CIDSE

What CIDSE does

CIDSE (Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité) is an international network of Catholic social justice organisations founded in 1965 and registered as a non-profit under Belgian law in 1967, headquartered in Brussels. The network comprises 18 member organisations — including CAFOD, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Cordaid, Misereor, Trócaire, Development and Peace, and Manos Unidas — whose development agencies collectively operate in over 120 countries and territories. CIDSE operates as an advocacy and policy coordination entity rather than a service-delivery or product organisation, with no proprietary technology platform; its operational infrastructure consists of standard digital communications, a website, and collaboration tools used to coordinate members and distribute publications. Revenue is generated through membership fees from the 18 member organisations supplemented by institutional grants, with 2023 core expenditures of €1,871,940.38 allocated across advocacy (€1.19M), communications and networking events (€482K), and administration and secretariat (€201K).

CIDSE's core business is convening, amplifying, and coordinating advocacy on systemic injustice, climate justice, corporate regulation, land rights, food sovereignty, gender equality, and human rights. It pursues this through policy papers, joint statements, coalition campaigns (notably 'Europe Be Faithful' with 130+ faith organisations and civil society coalitions of 70+ entities), and direct engagement with EU institutions, UN bodies (including UNFCCC COPs), AU-EU summits, and the World Social Forum. Its go-to-market is fundamentally event-driven and advocacy-led: the network targets policymakers and intergovernmental processes through coordinated campaigns, side events, and policy interventions rather than commercial sales. Key strategic alliances include Caritas (humanitarian counterpart), ACT Alliance EU (sister faith-based network), CAN-Europe (climate advocacy), CONCORD (European NGO confederation), ELSiA (European Laudato Si' Alliance, of which CIDSE is a founding member), and the Laudato Si' Movement.

Name

CIDSE

Legal name

Coopération Internationale pour le Développement et la Solidarité

Website

https://cidse.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CIDSE is a Brussels-based international network of 18 Catholic social justice organisations operating in 120+ countries, coordinating advocacy on climate justice, corporate regulation, land rights, and human rights through EU institutions, UN bodies, and broad civil society coalitions.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development Advocacy

NAICS

Human Rights Organizations (813311), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Business, Professional, Labor, Political, and Similar Organizations (8139)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Governance, Democracy & Rule of Law (BPAGABAI)

akta.pro secondary industries

Government Accountability, Ethics & Anti-Corruption Advocacy (BPAGAFAN), Anti-Corruption, Integrity & Transparency (BPADAGAC)

Keywords

• International development advocacy
• Social justice network
• Climate justice advocacy
• Corporate regulation policy
• Faith-based development

Headquarters

HQ city

Brussels

HQ country

Belgium

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Marketing or Sales, Operations, Personnel

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: CIDSE is funded by membership fees from its 18 member organisations, which are Catholic development agencies from various countries.
2. External funding: CIDSE receives external funding from institutional donors. In 2023, funding included the European Commission Directorate-General for International Partnerships (DG INTPA) under the Framework Partnership Agreement 'Experience, Learning, Sharing through joint action and strategic planning to achieve global justice' (2019-2023), and Porticus for the project 'Transformative advocacy towards integral ecology – Development of a new Monitoring, Evaluation and Learning (MEL) framework for CIDSE and its members' (2021-2023).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

CIDSE is an international network of 18 Catholic social justice organisations coordinating joint advocacy, campaigning, and policy work on systemic injustice, climate justice, corporate regulation, land rights, food systems, and gender equality. The Secretariat in Brussels facilitates member collaboration, produces policy papers and joint statements, engages EU institutions and UN bodies, and mobilises coalitions of faith and civil society organisations across 120+ countries.

Product overview

CIDSE is an international network of Catholic social justice organisations focused on advocacy, campaigning, and policy work rather than commercial product offerings. The organisation produces publications, statements, policy briefs, campaigns, and educational resources related to its mission of transformational change to end poverty and inequalities, climate justice, corporate regulation, and other social justice issues.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Europe Be Faithful Campaign

Quantifiable outcome

• Coordinated advocacy across 120+ countries through 18 member organisations
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 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, key and supporting.

