CIAP Pays de la Loire

What CIAP Pays de la Loire does

CIAP Pays de la Loire (Coopérative d'Installation en Agriculture Paysanne des Pays de la Loire) is a French cooperative (Société Coopérative à conseil d'administration) founded in 2012 and headquartered in Nantes, with five departmental offices across the Pays de la Loire region (Loire-Atlantique, Maine et Loire, Mayenne, Sarthe, Vendée) and approximately 11–15 staff. Its purpose is to support the installation of new farmers — particularly those 'Non Issus du Milieu Agricole' (NIMA) — by lowering barriers related to training, financing, and land access. The organization has supported 754 projects since inception, with 68% achieving installation within two years and 90% for those using the portage d'activité pathway.

The cooperative delivers four interconnected services: (1) 'Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne', a one-year professional training program co-certified with FADEAR, ARAP, and ARDEAR CVL under France Compétences (certification RS5942), now designated as mandatory for DJA young farmer subsidy applications; (2) 'Portage d'activité', an agricultural incubator model in which CIAP acts as co-lessee with annual contributions of €960 per project holder plus 7.1% of activity volume and 2% of investment volume, with pre-financing envelopes up to €80,000 for bovine projects; (3) 'Espaces tests permanents', permanent organic market-gardening test farms at Saint-Herblain and Théhillac; and (4) territorial partnership programs such as ALTERFIXE 53 (Mayenne) and the Loire Layon Aubance LEADER-funded exchange groups. Pricing is low-ticket and accessible via CPF, AIF, and VIVEA financing.

The cooperative is funded through a mix of training fees, portage d'activité contributions, cooperative member dues, European LEADER/FEADER funds, and foundation grants (Fondation Crédit Coopératif, Fondation Carasso, Fondation Territoriale 44). It operates without external equity, sits within the national RENETA network of ~80 agricultural test spaces, and is recognized as a Prix de l'inspiration en ESS 2024 laureate. Revenue is not publicly disclosed.

Name

CIAP Pays de la Loire

Legal name

CIAP PDL (Coopérative d'Installation en Agriculture Paysanne des Pays de la Loire)

Website

https://ciap-pdl.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2012

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIAP Pays de la Loire is a French cooperative founded in 2012 that supports aspiring farmers in the Pays de la Loire region through training, activity incubation, permanent test farms, and professional certification, primarily serving individuals with agricultural installation projects who lack farming backgrounds.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Installation Support Services

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Farm Management Services (115116)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Agricultural Services (700)

akta.pro primary industry

Agriculture & Food Production (EDABALAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Regulatory Compliance, Permitting & Audit Readiness (Food Safety, Environmental, Labor) (AFACAJAE)

Keywords

• Agricultural installation support
• Farmer training programs
• Activity incubation services
• Permanent test farms
• Cooperative agriculture services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Training fees: The organization charges registration fees for its training programs. The 'Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne' has a registration fee of €250 per trainee. Funding is also available through CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation), AIF (Aide Individuelle à la Formation) via France Travail, and VIVEA for professional development.
2. Activity portage contributions: Portage d'activité (incubator support) includes annual contributions of €960/year/project holder plus 7.1% of activity volume and 2% of investment volume. Pre-financing envelopes are available up to €80,000 for bovine farming projects.
3. Membership and cooperative contributions: As a Société Coopérative à conseil d'administration (cooperative with board of directors), CIAP receives contributions from members. Adhesion fees apply for member participation.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CIAP Pays de la Loire is a cooperative that accompanies individuals seeking to establish agricultural enterprises through three main pathways: a one-year professional training program ('Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne'), a legal activity-incubation framework ('portage d'activité') that lets project holders launch their farm business under CIAP's legal umbrella with pre-financing up to €80,000, and permanent test farms in organic market gardening where project holders manage a production unit for up to 12 months before full installation. It also co-holds the national RS5942 professional certification recognized by France Compétences.

Product overview

CIAP Pays de la Loire offers a portfolio of four interconnected services supporting agricultural installation: the one-year 'Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne' (formerly Paysan Créatif) provides structured training and certification; 'Portage d'activité' enables entrepreneurs to launch their activity under CIAP's legal umbrella with pre-financing; 'Espaces tests permanents' offer hands-on production testing in organic market gardening; and the professional certification (RS5942) validates entrepreneurial competencies. These services are designed to guide project carriers from training through practical testing to final installation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne: One-year training program for people with professional agricultural installation projects in creation, association, or takeover of agricultural activities.
• Portage d'Activités
• Espaces Tests Permanents
• Paysan Créatif

Products and services

• Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne A one-year professional training program for individuals with an agricultural installation project in creation, association, or takeover. Combines practical stages on farms, 12 collective training days, individual accompaniment, and leads to the RS5942 professional certification recognized by France Compétences. Registration fee €250 per trainee; financing available via CPF, AIF (France Travail), and VIVEA.
• Portage d'activité Activity-carrier service (agricultural business incubator) for project holders with a well-advanced economic sizing. CIAP acts as co-lessee so the entrepreneur can test their agricultural activity under a secure legal framework. Includes annual contribution of €960/project holder plus 7.1% of activity volume and 2% of investment volume HT, with pre-financing envelopes up to €80,000 for bovine farming, €60,000 for small ruminants/pigs/poultry, and €40,000 for plant projects.
• Espaces tests permanents Permanent test spaces in organic market gardening where project holders with prior experience in organic market gardening can manage a production unit for up to 12 months with technical supervision, equipment, and farmland provided. Open to people seeking to deepen mastery of the profession before committing to full installation.
• Certification Professionnelle Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne (RS5942) Professional certification registered with France Compétences covering entrepreneurial competencies for creating, taking over, or developing farms. Co-certified by ARAP, ARDEAR CVL, CIAP PDL, and FADEAR. Recognized as one of the mandatory formations for DJA subsidy applications effective January 2024.

