Association EPICES

What Association EPICES does

Association EPICES (Espace de Projets d'Insertion Cuisine Et Santé) is a French non-profit association founded in 2009 and headquartered in Mulhouse, Alsace. It operates three physical sites in Mulhouse — EPICES Kennedy, EPICES Fonderie, and EPICES Franklin (launched as a 2024 pilot) — through which it delivers cooking-based social inclusion programs. Its core offerings include weekly community meals ('La Table Ouverte du Vendredi'), school cooking workshops for children from nursery through high school, the 'Dézis du Goût' tutoring program for taste education, intergenerational cooking sessions to combat isolation, parental cooking workshops, and qualifying CQP Commis de Cuisine training for professional reintegration. The organization serves a diversified beneficiary base spanning RSA recipients, unaccompanied minors, PJJ youth, Mission Locale youth (including 45 'lost to follow-up' annually), Caritas beneficiaries, and elderly individuals experiencing early loss of autonomy, alongside school children and parents.

The underlying operational model is community-led rather than technology-driven: cooking serves as the unifying tool for socialization, education, and professional reintegration, with no proprietary technology stack or digital platform beyond a WordPress-based website and social media presence (Facebook, Instagram, YouTube). EPICES delivers services free of charge to beneficiaries, and its revenue model is donations-based — individual donations are 66% tax-deductible and corporate donations are 60% tax-deductible up to 0.5% of donor revenue, with corporate donors able to receive counterparty services (culinary workshops, team-building) up to 25% of their donation.

The organization is embedded in a dense partnership ecosystem including DRAAF, Éducation Nationale, ESPE, Ville de Mulhouse, Conseil Départemental du Haut-Rhin, Mission Locale, PJJ, Caritas Alsace, Valrhona, Fondation Paul Bocuse, AG2R La Mondiale, Société Générale, Malakoff Humanis, CFA de Rouffach, Institut Haeberlin, and Interfel. The Haeberlin family connection (L'Auberge de l'Ill, Institut Haeberlin) and Director Isabelle Haeberlin's 2019 Ordre National du Mérite provide culinary and public credibility. EPICES employs approximately 10 people and does not publicly disclose annual revenue.

Name

Association EPICES

Legal name

Association EPICES (Espace de Projets d'Insertion Cuisine Et Santé)

Website

https://epices.asso.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association EPICES is a French non-profit founded in 2009 that uses cooking as a tool for social inclusion across three sites in Mulhouse, serving vulnerable populations, school children, and elderly beneficiaries through workshops, training, and community meals funded by donations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Inclusion and Community Services

NAICS

Community Food Services (62421)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Food Assistance & Food Banks (BPAGAEAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Institutional Catering (Schools, Hospitals, Government) (THAFAIAE), Culinary Skills Workshops (Baking, Regional Cooking, Food Prep Skills) (THAJAKAE), Catering & Events Food Service (EDALADAC)

Keywords

• Social inclusion programs
• Culinary training
• Community cooking workshops
• Professional reintegration
• Taste education

Headquarters

HQ city

Mulhouse

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Donations and charitable contributions: EPICES operates primarily through donations from individuals (66% tax deductible) and companies (60% tax deductible, up to 0.5% of revenue). Corporate donors receive counterparty services such as culinary workshops and team-building activities up to 25% of the donation amount.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels3 records

Core offering

Association EPICES (Espaces de Projets d'Insertion Cuisine Et Santé) operates social inclusion programs using cooking as a tool for mediation, education, and professional reintegration. It runs weekly community meals (La Table Ouverte du Vendredi), school-based cooking workshops, the Défis du Goût tutoring program, and CQP Commis de Cuisine qualifying training across three sites in Mulhouse, France.

Product overview

Association EPICES (Espaces de Projets d'Insertion Cuisine Et Santé) operates as a social inclusion organization running culinary programs across three sites in Mulhouse. The core offerings include weekly shared meals at La Table Ouverte, school cooking workshops for children from nursery through secondary school, professional insertion training (CQP Commis de Cuisine), intergenerational cooking sessions, and the Les Défis du Goût tutoring program that pairs school classes in structured taste education challenges. The organization provides personalized support for employment reintegration and operates parent cooking workshops. The ecosystem functions as a unified social/educational program rather than a modular platform, with all services interconnected around cooking as a tool for social inclusion, health education, and community building.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Les Défis du Gout: Educational tutoring program for taste education involving school classes, inter-generational sharing, and culinary workshops.
• La Table Ouverte du Vendredi

Products and services

• La Table Ouverte du Vendredi Weekly open lunch table held every Friday at EPICES Kennedy (44 avenue Kennedy) where beneficiaries and the team prepare and share a meal together, fostering community and social connection among vulnerable populations and the wider public.
• Ateliers de Cuisine Scolaire Cooking workshops dedicated to school children from nursery (maternelle) and elementary schools, teaching healthy eating habits, taste education, and the pleasure of cooking together. Delivered in partnership with schools across Alsace.
• Accompagnement vers l'Emploi Personalized support programs to help individuals regain self-confidence and develop professional projects, particularly for RSA beneficiaries, Mission Locale youth (including 45 'lost to follow-up' youth annually), unaccompanied minors, Caritas beneficiaries, and adults trained toward employment.
• Ateliers Intergénérationnels Intergenerational sharing spaces through cooking activities to combat isolation and promote knowledge transmission between generations, including elderly people in early stages of loss of autonomy.
• Formation CQP Commis de Cuisine Qualifying kitchen training programs (CQP - Certificat de Qualification Professionnelle) adapted to individual needs, aimed at employment reintegration in the culinary sector. Delivered at EPICES training premises.
• Les Défis du Goût (Tutorat) An educational tutoring program pairing school classes to explore taste, nutrition, and cooking through structured challenges running from September to June each year across schools in the Grand Est region.
• Ateliers Parents (Café des Parents) Parent cooking workshops held at EPICES premises, including Café des Parents sessions focused on child nutrition, food education, and parental engagement in culinary activities.

