FORS Recherche Sociale

What FORS Recherche Sociale does

FORS Recherche Sociale is a French non-profit social sciences research bureau (bureau d'étude) headquartered at 69 rue La Fayette in the 9th arrondissement of Paris, founded in 1965. With a team of approximately 17 staff including sociologists, urban planners, and a director (Didier Vanoni), the firm specialises in the design, evaluation, and accompaniment of public policies across eight declared intervention fields: socio-urban studies, housing and accommodation policy, solidarity and the fight against social exclusion, urban policy and local development, childhood/youth and educational policies, employment and professional insertion, school prospective and sectorisation, and ecological and solidarity transition. Its underlying technology is qualitative social-research methodology and public-policy evaluation frameworks; no proprietary AI or software platform is disclosed.

The firm serves a roster of French institutional clients — primarily national and territorial government agencies, large housing and anti-poverty foundations, NGOs, and local authorities — including ANCT, ANRU, Banque des Territoires, MILDECA, DDETS du Vaucluse, DARES, Ministère du foncier de la Polynésie française, Fondation Abbé Pierre, Fondation pour le Logement des Défavorisés, AORIF, Croix-Rouge française, and Les petits frères des Pauvres. The core business model is project-based commissioned research and evaluation on a professional-services basis, complemented by a smaller recurring-revenue stream from the quarterly journal "Revue Recherche Sociale" (annual subscription priced at €50 in France and €55 internationally, with single issues at €15). Distribution is direct to public-sector buyers via formal procurement and long-standing institutional relationships, supplemented by a co-development partnership with Technopolis for EU-level evaluations (e.g., URBACT IV) and public thought-leadership through media appearances and conferences. Geographic footprint is France-wide including overseas territories (Mayotte, Polynésie française, Guadeloupe, Guyane, Martinique, La Réunion).

Name

FORS Recherche Sociale

Legal name

FORS Recherche-sociale

Website

https://fors-rs.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

1965

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

FORS Recherche Sociale is a Paris-based non-profit social sciences research bureau, founded in 1965 with 17 staff, that designs and evaluates French public policies in housing, urban development, employment, youth, and social exclusion for government agencies, foundations, and NGOs.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Sciences Research & Public Policy Consulting

NAICS

Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (541720), Civic and Social Organizations (8134)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Charities & Grantmaking Intermediaries (BPAGAKAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Reentry & Justice-Involved Support Services (BPAGAEAN), Social Justice & Human Rights Grantmaking Foundations (BPAGAKAN)

Keywords

• Social sciences research
• Public policy evaluation
• Housing policy research
• Urban development studies
• Social inclusion research

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris, Ile-de-France

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. Research and Evaluation Studies: FORS conducts commissioned research studies, evaluations, and consulting projects for government clients, foundations, and public institutions on public policy topics including housing, urban development, social exclusion, employment, and education.
2. Revue Recherche Sociale Subscription: Quarterly academic journal on social research topics. Subscription pricing: 50 euros/year in France, 55 euros/year internationally. Individual issues available for 15 euros.

Pricing tiers

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

FORS Recherche Sociale is a French research bureau founded in 1965 that conducts applied social sciences research, public policy evaluation, and consulting. Its work centers on social themes including housing, urban development, social inclusion, aging populations, and disability, delivered as commissioned studies and a quarterly thematic journal (Revue Recherche Sociale) for public-sector and institutional clients.

Product overview

FORS-Recherche Sociale is a research and consulting firm (bureau d'étude) founded in 1965, specializing in the evaluation and support of public policies. The company offers core consulting services in social sciences research across eight intervention fields: socio-urban studies, housing policy, solidarity and anti-poverty measures, urban policy and local development, childhood/youth and educational policies, employment and integration, school prospective and sectorization, and ecological transition. The company also publishes the quarterly journal 'Recherche Sociale' as a separate product line, available through annual subscriptions.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Applied Social Sciences Research & Policy Evaluation Studies Commissioned applied social research, public-policy evaluation, and consulting studies covering housing, urban development, social inclusion, aging populations, and disability. Delivered to government agencies, public institutions, foundations, and NGOs.
• Revue Recherche Sociale (Quarterly Journal) Quarterly thematic publication disseminating applied research and analysis on social-policy topics (housing, urban development, social inclusion, aging, disability) to professional and institutional readers in the French social sector.
• Annual Subscription to Revue Recherche Sociale Annual paid subscription granting subscribers ongoing access to the quarterly issues of the Revue Recherche Sociale journal.

Named customers12 records

Segments6 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.

• TechnopolisminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFORS-Recherche sociale partnered with Technopolis for the evaluation of URBACT IV European program implementation.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Broad incumbents

• France Stratégie: French government strategic-evaluation body that commissions and conducts public-policy analysis — a major buyer and potential substitute for the kind of evaluation work FORS delivers.
• IPSOS Public Affairs: Global research firm with a major Public Affairs division serving French and EU institutions on social-policy evaluation — competes for similar mandates at greater scale and with broader geographies.

Direct peers

• BVA: French social and opinion research firm serving public-sector and private clients across policy-relevant topics — competes for similar commissions and uses comparable survey/evaluation methodologies.
• Technopolis Group: International research and evaluation consultancy that partnered with FORS on URBACT IV — competes in the same EU-funded policy-evaluation space and has comparable methodological positioning.
• Viavoice: Paris-based opinion and social research firm with public-sector clients, working on social, employment, and territorial policy topics that overlap with FORS's domains.
• OpinionWay: Paris-based social and polling research firm working on public-policy themes including social exclusion, housing, and employment — overlaps with FORS's evaluation mandate.
• CREDOC: French public-interest research center conducting social-policy and consumer studies for government and public bodies — directly comparable to FORS in mission, methodology, and client base.
• Elabe: French polling and social research firm with significant public-sector and policy-evaluation work — directly comparable in offering and customer profile.
• LH2: French social and opinion research firm serving public-sector clients on policy-relevant surveys and evaluations — competes with FORS for similar French institutional commissions.

Emerging players

• Fondation Jean-Jaurès: French think tank producing research and policy analysis on social, economic, and educational topics — comparable in adjacent policy-evaluation space though from a foundation/advocacy stance.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fors-recherche-sociale

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 FORS Recherche Sociale