What Crisalim does

Crisalim is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in January 2022, headquartered at 20 rue Dieumegard in the LIVEO Mosaïc building in Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine. Its mission is to develop individuals' agency over their food choices through collective cooking and shared-meal experiences. The association operates two core programs: 'On parle, on mange', a series of 3-5 session cooking workshops for young adults aged 18-25 in student residences, youth hostels, and universities, and 'La Nappe', a monthly solidarity ephemeral restaurant hosted adjacent to food aid distributions operated by partners such as Restos du Cœur and Secours Islamique France. A third stream, the Vital'Im partnership with Action contre la Faim and the Département de Seine-Saint-Denis on the Université Sorbonne Paris Nord Villetaneuse campus, extends the model into sustainable food-voucher experimentation running through 2027. Custom team-building culinary challenges (e.g., the 'Meilleur Pâtissier Made in Stains' for municipal employees) round out the portfolio.

The organization runs without proprietary technology: service delivery is in-person, venue-based, and human-facilitated by a permanent team of four (Director, Coordinator, Project Manager, Communications Officer) supported by Service Civique volunteers and a network of freelance chef-animators. Marketing is organic (website blog, LinkedIn, Instagram, email newsletter, partner referrals). Crisalim is funded by individual donations via HelloAsso, public grants from ANCT, the Département de Seine-Saint-Denis, Région Île-de-France, and several municipalities, and project-based institutional partnerships; all services to beneficiaries are free of charge.

Following material budget constraints, the association announced in May 2026 a transition to a volunteer-led model supplemented by freelance animators, effective September 2026. Crisalim reports reaching 563 people in 2023, delivering 41 workshops in 2024-2025, and engaging approximately 100 young people in 'On parle, on mange' since launch. It is governed by a five-member Board of Directors (Président, Trésorier, Secrétaire, and two members) and holds the French 'reconnaissance d'intérêt général' designation, enabling donor tax deductions.

Name

Crisalim

Legal name

Crisalim

Website

https://crisalim.co

Company type

Private

Founded year

2022

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Crisalim is a French non-profit association running 'On parle, on mange' cooking workshops for 18-25 year-olds and 'La Nappe' solidarity restaurants at food aid sites for vulnerable populations across Île-de-France, funded by donations, grants, and project partnerships.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-profit Community Food Education Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421), Community Food Services (624210)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Nutrition & Food Security (Global Health) NGOs (HLAJAKAH)

Keywords

• Community food education
• Culinary workshop programs
• Food insecurity support
• Solidarity restaurant services
• Collective cooking initiatives

Headquarters

HQ city

Saint-Ouen-sur-Seine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Donations: Individual donations through HelloAsso platform, both one-time and recurring, providing financial independence and diversified support for beneficiaries.
2. Public grants and institutional funding: Funding from public institutions including ANCT, Seine-Saint-Denis Department, municipalities, and regional councils to support specific programs and operational costs.
3. Project-based partnerships: Time-limited project funding from partners such as Action contre la Faim and the Department of Seine-Saint-Denis for initiatives like Vital'Im.

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Crisalim is a non-profit association that delivers community-based food education programs targeting food-insecure young adults and vulnerable populations in France. Its core offerings are 'On parle, on mange', a cycle of collective cooking workshops for 18-25 year-olds in their living places, and 'La Nappe', a monthly solidarity pop-up restaurant set up beside food aid distribution points to serve free meals to roughly 40 guests per event. Services are delivered free of charge by volunteer and freelance animators and chefs at partner host locations.

Product overview

Crisalim is a non-profit association (loi 1901) offering community-based food programs centered on collective eating experiences and food education. The organization operates two main programs: 'On parle, on mange' (peer-support cooking workshops for 18-25 year olds in housing and educational settings) and 'La Nappe' (solidarity ephemeral restaurants near food aid distribution points). Crisalim also conducts project-based initiatives like Vital'Im partnerships with universities and custom culinary workshop events for institutional clients. The portfolio works as an integrated ecosystem where workshops build food skills and agency while communal meals create social cohesion and combat isolation among food-insecure populations.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• On parle, on mange Community cooking workshop program creating mutual-aid groups for young adults aged 18-25 in their living places (residences, hostels, universities). Through 3-5 session cycles of collective meal preparation and shared dining, participants develop cooking skills, food literacy, social connection, and agency over their food choices. Services are delivered free of charge.
• La Nappe Solidarity ephemeral restaurant program organized multiple times per month near food aid distribution points. Each event serves free, hearty, restaurant-quality meals to approximately 40 guests, prepared by volunteer cooks, creating a moment of shared humanity and social encounter between food aid beneficiaries. Hosted in partnership with food aid organizations such as Restos du Coeur (Aubervilliers) and Secours Islamique France (Saint-Denis).
• Vital'Im partnership program (Crisalim at Villetaneuse) Sustainable food aid experimentation running through 2027 on the Villetaneuse campus, supported by the Seine-Saint-Denis Department and Action contre la Faim. Targets food-insecure students, single-parent families, vulnerable households, the elderly, and pregnant women. Crisalim delivers cooking workshops and La Nappe events as part of the program.
• Atelier-Défi Culinaire (Custom Culinary Workshop Challenges) Bespoke culinary workshop challenges and team-building events designed for organizations, companies, and municipalities. Combines friendly cooking competition with team bonding and social connection.

