ESPACE OBNL

What ESPACE OBNL does

ESPACE OBNL is a private social enterprise founded in 2017 and headquartered in Laval, Quebec, that operates a multi-platform ecosystem dedicated to managers and administrators of Quebec's non-profit organizations (OBNLs). The company combines a community portal (espaceobnl.ca), a learning management system (formations.espaceobnl.ca), and a specialized job board (emploi.espaceobnl.ca) into a single offering that addresses training, peer networking, talent acquisition, and operational resources for the non-profit sector. Core products include 20+ pre-recorded training courses, a curated supplier directory (Bottin des ressources spécialisées) covering all 17 Quebec administrative regions plus Ontario and New Brunswick, a content library of video capsules, podcasts, and expert roundtables, and downloadable tools covering board evaluation, salary equity, and financial management. The underlying platform is built on Yapla (Quebec-based association management infrastructure) with HubSpot for CRM/marketing automation, and the company's proprietary content assets are co-produced with a network of strategic partners including SAGE, Alliance ressources humaines, 1MPACT, Exponentiel Conseil, and SPG.

The business model is a hybrid freemium + transaction + subscription structure. Community membership is free but gated by a qualification questionnaire that generates qualified leads; monetization occurs through paid training courses (annual access), job posting fees ($79 per panel or $199 for campus access on event postings, plus unit-priced EMPLOI postings with up to 20% bulk discounts), bespoke private training contracts, a paid template boutique, and the Bottin supplier directory (vendor pay-to-be-listed). GTM is community-led: free membership, content marketing, newsletters (5,600+ subscribers), social channels (17,300+ followers), and a quarterly/annual event presence (Salon de l'événementiel Momentum) drive top-of-funnel awareness, with self-serve course purchase and direct inquiry for private training closing the funnel. The company is explicitly not a charity or NPO itself, which gives it flexibility in private funding and market responsiveness while maintaining a social-impact mission.

The company is led by co-founders Stéphane Parent (dirigeant, 32+ years of OBNL sector experience, former president of Événement'ciel, ITHQ instructor) and Laurent Morisset (also president of OBNL360, EMBA McGill-HEC Montréal, certified executive coach). With 41 employees and no disclosed external funding or institutional investors, ESPACE OBNL operates as a bootstrapped, founder-led organization that has scaled organically since 2017. Its growth lever is content-and-community compounding rather than capital deployment, and its strategic risk is geographic concentration in Quebec's non-profit sector with no disclosed AI/ML product differentiation.

Name

ESPACE OBNL

Legal name

ESPACE OBNL

Website

https://espaceobnl.ca

Company type

Private

Founded year

2017

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ESPACE OBNL is a private Quebec social enterprise operating a community, training platform, and job board dedicated to non-profit organization (OBNL) managers and administrators across the province. It serves the 1,000+ organizations that have used its job board and 5,600+ community members through paid training, recruitment, and supplier directory services.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Nonprofit Management Training and Resources

NAICS

Professional and Management Development Training (61143), Educational Services (611), Business Schools and Computer and Management Training (6114), Educational Support Services (61171)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Services-Employment Agencies (7361)

akta.pro primary industry

Human Resources & Talent (SHRM/HRCI Recertification) (EDAAALAN)

Keywords

• Nonprofit management training
• Professional development courses
• Nonprofit job board
• Supplier directory services
• Community platform services

Headquarters

HQ city

Laval

HQ country

Canada

HQ region

North America

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Formations et activités (Training and Events): Pre-recorded and live training sessions on OBNL management topics. The platform provides 20+ asynchronous training courses with one-year access. Private formations are also offered at negotiated rates. Training topics include governance, HR, financial management, communications, and event management. Pricing varies by product, date, and associated privileges.
2. Affichages d'emploi (Job Postings): OBNL employers pay to post job listings on the EMPLOI platform. Each posting includes 30 days of visibility, two social media promotions (reaching 17,300+ followers), and one newsletter mention (5,600+ subscribers). Bulk discounts of up to 20% are available for five or more postings.
3. Services de formations privées (Private Training Services): Customized private training delivered to OBNL organizations, associations, or cooperatives. Pricing varies by product, date, and associated privileges. Offered alongside personalized support services.
4. Boutique en ligne (Online Store): Sale of model templates, practical tools, and other resources for OBNL managers. Includes template bundles (e.g., three-model condition de travail package) and downloadable guides.
5. Abonnement communauté gratuit avec génération de leads (Free Community Membership): Community membership is free but requires filling a detailed questionnaire. This generates qualified leads for the company's paid offerings while enabling targeted content delivery and annual community statistics. Revenue is generated indirectly through conversions to paid services.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

ESPACE OBNL delivers training, resources, recruitment, and supplier-discovery services to managers and administrators of Quebec non-profit organizations (OBNLs). Its core offerings include pre-recorded and live training courses (20+ asynchronous modules, 1-year access), a specialized OBNL job board (EMPLOI EO), a curated supplier directory (Bottin des ressources spécialisées), private customized training, and downloadable governance/HR/financial management tools. The community membership is free but gated by a substantive questionnaire, generating qualified leads that convert into paid training, recruitment, and listing services.

