Élan créateur

What Élan créateur does

Élan créateur is a Coopérative d'Activités et d'Emploi (CAE) structured as a Société Anonyme Scop, headquartered in Rennes, Brittany, France. Founded in 2001, the cooperative hosts approximately 150 entrepreneurs (including 126 in Ille-et-Vilaine) across multiple sectors, providing shared administrative infrastructure, fiscal and legal accompaniment, and salaried employment status with full French social protection to members who retain commercial autonomy. The cooperative operates with approximately 58 employees and reported €3.1M in annual turnover.

Its business model rests on three roughly equal revenue streams: contributions from member entrepreneurs at approximately 10% of each member's available margin, public subsidies from regional and departmental authorities within the framework of France's Économie Sociale et Solidaire (ESS), and fees for cooperative services. The cooperative integrates approximately five cohorts of new entrepreneurs each year and has expanded physical presence to Saint-Malo and Redon beyond its historical Ille-et-Vilaine core. Members benefit from mutualized back-office operations, peer community, and collective resources unavailable to fully independent sole proprietors.

Élan créateur functions as a shared-services and legal-employment platform for independent entrepreneurs, embedded in the regional Breton CAE network and certified under the ESUS (Entreprise Solidaire d'Utilité Sociale) regime. Its multi-sector specialization, cooperative governance, and reliance on public-sector funding position it as a structural rather than disruptive player in the French social-and-solidarity economy.

Name

Élan créateur

Legal name

Élan créateur

Website

https://elancreateur.coop

Company type

Private

Founded year

2001

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Élan créateur is a Coopérative d'Activités et d'Emploi (CAE) in Rennes, France, hosting approximately 150 entrepreneurs across diverse sectors since 2001. The cooperative provides shared infrastructure, salaried employment status, and administrative services, generating €3.1M annual turnover.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Cooperative Entrepreneurship Services

NAICS

Professional Employer Organizations (561330), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Professional Employer Organization (PEO) / Co-Employment Services (BPACAHAB)

akta.pro secondary industries

Local Entity Setup & Expansion Advisory (Market Entry, Subsidiary Formation) (BPACAHAM), Onboarding, Offboarding & Employee Lifecycle Administration (BPACAHAL)

Keywords

• Cooperative entrepreneurship services
• Business incubation services
• Legal hosting services
• Employee entrepreneur status
• Shared cooperative services

Headquarters

HQ city

Rennes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Contribution des entrepreneurs (Cooperative share/fees): Entrepreneurs contribute approximately 10% of their available margin (not gross turnover) to cover shared services. This covers roughly one third of the cooperative's resources. This model was voted by associates in 2016 for equity across different economic models of each activity.
2. Subventions publiques (Public subsidies): Public subsidies that support entrepreneurs in startup phase, representing approximately one third of the cooperative's resources. Funders include Europe FEDER, Région Bretagne, Ille-et-Vilaine, Rennes Métropole, and ESUS designation.
3. Prestations de la coopérative (Cooperative services): Training, studies, consulting, and project management services carried out by the cooperative in Ille-et-Vilaine, representing approximately one third of resources. Includes practical workshops on commercial and management topics.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Élan créateur is a Coopérative d'Activités et d'Emploi (CAE) and SA Scop that provides a cooperative framework for aspiring entrepreneurs. It delivers legal hosting (SIRET, invoicing, accounting, contracts), employee-entrepreneur status (CESA) with social protections, shared services (insurance, financing, training), and a network of 150 entrepreneurs across diverse sectors in Ille-et-Vilaine, Brittany. Entrepreneurs onboard through 5-month renewable CAPE contracts, progress to CESA contracts, and may become cooperative associates within 3 years.

Product overview

Élan créateur is a Coopérative d'Activités et d'Emploi (CAE), also known as a Scop, that operates as a unified cooperative platform supporting entrepreneurs. The core offering combines legal hosting services (Hébergement juridique et gestion), shared services (insurance, financing, training), and a network of 150 entrepreneurs. Entrepreneurs enter through the CAPE contract and progress to the CESA contract, gaining employee-entrepreneur status. The cooperative provides an advisory team and five annual onboarding programs with practical workshops on commercial development and management. Additional services include information sessions, financing solutions (Cap'CAE, Cigales, micro-credit), and a collaborative podcast on the employee-entrepreneur model.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Hébergement juridique et gestion (Legal hosting and management)
• Services partagés (Shared services)
• Réseau d'entrepreneurs (Entrepreneur network)
• Statut d'entrepreneur salarié (Employee-entrepreneur status)
• Contrat CAPE (Contrat d'Appui au Projet d'Entreprise)
• Parcours d'accueil (Onboarding program)
• Formation et ateliers (Training and workshops)
• Solutions de financement (Financing solutions)
• Équipe conseil (Advisory team)

