What Vert Marine does

Vert Marine is a French privately held delegated public service manager (gestion déléguée / Délégation de Service Public) specializing in the operation of public sports and leisure facilities. Founded in 1995 by former professional athletes Thierry Chaix and Jean-Pascal Gleizes, the company runs 80 sites across France and Luxembourg, serving more than 70 territorial collectivities (municipalities, metropolitan areas, and inter-municipal structures). Its core service offering — 'Gestion technique intégrée' — combines operational management, maintenance, programming, and financial oversight of aquatic centers, ice rinks, fitness centers, and multi-sport complexes under long-term DSP contracts. Notable managed sites include L'Odyssée in Chartres Métropole (800,000+ annual visitors), Vegapolis in Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole (340,000+ visitors, 25-year partnership), and Polarys and Sourcéane in Douaisis Agglomération.

The company employs approximately 1,800 staff and operates dedicated teams at each managed site. Beyond facility operations, Vert Marine runs the Académie Vert Marine internal training platform and an apprenticeship program, and has implemented a Sobriety Charter alongside a partnership with the Water Family association to position itself around ecological responsibility in pool and water operations. The firm uses a B2G go-to-market via competitive DSP tenders and direct municipal relationships, supported by digital presence, participation in events such as the Salon des Maires, and an active recruitment brand.

Vert Marine generates revenue through managed-services fees tied to multi-year delegated contracts with public authorities. The model produces recurring, contract-duration-linked revenue streams compensated for technical management, programming, and facility operations. Customer concentration sits across 70+ government clients with no single dominant account, though a handful of flagship sites (Chartres, Montpellier, Douaisis) anchor the portfolio. Revenue is not publicly disclosed. The business remains founder-controlled with no disclosed external institutional investors or private equity backing.

Name

Vert Marine

Legal name

VERT MARINE

Website

https://vert-marine.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1995

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

Vert Marine is a French delegated public service manager operating 80 public sports and leisure facilities (aquatic centers, ice rinks, multi-sport complexes) across France and Luxembourg under long-term contracts with 70+ territorial collectivities.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Mont-saint-aignan

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Delegated Public Service Management: Vert Marine generates revenue through delegated management contracts with public territorial authorities (collectivités territoriales). The company operates, maintains, and animates public sports facilities under long-term service agreements, receiving compensation for technical management, programming, and facility operations. This is a B2G managed services model with recurring revenue streams tied to contract duration.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Vert Marine provides delegated management of public sports and leisure facilities, including aquatic centers, ice rinks, and multi-sport complexes, under long-term Délégation de Service Public (DSP) contracts with French territorial collectivities. The company delivers fully integrated technical management encompassing operational oversight, maintenance, programming, and user experience optimization across 80 sites in France and Luxembourg.

Product overview

Vert Marine is a delegated sports facility management company offering integrated technical management services for public aquatic centers, ice rinks, and fitness facilities across France and Luxembourg. The company operates under a platform-plus-services model, combining Gestion technique intégrée (integrated technical management) as the core operational service with supplementary offerings in Services, Équipements (equipment), and References. Notable managed facilities include the Odyssée aquatic complex and ice rink in Chartres, the Vegapolis ice rink in Montpellier, the Polarys ice rink in Douaisis, and the Sourcéane aquatic center. The company employs approximately 1,800 staff across 80 sites, serving over 70 local government clients.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Gestion technique intégrée (Integrated Technical Management) Integrated technical management service for public sports and leisure facilities, providing complete operational oversight of pools, ice rinks, and fitness centers for French territorial collectivities under DSP contracts.
• Facility Operations and Programming Services Comprehensive service offering for managing public sports facilities including operational management, maintenance, and user experience optimization across France.
• Sports Equipment Management (Équipements) Sports and leisure equipment management and operation services covering aquatic complexes, ice rinks, and fitness facilities across France.
• Académie Vert Marine Internal training academy providing professional development and skill advancement programs for Vert Marine employees working across 80 managed facilities.

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Water FamilycoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerVert Marine partners with the Water Family association to mobilize and raise awareness among facility users about water preservation. This environmental initiative aligns with the company's Sobriety Charter commitment to ecological responsibility and sustainable practices in facility operations.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Récréa: French operator specializing in delegated management of aquatic centers and public pools for municipalities; directly comparable in core aquatic-center DSP business and target customer segment.
• Compagnie des Sports: French operator of public sports and leisure facilities under delegated management contracts; comparable in B2G DSP operating model, though with a smaller footprint than Vert Marine.
• UCPA: Major French national association operating public sports facilities (aquatic, multi-sport) under delegated management contracts; directly comparable to Vert Marine in scope, customer base (collectivités), and B2G managed-services model.
• Calidea: French delegated public service operator of public aquatic and sports centers; comparable in core DSP contract model and municipal customer base, though at smaller scale than Vert Marine.
• Elan Sport: French sports facility management company providing operational management of public aquatic and multi-sport complexes; directly comparable in delegated public service model for municipal customers.

Broad incumbents

• NGE: Major French construction and infrastructure group with sports/leisure concession and facility management activities; comparable in operating concessions for public sports infrastructure but as part of a wider construction portfolio.
• Sodexo: Global facility management and services giant whose sports & leisure segment competes with Vert Marine for municipal facility management contracts; much broader service portfolio and global reach, but overlapping customer base.

Emerging players

• VVF: French leisure village and tourism-resort operator; adjacent rather than directly competitive — focuses on vacation/leisure stays rather than DSP-operated municipal sports facilities, but overlaps in public-sector leisure delivery.

Others

• Atalian: Global facility management services group with public-sector clients; adjacent rather than directly competitive, but overlaps in technical maintenance and operational services for public buildings and infrastructure.

Regional players

• Equalia: Spanish operator of public sports facilities under delegated management; comparable in DSP operating model and public-sector customer base, but operating primarily in Spain rather than competing directly in France.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/DSPvertmarine
• Facebookfacebook.com/vertmarine
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/vert-marine
• Instagraminstagram.com/_vertmarine_/?hl=fr
• Xx.com/VertMarine

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Vert Marine