Coopérative Tiers-Lieux

What Coopérative Tiers-Lieux does

Coopérative Tiers-Lieux is a French Société Coopérative d'Intérêt Collectif (SCIC) founded in 2014 and headquartered in Gradignan, Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It functions as a regional federation and professional services cooperative for the 'tiers-lieux' (third places) ecosystem, supporting a network of 230 third places across the region. Its core activities are organized around three service lines: (1) a professional training catalog delivered via the transformations.tierslieux.net platform, covering third-place management, collective intelligence facilitation, cooperative maturity, alternative commerce, and entrepreneurship, with some programs eligible for CPF funding; (2) accompagnement (consulting/support) services to associations, organizations, enterprises, and local collectivities seeking to reinvent themselves through third-place approaches, often delivered in partnership with public funders such as the DLA; and (3) a research-action laboratory (Le Labo) producing publications including Les Cahiers du Labo, the Revue sur les tiers-lieux, and pan-regional pan-European studies on food-provisioning third places (tiers-lieux nourriciers).

The cooperative is structured as a multi-stakeholder SCIC governed by a three-person Directoire (co-directrices Mélissa Gentile, Chloé Rivolet, and Clémence Vialeron), with a lean team of approximately 7 salaried staff and 1 apprentice. Revenue derives from training fees, accompaniment/consulting engagements, public grants, and European project co-financing (notably the SUDOE ATLAS project running 2025-2028 with €238,096.70 cooperative budget at 75% FEDER co-financing). Its technology stack is intentionally minimal: a WordPress-based public site, a GoGoCarto interactive map, and a self-serve training platform — there is no proprietary technology product.

The cooperative's strategic positioning rests on its 14-year institutional relationship with the Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine (since 2012), national recognition by ANCT, Banque des Territoires, France Tiers-Lieux, and the Association Nationale des Tiers-Lieux, and an expanding European footprint through Interreg SUDOE. Its primary customer segments are third-place operators in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, public collectivities, professional individuals, and increasingly rural/food-system actors in the SUDOE space (France, Spain, Portugal).

Name

Coopérative Tiers-Lieux

Legal name

La Coopérative Tiers-Lieux

Website

https://coop.tierslieux.net

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Coopérative Tiers-Lieux is a French SCIC cooperative founded in 2014 that federates a network of 230 third places (tiers-lieux) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, delivering professional training, organizational accompaniment, and research-action services to third-place operators, public collectivities, and rural food-system actors.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Gradignan

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Formation professionnelle: The cooperative operates as a training organization (organisme de formation) offering certified and non-certified professional training programs on topics including piloting third places, collective intelligence facilitation, cooperative maturity, alternative commerce, and entrepreneurial approaches. Programs target individuals, organizations, and territories seeking to transform their practices. Revenue comes from training fees, potentially supported by CPF (Compte Personnel de Formation) financing.
2. Accompagnement et conseil: The cooperative provides accompaniment services to organizations, associations, enterprises, and public collectivities wishing to reinvent themselves through third-place dynamics. This is a consulting-style service delivered by the cooperative's team of professionals.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Coopérative Tiers-Lieux is a cooperative federation that supports and federates the network of 230+ third places (tiers-lieux) in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. It delivers Qualiopi-certified professional training on topics such as piloting a third place, collective intelligence facilitation, cooperative maturity, alternative commerce and entrepreneurship, and provides tailor-made accompaniment/consulting to associations, organizations, enterprises and local collectivities seeking to reinvent themselves through third-place approaches. It also conducts research-action, publishes resources, and coordinates European cooperation projects (notably the Interreg SUDOE ATLAS project on food-provisioning third places).

