- Short description
- SAW-B is a Belgian non-profit federation and consulting agency for the social economy in Wallonia and Brussels, offering accompaniment, training, social impact evaluation, public-procurement advisory, and field projects to 130+ member organizations and hundreds of social enterprises.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where SAW-B is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Monceau-sur-sambre
- HQ country
- Belgium
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices2 records
Markets served
SAW-B business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Consulting/Accompaniment Services: Advisory and accompaniment services for social economy projects. In Wallonia, services are subsidized by FSE (European Social Fund) and can be free under certain conditions. In Brussels, accompaniment may be through Coopcity or Reload Yourself programs.
- Training Programs: Training sessions offered through scheduled agenda and customized on-demand format. Most training is subsidized through FWB and FSE+ financing, allowing free or accessible pricing for participants. Prices adapt to group size and number of trainers required.
- Publications: Analysis and studies published by SAW-B, including critical texts on social economy, society, and economic transformation. Available through the publications section of their website.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Per session | Subsidized Training |
| Hybrid | Multi-year contract | Custom On-Demand Training |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels5 records
Marketing channels7 records
SAW-B product offering
Product offeringCore offering
SAW-B is a federation of more than 130 social economy organizations in Wallonia and Brussels, combined with an approved consulting agency that accompanies project creators and social enterprises from feasibility study through post-creation follow-up. It delivers scheduled and custom training, participatory social impact evaluations, and facilitation of responsible public procurement, complemented by critical publications and co-created field projects such as Carolostore, Coopcity, Cabas, and Fabruka.
Product overview
SAW-B operates as a multi-service federation and consulting agency for the social economy in Wallonia and Brussels. Its offering is not a single software product but a portfolio of interconnected services: consulting accompaniment for project creation and enterprise development (Accompagnement de projets), scheduled and custom training (Formations), social impact evaluation (Évaluation d'impact social), facilitation of responsible public procurement (Marchés publics responsables), publication of critical analyses (Publications), co-created field projects (Projets de terrain) such as Carolostore, Cabas, Coopcity, and Fabruka, pedagogical games and tools (Outils pédagogiques), team workshops (Workshops), and a B2B/B2G directory of social economy enterprises (Annuaire). These services are designed to work together — an approach SAW-B describes as a '360°' offer — feeding each other so that accompaniment questions inform publications, field experiments inspire training, and member exchanges strengthen the federation's understanding of realities on the ground.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Accompagnement de projets d'économie sociale (Social Economy Project Accompaniment) Consulting and project support services for creating and developing social economy enterprises, cooperatives, and associations, from feasibility studies and business plans through post-creation follow-up. Targeted at project creators and social entrepreneurs.
- Formations en économie sociale (Social Economy Training) Scheduled agenda-based and customized on-demand training sessions covering social economy fundamentals, cooperative management, social impact evaluation, participatory governance, public procurement, communication, and ethical dilemmas. Targeted at social economy practitioners, entrepreneurs, workers, and citizens.
- Évaluation d'impact social (Social Impact Evaluation) Participatory, action-research based social impact evaluation for social enterprises. Frameworks are co-constructed with each organization, tailored to its means and stakeholders, drawing on more than 10 years of methodology experience.
- Marchés publics responsables (Responsible Public Procurement) Advisory services for public purchasers integrating social, environmental, and ethical clauses into public tenders, and guidance for social enterprises responding to responsible public contracts. Delivered through SAW-B's role as facilitator in the Walloon and Brussels Social Clauses Facilitators network.
- Publications et analyses (Publications and Analyses) Critical analyses, studies, editorials, and opinion pieces on the social economy, contributing to permanent education (éducation permanente) and public debate. Published regularly as part of the association's mission.
- Projets de terrain (Field Projects) Co-created and experimental field projects including Carolostore (cooperative supermarket of local producers), Cabas (food cooperative), Coopcity (social entrepreneurship hub in Brussels), La Ceinture Alimentaire Charleroi Métropole, Fabruka (Brussels initiative factory), and La Fabrique à Initiatives de Dinant.
- Outils pédagogiques (Pedagogical Tools) Pedagogical board and card games including CAPITALISME (decoding capitalism), ÉCONOMIA (understanding economics), 'Sauvons la Scierie' escape game (social economy dilemmas), Récits-Diviste, and the Tarot de l'évaluation (social impact evaluation guidance tool).
- Workshops Team facilitation workshops including 'Mise au vert' retreats and co-development groups designed to strengthen skills and foster peer learning among entrepreneurs and teams.
- Renforcement d'entreprise sociale (Social Enterprise Strengthening) Support for existing social enterprises to develop networks, collaborate with peers, access public procurement, and grow through sector-based meetings, information sessions, and networking events.
Quantifiable outcome
- 130+ member organizations federated
- +4 more outcomes
Companies that use SAW-B
Customer profileNamed customers14 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
SAW-B technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature3 records
SAW-B partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.
- ConcertesminorPartner organization participating in joint events and training programs on social economy and public procurement.
