Avise

What Avise does

Avise is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded in 2002 and headquartered in Paris, operating as the national resource center for the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) and social innovation in France. It maintains a freely accessible online platform (avise.org) providing tools, guides, methodologies, a searchable Annuaire of ESS actors and programs, glossaries, and a Cartographie des financements européens — covering the full lifecycle of social enterprises from creation through scaling and impact evaluation. The organization holds multiple state- and EU-granted mandates: it has served as an intermediate organism for the European Social Fund+ (FSE+) since 2004, was designated by the French State as the National Competence Center for Social Innovation (CNCIS) in 2020, and since 2025 serves as the National Contact Point for the EaSI program.

Avise's core products are programs and national networks rather than discrete software products. These include Fabrique à initiatives (38 active structures across 65+ French departments that mobilized 2,379+ partners and created 58 new economic activities in 2024-2025), the DLA network supporting ~6,000 ESS employer structures annually, the P'INS scaling program (81 structures supported since 2014 with Fondation MACIF), Cap Impact (impact evaluation training), TRESSONS and Créa'rural (rural ESS development with 198 actors), Social Value France (impact evaluation network), and the Emergence & Accélération community of 130 ESS incubators and accelerators. Underlying technology is a content-driven web platform with directories, mapping tools, and email newsletters (Entreprendre autrement, TRESSONS, IMPACTS), supplemented by webinars, conferences, and field-based accompaniment.

Avise's business model is institutional rather than commercial: as a non-profit association, it does not sell products or services, with all resources, tools, guides, and community participation provided free of charge. Revenue comes from European funding (FSE+ intermediation, EaSI, FEADER via the National Rural Network, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe), French state partnerships (Ministry of Economy and Finance, ANCT, Banque des Territoires), foundation co-financing (Fondation MACIF, Fondation OCIRP), and European project consortiums (BIRDS 2024-2027 with France, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden). Customer segments are ESS enterprises and social entrepreneurs, accompaniment actors (incubators, DLA structures, consultants), public actors and local authorities, and ESS funders — all served via a community-led and event-driven go-to-market motion that combines the digital resource center with field networks.

Name

Avise

Legal name

Avise

Website

https://www.avise.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2002

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Avise is a French non-profit national resource center for the Social and Solidarity Economy, providing freely accessible tools, guides, networks, and European funding intermediation to ESS enterprises, accompaniment actors, and public funders across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) Resource Center and Social Innovation Support Services

NAICS

Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416), Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG, Sustainability & Impact Research (BPAHALAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Economic Research, Statistics & Policy Advisory (BPADAMAJ), ESG Data, Ratings & Research (Providers, Methodologies, Analytics) (FSAAALAJ)

Keywords

• Social economy resources
• Social innovation support
• European funding advisory
• Impact evaluation training
• Enterprise accompaniment

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Programme management and EU funds intermediation: Avise acts as an intermediate organism for the European Social Fund+ (FSE+) at the national level since 2004, channeling European funding to ESS and social innovation projects. It also operates multiple national programs (P'INS, Cap Impact, TRESSONS, BIRDS, etc.) in partnership with foundations, public bodies, and territorial actors.
2. Membership and partner contributions: Avise is structured as an association with members and partners who contribute to its operations and governance. The organization is funded through public and European funds, foundation partnerships, and institutional grants.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Avise operates the French national resource center for the social and solidarity economy (ESS) and social innovation. It delivers free online resources (guides, tools, directories, fact sheets), animates national networks of ESS practitioners, runs accompaniment and scaling programs (Fabrique à initiatives, DLA, P'INS, Cap Impact, TRESSONS), channels European funding (FSE+, EaSI), and acts as the French National Competence Center for Social Innovation (CNCIS).

Product overview

Avise operates as a national resource center for the social and solidarity economy (ESS) and social innovation in France. The organization offers multiple interconnected programs and networks rather than a single unified product: the Fabrique à initiatives is a social innovation device that develops new economic activities in territories; the DLA provides public support for ESS structures; and specialized programs like P'INS (scale-up support), Cap Impact (impact evaluation training), and TRESSONS (rural ESS development) serve specific needs. Avise also animates national networks including Social Value France, Créa'rural, and the Emergence & Acceleration Community. As the French Centre of Competence for Social Innovation (CNCIS), Avise facilitates access to European funding and provides an online resource center freely accessible to ESS actors. The organization functions as an intermediary for the European Social Fund+ (FSE+) since 2004.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Fabrique à initiatives: Social innovation device that accompanies actors in a territory to understand local needs and develop new economically useful activities in the ESS sector
• DLA (Dispositif local d'accompagnement de l'ESS)
• P'INS
• Cap Impact
• TRESSONS
• Social Value France
• Communauté Émergence & Accélération
• Créa'rural
• BIRDS
• Centre national de ressources de l'évaluation d'impact
• Relais national sur les financements européens

