ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert

What ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert does

ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert (Centre d'Étude des COnditions de vie et des BESoins de la population) is a non-profit applied social science research and technology transfer center founded in 1982 and affiliated with Cégep de Jonquière in Jonquière, Québec. The organization delivers three core activity streams: applied research, training and knowledge transfer, and technical support, serving educational institutions, healthcare and social service networks, regional/municipal organizations (MRCs), community groups, and employer associations across Quebec. Its research domains span student success, population health, mental health, neuromuscular disease, regional development, and social innovation, supported by mixed-methods methodologies including longitudinal data analysis, multilevel modeling, GIS, and participatory design.

ÉCOBES operates a portfolio of digital products alongside its research services. These include the Service d'accompagnement méthodologique (SAM) for student methodological support, the Regard 360 / CartoJeunes data visualization platforms for territorial educational indicators, the Ali conversational agent for student onboarding, the Trouve ta ressource interactive platform for youth services, and the JeConcilie website on work-study-family reconciliation. The organization also co-directs the UQAC–Cégep de Jonquière Chaire VISAJ on youth life and health and has produced over 100 scientific publications across psychology, neuroscience, education, and regional development.

The business model is grant-and-subsidy driven. Recurring operational funding comes from Quebec's Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur (MES) and Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE) via its CCTT-PSN designation (since 2009), supplemented by the federal Research Support Fund. Competitive research grants from PAREA, FRQS, FRQSC, CRSNG, IRSC, and IRSST, along with commissioned research from MRCs, CIUSSS networks, foundations, and partner organizations, fund specific projects. Fee-for-service is limited to training workshops and conferences (e.g., Generation Z presentations). Customer acquisition runs through direct institutional partnerships, ministry referrals, and membership networks (Synchronex, RQIS), with the public sector as the dominant client base.

Name

ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert

Legal name

ÉCOBES - Recherche et transfert au Cégep de Jonquière

Website

https://ecobes.cegepjonquiere.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ÉCOBES is a non-profit applied social science research and transfer center affiliated with Cégep de Jonquière, delivering applied research, training, and technical support to Quebec educational institutions, healthcare networks, MRCs, and community organizations, funded primarily by Quebec and Canadian government grants and subsidies.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Applied Social Science Research Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (611710), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Education Access & EdTech for Equity (Low-cost Learning, Skills Platforms) (BPAGALAH)

akta.pro secondary industries

Environmental Education, Capacity Building & Community Engagement (BPADALAO), Humanitarian-Development-Peace Nexus & Resilience Programming (BPADAEAK)

Keywords

• Applied social research
• Knowledge transfer services
• Education research consulting
• Territorial data analysis
• Social science evaluation

Headquarters

HQ city

Jonquière

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

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. Government Subsidies (CCTT-PSN Funding): As a recognized Centre collégial de transfert de technologies et de pratiques sociales novatrices (CCTT-PSN), ÉCOBES receives ongoing subsidies from the Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur (MES) and the Ministère de l'Économie, de l'Innovation et de l'Énergie (MEIE) of the Quebec government. This provides base operational funding.
2. Project-Based Research Grants: ÉCOBES secures competitive research grants from various Quebec and Canadian funding bodies including: PAREA (Programme d'aide à la recherche sur l'enseignement et l'apprentissage), FRQS, FRQSC, CRSNG, IRSC, IRSST, and thematic ministries. These grants fund specific research projects.
3. Federal Government Support: The Government of Canada supports Cégep de Jonquière through the Research Support Fund (Fonds de soutien à la recherche), which helps cover research management expenses and maintains world-class research facilities.
4. Fee-for-Service Training and Conferences: For certain activities like the Generation Z conferences, ÉCOBES charges fees to organizations requesting presentations. Cost estimates are submitted based on specific organizational needs, with amounts varying by request.
5. Partner Organization Funding: Various projects receive funding from partner organizations including regional MRCs, community organizations, foundations (e.g., Fondation Lucie et André Chagnon, Dystrophie Musculaire Canada, Fondation Bell), and institutional partners.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ÉCOBES is a college-level research and technology transfer center (CCTT-PSN) that delivers applied social science research, training and knowledge transfer, and technical/methodological support to organizations across Quebec. It conducts mixed-methods research in education, health, and regional development, supports students and partner organizations through methodological accompaniment (SAM), and develops territorial data tools such as the Regard 360 platform, the CartoJeunes training programs, and the SPEC college student success survey.

Product overview

ÉCOBES offers research and transfer services organized across three main activity areas: applied research, training and knowledge transfer, and technical support. The core services include the Service d'accompagnement méthodologique (SAM) for student methodological support, training programs like CartoJeunes/CartoJeunesPro, and platforms such as Regard 360 for territorial data visualization. Digital offerings include the interactive platform Trouve ta ressource for youth resource discovery, the Ali conversational agent for academic support, and the JeConcilie website for work-study-life balance. Major research initiatives include the SPEC survey program on college student success.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Service d'accompagnement méthodologique (SAM) Personalized methodological support service that helps students of Cégep de Jonquière with schoolwork, end-of-study projects, and participation in scientific events across all stages of the research process, including access to statistical and qualitative analysis software.
• Formation CartoJeunes et CartoJeunesPro Training programs that help organizations analyze and appropriate school trajectory and life-environment data for their territories using CartoJeunes and CartoJeunesPro visualization tools.
• Regard 360 Data visualization and analysis platform that disseminates indicators on school trajectories and living environments of youth, supporting organizations in analyzing and appropriating territorial data, accompanied by training workshops and conferences.
• Ali (Agent conversationnel) Conversational agent companion application offered to college students providing practical information for adapting to college studies, strategies and resources for academic and psychosocial issues, and facilitating referral to professionals.
• Plateforme numérique interactive Trouve ta ressource Interactive digital platform designed for and with youth to help them locate relevant resources and support services in their community.
• Site JeConcilie Website addressing work-study-family reconciliation issues, developed through research collaboration with school perseverance stakeholders.
• Enquête sur la réussite à l'enseignement collégial (SPEC) Large-scale survey initiative covering all Quebec CEGEPs, conducted in collaboration with the Ministry of Higher Education and the Fédération des cégeps, using the SPEC questionnaire on the college student population to produce reports on student success.

