CNDB - Le Bois Avance

What CNDB - Le Bois Avance does

CNDB (Comité National pour le Développement du Bois), operating commercially as 'Le Bois Avance', is a French non-profit association founded in 1989 and headquartered at 120 avenue Ledru Rollin, Paris (75011). It functions as the national resource center for wood construction in France, serving an ecosystem of more than 50,000 maîtrise d'œuvre (architects, engineers) and maîtrise d'ouvrage (property owners, developers) actors. Its core offerings are organized around four pillars: a content resource center (technical documentation, BA Bois series, Les essentiels du bois, case studies, conference materials), paid and free professional training (Formations Bois on collective housing, structural design, building envelopes, renovation), industry events and study trips (Forum Bois Construction, Matinales du CLT, Matins du Bois Français, Austria and Réunion study trips), and directory services connecting specifiers with architects, engineering firms (BET), wood construction companies, and product suppliers. The Fenêtres Bois communication campaign, launched in 2023, extends its scope into wood exterior joinery.

Revenue mechanics are those of a sectoral association rather than a commercial enterprise. CNDB receives institutional funding from CODIFAB (Comité Professionnel de Développement des Industries Françaises de l'Ameublement et du Bois), generates fees from paid training programs and study trips (e.g., €2,230 per person for the 2025 Réunion trip), runs subscription workshops (Les Ateliers du CNDB), and co-produces surveys and campaigns with France Bois Forêt, Fibois France, FCBA, CAPEB, UMB-FFB, UFME, UICB, and others. Distribution is event-driven and content-driven: a self-serve website, newsletters, social media, in-person training (including intra-company), and trade show participation. CNDB has 13 employees, no disclosed private or public capital, and operates as a coordinating body for the French wood construction sector under industry governance rather than as a commercial technology company.

Name

CNDB - Le Bois Avance

Legal name

CNDB - Comité National pour le Développement du Bois

Website

https://cndb.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

CNDB (Le Bois Avance) is the French national non-profit resource center for wood construction, providing technical publications, professional training, industry events, and directories to over 50,000 architects, engineers, property owners, and wood construction firms, funded primarily by CODIFAB and partner fees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Training programs and educational services: CNDB generates revenue through professional training programs on wood construction, including courses on collective housing, structural design, building envelopes, and renovation. Some training is offered free while other programs have fees.
2. Study trips and events: The organization organizes study trips to visit wood construction projects, such as trips to Austria, Réunion, and other locations, with registration fees.
3. Institutional funding and CODIFAB support: CNDB receives financial support from CODIFAB (Comité Professionnel de Développement des Industries Françaises de l'Ameublement et du Bois) as noted in the legal mentions, which provides institutional funding for the organization's operations.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

CNDB (Comité National pour le Développement du Bois) is a French non-profit association that provides professional training programs, technical publications, conferences, study trips, and a centralized knowledge resource center to support architects, project owners, and construction professionals in designing, building, and renovating with wood. Its core offerings are information-based and educational services tailored to the French wood construction sector.

Product overview

CNDB is a national wood development promotion organization, not a technology company. Its offerings consist of a portfolio of information, education, and professional services for the French wood construction industry. The core offerings include: Formations Bois (professional training courses on wood construction), Centre de ressources Bois (knowledge resource platform with technical documentation), BA Bois and Les essentiels du bois (technical publication series), Conférences du CNDB (conference organization), Retours d'expériences (case study collections), Directory Services (finding wood construction professionals), Les Ateliers du CNDB (subscription service), and communication campaigns like Campagne Fenêtres Bois. These services support architects, project owners, and construction professionals in adopting wood construction methods.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formations Bois (Wood Training Programs) Professional training courses on wood construction topics for architects, project owners, and construction professionals, including collective housing construction, structural design, building envelopes, and renovation with wood and bio-sourced materials.
• BA Bois Publications Technical document series on wood construction topics including examples, implementation situations, regulatory considerations, and best practice recommendations for construction professionals.
• Les Essentiels du Bois (Wood Essentials) Six-volume educational publication series covering wood construction fundamentals including sustainable building choices, acoustic comfort, thermal performance, fire safety, exterior wood finishes, and low-energy buildings.
• Retours d'Expériences Construction Bois (Wood Construction Case Studies) Collection of illustrated thematic case studies showcasing real-world wood construction projects and documented experiences for industry learning.
• Conférences du CNDB (CNDB Conferences) Organization of colloquia and conferences on wood construction topics, including the Matinales du CLT series and rehabilitation-focused events, with presentation materials available in PDF format.
• Study Trips (Voyages d'Études) Organized study trips to wood construction project sites in various locations (Austria, Réunion) providing hands-on learning experiences for construction professionals, with per-person registration fees.
• Trouver un Acteur (Directory Services) Referral directory service helping users locate wood construction architects (Maîtrise d'œuvre), engineering firms (BET), wood construction companies, and wood construction products.
• Les Ateliers du CNDB (CNDB Workshops Subscription) Subscription-based service providing access to workshops and ongoing professional resources for CNDB members.