Product overview

ESPACE OBNL operates a multi-platform ecosystem serving Quebec's non-profit sector. The core offering consists of three interconnected platforms: (1) The main community and resource portal providing articles, tools, and publications; (2) Formations ESPACE OBNL - a learning management system with over 20 pre-recorded courses and live training; and (3) EMPLOI EO - a dedicated job board for OBNL sector. Supporting modules include private training services, personalized support, a specialized resource directory (Bottin), board self-evaluation tools, and a template store. Content products include video capsules (technical and discovery series), podcasts, downloadable tools on salary equity and financial management, and the annual OBNL+ compensation survey.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formations ESPACE OBNL (Online Training Platform) Online learning management system offering more than 20 pre-recorded (asynchronous) and live training courses for OBNL managers and administrators, covering governance, HR, financial management, communications, and event management. Access to pre-recorded courses is granted for one year with unlimited replays.
• EMPLOI EO (OBNL Job Board) Dedicated employment platform connecting OBNL employers (community organizations, associations, foundations, cooperatives) with job seekers. Each posting includes 30 days of visibility, two social media promotions reaching 17,300+ followers, and one newsletter mention to 5,600+ subscribers. Volume discounts of up to 20% are available for five or more postings.
• Bottin des ressources spécialisées (Supplier Directory) Curated paid directory of specialized service providers (HR consultants, accountants, legal, technology, training firms) for OBNL managers. Organized by issue area and administrative region, covering all 17 Quebec regions plus Ontario, New Brunswick, and other provinces.
• Formations privées (Private Training Services) Bespoke customized private training programs delivered to OBNL organizations, associations, or cooperatives. Content is tailored to the specific organization's needs and delivered directly to teams.
• Campus événementiel pour OBNL (Event Management Training Campus) Event management training campus featuring expert panels on philanthropic events, associative events, and volunteer management for OBNL professionals. Individual panels at $79 CAD and full campus access (3 panels) at $199 CAD, with both in-person and replay (rediffusion) options.
• Boutique en ligne (Online Store for Templates and Guides) Online store offering purchased templates, model documents, guides, and professional resources for OBNL management, including template bundles (e.g., three-model conditions de travail package) and downloadable guides.
• Enquête OBNL+ (Annual Compensation Survey) Annual survey of OBNL manager compensation practices providing benchmarking data for the Quebec non-profit sector, contributing to community intelligence and scale data.

Quantifiable outcome

• 1,900+ job postings published and 1,000+ organizations served by the EMPLOI platform
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 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

Feature5 records

Partnerships

14 partnerships are on record, tiered supporting and core.

