What Initiatives does

Initiatives (legal entity Initiatives DMP, SAS) is a French privately held company headquartered in Le Mans that operates a B2B2C fundraising platform serving schools, parent associations, sports clubs, student bodies, and loi 1901 non-profits across Metropolitan France and Monaco. Founded in 1993 by Franck Vallée, who remains Director, the company claims to fund 41,000+ projects annually and to serve 1 in 2 French school establishments, supported by a TrustScore of 4.7/5 across 30,680 reviews. The business sells through three models: Vente Simple (associations buy wholesale stock outright), Préventes (associations collect pre-orders first, then order only confirmed quantities), and Vente Directe (Initiatives sells directly to end consumers via the association's online shop, with the association earning an 18–20% commission depending on product category).

The company's technology stack centers on three components: a white-label "Boutique en Ligne" (asso.initiatives.fr) that generates a personalized online shop per association accessible via a unique participant code; an "Espace Organisateur" back-office for tracking pre-orders, aggregating stock, managing commissions, and configuring the shop; and "Kits de Vente" — physical or digital kits containing catalogs, order forms, and instructional guides. Underlying hosting is provided by OVH and analytics by Piwik PRO, with third-party integrations limited to Trustpilot (reviews), Google AdWords/DoubleClick, Bing Ads, Facebook ads, and embedded video/maps services. The product catalog spans 20+ turnkey fundraising categories including seasonal food (Chocolats, Brioches, Saucissons, Fleurs), personalised items (children's drawings printed on textiles and objects, calendars, textiles, accessories), and event supplies (tombolas, kermesse/fair items, loto supplies, photo books, recipe books).

Initiatives monetizes through wholesale product sales to associations under Vente Simple and Préventes (associations pay 60 days post-delivery with unsold stock partially or fully repriseable), and via fulfillment-only economics under Vente Directe where Initiatives retains product margin and pays out an 18–20% commission to the association. There is no upfront cash requirement from associations, no public list pricing for end consumers, and the entire GTM motion is community-led: associations act as channel partners distributing catalogs and order forms to parents, students, and supporters, with Initiatives providing full turnkey kits. The company also runs two charitable brand initiatives: Initiatives-Cœur (a sailing sponsorship since 2009, currently with navigator Violette Dorange and tied to a partnership with astronaut Sophie Adenot) and the Fond'Actions Initiatives foundation (funding 394 children's heart operations to date).

Name

Initiatives

Legal name

Initiatives DMP

Website

https://initiatives.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1993

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Initiatives is a French B2B2C fundraising platform, founded in 1993 and headquartered in Le Mans, that provides turnkey fundraising actions — via wholesale catalog sales, pre-orders, and online shops — to schools, parent associations, sports clubs, and non-profits across Metropolitan France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

School and Association Fundraising Services

NAICS

Sporting Goods, Hobby, Musical Instrument, Book, and Miscellaneous Retailers (459), Hobby, Toy, and Game Retailers (459120)

SIC

Wholesale-Miscellaneous Nondurable Goods (5190), Wholesale-Groceries, General Line (5141)

akta.pro primary industry

Retailer & Small-Store Supply (C-Store, Mini-Mart, Independent Retail) (CRAEAEAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Foodservice & Hospitality Supply Clubs (Restaurants, Catering, Hotels) (CRAEAEAC), Bulk & Case-Lot Food Retailers (Non-membership) (CRAHACAF)

Keywords

• School fundraising solutions
• Association fundraising platform
• Bulk product sales
• Pre-order campaigns
• Personalised merchandise fundraising

Headquarters

HQ city

Le Mans

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Supply Chain, Operations, Personnel, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Commission on Vente Directe transactions: When associations opt for the 'Vente Directe' model, Initiatives sells products directly to end consumers via the association's online shop, and the association earns a commission (18–20% depending on product category) on each transaction. Commissions are paid by bank transfer at the end of the operation.
2. Product sales to associations (Vente Simple and Préventes): Initiatives sells bulk stock products to associations at wholesale prices. In the 'Vente Simple' model, associations purchase stock outright. In the 'Préventes' model, associations first collect pre-orders from members, then order stock based on confirmed demand, paying only for what was pre-sold.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Initiatives designs and supplies turnkey fundraising programs for French schools, sports clubs, and non-profit associations by providing bulk product catalogs (chocolates, brioches, sausages, personalised objects, textiles, calendars, tombolas, photo books, flowers, etc.) together with physical/digital sales kits and a white-label e-commerce shop. Its core model lets associations run risk-free campaigns with zero upfront cash, 60-day deferred payment, and an unsold-stock reprise guarantee, while the Vente Directe model adds a commission-based direct-to-consumer flow.