Quantifiable outcome

• €3.1M annual turnover; 126 entrepreneurs in Ille-et-Vilaine; 150 entrepreneurs total; 24 years in operation

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Union des ScopcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Union des Scop is the national federation of Scop cooperatives, providing institutional support, networking, and representation for the cooperative movement. Élan créateur operates within the Scop ecosystem and is referenced on the Union's communications.
• Coopérative AmeizingminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAmeizing is a cooperative specialized in building and landscape design. When entrepreneurs have projects in regulated building sectors, Élan créateur may refer them to specialized cooperatives like Ameizing, Elan bâtisseur, or Coop Chez Vous.
• Coopérative Elan bâtisseurminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerElan bâtisseur is a cooperative of entrepreneurs specialized in the building sector. It is referenced as an alternative cooperative solution for entrepreneurs whose projects fall within regulated building activities.
• Coopérative Coop Chez VousminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoop Chez Vous is a cooperative of entrepreneurs specialized in home care services (service à la personne). Referenced alongside other specialized cooperatives for entrepreneurs whose activities fall within regulated care sectors.
• Pôle EmploicoreOthersPôle Emploi is the French public employment service. Entrepreneurs joining Élan créateur often come from unemployment and can preserve their benefits under the CAPE contract. Activ'Créa (prescribed by Pôle Emploi) is also referenced as a pre-incubation tool.
• BGE35minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBGE35 is a business creation support organization in Ille-et-Vilaine. Their 'Concevoir et Construire son Projet d'Entreprise' short training is referenced as a complementary resource for entrepreneurs prior to joining Élan créateur.
• TAg35 (Incubateur de l'Innovation Sociale)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTAg35 proposes ideation and incubation programs for collective social innovation projects in Brittany. Referenced as an option for entrepreneurs with collective/social innovation projects to develop their concept before joining the CAE.
• Entreprendre au Féminin BretagneminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEntreprendre au Féminin Bretagne offers an emergence pathway specifically for women entrepreneurs in Brittany. Referenced as a pre-incubation resource for female entrepreneurs considering joining the cooperative.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves5 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• Initiative France: Leading French network supporting business creation through mentoring, financing, and follow-up. Comparable as a peer business-creation support infrastructure serving aspiring entrepreneurs across France with similar mission and territory-based deployment.
• France Active: National network financing and supporting social-economy and entrepreneurship initiatives. Comparable as a fellow ESUS-recognized actor providing both financing tools and advisory support to entrepreneurs in the social and solidarity economy.
• Réseau Entreprendre: French entrepreneur-support network providing mentoring, financing, and peer networks for business creators. Comparable as a peer entrepreneur-hosting model that bundles advisory services, network access, and financing partners.
• BGE France: Nationwide network of Business Creation Support organizations (similar to Élan créateur's role for aspiring entrepreneurs). Directly comparable as a French entrepreneurship-support infrastructure — BGE35 is even referenced as a partner feeding entrepreneurs into Élan créateur.

Others

• Pôle Emploi (France Travail): French public employment service. Already a core referral partner for Élan créateur (entrepreneurs often come from unemployment and preserve benefits under CAPE); comparable as a public-sector channel feeding aspiring entrepreneurs into the CAE pipeline.
• Confédération Générale des SCOP et SCIC: National federation of SCOP and SCIC cooperatives. Élan créateur is a member; provides institutional representation, networking, and shared services — comparable as an umbrella actor and channel for the cooperative ecosystem.

Direct peers

• ADIE (Association pour le Droit à l'Initiative Économique): French association providing microcredit and business training to entrepreneurs excluded from traditional banking. Already referenced as a partner by Élan créateur; operates a similar mission of enabling entrepreneurship through financial and educational support.
• France Bretagne Active: Regional Brittany entity financing social-economy entrepreneurship. Already a core partner providing the 'Cap'CAE' financing product (€3K-€15K reimbursable advances); comparable as a regional financier supporting CAE-hosted entrepreneurs.
• Club Cigales: National network of 'Cigales' clubs (informal angel investors) supporting local entrepreneurship. Cited as a partner ('Club Cigales Coup de Main') offering micro-financing up to €3,000 with mentoring — directly comparable financing-support function for CAE entrepreneurs.

Regional players

• Coopérative d'Activités et d'Emploi d'Occitanie (ex. Grands Ensemble): Sister CAE in another French region operating under the same national CAE framework. Comparable as a regional CAE peer hosting entrepreneurs under the same co-employment model, though serving a different geography (Occitanie vs. Brittany).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/%C3%A9lan-cr%C3%A9ateur

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 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 Élan créateur