ECOLE Project
ECOLE Project is a McGill-affiliated sustainability non-profit operating a leased house in Montreal where 11 student facilitators practice communal sustainable living while hosting free community programming, funded by an SSMU student fee levy.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded-
- HeadquartersMontreal, Canada
- Headcount1–10
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What ECOLE Project does
ECOLE Project (Educational Community Living Environment) is a student-run, McGill-affiliated non-profit organization founded in 2011 and headquartered at 3559 rue University, Montreal, Quebec. Its mandate is to bring together McGill students, faculty, staff, and Montreal community members in pursuit of sustainable living through applied student research, alternative education, and community building. The organization operates as a residential model where 11 McGill student facilitators live collectively and sustainably in a house leased from McGill University Student Housing and Hospitality Services, practicing consensus-based decision making and anti-oppressive governance while running micro-projects on ecological and social sustainability.
The organization's core deliverables are non-commercial in nature and consist of four interrelated programs: a Facilitator Program (volunteer residential positions offering a 44-46% rent subsidy in exchange for 10 hours per week of project work), a free Space Booking Service for McGill groups with sustainability or anti-oppression mandates, a Micro-Projects Program producing applied sustainability outputs, and Alternative Learning Initiatives including film screenings, workshops, and community events. Operations are supported by two paid Coordinator positions (External and Internal) and a 9-member volunteer Board of Directors with mandated representation from McGill students, staff, faculty, community members, and the SSMU Sustainability Commissioner.
ECOLE's revenue model is anchored in a single funding stream: a student fee levy collected from constituents of the Students' Society of McGill University (SSMU), originally established through a referendum in accordance with ECOLE's constitution and bylaws. The organization generates no commercial product revenue, charges no fees for its space booking or programming services, and operates on a community-led, non-transactional go-to-market approach driven by word-of-mouth, organic social media (Instagram), and annual recruitment cycles. Geographic footprint is restricted to the McGill campus and the Milton-Parc neighborhood in Montreal.
ECOLE Project firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- ECOLE Project
- Legal name
- The ECOLE Project (Educational Community Living Environment / Espace Communautaire et Logement Educatif)
- Website
- https://ecoleproject.com
- Company type
- Private
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1–10 employees
- Short description
- ECOLE Project is a McGill-affiliated sustainability non-profit operating a leased house in Montreal where 11 student facilitators practice communal sustainable living while hosting free community programming, funded by an SSMU student fee levy.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
ECOLE Project industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Sustainability Education and Community Living Services
- NAICS
- Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813), Educational Services (611)
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Residential Education, Programming & Community Development (EDALACAC)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Community Center Education Programs (EDAAAFAB), Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB)
Keywords
Where ECOLE Project is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Montreal
- HQ country
- Canada
- HQ region
- North America
Offices1 record
Markets served
ECOLE Project business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Infrastructure, Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others
Revenue model
- Student Fee Levy: ECOLE is funded by a student fee levy collected from the constituents of the Students' Societies of McGill University. The funding was established through a referendum in accordance with ECOLE's Constitution and Bylaws.
- Facilitator Rent Subsidy: Facilitators receive a rent subsidy of 44% to 46% to compensate for their contributions to communal living, alternative education, and community building. Post-subsidy rent ranges between approximately $570 and $685 per month including utilities.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Monthly | Facilitator rent (post-subsidy) ranges from $570 to $685 per month |
| Freemium | Pay-as-you-go | Free space booking for qualifying groups |
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
ECOLE Project product offering
Product offeringCore offering
ECOLE Project operates a residential sustainability non-profit from the ECOLE House at 3559 rue University in Montreal, where 11 McGill student facilitators live collectively and sustainably. Its core offerings include a free space booking service for McGill and community groups with sustainability mandates, a facilitator residential program with 44-46% rent subsidies, micro-projects on ecological and social sustainability topics, and alternative learning initiatives such as workshops, film screenings, and skill shares. The organization is funded through a student fee levy collected by the Students' Societies of McGill University.
Product overview
ECOLE Project is a community-driven sustainability hub operating as a non-profit organization. Its core offerings include a free space booking service for McGill groups with sustainability mandates, a facilitator program where 11 McGill students live collectively in the ECOLE house, micro-projects on ecological and social sustainability topics, and alternative learning initiatives such as workshops, film screenings, and community events. The organization operates from its physical house at 3559 rue University, Montreal, serving as a model of urban sustainable living.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Products and services
- Space Booking Service Free space booking service that allows McGill student groups and Montreal community groups with sustainability or anti-oppression mandates to reserve common areas (living room, kitchen/dining room, meeting room) in the ECOLE House for meetings, workshops, events, and community gatherings.
- Facilitator Program A volunteer residential program that recruits 11 McGill University students per year to live collectively and sustainably in the ECOLE House at 3559 rue University, Montreal. Facilitators commit 10 hours per week to project-related work, organize community events and sustainability initiatives, and receive a 44-46% rent subsidy as compensation.