Product overview

Coopérative Tiers-Lieux operates as a federation and support network for third places (tiers-lieux) across Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France. The cooperative offers a portfolio of interconnected services: a training catalog (transformations.tierslieux.net) providing professional development in managing third places, collective intelligence, and cooperative practices; accompaniment services helping organizations reinvent themselves through third-place approaches; a resource center (Médiathèque) with publications, research documents, and toolkits; and Le Labo, an action research laboratory. The network service includes mapping 230+ third places, while the SUDOE ATLAS project represents a major European cooperation initiative. The cooperative also publishes periodic journals and research documents on third-place topics.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Catalogue de formations Qualiopi-style professional training catalog delivered via transformations.tierslieux.net, offering certifying programs such as 'Piloter un tiers-lieu' (20 days) and 'Faciliter l'Intelligence Collective dans votre organisation' (17.5 days), plus shorter courses on Maturité Coopérative, alternative commerce (café alternatif, librairie alternative), circular economy and entrepreneurship. Targets individuals, organizations and territories seeking socio-professional transformation; some programs eligible for CPF funding.
• Accompagnements (organizational accompaniment) Tailor-made accompaniment and consulting services helping associations, organizations, enterprises and local authorities reinvent themselves through third-place dynamics. Includes individualized organizational support and a free collective accompaniment program delivered in partnership with the Dispositif Local d'Accompagnement (DLA), now in its 5th year.
• Réseau des tiers-lieux de Nouvelle-Aquitaine (network membership) Federation of the regional network of 230+ third places in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, providing network coordination, shared resources, societaire membership ('devenir sociétaire') and access to the interactive regional map (ctl.gogocarto.fr). Targets third-place operators, collectives and member organizations across the territory.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

