SAW-B

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.

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

Headquarters

HQ city

Monceau-sur-sambre

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. 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.
2. 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.
3. 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

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core 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

Named customers14 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• ConcertesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2026Partner organization participating in joint events and training programs on social economy and public procurement.
• Coopcity (as program host for Brussels accompaniment)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 24 September 2026Social entrepreneurship center in Brussels that hosts some of SAW-B's accompaniment programs for Brussels-based projects.
• SPW (Service Public de Wallonie)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic 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.
• CarolostorecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField 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.
• CoopcitycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFirst 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField 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)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField 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 DinantcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerField 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

Broad 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

• Facebookfacebook.com/sawbasbl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/saw-b
• Instagraminstagram.com/sawb_asbl
• Xx.com/es_sawb

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles23 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 SAW-B