L'Arche The three fountains

What L'Arche The three fountains does

L'Arche Les 3 Fontaines is a nonprofit social care organization based in Ambleteuse, in the Hauts-de-France region of northern France. Founded in 1972, it operates as part of the L'Arche en France federation within the international L'Arche movement, serving approximately 90 people with mental disabilities across six households in Ambleteuse and a newly established shared habitat in St Martin. The organization provides residential care, creative and therapeutic activities, and supported employment through ESAT (Etablissement et Service d'Accompagnement par le Travail) workshops spanning four activity lines: conditioning, subcontracting, food processing, and market gardening.

The organization employs 50 staff members and engages 10 service civique volunteers, supported by a broader community of more than 120 members. Its service model is fundamentally relational and labor-intensive, centered on shared living arrangements, daytime workshop activities, and volunteer engagement. Revenue is generated through a mix of French state social care funding, income from ESAT workshop commercial activities, and private donations. The organization also runs volunteer recruitment and community engagement programs, including participation in public events such as the Course des Cap 2025.

From a business model perspective, L'Arche Les 3 Fontaines operates as a mission-driven nonprofit with no equity shareholders and no commercial product line in the conventional sense. Its "revenue" is better understood as a combination of state-allocated social care budgets, fee-for-service ESAT workshop contracts, and philanthropic giving. The core value proposition is the provision of long-term housing, meaningful daily activity, and community inclusion for people with mental disabilities — a service funded collectively by the French welfare system and civil society donors rather than by direct beneficiary payments. No financial data is publicly disclosed, and no technology or digital platform underpins the service delivery model.

Name

L'Arche The three fountains

Legal name

L'Arche Les 3 Fontaines

Website

https://arche-3fontaines.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1972

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

L'Arche Les 3 Fontaines is a French nonprofit founded in 1972 that provides residential care, ESAT workshop employment, and community programs for approximately 90 people with mental disabilities in the Hauts-de-France region.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability Support Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability, Mental Health, and Substance Abuse Facilities (6232), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (62412)

SIC

Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050), Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGACAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Specialized Assisted Living for Developmental/Intellectual Disabilities (Adult) (HLADABAJ), Disability Services & Independent Living Support (BPAGAEAG), Special Education, Disability Support & Inclusive Education Nonprofits (BPAGADAH)

Keywords

• Disability support services
• Sheltered workshop services
• Residential care services
• Vocational rehabilitation programs
• Community living support

Headquarters

HQ city

Ambleteuse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: The organization relies on donations from individuals and organizations, with tax reduction benefits (20% of net taxable income for income tax, up to 50,000€ per year for IFI wealth tax).
2. ESAT Operations: The ESAT (Établissement et Service d'Aide par le Travail) provides work activities and generates operational revenue through conditioning, subcontracting, food production, and gardening services.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

L'Arche Les 3 Fontaines is a nonprofit organization that provides residential support, sheltered vocational workshops (ESAT), and creative/expression activities for persons with mental disabilities. The community operates six shared households in Ambleteuse plus one new shared habitat in St Martin, accommodating 90 persons with mental disabilities within a wider community of more than 120 people, supported by 50 employees and 10 service civique volunteers.

Product overview

L'Arche Les 3 Fontaines is a community organization providing residential support and day programs for persons with mental disabilities. The organization operates a multi-service model combining sheltered workshops (ESAT) offering conditioning, subcontracting, food processing, market gardening, forestry, and green space maintenance, alongside creative and expression activities (dance, music, crafts, pottery). The community accommodates over 120 people including 90 persons with mental disabilities across 6 shared homes in Ambleteuse and a new habitat in St Martin, supported by 50 employees and 10 service civique volunteers.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ESAT Grand Atelier (Sheltered Workshop)
• ESAT Jardin (Market Garden Workshop)
• Creative Activities Program
• Expression Activities Program
• Shared Housing (Maisonnées)
• Volunteering Programs (Service Civique)

Quantifiable outcome

• 90 people with mental disability welcomed and supported in the community
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves4 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Les Papillons Blancs: Network of local associations running ESATs, residential homes, and specialized schools for people with intellectual disabilities across many French departments. Comparable service portfolio and ESAT-driven revenue model.
• APAJH: Association Pour Adultes et Jeunes Handicapés runs ESATs, residential facilities, and inclusive programs for people with all types of disabilities across France. Comparable in service mix (sheltered work + housing) though broader than mental disability alone.
• Croix-Rouge Française: National humanitarian organization operating ESATs, residential facilities, and disability support programs. Overlaps with L'Arche on sheltered employment and disability housing but at much greater scale and breadth.
• Unapei: National federation of associations representing people with intellectual disabilities and their families. Operates a broad portfolio of ESATs, residential homes, and advocacy programs across France, overlapping with L'Arche's service categories at greater scale.

Direct peers

• L'Arche en France (federation): Parent federation operating the other L'Arche communities across France using the same shared-life model for persons with intellectual disabilities. Directly comparable in mission, operating model, and donor base.
• Fondation John Bost: French nonprofit foundation running residential homes, ESATs, and day programs for people with disabilities and mental health conditions. Operates a similar multi-site, mixed residential-vocational model rooted in a faith-inspired community ethos.

Others

• Mutualité Française Hauts-de-France: Regional mutual running SSAD (home support services) and disability programs in the same Hauts-de-France geography. Adjacent ecosystem participant rather than direct competitor, but represents an alternative referral pathway for the same population.

Regional players

• ALYS (Association Lilloise d'Accompagnement en Soins et Santé): Hauts-de-France-based nonprofit providing residential care, day programs, and supported employment for vulnerable populations including people with disabilities. Comparable in regional footprint and beneficiary population.
• ADAPEI 62: Pas-de-Calais departmental association (where Ambleteuse is located) operating ESATs, MAS, and residential homes for people with intellectual disabilities. Direct regional competitor for both beneficiaries and ESAT contracts.

Emerging players

• OSE (Œuvre de Secours aux Enfants): French Jewish social welfare organization running specialized residential and vocational programs for people with disabilities. Comparable mission-driven, community-based care model though with a different demographic focus.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/arche3fontaines
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/l-arche-les-3-fontaines
• Instagraminstagram.com/arche3fontaines

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 L'Arche The three fountains