Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO

What Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO does

Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) founded on October 5, 1978, as the Association pour les Langues et Cultures d'Origine (A.L.C.O) and headquartered at 8 bis Avenue de la Paix in the Amiens Nord district of Amiens, France. Operated with a core team of approximately 13 staff plus intermittent animators and Service Civique volunteers, it delivers a community social-center service catalog spanning after-school and daily educational support (AES, DARE, ACL), early-childhood language awakening, circus-arts workshops (with partner Cirqu'onflexe), French-language integration workshops aligned to the OFII pathway, intercultural animations and mediation, family coordination, senior intergenerational activities (with CCAS d'Amiens), and a yearly JIJA festival launched in 2011.

Its underlying infrastructure combines a 500 m² pedagogical garden, a Pédagogique Kitchen, a Couturières sans frontières sewing room, a documentation center on immigration and intercultural topics, and the ALCOLAB / Espace Fablab digital-fabrication makerspace equipped with 3D printers, a laser cutter, a vinyl cutter, Thymio robots, and Makey Makey boards used for digital inclusion, homework help, CV writing, and job-search support. Robotics and digital-fabrication workshops are delivered in partnership with Planète Sciences and local schools (École Lesot B, École Schweitzer, École La Paix) under the Cité Éducative Amiens Nord initiative. The 13-employee organization is governed by a volunteer Conseil d'Administration chaired by President Gérard LEROY, with Juliette CHARLOT serving as Directrice since June 2024.

Commercially, all services are free or reduced-cost to residents, and the center has no fee-for-service productization. Revenue mechanics rely on public subsidies and grants from municipal, departmental, and national sources, principally CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) following its 2014 Centre Social accreditation, Cité Éducative program funding, and partnerships with institutions such as CCAS d'Amiens, France Travail, Coallia, and La Machinerie. Financial figures are not publicly disclosed; the go-to-market motion is community-led, anchored by a single physical hub with referral pipelines from schools, CCAS, and local associations.

Name

Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO

Legal name

Association pour les Langues et Cultures d'Origine (ALCO)

Website

https://centre-alco.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO is a non-profit community social center in Amiens Nord, France, founded in 1978, providing free educational support, intercultural activities, family programs, and digital-inclusion services to children, immigrants, families, and seniors in the district.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Community Social Services

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Educational Services (611)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Engagement & Social Integration Programs (Clubs, Events, Volunteering) (EDAIAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cultural Adjustment & Integration Services (intercultural programs, community connection) (EDALANAD), Cultural Adjustment & Intercultural Training Programs (EDAIAKAB)

Keywords

• Community social services
• Educational support programs
• Intercultural mediation services
• Family support programs
• Digital inclusion programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Amiens

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Grants: The center operates as a non-profit association receiving public funding from municipal, departmental, and national sources, including CAF (Caisse d'Allocations Familiales) for family support services and Cité Éducative for educational programs.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO is a non-profit community social center delivering educational support, intercultural mediation, family services, digital inclusion, and cultural programming to residents of Amiens Nord, France. The center combines after-school academic support, French language integration workshops, maker-space fabrication activities, sewing and cooking workshops, and intercultural dialogue programs to address educational inequality and social isolation.

Product overview

Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO is a community social center founded in 1978 in Amiens Nord, France, offering a comprehensive portfolio of social, educational, cultural, and digital inclusion programs. The center operates through interconnected service programs including: educational support services (Accompagnement Éducatif et Scolaire, DARE, ACL vacation programs, circus workshops, language awakening), intercultural activities (intercultural animations, mediation, senior activities, citizenship meetings), family support programs (Animation Collective Familles, French language workshops), and digital inclusion spaces (Espace Multimédia ALCOLAB, Fablab with fabrication tools). The center also manages a 500 m² educational garden, sewing workshop, and culinary pedagogy kitchen. These programs work together to serve diverse populations including children, youth, families, seniors, and newcomers, with a focus on intercultural dialogue, educational success, and social cohesion.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• ALCOLAB: Digital mediation space and makerspace (Fablab) of the center, featuring digital fabrication tools and numeric workshops.
• ALCOLAB

Products and services

• Accompagnement Éducatif et Scolaire (AES)

