LA CROIX BLEUE

What LA CROIX BLEUE does

La Croix Bleue (Société Française de La Croix Bleue) is a French non-profit association founded in 1901 under the loi 1901 and recognized as being of public utility since 1922. Operating as the French branch of the International Blue Cross, the organization supports individuals struggling with alcohol addiction and other dependencies, as well as their families and entourage, through a peer-led, abstinence-commitment methodology. Service delivery is anchored in a network of local sections across 11 French regions (including Île de France, Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Occitanie, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur), complemented by a 30-bed residential postcure facility (Centre Postcure de Virac, an ESPIC specialized in addictology for men on 90-day stays) and a recreational campsite (Camping de Vernoux). Digital extension is provided through 'La pause bleue,' a monthly video conference support group, and through the quarterly journal 'Le Libérateur' and annual thematic dossiers.

The association's core technology is its methodology: a structured approach combining personal accompaniment by trained volunteers (themselves in recovery) with collective group meetings, telephone support, and supplementary remote offerings. The digital infrastructure is minimal — a SPIP-based website, a Zoom video channel, and a Facebook page — with no proprietary software platform, no mobile application, and no API. The association measures its impact through basic outcome metrics, reporting that approximately 12,000 persons are reached annually and that 52% of abstinent members maintain their commitment without additional cure treatment.

Revenue is generated through membership fees (annual dues for access to programs and facilities), tax-deductible donations and legacies (enabled by public utility status), fees from the residential postcure center and campsite, and implicit co-funding through the ESPIC reimbursement framework for healthcare activity. The organization is membership-governed, has a paid staff of 6 employees, and depends heavily on volunteer labor. The association is not publicly traded, has no private equity or venture capital involvement, and is not a candidate for traditional M&A or investment activity. It is, however, a candidate for institutional grants, public health funding partnerships, and donation-driven growth.

Name

LA CROIX BLEUE

Legal name

Société Française de La Croix Bleue

Website

https://croixbleue.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1901

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

La Croix Bleue is a 124-year-old French non-profit association that supports individuals with alcohol addiction and other dependencies, along with their families, through peer-led abstinence-based group meetings, residential postcure, and a regional section network across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Addiction Recovery Services

NAICS

Residential Mental Health and Substance Abuse Facilities (62322), Outpatient Mental Health and Substance Abuse Centers (621420), Other Individual and Family Services (62419)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Misc Health & Allied Services, Nec (8090)

akta.pro primary industry

Peer Support, Recovery Coaching & Sober Living Services (HLAFACAN)

akta.pro secondary industries

Substance Use Disorder Prevention & Recovery Services (BPAGACAE), Substance Use Recovery & Harm Reduction Support Services (BPAGAEAO)

Keywords

• Addiction recovery support
• Peer support groups
• Alcohol rehabilitation services
• Residential postcure programs
• Abstinence-based recovery

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: La Croix Bleue operates as a membership-based association. Members pay annual dues to participate in the organization's programs and access support services including local sections, residential facilities, and camping services.
2. Donations and legacies: As a recognized public utility organization since 1922, La Croix Bleue is authorized to receive tax-deductible donations and legacies from supporters. Donations can be made via online form, bank transfer (IBAN provided), or check.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

LA CROIX BLEUE delivers abstinence-based peer support and recovery services for people struggling with alcohol and other addictions. Services are organized through 11 regional sections across France offering in-person group meetings, supplemented by a monthly video-conference group (La pause bleue), a 30-bed residential post-detox rehabilitation center at Centre Postcure de Virac, and a recreational campsite at Vernoux-en-Vivarais. The association also publishes the Le Libérateur journal and annual thematic dossiers.

Product overview

LA CROIX BLEUE is a nonprofit association (loi 1901) recognized as being of public utility since 1922, providing support to individuals struggling with alcohol addiction and other dependencies, as well as their families. The organization operates through a network of local sections, regional groups, post-cure centers, and accommodation facilities. Its service portfolio includes the 'Libérateur' journal publication, 'La pause bleue' virtual video conference support group, and rehabilitation facilities including the Centre Postcure de Virac and Camping de Vernoux. The organization supports approximately 12,000 individuals annually with a 52% abstinence success rate among its members.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Libérateur: The association's journal/newsletter publication covering addiction topics, published quarterly.
• La pause bleue