• ACT Alliance EUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE enjoys longstanding cooperation with its sister network ACT Alliance EU, working together on advocacy and policy positions.
• CaritascoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE works closely with Caritas on many development and humanitarian issues. While Caritas focuses more on humanitarian aid and CIDSE on broader development concerns, they are key strategic partners building on each other's strengths.
• CAN-EuropecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE collaborates with CAN-Europe (Climate Action Network Europe) as a secular ally in Brussels on climate policy advocacy.
• CONCORDcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE is a member of CONCORD, the European NGO confederation for relief and development, working together on EU policy advocacy.
• ELSiA (European Laudato Si' Alliance)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE is a founding member of ELSiA – The European Laudato Si' Alliance, bringing together Catholic organisations working on integral ecology.
• Laudato Si' MovementkeyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE collaborates with the Laudato Si' Movement on the 'Europe Be Faithful' campaign and Laudato Si' Week initiatives, engaging faith communities in climate advocacy.
• 130+ Faith organisations (Europe Be Faithful coalition)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE leads a coalition of over 130 faith organisations from 20 EU countries in the 'Europe Be Faithful' campaign urging EU climate action and fossil fuel phase-out.
• 70+ Civil society organisations (human rights coalition)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE joined over 70 civil society organisations in signing an open letter to European Parliament President condemning hate speech after the Return Regulation vote, covering human rights, democracy, migration, and climate sectors.
• Stop ISDS CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE participates in the Stop ISDS coalition, an alliance of over 100 NGOs, trade unions, and social movements campaigning against Investor State Dispute Settlement and for corporate accountability.
• Nigrizia FoundationsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE collaborates closely with the Nigrizia Foundation (established by the Comboni Missionaries in Italy) on European due diligence consultation contributions, particularly regarding conflict minerals and human rights.
• African Platform 'Our land is Our Life'keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE works with the African Platform 'Our land is Our Life' to ensure African peoples' voices are heard at the AU-EU Summit, coordinating the African People's Summit.
• CONCORD (Joint statements)keyStrategic or Co-development PartnerCIDSE co-develops joint African-European civil society statements with CONCORD for Heads of States attending the EU-AU Summit.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Christian Aid: Christian Aid is a UK-based ecumenical international development organisation focused on poverty, climate justice, and corporate accountability advocacy. It is comparable as a UK/European faith-rooted INGO active in CIDSE's thematic areas with similar EU policy work.
• Stop ISDS Coalition: Stop ISDS is a coalition of 100+ NGOs, trade unions, and social movements campaigning against Investor-State Dispute Settlement and for corporate accountability. CIDSE is a member; Stop ISDS is a directly comparable single-issue advocacy coalition operating in the same Brussels policy space.
• CAN-Europe (Climate Action Network Europe): CAN-Europe is the largest Brussels-based coalition working on EU climate policy, with 180+ member organisations. It is a direct peer of CIDSE on climate justice advocacy and the secular ally identified in CIDSE's own partnerships.
• Eurodad (European Network on Debt and Development): Eurodad is a Brussels-based network of 50+ civil society organisations working on EU development finance, debt, tax justice, and corporate accountability. It is a direct peer as a Brussels-based advocacy coalition targeting similar EU policy processes with comparable member-driven governance.
• CONCORD (European NGO Confederation for Relief and Development): CONCORD is the umbrella confederation of European development NGOs engaging in EU policy advocacy on aid effectiveness, sustainable development, and humanitarian issues. CIDSE is itself a member, but CONCORD serves as a comparable Brussels advocacy confederation targeting the same EU institutions.
• Caritas Europa: Caritas Europa is the regional confederation of Caritas organisations — Catholic humanitarian and development agencies across Europe. It is a strategic partner of CIDSE and the closest Catholic counterpart, working on overlapping EU advocacy themes with a larger operational footprint.
• Jesuit European Social Centre (JESC): JESC is a Brussels-based office of the Jesuits engaging in EU policy advocacy on migration, social justice, and human dignity. It shares CIDSE's Catholic social-justice orientation and Brussels advocacy focus, though from a Jesuit (rather than multi-agency) perspective.
• European Laudato Si' Alliance (ELSiA): ELSiA is an alliance of Catholic organisations working on integral ecology and climate action in Europe. CIDSE is a founding member; ELSiA shares the Catholic ecological framework and Brussels advocacy profile, making it a tightly overlapping peer network.
• ACT Alliance EU: ACT Alliance EU is a sister ecumenical/faith-based advocacy network of churches and agencies working on EU policy on justice, peace, and sustainability. It is the closest structural peer to CIDSE — a Brussels-based coalition of Christian development/relief agencies doing joint advocacy.

Others

• CIDSE member agencies (CAFOD, CCFD-Terre Solidaire, Cordaid, Misereor, Trócaire, Manos Unidas): CIDSE's 18 member organisations — including CAFOD (England/Wales), CCFD-Terre Solidaire (France), Cordaid (Netherlands), Misereor (Germany), Trócaire (Ireland), and Manos Unidas (Spain) — are individual Catholic development/relief agencies that pool advocacy through CIDSE. They are ecosystem peers: same faith tradition, overlapping thematic work, but national rather than EU-wide scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/cidse
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/CIDSEonline/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/cidse
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cidse

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles15 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 CIDSE