Quantifiable outcome

• Training programs cover collective housing construction, structural design, building envelopes, and renovation with wood and bio-sourced materials
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

13 partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Charpentes 21coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCharpentes 21 (organization under UMB-FFB - Union des Métiers du Bois de la Fédération Française du Bâtiment) co-organizes study trips with CNDB to visit wood construction projects.
• CCCABTPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCCCC-BTP (Caisse de Congés Payés du BTP) partnered with CNDB to organize the study trip to Austria 'Le Bois Avance en Autriche' for maîtrise d'œuvre, maîtrise d'ouvrage, and trainers in CFA.
• France Bois ForêtcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance Bois Forêt is the national interprofession of the forest-wood sector and co-organizes the Enquête Nationale de la Construction Bois (National Wood Construction Survey) with CODIFAB.
• France Bois RégionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrance Bois Régions is a partner of CNDB, with CNDB operating at national level and FBR at regional level. Together they promote the forest and wood sector across France.
• Forum Bois ConstructioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCNDB partners with the Forum Bois Construction annual trade show, maintaining a collective stand with CODIFAB and its member professional organizations.
• CAPEBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCAPEB (Confédération de l'Artisanat et des Petites Entreprises du Bâtiment) is a member organization of CODIFAB and partners with CNDB at industry events.
• UICBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUICB (Union des Industriels et Constructeurs Bois et Biosourcés) partners with CNDB at industry events and is part of the CODIFAB collective.
• UFMEcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUFME (Union des Fabricants de Menuiseries Extérieures) co-initiated the Fenêtres Bois campaign with CNDB and UMB-FFB.
• FCBAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFCBA (Institut Technologique Forêt Cellulose Bois-Construction Ameublement) is a technological institute that partners with CNDB on technical publications and guidelines.
• Fibois FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFibois France is the national federation of regional wood interprofessions and partners with CNDB on the Enquête Nationale de la Construction Bois.
• UMB-FFBcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUMB-FFB (Union des Métiers du Bois de la Fédération Française du Bâtiment) co-initiated the Fenêtres Bois campaign and partners on events.
• Ameublement FrançaiscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeublement Français is a professional organization representing the French furniture industry and is part of the CODIFAB collective at CNDB events.
• UIPCcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerUIPC (Union des Industries des Panneaux de Process) is part of the CODIFAB collective and partners with CNDB at industry events.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WoodWorks: US-based non-profit education initiative providing free resources, training, and technical support to the building design community for wood construction. Closely comparable to CNDB as a national wood construction promotion and education body operating under an industry-funded mandate.
• FCBA: Institut Technologique Forêt Cellulose Bois-Construction Ameublement, France's technological institute for forest and wood sectors. FCBA partners with CNDB on technical publications and guidelines, sharing the role of producing authoritative wood construction content for professionals.
• France Bois Forêt: National interprofession of the French forest-wood sector, co-organizing the Enquête Nationale de la Construction Bois with CODIFAB. CNDB and France Bois Forêt are described in the data as core national-level partners for the forest-wood sector, sharing the mandate of promoting wood use in France.
• Fibois France: National federation of regional wood interprofessions in France. Fibois partners with CNDB on the Enquête Nationale de la Construction Bois and shares the role of coordinating wood construction promotion across regions and at the national level.
• France Bois Régions: Federation representing French regional wood interprofessions, partnering with CNDB at the national level to promote the forest and wood sector across regions. Plays a complementary, non-competing role with CNDB in the French wood promotion ecosystem.
• Think Wood: US/Canadian awareness initiative funded by forest product associations to educate architects, designers, and builders about the benefits of wood. Closely comparable in mission to CNDB's promotion of wood construction to architects and property owners.

Regional players

• Forest & Wood Products Australia: Australian industry-funded R&D and promotion body for the forest and wood products sector. Comparable in mission to develop and promote wood construction, but operating in Australia, a different geographic market.
• Forestry Innovation Investment: Canadian crown corporation promoting market development for BC forest products, including wood construction awareness and education. Shares CNDB's mandate of promoting wood use in construction but operates in Canada rather than France.
• Holzbau Deutschland: German umbrella association for timber construction performing a similar industry promotion and coordination role in Germany. Comparable in mission to CNDB but operates in a different national market and does not compete directly.
• Confederation of Timber Industries: UK trade body representing the timber and wood-based panel industries. Performs a comparable coordination and promotion role for the timber sector in the United Kingdom rather than France.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cndb

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 CNDB - Le Bois Avance