Femmes PME Suisse romande

What Femmes PME Suisse romande does

Femmes PME Suisse romande (legal name: Association Femmes PME Suisse romande) is a Swiss non-profit association founded in 2014, seated at the Chambre des arts et métiers in La Chaux-de-Fonds since May 2016. It serves as the French-speaking Swiss regional branch of the broader Femmes PME Suisse network (founded 1994 under USAM, Union suisse des arts et métiers), targeting women who own, co-lead, or serve as responsible managers of small and medium-sized enterprises across the cantons of Fribourg, Genève, Jura, Neuchâtel, Valais, and Vaud.

The association's core offering is an annual membership priced at CHF 190 plus a one-time CHF 50 registration fee, granting access to a community of approximately 400 women, regional networking events, thematic conferences, workshops, company visits, and a programme of professional development. An add-on offering is the Brevet fédéral de spécialiste en gestion de PME, a federally recognised certification delivered through a VAE (Validation des Acquis de l'Expérience) coaching pathway. Additional member benefits include exclusive insurance advisory services via ProConseils Solutions. The association also markets a tiered sympathisant membership (Gold/Silver/Bronze) for corporate sponsors and donors.

Monetisation relies on recurring membership dues, sponsor and partner contributions from a dense ecosystem of employer federations (Centre Patronal, FER Genève, FER-ArcJu, FVE, UPCF, UVAM), economic development agencies (Promove), and service partners (ProConseils Solutions, FlexPME), plus event-driven revenue. Governance is provided by an 11-person committee led by President Laurence Jobin-Chollet, with a new president elected at the 2024 Annual General Meeting in Martigny coinciding with the association's 10th anniversary. Distribution is community-led via six cantonal sections, the femmespme.ch website, LinkedIn, RTS media coverage, and partner referral channels.

Name

Femmes PME Suisse romande

Legal name

Association Femmes PME Suisse romande

Website

https://femmespme.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Femmes PME Suisse romande is a Swiss non-profit association serving approximately 400 women entrepreneurs and SME managers across six French-speaking cantons (Fribourg, Genève, Jura, Neuchâtel, Valais, Vaud) through annual memberships, networking events, conferences, and a federal PME management certification pathway.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

La Chaux-de-Fonds

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales

Revenue model

1. Membership Dues: The association's primary revenue stream is annual membership fees. Members pay a one-time registration fee of CHF 50 upon joining and an annual membership fee of CHF 190. All information and invoices are sent electronically. There is also a tiered sympathisant membership with Gold, Silver, and Bronze sponsor categories.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Association Femmes PME Suisse romande is a non-profit membership association providing networking events, thematic conferences, business workshops, and company visits for women entrepreneurs and SME managers across French-speaking Switzerland. It administers the federal Brevet fédéral de spécialiste en gestion de PME certification programme through VAE coaching, and provides an exclusive insurance advisory service to members through partner ProConseils Solutions. The association operates through six regional cantonal sections and serves a network of approximately 400 women.

Product overview

Femmes PME Suisse romande is a professional association for women entrepreneurs and PME managers in French-speaking Switzerland, offering a unified membership program that combines networking events, professional development activities, and exclusive services. The core offering is the membership program providing access to regional events, conferences, and a network of approximately 400 women across Romandy. The association also administers the federal Brevet certification program (Brevet fédéral de spécialiste en gestion de PME) through VAE coaching, and provides exclusive insurance consultation services through partner ProConseils Solutions. The organization operates through regional cantonal sections (Geneva, Vaud, Neuchâtel, Jura, Valais, Fribourg) and organizes events including workshops, company visits, and annual conferences.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Femmes PME Membership
• Brevet fédéral de spécialiste en gestion de PME

Quantifiable outcome

• A network of approximately 400 women entrepreneurs and SME managers across French-speaking Switzerland

