What Fédération nationale des Communes forestières does

The Fédération nationale des Communes forestières, commercially rebranded in June 2025 as Communes forestières France, is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1933 that represents over 6,000 communes and local authorities on forest-related matters. Headquartered at 13 rue du Général Bertrand in Paris with a national staff of 19, the federation operates through a distributed network of 17 regional unions (unions régionales) and departmental associations (associations départementales) covering all French metropolitan regions plus an overseas union. Its mission is to provide political and technical support for the sustainable, multifunctional management of communal forests and the valorisation of the forest-wood sector.

The federation's core proprietary product is the ART (Analyse des Retombées Territoriales) online calculator, co-developed with PKF Arsilon, which estimates the share of public-sector construction investment re-injected into the local economy through local wood use (% ART score), along with employment generated, CO2 stored and avoided, and the forest surface area required for the wood supply. Complementary offerings include the Chartes forestières de territoire (Territorial Forest Charters) framework institutionalised under the 2001 Forest Orientation Law, the "100 constructions publiques en bois local" programme, public-procurement accompaniment, professional training (Nos formations), and international cooperation with Québec's SOPFEU on wildfire prevention.

Revenue is generated primarily through recurring membership dues from communes and collectivités, supplemented by fee-based training programmes for elected officials and technical staff, joint national campaigns with France Bois Forêt, and co-funding from the French National Agency for Territorial Cohesion (ANCT) and the Ministry of Energy Transition. Distribution is hybrid: digital self-serve via the ART portal at art.fncofor.fr, combined with field-based direct engagement through the regional and departmental network.

Name

Fédération nationale des Communes forestières

Legal name

Communes forestières France

Website

https://fncofor.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1933

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fédération nationale des Communes forestières (Communes forestières France) is a French non-profit federation, founded 1933, representing over 6,000 communes and local authorities through 17 regional unions and offering forest-management support, public-procurement guidance, and the ART territorial-impact calculator.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Municipal Forestry Services

NAICS

Support Activities for Forestry (1153), Support Activities for Forestry (11531), Support Activities for Forestry (115310)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Forestry (800)

akta.pro primary industry

Community Forestry & Indigenous Land Stewardship Services (IMAMAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industries

Forest Certification, Compliance & Chain-of-Custody Support (AFAMAAAH), Forest Health & Protection Services (Pest/Disease, Invasive Species) (IMAMAJAF), Sustainable Forest Certification & Chain-of-Custody Services (FSC/PEFC/SFI) (IMAMAJAJ)

Keywords

• Communal forestry management
• Local timber construction
• Territorial forest governance
• Municipal forest advocacy
• Public wood construction

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership dues: Communes and collectivités pay membership fees to join the national federation and/or their departmental/regional association. Membership provides access to technical support, training, advocacy, and the federation's tools and networks.
2. Training programmes (Nos formations): The federation offers training programmes for elected officials and technical staff of member and non-member collectivités on topics such as sustainable forest management, wood construction procurement, and forest fire prevention.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

The Fédération nationale des Communes forestières represents and supports more than 6,000 French communes and local authorities holding forest patrimony. It delivers policy advocacy, technical expertise, training, and territorial analyses to help members manage their forests sustainably and develop local wood construction. Its tangible offerings include the ART territorial impact calculator, Territorial Forestry Charters, the "100 Public Constructions in Local Wood" program, and professional training services.

Product overview

Communes forestières France operates as a single federation (association loi 1901) founded in 1933, offering its members — over 6,000 municipalities and public authorities — a suite of services centered on sustainable forest management and local wood valorization. Its primary product is the ART (Analyse des Retombées Territoriales) online calculator, developed in partnership with PKF Arsilon, which quantifies the economic, social, and environmental returns of public construction projects using local wood. Complementary offerings include Territorial Forestry Charters (CFT), the 100 Public Constructions in Local Wood program, public procurement guidance, professional training, international fire-prevention cooperation with Québec, and organized congress and networking events. The network also provides personalized project support through regional unions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• ART (Analyse des Retombées Territoriales) calculator Online impact calculator that quantifies the territorial economic and social returns of wood construction projects, designed for use by communes and local authorities evaluating local wood construction projects.
• Territorial Forestry Charters (Chartes Forestières de Territoire) Structured frameworks that enable communes and local authorities to coordinate and plan forest management at the territorial level, aligning stakeholders around shared objectives for communal forests.
• 100 Public Constructions in Local Wood Program (100 Constructions Publiques en Bois Local) Program promoting the use of locally sourced wood in public construction projects, aimed at communes and public authorities seeking to support local timber supply chains.
• Professional training and formation programs Training services for elected officials and staff of French communes on communal forest management, sustainable forestry practices, and local wood construction.
• Forest fire cooperation program with Québec International cooperation program with Québec on forest fire prevention and management, providing member communes with cross-border expertise and best practices.