• CeveasupportingTechnology or IntegrationCevea provides accounting and bookkeeping services tailored to OBNLs across all 17 Quebec administrative regions plus Ontario, New Brunswick, and other Canadian provinces. Services include bookkeeping, financial statement preparation, payroll management, financial analysis, grant accounting support, and QuickBooks implementation. Listed in the ESPACE OBNL Bottin (supplier directory).
• Alliance ressources humaines inc.coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlliance RH is an HR consulting firm operating primarily in Lanaudière for 10+ years. They contribute expert content to ESPACE OBNL including: the 'Équité salariale : outil de référence' downloadable tool, video capsules on HR topics (workplace climate, recruitment, harassment management), and the HR training series. Certified HR advisor Stéphanie Perreault has 24+ years of HR experience and leads a team of 15 professionals. They have collaborated on the 'Série découverte' content series.
• OBNL360coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-founded by Laurent Morisset (co-founder of ESPACE OBNL), OBNL360 provides organizational development services including strategic planning, brand consolidation, and governance consulting for OBNL organizations. Laurent Morisset is a regular panellist/expert on ESPACE OBNL's RDV roundtables and webinaires, providing strategic analysis on OBNL sector challenges, organizational resilience, and governance. The relationship is deeply embedded — OBNL360's intellectual capital directly shapes ESPACE OBNL's content and thought leadership.
• SAGE (Sage Intacct)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSAGE provides financial management software and content for ESPACE OBNL. They co-produce the 'Série découverte' on AI-powered financial management for OBNLs and offer the 'Guide de survie des directeurs financiers d'OBNL' (financial management guide) as a free downloadable resource on the platform. Eric Sleeth, Senior Industry Principal at SAGE, appears as a panellist/expert on the platform. SAGE's guide and content support OBNL financial management education.
• Services Pelletier Gosselin (SPG)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPG provides association management and event organization services. They contribute training content to ESPACE OBNL, including articles on structuring training programs and capsules on delegation and policy revision. Lyne Major, President and CEO of SPG, is a regular contributor/expert on the platform. SPG has contributed content including association management expertise and governance resources.
• Exponentiel ConseilcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerExponentiel Conseil provides strategic consulting and public affairs advisory. Mathieu Lavallée, Vice President, is a regular panellist on ESPACE OBNL's webinaires providing expert analysis on OBNL sector context, government budgets, political dynamics, and strategic positioning. Mathieu has appeared on multiple ESPACE OBNL events analyzing the 2026 provincial budget and its impact on OBNLs.
• YaplasupportingTechnology or IntegrationYapla provides the core website infrastructure for ESPACE OBNL's main site (espaceobnl.ca), training platform (formations.espaceobnl.ca), and employment platform (emploi.espaceobnl.ca). Listed as a service provider in ESPACE OBNL's privacy policy. Yapla is a Quebec-based all-in-one management platform for associations and OBNLs.
• EMC ConsultantesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounded by Émilie Chazelas, a former public fund manager and OBNL executive, EMC Consultante provides grant and funding advisory services to OBNLs and municipalities across Quebec. Émilie appeared as a panellist on ESPACE OBNL's RDV on understanding the funder perspective for subsidy applications, sharing expertise on navigating government funding processes.
• InDominus Sécurité GéréesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerInDominus Sécurité Gérée (cybersecurity managed services) co-presents the 'Série découverte' episode on cybersecurity awareness for OBNLs on the ESPACE OBNL platform. The episode addresses cybersecurity threats facing OBNL organizations and practical steps for protection.
• Julie Dionne (Animatrice professionnelle)supportingOthersJulie Dionne is a professional event facilitator who contributed to ESPACE OBNL's Capsule technique #5 on public speaking for OBNL managers. Her expertise on presentation skills, audience connection, and managing stage fright is featured in the content library.
• 1MPACT Partenaires d'affairescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner1MPACT provides HR consulting and strategic alignment services, with deep experience in the community and social economy sectors. They contribute expert HR content to ESPACE OBNL including capsule videos on employee retention, workplace climate, and recognition as a mobilization lever. Jani Riendeau, HR Advisor at 1MPACT, appears as an expert contributor on HR topics. They have also contributed the 'Outil de référence pour le recrutement' (recruitment reference tool) to the platform.
• C4 CommunicationssupportingTechnology or IntegrationC4 Communications is credited as the web design partner for ESPACE OBNL across all web properties. They are acknowledged in the footer of the main website, training platform, and employment platform as the design team responsible for the site's visual design and user experience.
• Cantatus BoréalsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFeatured as a highlighted resource in ESPACE OBNL's news section (Contenus à la Une). Provides financial management systems and solutions for OBNLs, as demonstrated in their featured article 'Cantatus Boréal et les systèmes de gestion financière au service des OBNL'. Listed in the Bottin resource directory.
• Le Consortium de coopération des entreprises collectivessupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Consortium provides professional services to collective enterprises (cooperatives, non-profits). They contribute expert content to ESPACE OBNL including an article on the strategic importance of general assemblies and best practices in democratic governance of collective enterprises. Listed in the Bottin resource directory.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• WorkInNonprofits: Canadian non-profit sector job board focused exclusively on recruitment for charities and non-profits. Direct competitor for ESPACE OBNL's EMPLOI platform in the pan-Canadian English-speaking non-profit talent market.
• CharityVillage: Canada's leading non-profit sector job board and career resource platform, providing job postings, learning resources, and sector news. Direct competitor for ESPACE OBNL's EMPLOI vertical and content library, though operating primarily in English Canada.
• Yapla: Quebec-based all-in-one management platform for associations and OBNLs, providing website infrastructure, member management, event ticketing, and course delivery. Direct functional overlap with ESPACE OBNL's training platform and broader association services, while also serving as ESPACE OBNL's technology infrastructure provider.

Broad incumbents

• TechSoup: Global non-profit technology platform providing discounted software, training resources, and capacity-building content to non-profits worldwide. Overlapping mission on training and resources for non-profit managers, at much larger scale.
• Wild Apricot: Association management software platform serving non-profits, associations, and member-based organizations globally. Functional overlap on member management, events, and course delivery infrastructure for the OBNL/association market.
• Imagine Canada: National umbrella organization for Canadian charities and non-profits, providing sector research, advocacy, accreditation programs, and training resources. Broader mandate than ESPACE OBNL, but overlapping on training and resource provision for the non-profit sector.
• CSMO-ÉSAC: Quebec sector committee for the social economy and community action workforce. Provides HR training, professional development, and labor market intelligence for the OBNL/social economy sector — directly comparable training mission to ESPACE OBNL.
• Réseau québécois de l'action communautaire autonome (RQACA): Provincial umbrella for Quebec community action organizations, providing sector representation, training, and resources to autonomous community action groups. Overlaps with ESPACE OBNL's training and resource mission for the Quebec OBNL ecosystem.

Regional players

• TIESS (Territoires innovants en économie sociale et solidaire): Quebec-based organization providing training, research, and support services to social economy enterprises and OBNLs. Comparable regional focus on Quebec social economy workforce development, with overlapping training and capacity-building offerings.
• Bénévoles d'affaires: Quebec-based volunteer engagement platform connecting non-profit organizations with corporate volunteer programs. Comparable Quebec focus on the non-profit sector, with partial overlap on volunteer management content and resources.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks1 record

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCgONhY4F1owMGjoADs78ZTQ/featured
• Facebookfacebook.com/espaceobnl
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/espace-obnl

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 ESPACE OBNL