FÉMAP

What FÉMAP does

FÉMAP (Fédération des métiers de l'archéologie préventive) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2021 to represent and support private operators in the preventive archaeology sector. The federation brings together state-approved archaeological study bureaus (opérateurs agréés) and specialized service companies — including Éveha, Hadès, Paléotime, Mosaïques archéologie, Arkemine, ACTER, CIRAM, Archéobois, and CLASTE — that conduct preventive excavations, diagnostics, and scientific analyses under the French Code du patrimoine. Across its member companies, the network represents 651 full-time equivalents and oversaw 171 preventive archaeology sites and 167 scientific publications in 2024.

FÉMAP's core offerings center on professional representation, advocacy with public authorities, and knowledge coordination rather than commercial technology products. Operationally, the federation is run by a 9-administrator board with 6 staff and runs through thematic commissions (Formation, Recherche, Qualité-Sécurité-Environnement) and a Communication working group. Its product surface includes the annual Forum des métiers de l'archéologie préventive (rotating across French cities since 2022), the Café des archéos webinar series, the semiannual Baromètre FEMAP sector barometer, the FEMAP Infos newsletter, annual activity reports, and the Zotero FEMAP shared bibliographic database. Distribution relies on LinkedIn, YouTube, Instagram, Facebook, the website, email newsletter, and in-person events.

The business model is non-commercial: FÉMAP is funded through membership fees from its private member entities and does not publish financial statements. Its go-to-market is community-led, focused on member recruitment, retention, and sector representation. In 2025, FÉMAP extended its scope beyond France by co-organizing a joint study day with Spain's PEPA in Toulouse and signing the Madrid Manifesto alongside national organizations from Spain (PEPA), Portugal (STARQ), Germany (CIFA Deutschland), and Italy (CIA), positioning the federation within a nascent European preventive archaeology network.

Name

FÉMAP

Legal name

Fédération des Métiers de l'Archéologie Préventive

Website

https://femap-archeo.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2021

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

FÉMAP is the French non-profit federation representing private preventive archaeology operators and specialized companies, founded in 2021. It provides professional advocacy, knowledge sharing, training coordination, and sector representation to its member organizations across France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Professional Federation Services

NAICS

Business Associations (813910)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAIAOAC

Standards, Metrology & Accreditation Bodies

Business & Public Services/Public Sector & Government Administration/Regulatory Agencies & Licensing (Cross-sector)

Keywords

• Preventive archaeology
• Professional federation
• Heritage preservation
• Archaeology consulting
• Cultural heritage advocacy

Headquarters

HQ city

Ivry-sur-Seine

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership fees and advocacy services: FEMAP operates as a non-profit association funded by membership fees from private operators and specialized companies in preventive archaeology. The federation does not generate commercial revenue but serves to represent and support its member companies in advocacy, training, research coordination, and professional development.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

FÉMAP is the French federation (Association loi 1901, created in 2021) representing private operators of preventive archaeology. The federation provides collective representation, advocacy, economic studies, networking events, and shared knowledge resources to its member companies operating in the French preventive archaeology sector. Its deliverables include the annual Forum, Café des archéos webinars, FEMAP Infos newsletter, the Baromètre FEMAP economic observatory, and a Zotero-based bibliographic database.

Product overview

FÉMAP is a professional federation for preventive archaeology in France, functioning as a membership organization rather than a product company. Its core offerings include the annual Forum des métiers (forum for preventive archaeology professions), the Café des archéos webinar series, the Baromètre FEMAP (semiannual industry barometer), and various publications including activity reports and scientific publications. The federation operates through thematic commissions (Formation, Recherche, Qualité-Sécurité-Environnement) and working groups (Communication) that produce shared resources such as the Zotero FEMAP bibliographic database and are developing a centralized platform for operational reports from member companies.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Adhésion FÉMAP (FÉMAP Membership) Annual membership of the federation for private preventive archaeology operators in France, granting access to collective representation, advocacy, networking events, and shared knowledge resources.
• Forum FÉMAP (Annual Forum) Annual professional conference organized by FÉMAP for private preventive archaeology operators to discuss sector topics, share best practices, and network.
• Café des archéos Recurring webinar series hosted by FÉMAP providing members with thematic discussions and updates on preventive archaeology topics.
• Baromètre FEMAP Economic observatory study of the French private preventive archaeology sector, providing member companies with sector data and benchmarking.
• FEMAP Infos (Newsletter) Regular newsletter published by FÉMAP to keep members informed of federation news, regulatory developments, and sector updates.
• Zotero bibliographic database Shared Zotero-based bibliographic database maintained by FÉMAP, allowing member companies to access and contribute to a common reference library for preventive archaeology.