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

• Région Nouvelle-AquitainecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2012Long-standing strategic partner since 2012. Co-financer and co-organizer of the cooperative's third-place policy, including the annual 'Portes toujours ouvertes' open days. Lead beneficiary of the SUDOE ATLAS project. Coordinates with the cooperative on the regional third-place strategy (230 tiers-lieux in Nouvelle-Aquitaine).
• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agency supporting local development. Listed as a partner organization on the cooperative's website, likely collaborating on national third-place policy and cohesion initiatives.
• Banque des TerritoiresmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublic investment bank supporting local and regional development. Listed as a partner organization on the cooperative's website, likely providing financial support for third-place development projects.
• FAB'LIMcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFAB'LIM (Laboratoire des Territoires Alimentaires Méditerranéens) is a key research and action partner. Collaborated on the national inventory of food-provisioning third places (2020) and co-coordinates the SUDOE ATLAS project. Provides technical and scientific expertise on food systems and third places.
• INRAE MontpelliermajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInstitut national de recherche pour l'agriculture, l'alimentation et l'environnement. Associate partner in SUDOE ATLAS. Collaborated on the 2020 national survey of food-provisioning third places.
• GIP France Tiers-LieuxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational public interest group dedicated to third places. Associate partner in SUDOE ATLAS. Contributed to national reflection and knowledge consolidation on rural food-provisioning third places.
• Association Nationale des Tiers-LieuxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association representing third places in France. Co-authored the study 'Les tiers-lieux nourriciers – Une réappropriation citoyenne de l'alimentation'. Active partner in national reflection on food third places.
• France Tiers-LieuxmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPublisher of studies and resources on third places in France. Co-edited 'Les tiers-lieux nourriciers – Une réappropriation citoyenne de l'alimentation' with the cooperative. Part of the SUDOE ATLAS consortium.
• Université de Bordeaux Montaigne (Master Alimentation Durable)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUniversity partner hosting student internships. The cooperative's team includes apprentices from the Master's program in Sustainable Food and Territorial Resilience.
• CIRADminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCentre de Coopération Internationale en Recherche Agronomique pour le Développement. Hosted an internship on participatory research applied to Food Social Security experiments in Gironde, linked to third-place food dynamics.
• GIP Pays et Quartiers Nouvelle-AquitainemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociate partner in SUDOE ATLAS. Supports the cooperative's activities related to neighborhood and urban development alongside rural third-place initiatives in Nouvelle-Aquitaine.
• DRAAF OccitaniemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDirection Régionale de l'Alimentation, de l'Agriculture et de la Forêt of Occitanie. Associate partner in SUDOE ATLAS. Collaborated on the 2020 national food third-place inventory.
• Junta de ExtremaduramajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional government of Extremadura, Spain. Direct beneficiary in SUDOE ATLAS. Coordinates pilot actions for food third-place development in rural Extremadura.
• Communauté intercommunale de Baixo Alentejo (CIMBAL)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntermunicipal community of Baixo Alentejo, Portugal. Direct beneficiary and pilot group leader (GT1) in SUDOE ATLAS, leading harmonization of knowledge and culture on food third places in the SUDOE space.
• Actyva CoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish cooperative based in Extremadura. Direct beneficiary in SUDOE ATLAS, working on food third-place development in rural Spain.
• Fundación RepoblaciónminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSpanish foundation focused on rural repopulation. Direct beneficiary in SUDOE ATLAS, bringing expertise on rural development and repopulation strategies linked to food systems.
• CSICminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerConsejo Superior de Investigaciones Científicas (Spanish National Research Council). Associate partner in SUDOE ATLAS and co-pilot of GT1 with CIMBAL. Provides scientific research capacity.
• Regenerativa CoopminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPortuguese cooperative. Direct beneficiary in SUDOE ATLAS, working on food third-place development in rural Portugal.
• Dispositif Local d'Accompagnement (DLA)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe cooperative partners with the DLA for the 5th consecutive year to offer free collective support to 8 third places in Nouvelle-Aquitaine on the theme 'Sécuriser et développer son activité'.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• France Tiers-Lieux: National public interest group (GIP) coordinating French third places and partner in the SUDOE ATLAS project. Operates the national Observatoire des Tiers-Lieux. Most direct comparable given shared mission and co-published research on tiers-lieux nourriciers.
• FAB'LIM: Laboratoire des Territoires Alimentaires Méditerranéens; long-standing research partner on food-provisioning third places, co-coordinator of SUDOE ATLAS, and collaborator on the 2020 national inventory. Comparable as a regionally focused, applied research-action actor in the food-third-place niche.
• Coopaname: French multi-stakeholder cooperative supporting entrepreneur activity. Comparable as a SCIC-structured cooperative offering accompaniment, mutualized services, and cooperative governance, though focused on individual entrepreneur support rather than third-place federation.
• AVISE: French agency supporting the development of the social and solidarity economy (ESS), including third places. Comparable as a national resource and accompaniment provider for social-purpose organizations with similar training, accompaniment, and network-federating functions.
• Les Canaux: Paris-based cooperative supporting social and inclusive economy actors, housed in a third-place venue. Comparable as a cooperative providing training, events, and network support for social-economy organizations with a strong third-place identity.
• RTES (Réseau des Territoires pour l'Économie Solidaire): National network of local authorities engaged in the solidarity economy. Comparable as a federating network providing accompaniment, training, and resources to public and associative actors pursuing territorial social-economy strategies.
• Impact France: National network of social enterprises and ESS actors (formerly Mouves). Comparable as a federating body providing training, advocacy, and member services to a network of social-purpose organizations, with similar reliance on partnerships and public funding.
• Association Nationale des Tiers-Lieux (ANTL): National association representing French third places and co-author of the 'Les tiers-lieux nourriciers' study with Coopérative Tiers-Lieux. Competes/collaborates on national representation, advocacy, and knowledge production for the third-place ecosystem.

Broad incumbents

• Banque des Territoires: Public investment arm of Caisse des Dépôts supporting local development, including third-place financing. Listed as a partner of Coopérative Tiers-Lieux. Comparable as a broader-incumbent funder that shapes the third-place ecosystem through grants and investment rather than direct delivery.
• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires): National agency for territorial cohesion supporting third-place development policy. Listed as a partner of Coopérative Tiers-Lieux. Comparable as a broader-incumbent public actor that funds and shapes the national third-place ecosystem through programs and policy frameworks.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tierslieux

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 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 Coopérative Tiers-Lieux