Products and services

• Centre Postcure de Virac ESPIC-accredited postcure rehabilitation center specializing in addictology, providing 30 residential beds for men undertaking 90-day recovery programs following detox or treatment. Located in Labastide-de-Virac, Ardèche (Rhône-Alpes region). Admissions are through medical and social service referrals.
• Camping de Vernoux Recreational campsite in Vernoux-en-Vivarais open to Croix Bleue members and individuals seeking abstinence, offering caravan rentals with awnings and tent camping pitches. Reservations handled by Delphine Courgey at [email protected], with annual rate schedules published.
• La pause bleue Monthly virtual video-conference support group (via Zoom) held every third Monday of each month, enabling remote participation for individuals in recovery and those unable to attend in-person regional meetings. Originated as a COVID-19 adaptation.
• Le Libérateur journal Quarterly periodical journal of the association covering addiction topics such as gambling, alcohol-free beverages, mental health, and synthetic drugs. Distributed to members with past editions archived and downloadable as PDFs.
• Dossier de la Croix Bleue Annual thematic dossier publication exploring specific addiction-related topics. The 2026 edition addresses non-alcoholic beverages; the 2025 edition addressed fetal alcohol syndrome. Available as downloadable PDF documents.
• Regional section meetings In-person peer support group meetings organized through local sections across 11 French regions: Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, Bretagne, Grand-Est, Hauts-de-France, Île de France, Normandie, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Occitanie, Pays de la Loire, and Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur. Facilitated by trained peer volunteers.

Quantifiable outcome

• 52% of Croix Bleue members maintain abstinence without additional cure treatment
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers3 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

Six partnerships are on record, tiered core, moderate and minor.

• International Blue CrosscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Croix Bleue (French Blue Cross) is the French national member of the International Blue Cross, a worldwide organization of Blue Cross associations dedicated to addiction support. The organization participates in International Blue Cross assemblies and activities. The international connection provides cross-border collaboration and shared methodologies.
• CAMERUPmoderateOthersCAMERUP (La Camerup) is a national mutual aid association referenced in La Croix Bleue's network. Both organizations work in the addiction support space in France.
• Addictions FrancemoderateStrategic or Co-development PartnerAddictions France is a partner organization working on addiction awareness campaigns. La Croix Bleue shares content from Addictions France campaigns such as the 'Alcool VS Santé' initiative addressing alcohol-health associations in emoji keyboards.
• Addict Aide - Le village des addictionsminorOthersReferenced as part of the useful links network for addiction-related resources in France.
• INSERM (Institut national de la santé et de la recherche médicale)minorOthersNational health and medical research institute referenced as part of the organization's useful links network.
• MILDT / Drogues.gouv.frminorOthersInterministerial Mission for the Fight Against Drugs and Addictive Behaviors, referenced in the organization's resource links.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Alcoholics Anonymous (AA) France: The French chapter of Alcoholics Anonymous is a direct peer — both organizations deliver peer-led abstinence-based recovery through group meetings for alcohol addiction. AA France uses the 12-step model whereas La Croix Bleue uses its own method, but they target the same population through analogous group-meeting formats.
• Vie Libre: Vie Libre is another French nonprofit association focused on alcohol recovery through peer support and group meetings, with a methodology similar to La Croix Bleue's. Both compete for the same French alcohol-addiction population and share a comparable volunteer-driven regional section model.
• Addictions France: Formerly ANPAA, Addictions France is the largest French nonprofit addressing alcohol and other addictions, combining prevention, advocacy, and support services. It is a strategic partner of La Croix Bleue (per their website) but also a direct peer competing for donor and member attention.
• CAMERUP (La Camerup): A French national mutual-aid association in the addiction space that is explicitly referenced on La Croix Bleue's website as a partner. Both organizations operate as mutual-aid networks for people with addiction issues, making them directly comparable in service model and target audience.
• Alcool Assistance: Another French mutual-aid association supporting people with alcohol problems and their families through regional sections and group meetings. Operates an analogous volunteer-led model targeting the same population as La Croix Bleue.

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge française (French Red Cross): The French Red Cross is a large incumbent that operates addiction support programs alongside a much broader health and social services portfolio. It offers overlapping capabilities (peer support, residential care, harm reduction) but as part of a wider humanitarian mission, making it a broader incumbent rather than a direct specialist competitor.
• Centre de Soins, d'Accompagnement et de Prévention en Addictologie (CSAPA) network: CSAPAs are the French publicly funded addiction treatment centers offering medical and psychosocial care. They represent the mainstream clinical pathway for addiction in France and are the system within which La Croix Bleue's Virac post-cure center operates as a complementary referral partner.
• International Blue Cross: The international umbrella organization of which La Croix Bleue is the French national member. While structurally a parent/federation, it operates broadly across many countries and addiction topics, making it a broad incumbent comparable in mission and methodology.

Emerging players

• Addict'Aide (Le Village des Addictions): A French digital platform and resource hub for addiction support, listed as a partner on La Croix Bleue's website. While not a direct group-meeting competitor, it represents the digital-native emerging approach to addiction information and referral that competes for the same audience's attention.
• Narcotiques Anonymes (NA France): The French branch of Narcotics Anonymous is a 12-step peer-support fellowship for drug addiction (broader than alcohol). It overlaps with La Croix Bleue on the substance-use peer-support niche but extends to non-alcohol addictions where La Croix Bleue has historically been alcohol-primary.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/croixbleue
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/la-croix-bleue

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries1 record

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 LA CROIX BLEUE