- Micro-Projects Program Applied sustainability projects carried out by ECOLE facilitators on specific aspects of ecological and social sustainability. Each facilitator designs and implements a micro-project as part of their residential commitment.
- Alternative Learning Initiatives Educational programming developed and implemented by ECOLE facilitators, including film screenings, skill-building workshops, potlucks, discussions, and coffeehouses, offered to the McGill and Montreal community as part of ECOLE's Learning pillar.
Companies that use ECOLE Project
Customer profileNamed customers3 records
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
ECOLE Project technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
ECOLE Project partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.
- McGill University Student Housing and Hospitality ServicescoreMcGill University Student Housing and Hospitality Services owns and leases the ECOLE House building to the project. ECOLE signs leases with McGill Student Housing for facilitators to live in the residence. Facilitators must be McGill students to be eligible to live at ECOLE.
- SSMU (Students' Society of McGill University)coreThe Board of Directors includes 1 SSMU Sustainability Commissioner. ECOLE was established through SSMU referendum and is affiliated with McGill student governance structures.
Scale indicators4 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights3 records
ECOLE Project competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Los Angeles Eco-Village: LA Eco-Village is an urban intentional community in Los Angeles that operates sustainability programming, co-housing, and community education from a single neighborhood footprint. It is the most directly comparable peer given its urban, hub-style operating model similar to ECOLE's Montreal location.
- Camphill Communities: Camphill operates a global network of intentional communities that combine residential life, shared work, and educational programming around shared values. While focused on disability inclusion rather than sustainability per se, its residential-education model is structurally comparable to ECOLE.
- Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage: Dancing Rabbit is a rural intentional community in northeast Missouri focused on ecological sustainability, consensus governance, and cooperative living. It shares ECOLE's combination of residential life, anti-oppressive governance, and applied sustainability practice, though at much larger scale.
- Twin Oaks Community: Twin Oaks is an income-sharing intentional community in Louisa, Virginia based on consensus governance and sustainability. Like ECOLE, it combines residential collective life with shared labor and external engagement, providing a comparable model of values-driven communal living.
- EcoVillage at Ithaca: EcoVillage at Ithaca is an intentional community in Ithaca, NY that combines co-housing with sustainability education, a one-acre organic farm, and visitor programming. Like ECOLE, it integrates residential living, applied sustainability, and community building into a single operating model, making it the closest comparable in the North American intentional-community landscape.
- The Farm Community: The Farm is an intentional community in Summertown, Tennessee founded in 1971 that combines sustainable communal living, organic agriculture, and outreach education. It is comparable to ECOLE as a residential sustainability community that runs educational programming for external audiences.
- Findhorn Foundation: Findhorn is a long-running intentional community and education center in Scotland that combines residential sustainable living with workshops, courses, and visitor programming. Its blend of co-residential learning and public-facing sustainability education closely mirrors ECOLE's three-pillar structure.
Others
- Earthship Biotecture: Earthship Biotecture designs and teaches sustainable off-grid residential construction globally. It is comparable to ECOLE in mission (sustainable living education) but operates through consulting, training, and construction rather than a residential community model.
- Global Ecovillage Network: GEN is a network organization supporting ecovillages and intentional communities worldwide. It is not a direct operator like ECOLE but is the leading ecosystem body for the type of residential sustainability community ECOLE represents.
Market position
Strengths4 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks6 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
ECOLE Project social profiles
Digital presenceECOLE Project financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
ECOLE Project leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles10 records
ECOLE Project funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
ECOLE Project M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about ECOLE Project
What does ECOLE Project do?
ECOLE Project operates a residential sustainability non-profit from the ECOLE House at 3559 rue University in Montreal, where 11 McGill student facilitators live collectively and sustainably. Its core offerings include a free space booking service for McGill and community groups with sustainability mandates, a facilitator residential program with 44-46% rent subsidies, micro-projects on ecological and social sustainability topics, and alternative learning initiatives such as workshops, film screenings, and skill shares. The organization is funded through a student fee levy collected by the Students' Societies of McGill University.
Is ECOLE Project a public or private company?
ECOLE Project is a private company. It is classified as nonprofit foundation owned and is currently operating.
When was ECOLE Project founded?
ECOLE Project was founded in -1. It employs 1 to 10 people.
Where is ECOLE Project based?
ECOLE Project is headquartered in Montreal, Canada, in the North America region.
How does ECOLE Project make money?
Two revenue lines are on record. Student Fee Levy is the primary driver. The others are facilitator Rent Subsidy.
Who are ECOLE Project's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Los Angeles Eco-Village, Camphill Communities, Dancing Rabbit Ecovillage, Twin Oaks Community, EcoVillage at Ithaca, The Farm Community and Findhorn Foundation. Others are Earthship Biotecture and Global Ecovillage Network.
Does ECOLE Project have an API?
No public API is recorded for ECOLE Project.
What industry is ECOLE Project in?
ECOLE Project's product category is Sustainability Education and Community Living Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDALACAC, Residential Education, Programming & Community Development, with a secondary code of EDAAAFAB, Community Center Education Programs. Its NAICS code is 813 and its SIC code is 8200.