Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique

What Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique does

Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique is a French non-profit foundation created in 2015 and operated as a sheltered foundation (fondation sous égide) under Fondation de France. It is funded by Afnic, the registry operator for the .fr top-level domain, and operates from a single headquarters at 40 avenue Hoche, Paris, with a staff of five. The foundation's mission is to support digital solidarity and inclusion in France by funding non-profit projects that use digital technology to serve the general interest.

The foundation runs two annual Calls for Projects (Appels à Projets): a main stream called 'Le numérique au service d'une société plus équitable' for digital platforms, software, applications, and equipment, and a second stream called 'Ateliers Numériques' for collective digital workshops targeting vulnerable populations. Grants range from €3,000 to €80,000, with an average envelope of €25,000 in 2025 and a €10,000 cap for the Atelier Numérique stream. Over its roughly 10-year history the foundation has received 4,061 applications, supported 710 projects, and distributed €13,479,788 in total funding, with 97 projects funded in 2025 alone. Beyond grant-making, the foundation maintains the Ressourcerie, a structured resource center with four sub-resources (Projets, Outils, Formations, Documentation) cataloguing 432+ projects, curated open-source tools, training providers, and project-management documentation, plus an Espace Lauréats portal for grantee reporting.

The foundation's business model is grant-making, not commercial. It does not charge beneficiaries and operates on endowment-derived funding, with award decisions made through a two-step evaluation process involving application review and instruction interviews. Its go-to-market is event-driven: annual calls for projects, promotional webinars, territorial meetings across French regions, and presence on Facebook, LinkedIn, Instagram, and YouTube. Customers are exclusively French non-profit associations (Associations loi 1901) and other general-interest structures (foundations, endowment funds) operating in themes including digital inclusion, education, environment, health, citizenship, digital mediation, and territorial development. Its competitive position rests on the Fondation de France umbrella, the focused digital-solidarity mandate, and the institutional backing of Afnic.

Name

Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique

Legal name

Fondation Afnic pour la Solidarité Numérique, fondation sous égide de la Fondation de France

Website

https://fondation-afnic.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2015

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique is a French non-profit foundation operating under Fondation de France that funds digital-solidarity and inclusion projects led by non-profit associations across France, distributing an average of €25,000 per project through annual Calls for Projects.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Non-Profit Foundation / Digital Inclusion Grant-Making

NAICS

Grantmaking Foundations (813211), Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industries

Community Foundations (BPAGAKAB), Scholarship & Fellowship Foundations and Trusts (EDADAHAC)

Keywords

• Digital inclusion grants
• Non-profit funding programs
• Digital solidarity
• Grant-making foundation
• Digital workshops funding

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, Technology or R&D, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant Disbursements: The foundation distributes financial grants to selected non-profit projects in the digital solidarity sector. Funding is provided as subsidies to winning projects over a maximum duration of two years, with payments structured in tranches (e.g., 80% at launch, 20% at final report for projects ≤1 year).

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique is a French non-profit foundation that distributes financial grants (€3,000–€80,000, averaging €25,000) to non-profit associations and general interest structures running digital solidarity projects in France. It operates two annual Calls for Projects ("Le numérique au service d'une société plus équitable" for digital platforms/software/applications, and "Ateliers Numériques" for digital workshops with vulnerable populations) and provides the Ressourcerie resource center (tools, training, documentation, and a database of 432+ funded projects).