Products and services

• Fabrique à initiatives Social innovation device that accompanies local actors in understanding territorial needs and develops new economically useful activities by connecting public, private, and citizen actors within the ESS sector. Mobilised 2,379+ partners and created 58 new economic activities in 2024-2025 across 65+ French departments.
• DLA (Dispositif local d'accompagnement de l'ESS) The first public support device for the social and solidarity economy (ESS), accompanying nearly 6,000 employing ESS structures annually across France in developing their projects.
• P'INS Programme Support program co-led by Avise and Fondation MACIF since 2014, helping socially innovative project leaders develop and execute a strategy to spread their solution to other territories. Each promotion selects 8 laureates (2026-2027 chosen from 90 applications); since 2014, 81 ESS structures have been supported with 350+ local implantations and ~1.3 million beneficiaries.
• Cap Impact Programme Training program that equips ESS accompaniment actors with impact evaluation skills so they can help ESS companies take their first steps in impact evaluation regardless of their means.
• Social Value France Network The first French network dedicated to debate and sharing of news and practices around impact evaluation, animated by Avise.
• TRESSONS Programme Program to develop and better accompany ESS in rural territories, implemented by Avise and RTES with support from FEADER and the National Rural Network.
• Créa'rural Collective Collective bringing together 198 actors committed to developing and better supporting ESS in rural territories, born out of the TRESSONS program.
• Centre national de compétences de l'innovation sociale (CNCIS) Avise acts as the French National Competence Center for Social Innovation (CNCIS), mandated by the French State since 2020 to develop and support the social innovation ecosystem, participate in the European Social Innovation+ (SI+) initiative, and coordinate the BIRDS consortium with Spain, Portugal, and Sweden (2024-2027).
• Relais national sur les financements européens National relay and resource point on European funding, facilitating access to European funding opportunities (FSE+, EaSI, FEDER, FEADER, Erasmus+, Horizon Europe, AMIF) for French ESS and social innovation actors. Includes a mapping of European funding opportunities with practical fact sheets on eligibility, modalities, and amounts.
• Communauté Émergence & Accélération National community bringing together 130 incubators and accelerators of the ESS in France to strengthen, articulate, and enhance support devices for project creation in ESS.
• Centre de ressources en ligne (Online resource center) Freely accessible online resource center on avise.org providing tools, guides, methodologies, practical fact sheets, directories (Annuaire), glossaries, and inspiration content for ESS project leaders at each stage of the enterprise lifecycle — from creation to consolidation, scaling, and impact evaluation.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2,379+ partners mobilized by Fabrique à initiatives in 2024
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers11 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerANCT is a national partner of the Fabrique à initiatives network and co-financier of the national program. Avise also partners with ANCT on the Petites villes de demain program to support ESS in small municipalities.
• Ministry of the Economy and Finance (France)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe French Ministry of the Economy and Finance is a national co-financier of the Fabrique à initiatives network and a key institutional partner for ESS policy in France.
• Fondation MACIFcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondation MACIF co-portes the P'INS program with Avise since 2014, providing €20,000 per laureate and full accompaniment. Since 2014, 81 ESS structures have been supported with over 350 local implantations.
• RTES (Réseau des collectivités Territoriales pour une Économie Solidaire)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRTES co-implemented the TRESSONS program with Avise (2018-2021) to strengthen ESS in rural areas, contributing to the launch of the Créa'rural collective.
• Fondation OCIRPmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondation OCIRP launched the Graines d'autonomie program with Avise to scale projects addressing fragility situations (disability, illness, bereavement, old age).
• European networks (Euclid Network, DIESIS, Social Good Accelerator)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvise is a member of Euclid Network, DIESIS, and the Social Good Accelerator (SOGA), participating in European exchanges on ESS and social innovation development.
• Social Innovation+ (SI+) European Competence CentrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvise participates in the SI+ initiative's exchanges alongside other national competence centers, managing authorities, ministries, NGOs, and researchers from all 27 EU Member States.
• BIRDS consortium (France, Spain, Portugal, Sweden)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAvise coordinates the BIRDS project (2024-2027) bringing together the four European national competence centers for social innovation (CNCIS) — France, Spain, Portugal, and Sweden — to work on emergence support, impact evaluation, scaling, and financing of social innovation.
• BuiCaSuS consortium (France, Spain, Latvia, Sweden)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPredecessor consortium to BIRDS (2021-2023) in which Avise collaborated with Spain, Latvia, and Sweden to map respective ecosystems, share tools and good practices, and establish national competence center roadmaps.
• Chaire Innovation Sociale ESSECminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe ESSEC Chaire Innovation Sociale integrates modules on impact evaluation in its programs; Avise collaborates with academic institutions on impact evaluation training and resources.
• Sciences Po Bordeaux (Master ESIS)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSciences Po Bordeaux's Master in ESS and Social Innovation integrates impact evaluation modules; Avise collaborates with this and other academic programs for training.
• Université Paris 8 (Master ESSI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversité Paris 8 Saint-Denis offers a Master parcours in Social and Solidarity Economy with social innovation modules; Avise collaborates on impact evaluation education.
• Impact TankmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Tank co-developed the référentiel for impact evaluation for foundations and co-delivers the Certificate on Evaluation of Socio-Territorial Impact of ESS with Sciences Po Bordeaux. Avise collaborates with Impact Tank on impact evaluation frameworks.
• AdmicalminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAdmical co-developed the référentiel for evaluating the social utility of ESS funders and jointly delivers training on impact evaluation fundamentals with CFF and Kimso.
• Centre Français des Fondations (CFF)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCFF jointly delivers training on impact evaluation fundamentals with Admical and Kimso, serving French foundation members.
• ESFA (European Social Fund Agency, Lithuania)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerESFA (Lithuania) hosts the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation. Avise works with ESFA within the SI+ initiative and Social Innovation Match platform governance.
• Impact EuropemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerImpact Europe is a member of the SI+ Advisory Board alongside Avise, contributing to European social innovation strategy and practice.

