Cofees, collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires Région Sud

What Cofees, collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires Région Sud does

COFEES (Collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires en Région Sud) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2014 and headquartered in Aix-en-Provence, France. It serves as the regional collective of 45 cultural structures — festivals spanning opera, jazz, theatre, literature, music, and circus — in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, helping them implement environmental and societal responsibility practices adapted from the ISO 26000 CSR standard. The organization does not operate as a technology company; instead, it builds and disseminates methodological frameworks, thematic toolkits, and practical guides on topics including waste management, responsible catering, accessibility, climate adaptation (heat and rain), and sustainable mobility.

Its core offerings include a 5-step personalized member accompaniment program, thematic 'boîtes à outils' (toolkits), methodological guides (heat, rain, collective transport), the 'La pause COFEES' video documentary series, a collaborative communication kit for festival attendees, and mutualized equipment such as 26 'Immersive live' vibrating vests (manufactured by TIMMPI) that enable deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences to experience amplified concerts. Member festivals pay recurring contributions and gain access to training, workshops, peer-learning, pooled resources, and collective advocacy. COFEES coordinates collaborative projects (e.g., 'Vers un éphémère durable', 'Jungle Waste', accessibility initiatives) and participates in the national R2D2 collective of 10 regional networks across 9 French regions, including joint programs on mobility ('Festivals en Mouvement'), eco-responsible tours ('Starter'), and plastic reduction ('Drastic on Plastic').

The organization is funded primarily through institutional grants from DRAC PACA, ADEME, CNM (Centre National de la Musique), Région Sud, the departments of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var, Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, and Métropole Nice-Côte d'Azur, supplemented by private support from Audiens and MAIF, plus member festival contributions. It operates with approximately 23 employees augmented by external service providers and is governed by a member-elected board currently led by President Eve Lombart (Festival d'Avignon), Treasurer Rémy Gonthier (Les Suds, à Arles), and Secretary Stéphanie Deporcq (Festival d'Aix-en-Provence) following the April 2026 General Assembly.

Name

Cofees, collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires Région Sud

Legal name

COFEES - Collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires en Région Sud

Website

https://cofees.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

COFEES is a French non-profit association that convenes 45 cultural festivals in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region to support their transition to eco-responsible and solidarity-based practices through training, methodological guides, pooled equipment, and institutional advocacy.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Festival eco-responsibility support services

NAICS

Arts, Entertainment, and Recreation (71)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Amusement & Recreation Services (7900)

akta.pro primary industry

Cultural Festivals & Events Organizations (BPAGAHAG)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Environmental & Sustainability Events (Earth Day, Clean-Up Festivals) (MPAGAEAO), Environment, Climate & Sustainability Congresses (THAHAJAH)

Keywords

• Festival sustainability services
• Eco-responsible event consulting
• Cultural RSE advisory
• Festival accessibility equipment
• Sustainable event training

Headquarters

HQ city

Aix-en-Provence

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Institutional funding and subsidies: COFEES receives financial support from public institutions including DRAC PACA, ADEME, CNM (Centre National de la Musique), Région Sud, departments of Bouches-du-Rhône and Var, Métropole Aix-Marseille-Provence, as well as private partners Audiens and Maif.
2. Membership contributions: Member festivals pay contributions to be part of the collective, gaining access to resources, training, and collaborative platforms for eco-responsible transition.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

COFEES is a non-profit collective (association loi 1901) that supports cultural festivals in their eco-responsible and solidarity-based transition by providing a 5-step personalized accompaniment program, thematic toolkits, methodological guides on climate risks and sustainable mobility, accessibility equipment rental (vibrating vests), training workshops, and collaborative territorial projects. It serves 45 member cultural structures in the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, operating from Aix-en-Provence and funded through public institutional grants and member contributions.