- Coopcity (as program host for Brussels accompaniment)coreSocial entrepreneurship center in Brussels that hosts some of SAW-B's accompaniment programs for Brussels-based projects.
- SPW (Service Public de Wallonie)corePublic administration partnering with SAW-B for responsible public procurement initiatives. SAW-B is part of the Helpdesk 'achats publics responsables' of Wallonia and the Walloon and Brussels network of Social Clauses Facilitators.
- CarolostorecoreField project initiated and supported by SAW-B - a cooperative supermarket of local producers and artisans in Charleroi. SAW-B conducted market study, found location, developed financial plan, recruited team, and maintains representation on the Board.
- CoopcitycoreField project co-created by SAW-B - a unique space for accompaniment, experimentation, and innovation for social and cooperative entrepreneurship in Brussels.
- Cabas (Coopérative Alimentaire Belge des Artisan·e·s Solidaires)coreFirst field project of SAW-B in food sector - cooperative of solidarity artisan food producers, developed through exchanges, reflections, training, and accompaniment.
- La Ceinture Alimentaire Charleroi Métropole (CACM)coreField project - motor of food transition in the Charleroi region, supported by SAW-B as part of their field experimentation initiatives.
- Fabruka (Fabrique à Initiatives Bruxelloise)coreField project addressing essential needs of Brussels residents through initiative development. Michel Van Den Borne from SAW-B leads Fabruka development.
- La Fabrique à Initiatives (FAI) de DinantcoreField project - energy of a territory transformed into concrete projects. Mission to identify and support local initiatives in the Dinant region.
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves6 records
Expansion highlights5 records
SAW-B competitors and assessment
Company assessmentBroad incumbents
- Brusoc: Brussels social economy fund providing financing and accompaniment to social enterprises — overlapping with SAW-B's accompaniment and responsible public procurement services, with a complementary financing lens.
- Crédal: Belgian cooperative for ethical finance, offering financial services alongside accompaniment and education for social economy actors — comparable in mission and member-driven governance to SAW-B.
- Centre d'Économie Sociale (HEC Liège): Academic research and training center on social economy based at HEC Liège — comparable to SAW-B in its social-economy focus and training/research output, but operating from a university setting rather than as a practitioner federation.
Direct peers
- ConcertES: Federation of social economy enterprises in Wallonia and Brussels, the closest direct peer to SAW-B, operating as an umbrella body for social economy actors in the same francophone Belgian territory with overlapping membership, advocacy, and policy-engagement functions.
- Febecoop: Belgian federation of cooperatives providing accompaniment, training, and advocacy for cooperative enterprises — directly comparable to SAW-B's cooperative creation accompaniment and governance advisory services.
- Coopcity: Brussels social entrepreneurship center offering accompaniment, training, and experimentation for cooperative projects — overlapping with SAW-B's Brussels accompaniment and field-project activities (Coopcity is in fact a SAW-B co-created initiative).
- Réseau Financité: Belgian network for ethical and social finance, working on alternative economic models and social economy advocacy — closely aligned with SAW-B's mission and its training/publications portfolio on alternative economics.
Regional players
- ESS France: French national chamber of the social and solidarity economy, representing and federating social economy actors in France — comparable federation/advocacy function to SAW-B but operating in a different (French) regulatory and geographic market.
- Coop FR: French federation of cooperative enterprises providing representation, training, and development services to cooperatives — directly comparable to SAW-B's cooperative accompaniment and federation model, though focused on the French market.
Emerging players
- ENSIE: European Network for Social Integration Enterprises, federating work-integration social enterprises across Europe — comparable to SAW-B in its federation and advocacy role, but with a narrower work-integration focus and broader geographic scope.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
SAW-B social profiles
Digital presenceSAW-B financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
SAW-B leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles23 records
SAW-B funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
SAW-B M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about SAW-B
What does SAW-B do?
SAW-B is a federation of more than 130 social economy organizations in Wallonia and Brussels, combined with an approved consulting agency that accompanies project creators and social enterprises from feasibility study through post-creation follow-up. It delivers scheduled and custom training, participatory social impact evaluations, and facilitation of responsible public procurement, complemented by critical publications and co-created field projects such as Carolostore, Coopcity, Cabas, and Fabruka.
Is SAW-B a public or private company?
SAW-B is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was SAW-B founded?
SAW-B was founded in 1981. It employs 11 to 50 people.
Where is SAW-B based?
SAW-B is headquartered in Monceau-sur-sambre, Belgium, in the Europe region.
How does SAW-B make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Consulting/Accompaniment Services are the primary driver. The others are training Programs and publications.
Who are SAW-B's main competitors?
Broad incumbents on record are Brusoc, Crédal and Centre d'Économie Sociale (HEC Liège). Direct peers are ConcertES, Febecoop, Coopcity and Réseau Financité. Regional players are ESS France and Coop FR. ENSIE is listed as an emerging player.
Does SAW-B have an API?
No public API is recorded for SAW-B.