Product overview

The Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique operates as a grant-making foundation that funds digital solidarity and inclusion projects in France. The organization runs two primary funding programs ('Appels à Projets') supporting projects that use digital technology for social equity—including digital workshops, platforms, applications, and equipment. Its core offerings consist of financial support ranging from €3,000 to €80,000 (averaging €25,000 per project), the 'Ressourcerie' resource center (comprising tools, training, documentation, and project showcases), video content, and a dedicated winner portal. In 2025, the foundation supported 97 projects across themes including digital mediation, education, environment, citizenship, and health.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Appels à Projets (Calls for Projects) — Le numérique au service d'une société plus équitable Annual grant program funding digital platforms, software, applications, and digital equipment projects that serve the general interest. Open to French non-profit associations and structures of general interest. Average grant €25,000, max €80,000, duration up to 2 years.
• Appels à Projets (Calls for Projects) — Ateliers Numériques Annual grant program funding collective digital workshops targeting vulnerable populations on internet safety, environmental impact of digital technology, and essential digital skills. Max subsidy €10,000 per project, duration limited to 1 year.
• Ressourcerie (Resource Center) A free-access resource center for digital inclusion project leaders, comprising four sub-sections: Projets (database of 432+ funded projects filterable by theme and region), Outils (curated open-source tools), Formations (training resources and service providers), and Documentation (guides and best practices).
• Espace Lauréats (Winner Portal) Dedicated online space for grant winners to access project management tools, submit progress reports, and communicate with the foundation throughout the grant lifecycle.
• Vidéos (Video content) Video content library on the foundation's YouTube channel showcasing funded projects, educational materials, and foundation activities on digital inclusion topics.

Quantifiable outcome

• 710 projects supported since inception
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers8 records

Segments2 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

One partnership is on record.

• Fondation de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique is a foundation under the umbrella (fondation sous égide) of the Fondation de France. The Fondation de France hosts and provides institutional support to the AFNIC foundation, which operates as a sheltered foundation within its structure.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Broad incumbents

• Fondation Abbé Pierre: Major French sheltered foundation focused on housing precariousness. Comparable shelter-under-Fondation-de-France governance pattern and a possible partner/co-funder for the foundation's environmental-habitat and territorial-development grantees.
• Fondation de France: The parent umbrella organisation, and France's largest philanthropic foundation. Houses hundreds of sheltered sub-foundations, runs its own digital-inclusion and solidarity programmes, and serves as both structural sponsor and broader-scale peer.
• Mozilla Foundation: Global philanthropic arm of Mozilla focused on a healthy internet, digital rights and inclusion. Comparable mission around responsible, inclusive digital technology, but at global rather than national-French scale.
• Fondation Macif: Corporate-backed French foundation funding inclusion and solidarity initiatives, including digital-related projects. Comparable philanthropic model but broader thematic mandate than Fondation Afnic's digital-only focus.
• Web Foundation: Tim Berners-Lee-founded global foundation advancing web access, digital equality and rights. Shares the digital-solidarity thesis but operates at global advocacy scale rather than through French regional grantmaking.

Direct peers

• Emmaüs Connect: French non-profit dedicated to digital inclusion of vulnerable populations through equipment refurbishment, training and grant-adjacent support programmes. Most direct operational peer — same geography, same beneficiary segments, overlapping mission on digital solidarity.
• Framasoft: French non-profit promoting free software, open-source tools and digital autonomy — the same open-source/free-licence priorities highlighted by Fondation Afnic as a differentiator. Overlapping grantee ecosystem and shared values around digital commons.
• Association des Petits Débrouillards: National French association running digital and scientific literacy workshops for youth and vulnerable groups. Comparable grant-funded delivery model and overlapping programme themes (éducation/formation and médiation numérique).
• La Fonderie: Paris/Île-de-France-based association promoting digital inclusion and digital literacy among citizens. Shares the digital-mediation theme that dominates Fondation Afnic's grant portfolio (103 of 710 projects funded).

Regional players

• La Croix-Rouge française: Major French humanitarian organisation with programmes in digital inclusion and digital workshops for vulnerable populations. Same national scope and overlapping beneficiary segments, though operating as a direct service provider rather than a grantmaker.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCmf9-OtXG825rCir0xla33w
• Facebookfacebook.com/FondationAfnic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-afnic-pour-la-solidarit%C3%A9-num%C3%A9rique
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondationafnic

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

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 Fondation Afnic pour la solidarité numérique