Quantifiable outcome

• 45 'lost to follow-up' youth from Mission Locale are reached annually

Named customers7 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Education Nationale (National Education)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFormal partnership with the French National Education system for the Défis du Goût tutoring program. Teachers and schools participate in the educational cooking and taste education curriculum developed by EPICES.
• ESPE (Ecole Supérieure du Professorat et de l'Enseignement)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTeacher training institution partnered with EPICES for the Défis du Goût program, contributing pedagogical expertise and support for educational initiatives.
• Ville de MulhousecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe municipality of Mulhouse is a key local partner providing support for EPICES operations and programs in the city.
• Conseil Départemental du Haut-RhincoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental council providing support for EPICES programs targeting vulnerable populations in the Haut-Rhin department.
• ValrhonamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPremium French chocolate company partnered with EPICES. Valrhona, part of the Barry Callebaut group, supports culinary education and the Défis du Goût program.
• Fondation Paul BocusemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe prestigious culinary foundation of Chef Paul Bocuse supports EPICES' culinary training and education initiatives.
• Mission LocalecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorLocal employment mission for youth providing referrals to EPICES programs. Mission Locale sends young people (including 45 'lost to follow-up' youth annually) for professional integration support through cooking.
• Protection Judiciaire de la Jeunesse (PJJ)coreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorJudicial youth protection service referring young people to EPICES for integration programs and cooking training.
• CFA de RouffachcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerApprentice training center working with EPICES on culinary training and professional integration for young people.
• Caritas AlsacecoreChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorCatholic charitable organization referring beneficiaries to EPICES programs for social integration support.
• Omnino (Baristas)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerYoung Alsatian specialty coffee brand that occasionally provides barista services during EPICES' Friday 'Table Ouverte' community meals, contributing to the culinary experience.
• Glaces AlbamajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFamily-owned artisan ice cream company in Vieux-Thann. Half of profits from the 'L'Odace' ice cream range (created with Marc Haeberlin) are donated to EPICES, supporting the association's mission.
• Cité Éducatives MulhousemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational city initiative in Mulhouse partnering with EPICES to support educational programs and youth development.
• Institut HaeberlinmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCulinary institute founded by the Haeberlin family (of L'Auberge de l'Ill, 3-star Michelin restaurant), supporting EPICES' culinary training programs.
• InterfelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterprofession of fruits and vegetables supporting EPICES' educational programs about produce and healthy eating.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• SOS Villages d'Enfants: French branch of SOS Children's Villages supporting children in alternative care, including those from protection judiciaire de la jeunesse populations. Related as a referral partner for vulnerable-youth insertion programs but focused on housing/family structures rather than culinary training.
• Caritas Alsace: Regional Caritas network providing social and charitable services in Alsace, including food assistance. Functions as a referral partner sending beneficiaries to EPICES; comparable in the community social-services ecosystem though broader in mission.

Direct peers

• La Table de Cana: French non-profit network of restaurants and catering operations that uses professional cooking as a tool for social and professional insertion. Directly comparable to EPICES in combining culinary training with vulnerable-population support, though operating at significantly larger national scale.
• Le Chaînon Manquant: Paris-based non-profit that recovers unsold food from wholesalers and transforms it into meals for people in need, while training beneficiaries. Closely comparable mission of using food/cooking as a vector for social inclusion and serving vulnerable populations in France.

Broad incumbents

• Emmaüs France: Large French social-inclusion movement providing housing, employment, and community integration to vulnerable populations. Comparable in the social-inclusion mission and partnership-based community service delivery, though broader in scope beyond food/cooking.
• ANDES (Association Nationale de Développement des Épiceries Solidaires): French national network of solidarity grocery stores and food assistance programs serving low-income households. Comparable nonprofit community food-services orientation, though focused on food access distribution rather than the cooking-workshop insertion model.
• Les Restaurants du Cœur (Restos du Cœur): France's largest food assistance non-profit providing free meals and food parcels to those in need. While operating at much larger scale and focused on food distribution rather than insertion, it shares the core community-meal delivery model exemplified by EPICES' La Table Ouverte du Vendredi.

Regional players

• Institut Haeberlin: Culinary institute founded by the Haeberlin family (of 3-Michelin-star L'Auberge de l'Ill). Directly comparable in Alsatian culinary-training orientation and shares brand/family lineage with EPICES' director; functions as a strategic partner and adjacent training provider rather than a competitor.
• Fondation Paul Bocuse: Lyonnais culinary foundation promoting transmission of French culinary heritage and supporting young people toward restaurant careers. Overlaps with EPICES on culinary education for vulnerable youth, though it operates primarily as a foundation grantmaker rather than running direct insertion programs (and is itself an EPICES partner).

Emerging players

• Cuisinez Comme un Chef (Atelier des Chefs social programs): French culinary workshop operator (Atelier des Chefs) that has run social-inclusion cooking workshops. Comparable overlap in culinary-skills pedagogy, though primarily a commercial cooking-school operator with social programs as an extension.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/epices.asso
• Instagraminstagram.com/association_epices
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-epices

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Association EPICES