L'Avant-Poste - Tiers lieu de la transition

What L'Avant-Poste - Tiers lieu de la transition does

L'Avant-Poste is a French cooperative third-place (tiers-lieu) operating from a single eco-renovated historic building at 3 rue Notre Dame in Die, Drôme, serving the rural Diois territory. Structured as a SCIC (Société Coopérative d'Intérêt Collectif) created in 2020 and opened in 2022, the cooperative is collectively owned by 153 sociétaires with equal voting rights and supported by 15 active volunteers and 1 paid employee. Its portfolio spans coworking (approximately 30-40 workstations on fiber internet), event and meeting room rentals (Grande Salle up to 40 people and Salle d'Activités 80m²), solidarity housing (4 renovated apartments plus 2 temporary furnished rooms at controlled rents), the in-house Le Hobo restaurant serving organic local cuisine, a tufting workshop, monthly Repair Cafés, 22 weekly recurring activities, and an electric Kangoo vehicle rental.

Revenue is generated through a mix of recurring subscriptions (coworking €170/month, housing), transactional pricing (day passes at €16.50, 10-day carnets at €132, room rentals €24-€95 per slot), restaurant operations, and citizen equity investment via cooperative shares (€20/share with 25% tax reduction under the IR-PME-ESUS scheme). Distribution is direct-to-consumer via the Dokos self-serve booking platform, on-site sales, and Coophub for capital raises; marketing is community-driven through events, newsletter, and partner referrals. The go-to-market is hybrid community-led and event-driven, targeting four primary segments: remote workers and freelancers, local associations/NGOs, local residents needing affordable housing, and external companies hosting off-sites.

Underlying technology is intentionally low-tech and physical: wood-chip heating under a performance contract, cellulose and wood-fiber insulation, LED lighting, FSC-certified and recycled building materials, and fiber optic internet. No AI, no proprietary software platform, and no digital product surface beyond standard SaaS tooling (Dokos, Sibforms). The cooperative is operating with positive results (+€55,000/year operating profit, >90% occupancy) but carries significant debt from the 2022 renovation, which overshot budget by €200,000 due to inflation — the rationale for a €250,000 citizen fundraising campaign running May-July 2026.

Name

L'Avant-Poste - Tiers lieu de la transition

Legal name

SCIC l'Avant-Poste

Website

https://avant-poste.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2020

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

L'Avant-Poste is a French cooperative third-place (SCIC) in Die, Drôme, operating coworking, event rooms, solidarity housing, a restaurant, and cultural activities for the rural Diois territory, collectively owned by 153 sociétaires.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Third-Place Services

NAICS

Other Residential Care Facilities (623990)

SIC

Hotels, Rooming Houses, Camps & Other Lodging Places (7000), Services-To Dwellings & Other Buildings (7340)

akta.pro primary industry

Co-Living / Hybrid Extended-Stay Residences (THAGAEAK)

akta.pro secondary industry

Co-Living Property Management (BPAJAFAJ)

Keywords

• Coworking spaces
• Event venue rental
• Solidarity housing
• Community third place
• Cooperative workspace

Headquarters

HQ city

Die

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Coworking Memberships and Day Passes: Revenue from coworking spaces including day passes, 10-day carnets, and monthly subscriptions for desk access.
2. Meeting and Event Space Rental: Rental of Grande Salle (up to 40 people) and Salle d'Activité (80m2) for events, conferences, seminars, and workshops with tiered pricing.
3. Restaurant Operations (Le Hobo): Restaurant serving local, organic, seasonal cuisine operated within the premises, open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch.
4. Housing Rentals: 4 renovated apartments and 2 temporary furnished rooms at controlled rents, with shared kitchen, laundry, and garden access.
5. Social Shares (Parts Sociales): Citizen investment in cooperative shares at 20€ per share with 25% tax reduction benefit under IR-PME-ESUS scheme.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

L'Avant-Poste is a cooperative third-place (tiers-lieu) operating an eco-renovated building in Die, Drôme that provides 30+ coworking workstations, meeting and event room rentals (Grande Salle up to 40 people and an 80m² activity room), four solidarity apartments plus two temporary guest rooms at controlled rents, an on-site organic restaurant (Le Hobo), artisanal tufting workshops, monthly Repair Cafés, a weekly program of cultural and wellness activities (yoga, pilates, theater, art), and electric vehicle rental. The space functions as a shared physical hub serving freelancers, local associations, and residents aligned with the cooperative's ecological and social transition mission.

