Fondation La main à la pâte

What Fondation La main à la pâte does

Fondation La main à la pâte is a French scientific cooperation foundation (fondation de coopération scientifique), headquartered in Paris, dedicated to improving inquiry-based science teaching in primary and middle schools. The program was created in 1995 by Nobel laureate Georges Charpak, Pierre Léna, and Yves Quéré, and was formalized as a foundation in 2011 under the auspices of the Académie des sciences. It provides free, classroom-tested pedagogical resources and teacher training built around hands-on experimentation and scientific inquiry, and runs a national delivery network comprising 23 Centres Pilotes, 13 Maisons pour la science, and 120+ Collèges, engaging more than 400 practicing scientists and 5,000+ classes annually.

Its core products include teacher guides, classroom kits, the ADAGE digital platform, and the "Programme cliquable," supplemented by in-person training sessions for educators. These products are developed in partnership with elite academic and scientific institutions, including the Académie des sciences, ENS Paris, ENS Lyon, and the French Ministry of Education. The foundation also incubated the Office for Climate Education (OCE), a UNESCO-affiliated climate-education entity that became operationally independent on January 1, 2025, and has extended programming into Sub-Saharan Africa. Its 30th anniversary in 2025 was marked by a large-scale event engaging 3,000 teachers and more than 116,000 students.

As a non-profit, the foundation does not sell to end users; its revenue mechanics rest on institutional funding (notably from the French Ministry of Education and the Académie des sciences), corporate sponsorships, and philanthropic donations. The foundation employs approximately 57 staff and operates with a multi-stakeholder model that combines public-sector funding, academic volunteerism, and private donations to deliver STEM pedagogical content at national scale.

Name

Fondation La main à la pâte

Legal name

Fondation La main à la pâte

Website

https://fondation-lamap.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2011

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

Fondation La main à la pâte is a French non-profit foundation that develops and disseminates free, inquiry-based science teaching resources for primary and middle school teachers and students, delivered through a national network of Centres Pilotes, Maisons pour la science, and Collèges.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Science Education Services

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Elementary and Secondary Schools (61111), Scientific Research and Development Services (5417)

SIC

Services-Educational Services (8200), Miscellaneous Publishing (2741)

akta.pro primary industry

Teacher-Led Digital Lesson Packages & Instructional Resources (EDAFACAL)

akta.pro secondary industries

Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA), Subject-Specific Standards & Curriculum Councils (EDADAEAB)

Keywords

• Science education
• Teacher training
• STEM learning
• Primary education
• Educational resources

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Foundation funding and philanthropy: As a foundation of scientific cooperation created in 2011, La main à la pâte operates primarily through institutional funding, corporate sponsorships, and donations. The organization mentions 'mécénat' (corporate patronage) and individual donations through HelloAsso.
2. Educational resources and services: Resources are provided free of charge to teachers for educational and non-commercial use under Creative Commons licensing. The foundation generates no revenue from resource distribution.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Fondation La main à la pâte designs, develops, and disseminates inquiry-based science and technology teaching resources for primary and middle school teachers in France. It runs the L@map digital platform, a network of Centres Pilotes, Maisons pour la science teacher training centers, and specialized programs for middle schools, while also coordinating international projects including the Office for Climate Education. Most resources are provided free of charge to teachers, who are supported through training, partnerships with researchers, and dedicated pedagogical materials.

Product overview

The Fondation La main à la pâte operates a comprehensive educational ecosystem centered on improving science and technology teaching in French primary and secondary schools. The core offerings include: (1) the Plateforme L@map e-learning platform with self-training tutorials for teachers; (2) the physical/network programs including Maisons pour la science (regional university-based training houses), Centres Pilotes (territorial support centers), and Collèges La main à la pâte (middle school network); (3) Office for Climate Education (OCE) for international climate education initiatives; (4) diverse classroom resources including sequences d'activités, défis scientifiques, pedagogical documentation, and Billes de sciences multimedia content; (5) expert support through the 'Questions aux experts' forum; and (6) the annual Prix La main à la pâte awards. The foundation also provides tools like the Programme cliquable for curriculum navigation and ADAGE for project enrollment.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• L@map: Online self-training platform offering short tutorials for teachers to appropriate resources and prepare their classes
• Maisons pour la science
• Centres Pilotes La main à la pâte
• Collèges La main à la pâte
• Billes de sciences
• Partenaires scientifiques pour la classe