Quantifiable outcome

• 563 people reached in 2023 across all programs
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers6 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

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Vital'Im ConsortiumcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Multi-partner project supported by Département de Seine-Saint-Denis and Action contre la Faim, testing sustainable food aid vouchers for students, families, and vulnerable populations through 2027.
• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational agency supporting local development projects; provides institutional backing and potential funding for territorial cohesion initiatives.
• Département de Seine-Saint-DeniscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMain territorial partner supporting Crisalim's activities in the department; co-funder of Vital'Im project with Action contre la Faim.
• ARPEJ (Fédération des Résidences Sociales pour les Jeunes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of social residences for young people; hosts 'On parle, on mange' workshops in multiple residences across France including Jazz (Mantes la ville), Millenium (Vélizy), Michel Serres (Noisiel), and others.
• Action contre la FaimcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational humanitarian organization; co-funder of Vital'Im project targeting student food insecurity in Seine-Saint-Denis.
• Université Sorbonne Paris NordcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for Vital'Im project on Villetaneuse campus; partners with Direction de la vie étudiante to implement La Nappe and cooking workshops.
• Ville de Saint-DenisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner providing support for activities in Saint-Denis.
• Ville d'Épinay-sur-SeineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner; launched Crisalim through ESS² incubator program in 2022.
• Ville de StainsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMunicipal partner; commissioned Crisalim for 'Meilleur Pâtissier Made in Stains' team-building culinary event for municipal employees.
• Plaine CommuneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan public establishment for territorial development in the Plaine Commune area.
• LinkeeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAnti-food-waste organization; potential partner for food sourcing and community initiatives.
• Restau du CoeurcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood aid charity; hosts La Nappe pop-up restaurant alongside food distributions in Aubervilliers.
• Secours Islamique FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHumanitarian organization; hosts La Nappe pop-up restaurant alongside food distributions in Saint-Denis.
• Régie des Quartiers - Saint-OuenminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNeighborhood development organization hosting La Nappe pop-up restaurant.
• Université Paris 8 Vincennes Saint-DeniscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerHost institution for multiple programs including La Nappe events and 'On parle, on mange' workshops at Maison de l'Étudiant.
• Région Île-de-FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing institutional support and potential funding for Île-de-France activities.
• Académie de Créteil / Région Académique Île-de-FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic authority for educational initiatives; partner for school-based programs.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires: National network of food banks collecting and distributing food across France. Comparable in addressing food insecurity through community infrastructure, though focused on food logistics rather than the educational/social cohesion layer Crisalim provides.
• Les Restos du Cœur: France's largest food aid charity, operating national food distribution. Directly comparable as a host partner of Crisalim's La Nappe pop-ups, but at vastly greater scale and as a broad incumbent rather than a niche food-education specialist.
• Secours Populaire Français: Major French NGO providing food aid, social support, and integration programs. Comparable as a community-based food assistance organization, though broader in scope and incumbency than Crisalim's focused food-education model.
• Les Petits Frères des Pauvres: Large French non-profit combating isolation among elderly and vulnerable populations, including through food-related social programs. Comparable as an established French association addressing food precarity and isolation among at-risk groups.

Direct peers

• La Tablée des Chefs: Non-profit using culinary workshops and chef-led cooking to build food autonomy among vulnerable populations. Highly comparable model: collective cooking as a vector for social inclusion and food skills, similar to Crisalim's 'On parle, on mange'.
• Action contre la Faim: International humanitarian organization focused on hunger and food security. Comparable as Crisalim's co-funder in the Vital'Im project and as a similarly food-security-focused actor operating in France with vulnerable populations.
• Secours Islamique France: French humanitarian organization running food distributions and social programs. Comparable as a direct partner hosting La Nappe events and as a similarly community-rooted organization serving food-insecure populations in Seine-Saint-Denis.
• ARPEJ (Fédération des Résidences Sociales pour les Jeunes): Federation of social residences for young people in France and a direct core partner of Crisalim hosting its cooking workshops. Comparable as a youth-housing social services actor addressing similar beneficiary pain points (food precarity, isolation).

Emerging players

• Linkee: French anti-food-waste association redistributing unsold meals. Comparable as a community-led, food-focused non-profit and as a listed partner of Crisalim; similar mission-adjacent positioning around food access and dignity.

Regional players

• emmaüs Connect: French non-profit tackling digital and social exclusion among vulnerable populations. Comparable as a similarly mission-driven, France-based association providing capacity-building programs (digital inclusion vs. food inclusion) to low-income and youth audiences.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/crisalim
• Instagraminstagram.com/crisalim.asso

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 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 Crisalim