Quantifiable outcome

• 68% of supported projects achieve installation within 2 years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Eleven partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PAT (Projets Alimentaires Territoriaux) de la MayennecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024CIAP 53 co-carries the ALTERFIXE 53 program with PAT de la Mayenne, an innovative program connecting Mayenne farmers seeking successors with project holders from across France. The program includes weekend encounters and a two-week summer camp.
• Conseil Régional des Pays de la LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2024The regional council designates which training programs qualify for DJA (Dotation Jeunes Agriculteurs) eligibility. CIAP's 'Formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne' is officially recognized as qualifying training for agricultural installation subsidies.
• FADEAR (Fédération des Associations pour le Développement de l'Emploi Agricole et Rural)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2022CIAP is co-certifier of the 'Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne' professional certification (RS5942) registered with France Compétences, developed collaboratively with FADEAR, ARAP, and ARDEAR CVL.
• ARAP (Association Régionale des Agriculteurs de Poitou-Charentes)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2022Co-certifier of the 'Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne' professional certification.
• ARDEAR CVL (Association Régionale pour le Développement de l'Emploi Agricole et Rural Centre-Val de Loire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 25 March 2022Co-certifier of the 'Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne' professional certification.
• Communauté de Commune Loire Layon AubancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2018Partnership from 2018-2020 supported by European LEADER funds for implementing a new agricultural installation support device on the Loire Layon Aubance territory. Established 5 exchange groups addressing specific territorial issues including land access, cooperative wine facilities, collective farm purchases, pastoralism, and progressive installation.
• RENETA (Réseau National des Espaces Test Agricoles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIAP is a member of RENETA, a network of nearly 80 agricultural test space structures in France and Belgium. The network supports best practice sharing and the development of agricultural testing activities.
• Redon AgglomérationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProvides test space facilities at Ferme de Cranhouët for the Théhillac test space location, demonstrating territorial partnership for agricultural development.
• Lycée Agricole Terre AtlantiquecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHosts the Saint-Herblain test space on the agricultural school's land, providing infrastructure for practical testing of market gardening activities.
• GAB 72 (Groupement d'Agriculteurs Biologiques de la Sarthe)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Les Communes sèment en Bio' program since 2017, providing technical support for agricultural installation and organic farming development.
• Terres de Liens en Pays de LoirecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the 'Les Communes sèment en Bio' program, working to install farmers on territories and protect the environment while dynamizing local food supply.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• CIVAM: Centres d'Initiatives pour la Valorisation de l'Agriculture et du Milieu rural is a national network supporting sustainable rural and agricultural development. CIVAM shares CIAP's community-led accompaniment model and target audience of new entrants to peasant agriculture.
• FADEAR: Fédération des Associations pour le Développement de l'Emploi Agricole et Rural is the national federation coordinating agricultural installation support across France. It co-certifies the RS5942 certification with CIAP and operates a similar mission around peasant agriculture installation, making it the closest direct peer at the national level.
• RENETA: Réseau National des Espaces Tests Agricoles is the network of agricultural test spaces that CIAP belongs to. RENETA coordinates the 80+ member organizations across France and Belgium that offer agricultural testing activities, representing CIAP's most direct peer set in the test-space sub-category.
• Solidarité Paysans: National association supporting farmers in financial or operational difficulty. While focused more on rescue than installation, Solidarité Paysans shares CIAP's accompaniment methodology and target audience of small-scale peasant farmers, often operating in the same regional networks.
• Terres de Liens: A French land trust organization dedicated to preserving agricultural land and supporting new farmer installation. It addresses the land-access barrier that CIAP also helps beneficiaries overcome, with overlapping NIMA (non-farming background) target segments and complementary tools.
• AFIP: Association de Formation et d'Information Pour le milieu rural provides professional training and information services to rural populations across France. AFIP's training and agricultural installation support offering closely mirrors CIAP's formation programs in scope and target audience.

Emerging players

• GAB (Groupement d'Agriculteurs Biologiques): Federation of organic farmer groups (including GAB 72, a CIAP partner). While primarily focused on organic farming conversion support rather than installation per se, GABs increasingly overlap with CIAP's organic-oriented formation content and NIMA support pathways.

Broad incumbents

• Chambres d'agriculture France: The national network of agricultural chambers is the established public-sector advisor for French farmers. It provides overlapping installation support and training but as part of a much broader agricultural advisory portfolio, rather than specializing in CIAP's NIMA-focused accompaniment niche.

Regional players

• ARDEAR Centre-Val de Loire: Regional ARDEAR chapter co-certifying the RS5942 certification with CIAP. It delivers the same formation Entreprendre en Agriculture Paysanne in the Centre-Val de Loire region, making it a direct regional peer offering identical training under a sister regional structure.
• ADEAR Nouvelle-Aquitaine: Regional ADEAR association operating in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, providing agricultural installation training and accompaniment similar to CIAP. It is a geographic-adjacent peer serving a different territory with comparable peasant agriculture installation programs.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UC passerellespaysannes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/coop%C3%A9rative-d-installation-en-agriculture-paysanne-des-pays-de-la-loire

Compliance3 records

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 CIAP Pays de la Loire