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 100 scientific publications in peer-reviewed journals and book chapters across health, psychology, education, and neuroscience fields
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers7 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• Cégep de JonquièrecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2009ÉCOBES is a research center affiliated with Cégep de Jonquière. The Cégep provides institutional support, infrastructure, and administrative services. ÉCOBES contributes to the Cégep's research profile and involvement in social development.
• Université du Québec à Chicoutimi (UQAC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉCOBES maintains close collaboration with UQAC, including joint research chair positions (Chaire VISAJ on Youth Life and Health), course instruction, and graduate student supervision.
• CRÉPAS (Conseil régional de prévention de l'abandon scolaire)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉCOBES supports CRÉPAS in regional school dropout prevention efforts, providing research expertise and participating in coordination activities for educational success initiatives.
• CJE-Saguenay (Carrefour jeunesse-emploi Saguenay)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on youth employment research, including studies on employer representations of young workers and youth professional integration challenges in the Saguenay region.
• Fédération des CégepscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative partnership on major survey research (Enquête sur la réussite à l'enseignement collégial) covering all Quebec CEGEPs, producing comprehensive reports on student success factors.
• CRISPESHmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on research regarding social representations of college teachers toward students with disabilities. CRISPESH (Centre de recherche pour l'inclusion des personnes en situation de handicap) serves as the lead organization, with ÉCOBES providing methodological support.
• Synchronex (Réseau des centres collégiaux de transfert)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉCOBES is a member of Synchronex, the network of Quebec college-level technology transfer centers, providing access to collaborative research opportunities and best practice sharing.
• RQIS (Réseau québécois en innovation sociale)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerÉCOBES is a member of the Quebec Social Innovation Network, connecting with other organizations working on social innovation and community development.
• Cégep de MatanemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on research addressing integration and retention challenges of international students in the Matane region, helping address regional demographic challenges.
• CIUSSS du Saguenay-Lac-Saint-JeancoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership on health research including mental health, neuromuscular diseases (GRIMN collaboration), and healthcare service delivery studies in the Saguenay–Lac-Saint-Jean region.
• Chaire VISAJ (Vie et Santé des Jeunes)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint research chair between UQAC and Cégep de Jonquière focused on youth life and health, co-directed by ÉCOBES researcher Marie-Ève Blackburn since 2016.
• MRC du Domaine-du-RoymajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCommissioned research on housing needs and situation in the MRC du Domaine-du-Roy territory, demonstrating ÉCOBES's capacity for regional development research.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Regional players

• Statistique Canada: Canadian federal statistics agency providing national data infrastructure used by social researchers. Functions as a data provider that ÉCOBES and similar applied research centers leverage for regional development studies.
• Institut de la statistique du Québec: Quebec government's official statistics agency producing regional indicators and territorial data. Comparable in producing indicator systems used in ÉCOBES's Regard 360 platform, though operating as a government data producer rather than a research center.

Direct peers

• INSPQ - Institut national de santé publique du Québec: Quebec's public health research institute conducting applied research, surveillance, and knowledge transfer in population health. Directly comparable to ÉCOBES's health research mandate and Quebec-based applied research model.
• Environics Research: Canadian social, public opinion, and consumer research firm with a strong public-sector and policy client base. Comparable in delivering applied social research, surveys, and knowledge transfer products.
• Centre de recherche Charles-Le-Moyne (CRCLM): Université de Sherbrooke-affiliated research center conducting interdisciplinary health and social sciences research. Comparable in mission, structure, and Quebec health/social research portfolio.
• PERFORMA (Université de Sherbrooke): University-affiliated college-network research and professional development organization for CEGEP teachers. Comparable to ÉCOBES as a college-network-focused applied research and knowledge transfer body.
• Centre de recherche sur les innovations sociales (CRISES): UQAM-based research center focused on social innovation, community development, and public policy research. Comparable to ÉCOBES's applied social science research mission and Quebec-anchored positioning.
• Léger (Léger Research): Quebec-headquartered research and analytics firm offering survey design, social research, and public opinion polling. Comparable to ÉCOBES in providing applied survey-based research to public-sector and institutional clients.

Broad incumbents

• National Research Council Canada (NRC): Canada's federal applied research organization with multiple research centers across the country. A broad incumbent in the applied research space providing research infrastructure and funding that complement ÉCOBES's activities.
• Kantar: Global market research and analytics firm offering social, consumer, and public-sector research. A much larger incumbent with overlapping capabilities in survey design, data analytics, and knowledge transfer.

Market position

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Ecobes
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%C3%A9cobes-recherche-et-transfert
• Instagraminstagram.com/ecobes.cegepjonquiere

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles8 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ÉCOBES Recherche et transfert