Product overview

COFEES is a non-profit collective (association loi 1901) of 45 eco-responsible and solidarity-based festivals in Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region, created in 2014. Rather than a unified software platform, COFEES offers a portfolio of support services, publications, and tools to help member festivals advance their societal responsibility (RSE/RSO) practices. Key offerings include: La pause COFEES (video documentation series), a 5-step personalized member accompaniment program, thematic toolkits (waste, food, communication), vibrating vest equipment rental for accessibility, communication kits for attendee awareness, and methodological guides on topics like heat management, rain risk, and sustainable transport. COFEES also coordinates collaborative projects, provides training, and facilitates territorial workshops with public partners.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Dispositif d'accompagnement des membres Personalized 5-step support program for member festivals to help them review, consolidate, and sustain their societal responsibility approach.
• Boîtes à outils thématiques Thematic toolkits covering topics including waste management, responsible catering, communication and awareness-raising, and collaboration methods for festivals.
• Gilets vibrants (Vibrating vests rental) Rental of immersive live vibrating vests (WOOJER technology, manufactured by TIMMPI) to member festivals to enable deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences to experience amplified music concerts.
• Kit communication festivaliers Collaborative communication kit produced with Praxis & Culture Conseil and Formaboom design studio to help member festivals raise awareness among attendees about eco-responsibility themes including mobility, waste reduction, responsible food, and site preservation.
• Guide méthodologique chaleur Methodological guide to help festivals anticipate, analyze, and respond to heat waves and climate change impacts, published November 2025.
• Guide méthodologique pluie Methodological guide for rain risk prevention to help festival organizers build solid decision-making and organizational processes, published June 2026.
• Guide transport collectif festivaliers Practical guide for deploying collective transport services for festival audiences, including methodologies for sustainable mobility planning, published April 2025.

Quantifiable outcome

• 7 festivals loaned vibrating vests to serve deaf and hard-of-hearing audiences in 2023
• +5 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered minor, core and major.

• SociotopieminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 31 January 2022Cooperative of applied social sciences conducting national mobility survey for 'Festivals en Mouvement' project with 50 partner festivals.
• DRAC PACA (Direction Régionale des Affaires Culturelles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional cultural authority providing core institutional funding and policy support for COFEES activities. Involved in 'Pacte Transitions en Scènes' initiative with Region Sud and co-funding various collective projects.
• Métropole Nice-Côte d'AzurmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan authority collaborating with COFEES on implementing and animating the 'charte métropolitaine des éco-manifestations' (eco-events charter). Joint workshops organized with member festivals on territorial transition.
• Métropole Aix-Marseille-ProvencemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan authority partnering with COFEES on accessibility and inclusion initiatives, including mutualization of equipment for people with disabilities, and collaboration on eco-manifestations charter.
• La Réserve des arts MéditerranéemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerArts materials reuse organization partnering with COFEES on study-action project for equipment and furniture mutualization among member festivals. Funded by CNM and collaborating on circular economy initiatives.
• R2D2 (Collectif des réseaux régionaux d'accompagnement au développement durable)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational collective of 10 regional networks covering 9 French regions, coordinating projects including 'Festivals en Mouvement' on mobility, 'Starter' on eco-responsible tours, and 'Drastic on Plastic'. COFEES represents PACA region.
• Praxis & Culture ConseilminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerConsulting firm that co-produced the COFEES communication kit for festival attendees with Formaboom design studio.
• Formaboom design graphiqueminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDesign studio that co-produced the COFEES communication kit for festival attendees with Praxis & Culture Conseil.
• URAPEDA SudminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional association providing LSF (French Sign Language) interpretation services for accessible concerts at member festivals.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• France Festivals: National federation of music and live performance festivals in France. It serves a broader remit (advocacy for festival sector generally) than COFEES's eco-responsibility specialization, but operates in the same membership-based festival ecosystem and engages overlapping institutional funders.

Direct peers

• Julie's Bicycle: UK-registered charity supporting the performing arts and live events sector on environmental sustainability. Julie's Bicycle offers toolkits, training and policy advocacy that closely mirror COFEES's mission and methodology, making it the closest international analogue.
• R2D2 - Collectif des réseaux régionaux d'accompagnement au développement durable: National federation of 10 regional eco-event networks across 9 French regions; COFEES is the PACA member. R2D2 coordinates cross-regional projects (Festivals en Mouvement, Drastic on Plastic, Starter) and is the most directly comparable coordinating body to COFEES, but at a national level.
• A Greener Future: Canadian/Quebec-based organization providing eco-event certification and sustainability consulting for festivals and events. Operates a comparable mix of standards, training and certification that COFEES members would need to comply with, making it an international functional peer.

Others

• Syndicat des Musiques Actuelles (SMA): French trade union / federation for music and live performance stakeholders. SMA works on policy and sustainability topics with adjacent member organizations (festivals, venues), serving overlapping constituents as COFEES but with broader industrial-relations scope.

Emerging players

• La Réserve des Arts Méditerranée: Materials and equipment reuse organization partnering with COFEES on circular-economy and equipment mutualization projects among cultural events. Operates one of COFEES's core program areas (resource sharing) at a single-vertical focus, making it a thematic peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/cofees

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Cofees, collectif des festivals éco-responsables et solidaires Région Sud