Products and services

• Plateforme L@map Collaborative digital e-learning platform that offers science and technology teaching resources, activity sequences, and exchange tools for primary and middle school teachers in France.
• Centres Pilotes La main à la pâte Regional pilot centers that deploy inquiry-based science education in primary schools, serving as experimentation and dissemination sites for the foundation's pedagogy.
• Maisons pour la science Regional service houses that provide continuous in-service training for primary and middle school teachers in science and technology, embedded in the national academic training ecosystem.
• Collèges La main à la pâte Program specifically designed to extend inquiry-based science and technology education to middle school students and teachers, adapting the primary school methodology to older learners.
• Office for Climate Education (OCE) International educational service that develops climate change education resources and programs for teachers and education systems worldwide, operating under the foundation's auspices.
• Partenaires scientifiques pour la classe Program that recruits and matches volunteer research scientists and academics with primary school teachers to co-lead inquiry-based science sessions in classrooms.
• Questions aux experts Forum service that allows teachers to submit scientific questions to qualified experts and researchers, providing authoritative answers to support classroom teaching.
• Prix La main à la pâte Annual award recognizing innovative science teaching projects by primary and middle school teachers, supporting dissemination of best practices in inquiry-based pedagogy.
• Sciences en main Foundation project launched in September 2025 designed to further strengthen science and technology teaching in primary and middle schools.
• Programme cliquable Educational program offering teaching sequences on coding and unplugged computer science for primary and middle school teachers, addressing the digital component of science education.
• ADAGE National academic documentary repository service that aggregates and provides pedagogical resources for academic inspectors and teachers via the foundation's resource portal.
• Faites des sciences avec La main à la pâte Event-based operation that mobilizes children and teachers around hands-on science activities, often in collaboration with museums and cultural institutions.

Quantifiable outcome

• 5,000+ classes supported annually by Centres Pilotes
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers3 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration2 records

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• Académie des sciencescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member (2011) and ongoing governance partner. Provides scientific validation of resources, participates in board governance, and co-organizes Prix La main à la pâte awards. Members contribute scientifically to resource production and training.
• École normale supérieure de Paris (ENS Paris)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of the foundation (2011). Long-standing supporter of La main à la pâte program.
• École normale supérieure de Lyon (ENS Lyon)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding member of the foundation (2011). Long-standing supporter of La main à la pâte program.
• UNESCOcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 2020, the Office for Climate Education (OCE) is a UNESCO Category 2 center. UNESCO promotes its partnership with OCE for international climate education.
• French Ministry of EducationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerConvention-cadre partnership with Ministry of Education and Ministry of Higher Education and Research. Collaborated on curriculum reform (PRESTE plan 2000, EIST 2006, college reform 2016).
• Réseau des INSPEmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership with the network of National Superior Institutes for Teaching and Education for the Sciences en main project (2025-2028) to strengthen science training for future teachers.
• Office for Climate Education (OCE)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCreated in 2018 as a hosted foundation under La main à la pâte. As of January 1, 2025, became an independent association. Founded by IRD, Météo-France, and Météo et Climat association.
• Institut de recherche pour le développement (IRD)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the Office for Climate Education (OCE), contributing to international climate education initiatives.
• Météo-FrancemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFounding partner of the Office for Climate Education (OCE), contributing climate science expertise.
• Académie des technologiescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerContributes scientific and technological expertise to resource development and governance (represented on board and scientific council).
• ESERO France (ESA/CNES)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for space education resources, including the book 'Expérimenter l'espace' by Daniel Rouan.
• CRAP-Cahiers pédagogiquesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborated on publication of 'Petit Cahier' dedicated to science teaching at primary and middle school level.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves9 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Les Petits Débrouillards: French non-profit association running hands-on science workshops and clubs for children and youth across France. Most direct peer in mission and methodology, operating a comparable network of regional branches and inquiry-based pedagogy.
• Office for Climate Education (OCE): Climate education initiative spun off from La main à la pâte in 2025 with UNESCO Category 2 status. Operates in the same inquiry-based pedagogy niche with focus on climate science, now independently serving developing-country education systems.

Broad incumbents

• Réseau Canopé: France's state-operated national network of educational resource centers (ateliers Canopé) under the Ministry of Education. Provides pedagogical resources, training, and digital services to teachers across all subjects, serving as the dominant incumbent in teacher-facing education infrastructure.
• CNED (Centre National d'Enseignement à Distance): France's national distance-learning institution under the Ministry of Education. Operates digital learning platforms, teacher training resources, and curriculum-aligned materials at national scale, with overlap in remote teacher professional development.
• Khan Academy (France): Global non-profit digital learning platform offering free instructional videos, exercises, and teacher tools. Comparable in freemium model and self-paced digital delivery, with localized French content and curriculum-aligned resources.

Regional players

• La Ligue de l'Enseignement: Major French education NGO with federated associations providing supplementary education, civic training, and youth programs nationwide. Operates in adjacent education space with comparable scale and reliance on volunteer networks.

Others

• Académie des sciences: Founding member and governance partner of the foundation, providing scientific validation of pedagogical resources and co-organizing the Prix La main à la pâte awards. Functions as both parent-institution and ecosystem anchor.
• Bloom (Éditions Bloom): French educational publisher producing inquiry-based science materials for primary classrooms. Operates in adjacent space of curriculum-aligned pedagogical content publishing with comparable inquiry-based pedagogy orientation.
• CRAP-Cahiers pédagogiques: French pedagogical publication and professional community publishing Cahiers pédagogiques and collaborating with La main à la pâte on the 'Petit Cahier' publication. Adjacent editorial platform serving the same teacher audience.

Emerging players

• Universcience: Public institution running the Palais de la Découverte and Cité des Sciences, with strong overlap in science culture dissemination to schools. Comparable in promoting scientific practice among youth, though anchored in museums rather than classroom curriculum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@FondationLamap
• Facebookfacebook.com/lamainalapate
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-la-main-a-la-pate
• Instagraminstagram.com/fondationlamainalapate

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles9 records

Subsidiaries5 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 Fondation La main à la pâte