VRAC France
VRAC France is a French non-profit association that federates 22 local associations running 124 collective purchasing groups serving over 10,300 member households in priority urban neighborhoods and university campuses across France and Belgium, providing access to organic and local products at cost price through monthly community distributions.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2015
- HeadquartersVilleurbanne, France
- Headcount51–100
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What VRAC France does
VRAC France (legally Association Vers un Réseau d'Achat en Commun) is a French non-profit association headquartered in Villeurbanne that operates a federated network of 22 local associations running collective purchasing groups (groupements d'achats, GACs) across 23 territories in France and Belgium. The organization serves more than 10,300 member households through 124 purchasing groups located in priority urban neighborhoods (Quartiers Prioritaires de la Ville) and on university campuses, providing residents of low-income areas and students with access to organic, local, and fair-trade products at cost price through monthly pop-up distributions in partner venues. The primary beneficiaries are households in QPV-designated neighborhoods who lack physical and financial access to quality food.
The core product is L'Épicerie VRAC, a multi-tenant e-commerce platform hosted at epicerie.vrac-asso.org and built and maintained by SCOP Alilo, which enables members to pre-order from a catalogue of roughly 60–85 products (dry goods, oils, legumes, flours, honey, eggs, hygiene, and cleaning supplies) and collect orders at monthly neighborhood distribution points. No proprietary technology or AI capability is described; the platform is a standard order-management system. Distribution relies on partner-hosted venues—social centers, schools, community halls, and public-housing companies (e.g., PCS Albert in Anderlecht, Foyer du Sud in Forest, Centre Belfon in Toulouse)—with no permanent retail storefronts.
VRAC's revenue mechanics are non-commercial: products are sold at cost with no markup, membership dues are sliding-scale (€1–€20, sometimes free for referred QPV residents), and the majority of operating capital is sourced from public grants and institutional foundation funding (Banque des Territoires, Fondation Carasso, Fondation MACIF, AG2R La Mondiale, France Relance, regional and departmental councils, Bruxelles Environnement GoodFood, COCOF). Growth is achieved through community referrals, partner-organization mobilization, and replication of the federation model into new territories, with the national body providing shared tools, methodology, brand, and the central ordering platform.
VRAC France firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- VRAC France
- Legal name
- Association Vers un Réseau d'Achat en Commun (VRAC)
- Website
- https://vrac-asso.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2015
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 51–100 employees
- Short description
- VRAC France is a French non-profit association that federates 22 local associations running 124 collective purchasing groups serving over 10,300 member households in priority urban neighborhoods and university campuses across France and Belgium, providing access to organic and local products at cost price through monthly community distributions.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
VRAC France industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Community Food Cooperatives
- NAICS
- Food and Beverage Retailers (445), All Other Specialty Food Retailers (445298)
- SIC
- Retail-Food Stores (5400)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery (CRAHALAH)
- akta.pro secondary industry
- Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops (CRAHALAE)
Keywords
Where VRAC France is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Villeurbanne
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices16 records
Markets served
VRAC France business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Others
Revenue model
- Product Sales at Cost: Products are sold at cost price to members. The association adds no markup; prices reflect the wholesale cost plus minimal logistics. This is a cost-recovery model, not a profit-generating one.
- Membership Dues: Annual membership fees (ranging from free to €20 depending on the local association and member's socioeconomic situation) contribute to operational costs.
- Public and Private Grants/Funding: Substantial funding comes from institutional and foundation partners (regional councils, European funds, foundations) that subsidize both operations and member pricing, enabling below-market rates for priority audiences.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | Sliding-scale annual membership |
| Transaction based/ take rate | Pay-as-you-go | Products sold at cost price |
Go-to-market motion2 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels8 records
VRAC France product offering
Product offeringCore offering
VRAC France coordinates a federation of 22 local associations running 124 collective purchasing groups (groupements d'achats) in priority urban neighborhoods and university campuses across 23 territories in France and Belgium. Member households pre-order organic, local, and fair-trade food products (60-85 SKUs per catalogue) through the L'Épicerie VRAC online platform and collect them at monthly pop-up distributions hosted at partner social centers and community halls. Products are sourced through short supply chains and sold at wholesale cost with no markup, while membership fees are sliding-scale (free to €20/year) based on socioeconomic status, enabling access for low-income households.