Named customers1 record

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Ten partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Centre PatronalcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Centre Patronal is a private enterprise serving employers and trade associations across French and German-speaking Switzerland. It actively supports Femmes PME Suisse romande and co-organises events such as the annual conference. The partnership is driven by the Centre Patronal's recognition of the crucial role of women in the economy.
• ProConseils SolutionscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerProConseils Solutions is an insurance broker serving businesses, municipalities, and public entities since 2003. It provides a free advisory service (Permanence assurances) exclusively to Femmes PME members, addressing questions about business insurance. This is an exclusive member benefit.
• Fédération des Entreprises Romandes de l'Arc Jurassien (FER-ArcJu)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAn associative partner representing and supporting SMEs in the Arc Jurassien region. The partnership supports cross-promotion and mutual visibility between organisations.
• Fédération vaudoise des entrepreneurs (FVE)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAn associative partner representing entrepreneurs in the canton of Vaud. The partnership facilitates networking and cross-referral for members in the Vaud region.
• FER Genève (Fédération des Entreprises Romandes - Genève)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFER Genève is the federation of businesses in Geneva. It co-organises events with Femmes PME, including conferences on topics such as AI in business management. The association holds its annual general meeting at FER Genève.
• Union Patronale du Canton de Fribourg (UPCF)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAn associative partner representing employers in Fribourg. Supports local networking and cross-promotion with the Fribourg cantonal section.
• Union valaisanne des arts et métiers (UVAM)minorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorAn associative partner representing SMEs in the canton of Valais. Supports the Valais section of Femmes PME.
• USAM (Union Suisse des Arts et Métiers)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFemmes PME Suisse romande is linked to Femmes PME Suisse, the national network of women in SMEs under USAM. USAM provides institutional backing and national representation. Femmes PME Suisse romande operates autonomously while maintaining a link with the parent organisation.
• PromoveminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPromove is the official economic development agency for the Riviera-Lavaux region. The two organisations became synergy partners in September 2019 to co-organise the 'Prix Les Mérites de l'Économie Riviera-Lavaux', which includes a 'Prix Spécial Femmes PME' awarded to a woman-led business contributing to the region's economic development.
• FlexPMEminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFlexPME provides administrative outsourcing services to SMEs. It partners with Femmes PME to raise awareness among women entrepreneurs about freeing up time from non-value-added administrative tasks.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• BPW Switzerland (Business and Professional Women): Swiss chapter of the international BPW network for professional and business women. Comparable mandate of advocating for women in business, providing networking, training, and advocacy across cantons.
• Femmes PME Suisse: The parent organisation under USAM, operating in German-speaking Switzerland and Ticino since 1994. Direct sister network with the same SME-women mandate, differing only by language region.
• Femmes Chefs d'Entreprises Mondiales (FCEM): International network of women business owners. Directly comparable as a peer-to-peer membership body for women entrepreneurs, with Swiss participation providing cross-border networking.
• Alliance F: Swiss alliance of women's organisations bringing together women's associations across policy, business, and advocacy. Acts as a federation of which Femmes PME Suisse romande could plausibly be a member or peer.

Broad incumbents

• FER Genève: Federation of businesses in Geneva and a current strategic partner. A broader employer federation that overlaps with Femmes PME's SME networking and event agenda while serving a much wider constituency.
• Union suisse des arts et métiers (USAM / SGV): National federation of SMEs and crafts. Provides institutional backing to Femmes PME Suisse romande through GRAM. Operates at significantly larger scale and breadth across all of Switzerland.
• Centre Patronal: Cross-cantonal employer and trade association serving French and German-speaking Switzerland. Co-organises the annual conference with Femmes PME Suisse romande and serves a broader SME base.

Regional players

• Advance – Gender Equality in Business: Swiss-based organisation promoting gender equality in business leadership. Comparable target audience of women professionals and SME leaders, with a corporate-membership model rather than individual dues.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/association-femmes-pme-suisse-romande

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles12 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Femmes PME Suisse romande