Quantifiable outcome

• 80% of local investment returns to the territory when using locally sourced wood, compared to 30% for imported wood.
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers13 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Three partnerships are on record, tiered flagship and core.

• SOPFEU (Société de protection des forêts contre le feu)flagshipStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational cooperation partnership with Quebec's forest fire protection agency SOPFEU. Under a knowledge-sharing project on wildfire prevention and mitigation, the two organisations co-organise a series of four webinaires bringing together Quebec and French experts. This cooperation reflects the federation's commitment to forest fire risk management.
• PKF ArsiloncoreTechnology or IntegrationPKF Arsilon, a consulting and audit firm, co-developed the ART (Analyse des Retombées Territoriales) calculator with Communes forestières France. PKF Arsilon contributes analytical expertise in measuring the territorial impact of economic activities, while the federation provides domain expertise in the forest-wood sector.
• France Bois ForêtflagshipGTM or Marketing PartnerJoint national communication campaign with France Bois Forêt (FBF), the interprofessional organisation for the French forest-wood sector. The campaign is featured prominently on the federation's homepage and across its communication channels to raise awareness of the forest-wood sector's benefits for French communities.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Fédération Nationale des SAFER: Federation of land-use organizations managing rural and agricultural land in France. Operates a similar member-based federation model serving French local authorities on land management and territorial development.
• Fédération des Bois des Alpes: Interprofessional organization promoting certified local wood from the Alps. FNCOFOR member projects (e.g., Puy-Sanières, Orcières, Les Orres) explicitly use Bois des Alpes certification, making this a directly comparable value-chain partner.
• France Bois Forêt (FBF): Interprofessional organization for the French forest-wood sector and a flagship partner of FNCOFOR. Both organizations jointly promote local wood construction and serve overlapping constituencies across the French forest-wood value chain.
• Union Régionale des Communes forestières de Bourgogne Franche-Comté: Regional subsidiary of FNCOFOR representing communes in Bourgogne Franche-Comté. Listed as a regional market entity within FNCOFOR's network; serves as the operational arm in that territory.
• Forest Stewardship Council (FSC) France: National branch of FSC promoting sustainable forest certification and chain-of-custody in France. Overlaps with FNCOFOR on certified wood sourcing and Bois des Alpes/territorial certification work referenced in member projects.

Broad incumbents

• Office National des Forêts (ONF): France's national forest office managing public forests and providing technical support to communes. Overlaps with FNCOFOR in serving forest-owning municipalities but operates as a state agency rather than a member federation.
• European Forest Institute (EFI): European intergovernmental research organization on forest policy and information. Comparable in advancing sustainable forest management across European constituencies, though at supranational rather than municipal level.
• Centre National de la Propriété Forestière (CNPF): Public agency developing and managing private forests in France. Comparable in serving forest-owning stakeholders with technical and advisory services, though its focus is private rather than communal forest ownership.

Regional players

• Fédération des producteurs forestiers du Québec: Quebec federation representing private forest producers. Comparable as a regional forest-wood federation and existing cooperation partner via SOPFEU initiatives with FNCOFOR.
• Fédération Nationale des Collectivités Territoriales Forestières de Belgique: Belgian counterpart federation representing local authorities on forestry matters. Direct structural peer operating a comparable federation model in a different geography with similar member types (communes and collectivités).

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UChHPv2365JYnM8kqd3IGunQ
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fncofor-f-d-ration-nationale-des-communes-foresti-res

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

Subsidiaries14 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 Fédération nationale des Communes forestières