Product overview

L'Avant-Poste is a cooperative third-place (tiers-lieu) offering a diversified portfolio of services centered on ecological and social transition in Die, Drôme. The core offering comprises 30 coworking stations, event/meeting room rentals (Grande Salle and Salle d'Activités), 4 solidarity housing units plus 2 temporary rooms, the Le Hobo restaurant (local organic cuisine), a tufting workshop, monthly Repair Café, and an extensive weekly program of regular activities (yoga, sophrology, pilates, qi gong, theater, vocal workshops, art classes). The cooperative operates as a SCIC (Société Coopérative d'Intérêt Collectif) with 153 shareholders and is currently conducting a citizen fundraising campaign of €250,000 to secure its financial future.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Le Hobo: Restaurant operated by Yann and his team, serving inventive cuisine with local and organic products, seasonal menus, two atmospheres (interior and garden).

Products and services

• Espaces de Coworking Shared coworking space offering 30+ workstations in the heart of Die with day passes, 10-day carnets, and monthly subscriptions, high-speed fiber internet, meeting rooms, and call booths. Designed for freelancers, remote workers, and entrepreneurs seeking a purpose-aligned workspace.
• Location de Salles Event and meeting room rentals including the Grande Salle (capacity 40, accessible to people with reduced mobility, with projector and kitchen access) and the Salle d'Activités (80m² second floor, parquet flooring suitable for artistic and cultural activities). Targeted at associations, companies, and organizers hosting seminars, conferences, and team events.
• Logements Solidaires Affordable housing offering comprising four renovated apartments (one studio, two T2, one T3) and two temporary furnished guest rooms of 14m², with shared kitchen, laundry facilities, and garden access. Rented at controlled rates outside the speculative market; residents become cooperative sociétaires and participate in governance.
• Restaurant Le Hobo On-site restaurant serving inventive, sincere cuisine using raw, predominantly local and organic seasonal products. Features indoor seating in a room decorated by local artisans and outdoor seating in a garden under a linden tree. Open Tuesday to Saturday for lunch.
• Ateliers Artisanaux (Tufting) Tufting workshop for carpet and rug making, offering artisanal craft activities for visitors and residents in the cooperative space.

Quantifiable outcome

• Space occupancy rate >90%
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Mairie de DiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipality of Die as key local government partner supporting the third-place initiative.
• CCAS (Centre Communal d'Action Sociale)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal social action center partnering for housing services for residents.
• RéDARminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal network for housing and social integration, partnering for resident placement.
• La TrameminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal association partnered for temporary housing solutions.
• CFPPAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural training center partnered for temporary housing services.
• Camille Behagel, ArchitectcoreTechnology or IntegrationArchitect specializing in third places and participatory housing, designed the renovation of the building.
• Graines de MoutardeminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFiscal sponsorship partner allowing tax-deductible donations through their structure.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• La Cordée: Cooperative network of third places offering coworking and event spaces across multiple French cities with a shared sustainability and community mission. Most directly comparable multi-site French cooperative coworking operator.
• Ici Demain: Cooperative third place in Montreuil/Paris offering coworking, events, and community programming around ecological transition. Shares community-led SCIC model and event-driven GTM with L'Avant-Poste.
• La Recyclerie: Cooperative third place in Paris built on an eco-renovated former railway station, combining coworking, restaurant, repair café and cultural events. Highly comparable operational mix including restaurant and ecological transition positioning.
• La Casemate: Cooperative third place in Grenoble offering coworking, fablab, events, and café focused on science popularization and citizen innovation. Shares SCIC structure and mission-driven programming model with L'Avant-Poste.
• La Labomedia: Cooperative third place in Orléans focused on digital arts, free culture, and hacktivism, combining coworking, fablab, and events. Comparable SCIC structure with mission-driven cultural programming.
• La Myne: Cooperative third place (SCIC) in Villeurbanne/Lyon combining coworking, fablab, events, and community programs around ecological and digital transition. Closest structural analog to L'Avant-Poste in urban setting.

Broad incumbents

• Morning Coworking: Institutionalized coworking chain with multiple French sites offering flexible workspaces, meeting rooms, and event spaces; broader incumbent in coworking and event-rental categories.
• Bureaux à Partager: France's largest coworking marketplace and operator with hundreds of spaces; broader incumbent competing in the same small-town coworking and event-rental segments as L'Avant-Poste.

Regional players

• Cohome: French co-living operator targeting young professionals with shared furnished apartments and community programming. Comparable on the solidarity-housing / co-living component of L'Avant-Poste's offering.

Others

• Crédit Coopératif: France's cooperative bank financing social economy and SCIC structures; an enabling financial partner rather than direct competitor, but shares the cooperative-DNA institutional framework that supports L'Avant-Poste's capital strategy.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/l-avant-poste-tiers-lieu-de-la-transition

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries1 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 L'Avant-Poste - Tiers lieu de la transition