ONG ESSENTIEL

What ONG ESSENTIEL does

ONG ESSENTIEL is a French nonprofit association (association loi 1901) founded in 1992 and headquartered in Nantes, France, with 32 employees. Operating under the stated mission that "health is a universal right," the organization works to reduce health and social inequalities through international solidarity programs delivered in West and Central Africa — specifically Burundi, Benin, Guinea, and Senegal — alongside domestic awareness-raising activity in France. Its functional focus spans community health, sexual and reproductive health rights, mental health, sensory disabilities, and decent-work initiatives, coordinated through multi-year field projects co-constructed with local civil-society and municipal partners.

The association's program portfolio includes SAPEMA (sexual and reproductive health rights in Burundi, funded by L'Initiative/Expertise France and targeting approximately 40,000 beneficiaries), CAP CSU (community health in Benin and Guinea), AGILS (decentralized cooperation between Rufisque, Senegal and Nantes, targeting 162,056 people), DEFISENS-AO (sensory disabilities across multiple West African countries), and ACCED Santé (Guinea). In France, the organization delivers educational and awareness outputs such as the "Défi Solidarités" board game and the PASTILLE festival. These outputs are educational and social in nature; the association does not develop proprietary software or commercial technology products, and there is no evidence of a platform architecture or recurring digital product.

The business model is that of a nonprofit association funded through membership fees, individual donations, and institutional grants from public and private partners including the Agence Française de Développement (AFD), L'Initiative/Expertise France, Fondation RAJA Danièle Marcovici, Ville de Nantes, Harmonie Mutuelle, and MGEN. Financial results are not publicly disclosed. Beneficiaries are geographically concentrated in specific intervention zones rather than paying customers, and donor relationships are project-tied (e.g., SAPEMA funded by L'Initiative), making grant renewal a primary revenue variable.

Name

ONG ESSENTIEL

Legal name

ESSENTIEL, La santé est un droit universel

Website

https://essentiel-international.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1992

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

ONG ESSENTIEL is a Nantes-based French nonprofit association founded in 1992 that delivers international solidarity and public-health programs in Burundi, Benin, Guinea, and Senegal, plus domestic awareness tools in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

International Development and Health NGO

NAICS

Civic and Social Organizations (813410), Social Advocacy Organizations (8133), Emergency and Other Relief Services (62423)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

International & Local Implementing NGOs (HLAJAKAD)

akta.pro secondary industries

Cash & Voucher Assistance (CVA) and Emergency Livelihood Support (BPAGAAAJ), Monitoring, Evaluation, Research & Learning (MERL) for Global Health (BPADAIAO), NGO/Nonprofit Education Programs & Service Delivery (EDADALAC), Global Health Advocacy, Policy & Rights Organizations (HLAJAKAO)

Keywords

• International health cooperation
• Community health programs
• Social protection education
• Health equity advocacy
• Solidarity partnership projects

Headquarters

HQ city

Nantes

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: Annual membership fees from supporters and individuals who join the association
2. Donations: Charitable donations from individuals and organizations supporting the association's mission
3. Institutional funding and grants: Project funding from international development agencies, governments, and foundations including AFD, L'Initiative/Expertise France, and Fondation RAJA Marcovici for specific development projects in Africa

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

ESSENTIEL is a French nonprofit international solidarity association that designs and implements multi-country health access and social protection programs in Africa (Burundi, Senegal, Benin, Guinea, Côte d'Ivoire, Togo) and runs health-solidarity education and awareness activities in France. Its portfolio includes health projects for fishing communities, universal health coverage initiatives, disability inclusion programs, mental health projects, and bidirectional solidarity initiatives between African and French cities. In France it delivers pedagogical tools, a documentary film festival (Festival PASTILLE), and educational resources on social protection.

Product overview

ONG ESSENTIEL is an international solidarity association engaged for over 30 years in promoting access to health and reducing inequalities. The organization operates through international development projects rather than a technology product platform. Its portfolio includes health projects such as SAPEMA (health of fishermen and fish processors in Burundi), CAP CSU (Universal Health Coverage in Benin and Guinea), AGILS (global health reinforcement in Senegal), and ACCED Santé (health access in Guinea). In France, ESSENTIEL conducts educational actions on health solidarity through initiatives like the Festival PASTILLE (documentary film festival on health topics) and educational tools such as the "Défi Solidarités" board game on social protection. The organization does not offer a software product or technology platform but rather implements community health programs, educational materials, and awareness campaigns.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Festival PASTILLE: An annual film festival combining cinema and health education, organized by ESSENTIEL in Nantes

Products and services

• SAPEMA Project (Burundi) Health program for fishing and lakeside communities (fishermen and fish processors/mareyeuses) on Lake Tanganyika in Burundi, including HIV screening, reproductive health, and disease prevention. Operational partners include SWAA-Burundi, COPEDECOBU, and SEP/CNLS Burundi.
• AGILS Project (Senegal) Multi-component health and social protection program in Rufisque, Senegal (3 communes, approximately 162,056 inhabitants) linking local actions with solidarity actions in Nantes. Co-financed by Ville de Nantes and Harmonie Mutuelle, with partners including Flam Africa and Handiscole.
• CAP CSU Program (Benin & Guinea) Program supporting universal health coverage in Benin and Guinea, including community-based health mutuals and capacity building for sustainable health systems.
• DEFISENS-AO Program (West Africa)

Quantifiable outcome

• 40,000 people targeted by SAPEMA project for health services
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core and supporting.

