COMIDER

What COMIDER does

COMIDER is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1985 by Roger Fages and headquartered in Montpellier, organizing roughly 200 retired professional volunteers into eight territorial delegations across the Occitanie region. The association's mission is to support employment integration, professional retraining, and business creation — services delivered free of charge to job seekers, trainees, and aspiring entrepreneurs drawing on the domain expertise of its retired-expert volunteer base.

The association's flagship program is the Markethon, a collective employment-search event format created internally in 1992 and now in its 32nd edition spanning 11 cities; 550 participants were engaged in 2024 versus 381 in 2021. Complementary offerings include the Aide à la Réinsertion Professionnelle (ARP) program, the Job à la plage initiative, and the Mini-Entreprise EPA student-entrepreneurship track. A formal partnership with the Université de Montpellier (2010) anchors its academic outreach, and the 2025 launch of an "Espace de Travail Collaboratif" digital platform signals investment in member coordination infrastructure.

COMIDER is funded through institutional grants and donations rather than commercial revenue. Key funding and partnership counterparties include the Région Occitanie, France Travail, and the Humanis network (formed via a 2012 merger with CRI). As a loi 1901 association, it has no equity, no commercial pricing model, and no conventional revenue mechanics; its operating capacity is a function of grant funding and volunteer recruitment.

Name

COMIDER

Legal name

COMIDER - Les relais de l'expérience

Website

https://comider.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1985

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

COMIDER is a French non-profit association founded in 1985, mobilizing ~200 retired professional volunteers across Occitanie to deliver free employment-integration, training, and business-creation support to job seekers and aspiring entrepreneurs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Montpellier

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations and institutional grants: COMIDER operates as a loi 1901 non-profit association funded by donations, institutional grants from regional/city government, and in-kind support from partners such as Humanis (office space). No commercial revenue streams.

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COMIDER is a volunteer-driven non-profit association of retired professionals who deliver free employment coaching, training, professional insertion services, and business advisory support to job seekers, students, entrepreneurs, and farmers in difficulty across the Occitanie region of France. Its flagship offering is the Markethon de l'Emploi, an annual collective job-search event held simultaneously in 11+ cities, complemented by year-round workshops, CV/interview coaching, and farmer support missions.

Product overview

COMIDER operates as a unified service organization offering employment assistance, training, and professional integration programs. The core offering is the Markethon de l'Emploi, an annual solidarity-based job search event, supplemented by professional insertion services, training workshops, and the Mini-Entreprise EPA program for student entrepreneurship education.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Markethon de l'Emploi Annual solidarity job-search event held on the third Thursday of October across 11+ cities in Occitanie, where teams of job seekers prospect local businesses collectively to uncover hidden job opportunities. Each edition generates hundreds of job offers collected and shared with France Travail.
• Formation (Training Services) Training programs supporting students (Bac+3 to Bac+5) and job seekers with CV writing, interview preparation, career guidance, professional project construction, and job dating events. Delivered through interactive workshops and role-playing exercises at partner institutions.
• Insertion Professionnelle (Professional Insertion) Free professional integration services for job seekers, including unemployed individuals, young people entering the workforce, and those facing career challenges. Services include CV coaching, mock interviews, job search workshops, and individualized support.
• Aide à la Réinsertion Professionnelle (ARP) Eight-week professional reintegration program offering workshops on CV writing, cover letters, interview simulation, and personal development, typically following participation in the Markethon.
• Job à la plage Seasonal job-search event applying the Markethon concept to coastal areas, helping participants find summer or seasonal employment.
• Mini-Entreprise EPA (Entreprendre Pour Apprendre) Mini-enterprise program for students to discover entrepreneurship by creating and operating a student company with real clients and sales. COMIDER volunteers serve as mentors for middle and high school students.
• Accompagnement Entreprise (Business Coaching) Free business coaching services for aspiring entrepreneurs (Generation Z) and existing very small business owners (1–5 employees), including business feasibility studies, business plan development, accounting support, and legal/insurance risk assessment.
• Mission MSA (Agricultural Support) Individual on-site support for farmers in economic, technical, personal, or administrative difficulty, referred by MSA social workers. Coordinated by Jean Malzac with ~20 volunteers across Hérault, Gard, and Lozère, assisting ~108 farmers per year.