Scale indicators12 records

Recent moves11 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Le Labo de l'ESS: French think-and-do tank focused on the social and solidarity economy, producing research, events, and resources for ESS actors. Highly comparable to Avise as a parallel national-level ESS knowledge and convening body in France.
• Mouvement Impact France: French network representing enterprises committed to social and environmental impact. Operates as a peer membership body with policy advocacy, resources, and community animation for impact enterprises — directly overlapping Avise's constituency.
• RTES (Réseau des collectivités Territoriales pour une Économie Solidaire): Network of French local authorities committed to ESS development. RTES is a strategic partner of Avise (co-implemented TRESSONS) and serves an overlapping public-actor and ESS-support constituency across French territories.
• Euclid Network: European network supporting social enterprises and social innovation intermediaries across the EU. Directly comparable to Avise's cross-border work as a national competence center coordinating with European peers via SI+ and BIRDS.
• DIESIS: European network of cooperatives and social enterprises providing research, training, and policy representation for the social economy. Overlaps Avise's ESS resource-center, training, and EU-policy roles.
• NESsT: Non-profit that develops and finances social enterprises in emerging and transitioning markets. Comparable as a resource-provider and intermediary for social enterprises, though focused more on enterprise creation and investment than on ecosystem-level resource-center functions.
• Impact Europe: European leading network for impact investing and social enterprise finance. Comparable as an ecosystem convener on impact evaluation and social-investor mobilization, and a fellow member of the SI+ Advisory Board alongside Avise.

Broad incumbents

• Ashoka: Global organization supporting leading social entrepreneurs. Comparable in mission (social innovation ecosystem building) but operates at much greater scale and global scope, with a more selective fellowship model versus Avise's national-resource-center model.
• Social Innovation Exchange (SIX): Global network catalyzing social innovation practice and policy exchange. Comparable to Avise in curating communities of practice and linking national social innovation efforts, though with a wider international and cross-sectoral scope.

Regional players

• Social Enterprise UK: UK national membership body for social enterprises, providing advocacy, resources, and networks. Closely comparable in mandate to Avise but operating in a different national market with its own policy and funding framework.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/avise_org
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCJ5FKX8Mkz2iZ5x0e-Ky6Kg
• Facebookfacebook.com/Aviseasso
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/avise

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 Avise