Product overview

Initiatives operates a comprehensive B2B2C fundraising platform serving French schools, sports clubs, and cultural associations. The core offering consists of three distinct sales models: Simple Sales (where associations purchase products wholesale and resell directly), Pre-sales (where associations collect orders through catalogs and online stores before placing bulk orders), and Direct Sales (where customers purchase directly from the association's online store with home delivery). The platform centers on the Boutique en Ligne (Online Store) — a white-label e-commerce platform that associations customize with their branding — combined with physical or digital Kits de Vente (Sales Kits) containing catalogs and order forms. The product portfolio spans 20+ turnkey fundraising action categories including seasonal food products (Chocolats, Brioches, Saucissons, Fleurs), personalized items (Textiles, Objects, Calendars, Children's Drawings), event supplies (Tombolas, Kermesse/Fairs, Loto), and specialty items (Photo Books, Recipe Books, Labels). All products follow the same distribution model: associations purchase in bulk at wholesale prices and resell to supporters, parents, and community members to generate funds for their projects. The company also operates charitable initiatives through Initiatives-Cœur (sailboat sponsorship) and Fond'Actions (child heart operations funding).

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Initiatives-Cœur: A charitable initiative launched in 2009, sponsor and patron of a sailing boat, supporting children with heart conditions through the Fond'Actions Initiatives-Cœur. The boat is skippered by navigator Violette Dorange.
• Fond'Actions Initiatives

Products and services

• Boutique en Ligne (Online Store Platform) A white-label e-commerce platform provided to associations enabling them to create customised online stores where supporters and parents can pre-order or directly purchase fundraising products, with home delivery or association-collection fulfilment options.
• Kits de Vente (Sales Kits) Physical or digital kits containing product catalogs, paper order forms (Bons de Commande), and instructional guides that enable associations, even without e-commerce experience, to run structured fundraising sales campaigns.
• Action Chocolats A turnkey fundraising action involving the bulk sale of Christmas and Easter chocolates, which associations purchase at wholesale prices and resell to parents and supporters.
• Action Brioches et Gâteaux A turnkey fundraising action involving the bulk sale of brioches and cakes purchased by associations at wholesale prices and resold to supporters.
• Action Saucissons A turnkey fundraising action involving the bulk sale of sausages and charcuterie, with associations purchasing at wholesale and reselling to parents, supporters, and club members.
• Action Fleurs et Déco A turnkey fundraising action involving the bulk sale of plants, bulbs, and decorative objects for the home and garden.
• Tombolas Clés en Main Turnkey raffle solutions including scratch tickets, prize packs, and envelope prizes that give associations complete materials to organise lottery-based fundraising events.
• Action Kermesses et Fêtes d'École Complete supplies for school fairs and parties including fishing games, water guns, prize boxes, animation equipment, and makeup.
• Articles de Loto Traditional bingo and lotto game supplies including draw machines, cards, bingo chips, and accessories for event-based fundraising.
• Calendriers Personnalisés Personalised calendars (school, license and sports formats) sold through bulk purchasing actions for association fundraising.
• Objets Personnalisés Personalised objects such as cups, bags, pens, keychains and accessories sold through bulk purchasing actions for association fundraising.
• Textiles Personnalisés Personalised textiles including t-shirts, polos, sweatshirts, jackets, pants, caps and beanies sold through bulk purchasing actions for association fundraising.
• Textile BIO Organic/BIO certified textiles personalised with association branding, used for environmentally oriented fundraising campaigns.
• Action Dessins des Enfants A turnkey fundraising action that sells objects printed with children's drawings, reproduced on textiles, mugs, bags and other merchandise.
• Action Livre Photos A turnkey fundraising action involving the bulk sale of personalised photo books.
• Action Livres de Recettes A turnkey fundraising action involving the bulk sale of personalised recipe books.
• Étiquettes Personnalisées pour Enfants A turnkey fundraising action that sells personalised label notebooks for children.
• Objets Réutilisables et Zéro Déchet Reusable and zero-waste products including bags, cups, mugs, bottles and gourds for environmentally conscious fundraising campaigns.
• Objets Tendances Trending and fashionable objects including bestsellers, bags, pouches, keychains and fashion/home accessories for contemporary fundraising campaigns.
• Articles de Noël Christmas market items including trending products and festive merchandise for seasonal fundraising campaigns.

Quantifiable outcome

• 41,000+ projects financed each year
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers7 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

Integration11 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Violette Dorange (Navigatrice — Initiatives-Cœur)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009Initiatives sponsors the Initiatives-Cœur racing sailboat. Navigatrice Violette Dorange sails the vessel bearing the Initiatives name and values across the oceans. This is a long-standing sailing sponsorship (since 2009) that carries the company's brand and social mission to a wide audience.
• Sophie Adenot (Astronaute française — ISS)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiatives partnered with French astronaut Sophie Adenot during her mission aboard the International Space Station, as part of the Initiatives-Cœur programme promoting education and the values of sharing.
• Fond'Actions Initiatives-CœurcoreOthersCreated in 2009, the Fond'Actions Initiatives-Cœur acts concretely in favour of childhood and education. The programme funds heart operations for children (394 children operated to date) and supports educational projects through the proceeds of the Initiatives-Cœur sailing adventure.
• TrustpilotminorOthersInitiatives uses Trustpilot to collect and display customer reviews. The company has a TrustScore of 4.7 based on 30,680 reviews, providing social proof for prospective customers.
• OVHminorOthersThe initiatives.fr website is hosted by OVH, a French cloud and web hosting company (RCS Lille Métropole 424 761 419 00045).

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Market position

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/initiatives_fr
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCzQhY
• Facebookfacebook.com/initiatives.fr
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/initiativesfr
• Instagraminstagram.com/initiatives.fr

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 Initiatives