• Ville de NantescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCity of Nantes is a key partner in the bidirectional AGILS project (Agir Ici et Là-bas) connecting Rufisque and Nantes. Co-financer and strategic partner for solidarity projects.
• Harmonie MutuellecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual health insurance company co-financing ESSENTIEL projects including AGILS and the BD project with Odyssée Habitat Jeunes. Provides both funding and health sector expertise.
• SWAA-BurundicoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation specializing in the fight against HIV among women in Burundi; operational partner for the SAPEMA project on Lake Tanganyika.
• COPEDECOBUcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation of fishermen on Lake Tanganyika; local operational partner for health projects targeting fishing communities in Burundi.
• EfficoopsupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAssociation that conducted the study on interculturality in early childhood facilities in Nantes, in the framework of the AGILS project.
• MGENsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerMutual health insurance partner collaborating on educational tools about social protection, including the 'Défi Solidarités' board game.
• Réseau Education et SolidaritésupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNetwork partner collaborating on educational tools about social protection and international solidarity.
• EN3S (Ecole Nationale Supérieure de la Sécurité Sociale)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench national school for social security; partner in developing educational materials on social protection including QR codes and animation tools.
• Mutualité françaisesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench mutual insurance federation; co-developer of educational tools on social protection and partner in health solidarity events.
• Flam AfricasupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner organization in the AGILS project based in Nantes.
• HandiscolesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganization working on disability inclusion in education in Senegal; partner in the AGILS project for inclusive education.
• SEP/CNLS BurundisupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational program for the fight against STIs/HIV/AIDS in Burundi; institutional partner for the SAPEMA project.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Regional players

• ENDA Sant\u00e9 / ENDA Tiers Monde: Senegalese NGO implementing community health and development programs across West Africa, with overlapping focus on vulnerable urban populations in Senegal comparable to ESSENTIEL's Rufisque-area AGILS program.

Direct peers

• Sidaction: French nonprofit funding and implementing HIV/AIDS programs in Africa, directly comparable to ESSENTIEL's SAPEMA work on HIV screening and prevention among fishing communities on Lake Tanganyika.
• Sant\u00e9 Mondiale 2030: French collective of NGOs advocating for and implementing global health programs, including in West Africa. Comparable thematic focus on universal health coverage and social protection that aligns with ESSENTIEL's CAP CSU and AGILS programs.
• Handicap International / Humanity & Inclusion: French-founded NGO specializing in disability inclusion and rehabilitation in low-income countries. Highly comparable to ESSENTIEL's DEFISENS-AO program (sensory disability inclusion in West Africa) and shares French institutional funder base.
• Coalition Plus: International coalition of community-based NGOs fighting HIV/AIDS, of which SWAA-Burundi (an ESSENTIEL partner on SAPEMA) is a member. Highly comparable in focus on HIV prevention and community health in African settings.
• R\u00e9seau Education et Solidarit\u00e9: Paris-based network of mutual insurance organizations implementing solidarity education programs, explicitly listed as an ESSENTIEL partner on the D\u00e9fi Solidarit\u00e9s social-protection educational tool. Directly comparable in social-protection education mission.

Broad incumbents

• Solidarit\u00e9s International: French humanitarian NGO working on water, sanitation, and health in crisis-affected contexts, with strong overlap in West African geographies and French institutional donor base. Much larger but comparable nonprofit profile and project-based grant structure.
• Action contre la Faim: Large French humanitarian NGO focused on nutrition and health access in fragile contexts, with overlapping presence in West Africa (Guinea, Senegal) and a comparable AFD-grant-funded operating model. A broader incumbent than ESSENTIEL but operating in adjacent program areas.
• Plan International France: French arm of a global child-rights and community development NGO with presence in many of the same West African countries. Comparable model of community-based programs in health, social protection, and youth education, but at larger organizational scale.
• M\u00e9decins du Monde: Major French international health NGO operating in many of the same African geographies with similar health-access and vulnerable-population focus. Comparable as a French-based nonprofit implementing health programs in West and East Africa, but at substantially larger scale and broader thematic scope.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/ong-essentiel

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about ONG ESSENTIEL