Product overview
VRAC France operates a network of 22 local associative branches across France and Belgium that run group purchasing groups (groupements d'achats en commun, GAC) in priority neighborhoods. The core product is L'Épicerie VRAC, a multi-tenant e-commerce platform hosted at epicerie.vrac-asso.org that enables member households to pre-order products each month from their local GAC. The platform is built and maintained by SCOP Alilo (as noted on the site footer). Each local association runs its own GAC operations independently, organizing order-taking periods, distribution events, and community animations in their territory. The national association (VRAC National) coordinates the network, provides tools and support, and maintains the shared digital platform.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- L'Épicerie VRAC Online Ordering Platform
Quantifiable outcome
- 780 member households ordering monthly in Brussels (2025), growing from 700 in 2024
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use VRAC France
Customer profileNamed customers4 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
VRAC France technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
VRAC France partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Toulouse MétropolecoreToulouse Métropole is a key institutional funder and supporter of VRAC Toulouse Métropole, providing financial support as part of the city's solidarity and food access policies.
- Fondation 4WingscoreVRAC Bruxelles was initiated by Fondation 4Wings, which provided the founding support and strategic direction to launch the first Belgian VRAC association in Brussels.
- Groupe OnecoreVRAC Bruxelles was incubated by Groupe One, a Brussels-based organization supporting social entrepreneurship, which provided incubation support during its startup phase.
- La Maison du LogementminorLa Maison du Logement is a local housing partner supporting VRAC Saint-Étienne operations in social housing neighborhoods.
- Saint-Étienne Municipality Social Centers (Centres Sociques)coreSocial centers across Saint-Étienne (Centre Belfon, Centre Soupetard, Centre Izards/Bordure Rouge, Centre Rey, Assqot Bagatelle, Régie de Bellefontaine, Garage pour Tous, MDQ Bagatelle) host VRAC distribution points, provide volunteer mobilization, and serve as community anchors for the purchasing groups.
- Cantine Participative Saint-ÉtienneminorThe Cantine Participative Saint-Étienne collaborates with VRAC Saint-Étienne on cooking workshops and community food events, as covered in Le Progrès newspaper coverage.
- CPIE Rhône Pays d'ArlescoreVRAC Pays d'Arles is hosted by the CPIE (Centre Permanent d'Initiatives pour l'Environnement) Rhône Pays d'Arles. CPIE brings its environmental and food education expertise and network to the project, which launched in 2022 under this umbrella organization.
- Social Centers and Community Associations (Belgium)coreVRAC Bruxelles works with PCS Albert (Anderlecht), La Samaritaine Committee (Marolles), Gaffi asbl (Schaerbeek), PCS Là-Haut (Evere), and other local organizations to host distribution points and mobilize residents in priority neighborhoods.
- Foyer du Sud (Belgium)coreFoyer du Sud (public housing company) and VRAC Bruxelles asbl have partnered on the commune of Forest to occupy and dynamize a building at Square Toinon. This partnership enables VRAC to establish a permanent-ish presence in Forest through an Appel à Manifestation d'Intérêt (AMI) process.
- La Rue asbl (Molenbeek)minorLa Rue asbl is a key local partner for the new Molenbeek GAC, helping VRAC establish presence and recruit members in the neighborhood.
- D'ici et d'Ailleurs (Mental Health Service, Molenbeek)minorD'ici et d'Ailleurs, a community mental health service in Molenbeek, partners with VRAC to support the new Molenbeek groupement and its members.
- RTES (Réseau des collectivités Territoriales pour l'Économie Solidaire)minorRTES published about VRAC's expansion to Toulouse, Paris, and Lille in 2018, providing network visibility and peer recognition among local authority solidarity economy practitioners.
Scale indicators8 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
VRAC France competitors and assessment
Company assessmentMarket position
Competitive moat5 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
VRAC France social profiles
Digital presenceVRAC France financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
VRAC France leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles5 records
VRAC France funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
VRAC France 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 VRAC France
What does VRAC France do?
VRAC France coordinates a federation of 22 local associations running 124 collective purchasing groups (groupements d'achats) in priority urban neighborhoods and university campuses across 23 territories in France and Belgium. Member households pre-order organic, local, and fair-trade food products (60-85 SKUs per catalogue) through the L'Épicerie VRAC online platform and collect them at monthly pop-up distributions hosted at partner social centers and community halls. Products are sourced through short supply chains and sold at wholesale cost with no markup, while membership fees are sliding-scale (free to €20/year) based on socioeconomic status, enabling access for low-income households.
Is VRAC France a public or private company?
VRAC France is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was VRAC France founded?
VRAC France was founded in 2015. It employs 51 to 100 people.
Where is VRAC France based?
VRAC France is headquartered in Villeurbanne, France, in the Europe region.
How does VRAC France make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Product Sales at Cost is the primary driver. The others are membership Dues and public and Private Grants/Funding.
Does VRAC France have an API?
No public API is recorded for VRAC France.
What industry is VRAC France in?
VRAC France's product category is Community Food Cooperatives. Its primary akta.pro industry code is CRAHALAH, Food Co-ops with Online Ordering & Pickup/Delivery, with a secondary code of CRAHALAE, Buying Clubs & Community Bulk Purchasing Co-ops. Its NAICS code is 445 and its SIC code is 5400.