Quantifiable outcome

• 651 ETP employed across member companies
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers9 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• PEPA (Plataforma Estatal de profesionales de la Arqueología)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025Spanish professional organization collaborating with FEMAP on creating a European network of preventive archaeology professionals. Organized joint study day on March 28, 2025 in Toulouse on training challenges in France, Spain and Italy. Next meeting planned in Madrid for autumn 2025.
• STARQ (Portugal)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025Portuguese organization that signed the Madrid Manifesto alongside FEMAP for the recognition of archaeology professionals in Europe.
• CIFA Deutschland (Germany)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025German organization that signed the Madrid Manifesto alongside FEMAP for the recognition of archaeology professionals in Europe.
• CIA (Italy)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 September 2025Italian organization that signed the Madrid Manifesto alongside FEMAP for the recognition of archaeology professionals in Europe.
• Éveha - Études et valorisations archéologiquescoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 28 March 2025Host partner for the FEMAP/PEPA joint study day on archaeology training challenges held March 28, 2025 in Toulouse.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• STARQ: Portuguese professional organization that co-signed the Madrid Manifesto with FEMAP, representing archaeology professionals in Portugal. A direct national peer pursuing the same recognition and advocacy agenda.
• CIA – Confederazione Italiana Archeologi: Italian professional organization of archaeologists that signed the Madrid Manifesto alongside FEMAP. Acts as Italy's national representative body for archaeological professionals, mirroring FEMAP's federating role at country level.
• CIFA Deutschland: German professional body for archaeology practitioners that signed the Madrid Manifesto with FEMAP. Functions as Germany's national counterpart, jointly advancing training and professional recognition in preventive archaeology across Europe.
• PEPA (Plataforma Estatal de profesionales de la Arqueología): Spanish federation of archaeology professionals that co-signed the Madrid Manifesto with FEMAP and co-organized the March 2025 study day on training. Operates as the closest functional counterpart in Spain, pursuing the same advocacy, training, and recognition goals.

Broad incumbents

• INRAP: Institut national de recherches archéologiques préventives, the French state institute that performs preventive archaeology and competes with FEMAP's member operators for prescriptions. It is the principal public-sector counterpart whose regulatory and budgetary decisions shape demand for FEMAP's private members.
• European Association of Archaeologists (EAA): Pan-European professional membership organization for archaeologists across all sub-disciplines. Provides a broader convening and policy forum that overlaps with FEMAP's international ambitions, though it is not preventive-archaeology specific.
• Conseil national de la recherche archéologique (CNRA): Advisory body under the French Ministry of Culture that consults on archaeological research policy and operator approvals. Adjacent to FEMAP's regulatory interests, shaping the framework within which FEMAP's members operate.

Regional players

• Association pour les Journées nationales de l'archéologie (JNA): Organizer of the French Journées nationales de l'archéologie public outreach program in which FEMAP and its members actively participate. Operates in the same national space and shares FEMAP's heritage-awareness mission but as an event platform rather than a trade federation.

Others

• Chambre nationale des commissaires-priseurs judiciaires: French national chamber representing judicial auctioneers and valuers, structurally analogous to FEMAP as a national professional federation under French law. While operating in a different sector, it provides a comparable model for member-driven advocacy organizations in France.
• Union Internationale des Sciences Préhistoriques et Protohistoriques (UISPP): International scientific union focused on prehistoric and protohistoric research. While not a preventive-archaeology trade body, UISPP overlaps with FEMAP members on research dissemination and congress organization, making it a thematic peer.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@femap9964?si=Upn7a_xWbjBGu_C2
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/femap-archeo
• Instagraminstagram.com/femap_archeo

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

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 FÉMAP