Quantifiable outcome

• 4 sessions per year of Atelier Cultures et Loisirs accommodating ~60 youth and 40 families
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Planète SciencescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 9 September 2024Training organization providing robotics education programs. Trained center staff for robotics challenge project funded by Cité Éducative.
• Cirqu'onflexecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for circus arts workshops for children, including weekly initiation sessions and intensive workshops during school vacations. Culminates in mini-shows for families.
• CCAS d'AmienscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with Municipal Centre for Social Action for seniors activities, including intergenerational gatherings and support services for isolated elderly residents.
• Cité Éducative Amiens NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGovernment educational initiative providing funding and support for educational projects including robotics, fabrication, and environmental workshops in schools.
• La MachinerieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal maker space and Fablab network partner for collaborative projects including robotics challenges and bicycle workshops.
• APAP (Amiens), Les Astelles, L'OdysséeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organizations for Intercyclettes project promoting cycling and sustainable mobility among Amiens Nord residents.
• France Travail and CoalliaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for innovative cooking workshops including 'eat on a budget' sessions and restaurant job dating events.
• IUT d'Amiens, Le Safran, Jardin des Plantes, IME de DuryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships supporting the 500m² pedagogical garden for urban agriculture and sustainable development education.
• Schools of Amiens NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnerships with elementary schools including Lesot B, Schweitzer, and La Paix for educational support, 'Éveil langage' programs, and various workshops.
• BuscycletteminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBicycle training provider for cycling initiation stages as part of Intercyclettes project.
• Sylvie Gosselin (Artist Photographer)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArtist residency project creating photography workshops where youth reproduced famous paintings, culminating in exhibition and publication.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Union Française des Centres de Vacances et de Loisirs (UFCV): National association operating leisure and vacation programs for youth, with significant presence in Quartiers Prioritaires. Comparable to ALCO on educational support, ACL-style vacation activities, and family engagement programs, though at national scale.
• Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture (Fédération nationale des MJC): Federation of MJC associations offering popular education, youth programs, cultural activities and social cohesion initiatives across France. Comparable to ALCO on community-based educational and intercultural programming but operates as a broader national network.
• Association Léo Lagrange: Major French federation of social, educational, and cultural associations operating community centers, youth programs, and digital inclusion initiatives nationwide. Comparable to ALCO in mission (popular education, social cohesion, digital mediation) but at significantly larger national scale.
• Fédération des Centres Sociaux de France: The national federation of French Centres Sociaux, of which ALCO is a member since its 2014 accreditation. It is the closest institutional peer because it represents the same operational category (Centres Sociaux) and sets the accreditation, funding, and program standards that ALCO operates under.

Regional players

• La Machinerie (Amiens): Local Amiens-based Fablab and makerspace that is already a documented partner of ALCO. Operates a similar digital fabrication model (3D printing, electronics, maker education) in the same city, making it the closest direct peer for ALCO's Fablab and ALCOLAB activities.

Direct peers

• Centre Social de la Villeneuve (Grenoble): Long-established Centre Social located in the Grand'Place neighborhood of Grenoble, delivering educational support, family programs, cultural activities and digital inclusion. Comparable to ALCO in mission and accreditation status under CAF.
• Centre Social du Petit-Quevilly: A Centre Social in the Rouen metropolitan area delivering family support, youth educational programs, and cultural activities. Comparable in scale, accreditation (CAF), and target population to ALCO.
• Centre Social La Passerelle (Rillieux-la-Pape): Centre Social serving a Quartier Prioritaire near Lyon with comparable educational support, family services, cultural mediation and digital inclusion programs. Directly comparable in mission and accreditation.
• Centre Social et Culturel Jean-Burger: A Centre Social et Culturel serving a quartier prioritaire in eastern France with similar programs (educational support, family activities, cultural mediation). Directly comparable in size, structure, and target population to ALCO.

Emerging players

• Association Animation Culturelle et Interculturelle Locale (AACIL): Smaller French associations focused on intercultural mediation and community integration in northern France. Conceptually comparable to ALCO's intercultural mediation and French-language integration workshops but with narrower service scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-alco

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Centre Social et Interculturel ALCO