Quantifiable outcome

• 10,000 job seekers mobilized, 100,000 companies visited, 15,000 job offers collected over 15 years of Markethon events
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• AFTRAL (Apprendre et se Former en TRAnsport et Logistique)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 201310-year partnership as of 2023. COMIDER volunteers participate in BTS exam juries (REL Bac+3, TSMEL Bac+2), coach students on mémoire writing, run recruitment preparation workshops at AFTRAL Pérols and Nîmes sites. 14 comidériens from 3 delegations (Vidourle/Petite-Camargue, Nîmes, Montpellier) are involved.
• Université de Montpellier — SCUIO IP (Service Commun Universitaire d'Information, d'Orientation et d'Insertion Professionnelle)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2010Partnership since March 2010, with 26 COMIDER volunteers helping 180 students per year through a 12-hour insertion module covering CV writing, mock interviews, professional project construction, and career guidance. The module is listed in the university catalogue alongside 7 other workshops offered to Master 2 students.
• Humanis (Groupe de protection sociale)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1985Founding partner since 1985, originating from the CRI (Caisse de Retraite Inter-entreprises) directed by Roger Fages. Humanis provides office space (heated, lit) in Montpellier and holds a seat on COMIDER's Board of Directors. Marie-Luce Pélissier, Djamila ADLA, and Jordine Nègre represent Humanis on the board.
• MLJ3M (Mission Locale Jeunes Montpellier Méditerranée Métropole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerActive collaboration since at least 2015. MLJ3M mobilizes young job seekers to participate in the Markethon. Conseillers en insertion professionnelle prepare and accompany participants on the day of the event. In 2015, MLJ3M-prepared youth secured CDIs and CDDs following their participation.
• MSA (Mutualité Sociale Agricole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerOver 20-year partnership. MSA social workers refer farmers in difficulty to COMIDER for individual on-site support in economic, technical, personal, and administrative matters. Jean Malzac coordinates ~20 volunteers across Hérault, Gard, and Lozère. ~108 farmers assisted per year, with visits growing from 135 in 2013 to 270+ in subsequent years.
• Communauté de communes du Pays de Sommières et MLJ Petite CamargueminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for the 'Parcours Vers l'Emploi' initiative — 8 weekly workshops for job seekers, led by COMIDER volunteers and coordinated with the Relais emploi de Sommières. Six participants benefited from the first edition in 2015.
• Lycée Pompidou, Castelnau-le-LezcoreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerActive partnership for ~10 years (as of 2016). Georges Cardona from COMIDER serves on the school's administrative council. COMIDER participates in exam juries, career forums, CV workshops, and mock interviews for BTS students. The school tripled its tax d'apprentissage collection through these partnerships.
• CCI Montpellier (Chambre de Commerce et d'Industrie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner organization on the COMIDER website alongside Montpellier 3M and Pôle Emploi (now France Travail).
• Montpellier 3M (Métropole)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal/metropolitan partner listed on the website. Collaborates on employment events such as the Rencontres pour l'emploi at Stade de la Mosson (December 2024).
• France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrimary institutional partner for employment initiatives. France Travail organizes Markethon registration sessions across multiple agencies (Castelnau-le-Lez, Cévennes, Mas de Grille, Méditerranée) and receives collected job offers after the Markethon event.
• AGIRabcd et EGEEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner associations that co-organize the Markethon de l'emploi 2025 alongside COMIDER (the historical organizer), with support from institutional partners.
• Association Entreprendre Pour Apprendre (EPA)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCOMIDER volunteers serve as mentors ('marraine/parrain') for students participating in Mini Entreprise EPA programs, helping middle and high school students create and run mini-companies.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AFPA (Agence nationale pour la formation professionnelle des adultes): France's national adult vocational training agency, providing state-funded professional qualification programs. Comparable to COMIDER's training mission (CV, interview prep, professional insertion) at much larger scale and with paid programs rather than volunteer delivery.
• France Travail (formerly Pôle Emploi): French national public employment agency serving as COMIDER's primary institutional partner. Receives job offers collected during Markethon and organizes registration sessions; operates as a much larger, government-funded incumbent in the same employment-services category where COMIDER plays a complementary volunteer role.
• CCI France (Chambres de Commerce et d'Industrie): National network of French chambers of commerce supporting business creation, SME development, and regional economic development. Listed as a COMIDER partner; comparable on the economic-development and SME-support dimension but operates as a much larger public institution with a different funding model.

Direct peers

• AGIRabcd: National French association of retired executives providing pro bono coaching to job seekers, students, and entrepreneurs. Co-organizes the Markethon 2025 with COMIDER and EGEE, and shares the same volunteer model and beneficiary base across regions of France.
• EGEE (Entente des Générations pour l'Emploi et l'Entreprise): French association of retired executives and senior professionals volunteering to support SME creation, employment, and professional insertion. Directly comparable to COMIDER as a volunteer-driven retiree association delivering similar services; EGEE is a co-organizer of the Markethon 2025 alongside COMIDER.

Others

• ANDRH (Association Nationale des DRH): National French association of HR directors providing professional networks, training, and employment-market expertise. Comparable to COMIDER on the employment and professional insertion dimension from an HR professional perspective, though ANDRH serves HR practitioners rather than job seekers directly.
• Initiative France: National network of associations supporting business creation and SME financing across France, particularly in underserved areas. Comparable to COMIDER's 'Accompagnement Entreprise' service for entrepreneurs and small business owners, though Initiative France adds financing and a formal incubation model.
• Missions Locales: Network of French local youth-employment organizations (including MLJ3M, COMIDER's direct partner) that provide professional insertion support to young people aged 16-25. Complementary to COMIDER's services, with overlapping beneficiary populations and direct referral relationships (e.g., MLJ3M mobilizes youth to participate in Markethon).
• France Bénévolat: National French association that connects volunteers with non-profit organizations. Related to COMIDER in volunteer-management infrastructure and recruitment, though France Bénévolat is a generalist intermediary rather than an employment-services provider.
• BGE (Boutique de Gestion Espace): French network of associations supporting entrepreneurship and business creation through coaching, training, and financing. Overlaps with COMIDER's entrepreneur coaching services (feasibility, business plan, accounting), particularly for aspiring and very small business owners.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/comider
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/comider
• Instagraminstagram.com/association.comider

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 COMIDER