Cerfrance

What Cerfrance does

Cerfrance Seine Normandie is a private French association de conseil et d'expertise comptable founded in 1956 that delivers accounting, tax, legal, payroll, and strategic advisory services to very small and medium enterprises (TPE-PME). The firm serves approximately 12,000 member-clients across 14+ vertical sectors including agriculture, construction, viticulture, liberal professions, maritime, craft trades, and retail, with sector-specific expertise such as agronomy, PAC declarations, and environmental compliance. Its service portfolio spans 15 core offerings unified by the 'Ma Performance Globale' framework, which integrates economic, social, and environmental performance assessment.

The company operates a hybrid physical-digital distribution model: 25 physical agencies across Normandy and Ile-de-France (Eure, Seine-Maritime, Val-d'Oise, Yvelines, Paris) deliver face-to-face consulting, augmented by digital channels including the Cerfrance Connect client portal, webinars, podcasts, web TV, and a free business diagnostic tool. The proprietary technology is the Effinum-accredited electronic invoicing platform (Plateforme agréée Effinum), which positions Cerfrance as a regulatory intermediary for SMEs navigating mandatory French e-invoicing reforms. The firm employs 650 staff including accountants, expert-comptables, juristes, conseillers, and payroll specialists, and is part of the broader national Cerfrance network of Associations de Gestion et de Comptabilité (AGC).

Revenue is generated through a membership-based subscription model in which clients become adhérents (member-clients) of the association; specific pricing is not publicly disclosed. The sales motion is sales-led, driven by agency visits, consultations, and lead-generation through content marketing, open-door events, and free diagnostics. The firm is privately held within the Cerfrance cooperative network, with no evidence of external investment or public listing.

Name

Cerfrance

Legal name

Cerfrance Seine Normandie

Website

https://seine-normandie.cerfrance.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1956

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

Cerfrance Seine Normandie is a French accounting and business advisory association founded in 1956, serving 12,000 small and medium enterprise member-clients across Normandy and Ile-de-France through 25 agencies, with a portfolio spanning accounting, tax, legal, payroll, and strategic advisory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Accounting & Business Advisory Services

NAICS

Offices of Certified Public Accountants (541211), Professional, Scientific, and Technical Services (541)

SIC

Services-Management Services (8741)

akta.pro primary industry

Intercompany & Consolidation Support (Eliminations, Group Reporting Support) (BPAAAGAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Insolvency & Turnaround Advisory (SME/Mid-Market Debtor-Side) (FSAEAFAK), ESG Reporting, Disclosure & Regulatory Compliance (SFDR, EU Taxonomy, TCFD/ISSB) (FSAAALAK)

Keywords

• Accounting services
• Business consulting
• Payroll management
• Tax advisory
• Electronic invoicing

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices26 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership-based consulting services: Cerfrance operates as an association de conseil et d'expertise comptable, providing accounting and business consulting services to member-clients through a membership structure.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Cerfrance Seine Normandie is an accounting and business advisory cooperative (Association de conseil et d'expertise comptable) providing core accounting and bookkeeping, legal and tax advisory, social/payroll management, human resources consulting, wealth management, environmental and agronomy advisory, digital transformation, professional training, and business lifecycle services (creation, acquisition, sale) to small and very small enterprises (TPE-PME). It complements these advisory services with the accredited Effinum electronic invoicing platform and a Cerfrance Connect client portal for regulatory compliance and day-to-day business management.

Product overview

Cerfrance Seine Normandie is a comprehensive accounting and business consulting cooperative providing advisory services to small businesses (TPE) and small-to-medium enterprises (PME) across Normandy and Ile-de-France. The company operates a platform-based model offering integrated services organized around core accounting expertise supplemented by specialized consulting in legal/tax advisory, social and payroll management, human resources, wealth management, environmental advisory, digital transformation, professional training, and business lifecycle services (creation, acquisition, and sale). The Ma Performance Globale (Global Performance) program unifies these services around economic, social, and environmental performance measurement. Electronic invoicing services are delivered through the approved Effinum platform for mandatory e-invoicing compliance.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Expertise comptable et pilotage d'activité

Named customers2 records

Segments14 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Cerfrance (national network): The broader Cerfrance cooperative of which Cerfrance Seine Normandie is a regional AGC member. Same accounting/advisory service model, same cooperative structure, and same product set; directly comparable in business model and target client.
• In Extenso: Large French network of accounting and consulting firms serving TPE/PME across France with similar service lines (accounting, payroll, legal, advisory). Most direct comparable in scale and product mix.
• RSM France: Mid-market-focused audit, tax, and consulting firm in France with similar SME advisory positioning and service breadth.
• Baker Tilly France: French accounting, tax, and advisory firm serving mid-market and SME clients with a comparable service portfolio (accounting, legal, payroll, consulting).

Broad incumbents

• KPMG France: Big Four firm with a French practice offering accounting advisory, tax, and consulting; overlaps with Cerfrance in tax and advisory but serves significantly larger clients.
• Grant Thornton France: International audit and advisory network with a French practice serving larger SMEs and mid-market companies; overlapping service lines but typically targeting bigger clients than Cerfrance.

Others

• Bpifrance: French public investment bank providing SME financing and advisory; not a direct accounting competitor but a key ecosystem partner for Cerfrance's business creation, acquisition, and transmission services.

Emerging players

• Dougs: France-based online accounting and advisory firm combining digital tooling with human accountants; directly comparable hybrid model competing for TPE-PME clients.
• Indy: French digital accounting platform targeting freelancers and small businesses with low-cost automated bookkeeping; competes for the same TPE-PME wallet at a lower price point.
• Pennylane: France-based fintech offering automated accounting, e-invoicing, and financial management for TPE-PME; direct competitor on the digital side of Cerfrance's bookkeeping business.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/Cerfrance

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 Cerfrance