Association de développement Région Gros-de-Vaud (ARGdV)

What Association de développement Région Gros-de-Vaud (ARGdV) does

Association de développement Région Gros-de-Vaud (ARGdV) is a Swiss non-profit regional development association founded in 1988, headquartered in Echallens, Canton de Vaud. It operates as a statutory platform for exchange between the private economic/business world and public entities (36 communes and cantonal services) within the Gros-de-Vaud district, a region of approximately 50,000 inhabitants, 3,500 enterprises, and 15,500 jobs. ARGdV coordinates economic development, territorial planning, agriculture, energy and environment, tourism, sport, and culture through multiple thematic commissions and partner-managed entities, including Echallens Région Tourisme for tourism promotion and the Comptoir Régional d'Echallens for regional events.

The association delivers a portfolio of services rather than technology products: business support via the LADE framework and the Fonds pour de nouvelles activités (FNA), an available-land marketplace, apprentice tutoring through the 'App-App' program in partnership with ASIRE, agricultural promotion via the Pain du Gros-de-Vaud brand and the PDRA regional agricultural project, communal energy and climate plans, electric mobility support, and the annual Mérites du Gros-de-Vaud awards program. ARGdV is the canton-designated organization for managing the regional activity zone strategy (SRGZA), which received State Council approval in 2026 and targets approximately 6,000 jobs by 2040. There is no proprietary technology development; the association's 'platform' is administrative and convening rather than technological.

ARGdV's revenue model is a tiered annual membership subscription structure: individual members pay 27 CHF/year, associations pay 100 CHF/year, and companies pay 25 CHF per employee per year (minimum 50 CHF, maximum 700 CHF). The 36 communes form the anchor membership base, complemented by ~3,500 regional enterprises and a smaller pool of individual members and associations. Beyond member dues, ARGdV receives cantonal co-funding for projects (PDRA, PDRZA) and sponsorship revenue for events. The organization is governed by a committee led by President Ludovic Péguiron and Vice-President Loïc Giddey, with bi-annual general assemblies. No external investors, parent entities, or M&A activity are identified.

Name

Association de développement Région Gros-de-Vaud (ARGdV)

Legal name

Association de Développement Région Gros-de-Vaud

Website

https://grosdvaud.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1988

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

ARGdV is a Swiss non-profit regional development association founded in 1988, coordinating economic, territorial, agricultural, energy, environmental, and tourism initiatives across 36 communes and 3,500 enterprises in the Gros-de-Vaud district of Canton de Vaud, funded by tiered membership dues and cantonal co-funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Regional Economic Development

NAICS

Public Administration (92)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

ESG Governance, Sustainability Reporting & Assurance Advisory (BPAHAFAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Sustainability & ESG Consulting (BPAHACAK), Afforestation, Reforestation & Revegetation (ARR) (EUABABAA)

Keywords

• Regional development services
• Intercommunal coordination
• Territorial planning
• Economic development support
• Agricultural promotion

Headquarters

HQ city

Echallens

HQ country

Switzerland

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 Fees: ARGdV generates revenue through annual membership fees from three categories: individual members (27 CHF/year), associations (100 CHF/year), and companies (25 CHF per collaborator per year, minimum 50 CHF, maximum 700 CHF). This membership model funds the association's activities across economic development, territorial planning, agriculture, energy, environment, tourism, sport, and culture.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

ARGdV is a non-profit regional development association operating as a coordination platform between private enterprises and public communes/state services in the Gros-de-Vaud district of Canton Vaud, Switzerland. It delivers services across five activity domains — economic and business support, territorial planning and mobility, tourism/sport/culture, agriculture, and energy/environment — for 36 communes, approximately 3,500 enterprises, and roughly 50,000 inhabitants. Its core funding comes from annual membership fees and cantonal support under the Loi sur l'Appui au Développement Economique (LADE).

Product overview

ARGdV is a regional development association created in 1988 serving as a platform for exchange between the economic/business world and public communes and state services. The organization operates across five main domains: (1) Economy and businesses - offering business support, available land listings, and apprentice assistance programs; (2) Territory and mobility - managing communal collaborations, cyclotourism, and territorial planning including the Regional Activity Zone Management System; (3) Tourism, sport and culture - through Echallens Région Tourisme and sports association coordination; (4) Agriculture - including the Pain du Gros-de-Vaud brand, agritourism, the PDRA regional agricultural development project, and regional product promotion; and (5) Energy and environment - with communal energy/climate plans, electric mobility support, and action project documentation. The association also manages support/sponsorship funds and the annual Mérites du Gros-de-Vaud awards program.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Business Support (Soutien aux entreprises)
• Available Land (Terrains disponibles)
• Apprentice Support (Appui aux apprentis - App-App)
• Support Fund and Sponsoring (Soutien et sponsoring)
• Echallens Région Tourisme
• Pain du Gros-de-Vaud
• Agritourism (Agritourisme)
• Regional Agricultural Development Project (PDRA)

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

AI capability1 record

Partnerships

Five partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Echallens Région TourismecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEchallens Région Tourisme is the tourism promotion entity of the Gros-de-Vaud region and a key partner of ARGdV. It manages tourism promotion, visitor information, event support, and administers the fond de soutien (support fund) and sponsoring policy for sports, culture, and tourism events. The organization acts as the 'ambassador touristico' of Gros-de-Vaud, promoting natural, cultural, heritage, and gastronomic wealth.
• ASIRE (Trois Sapins à Echallens et Bercher-Plateau du Jorat)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerASIRE manages vocational schools (Trois Sapins) in Echallens and Bercher-Plateau du Jorat. ARGdV partners with ASIRE to organize the annual 'speed recruiting de l'apprentissage' event connecting students seeking apprenticeships with local companies offering training positions.
• Comptoir d'EchallenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Comptoir d'Echallens is an annual regional fair where ARGdV and Echallens Région Tourisme maintain a presence. Since 2016, the 'Espace Terroir' within the Comptoir promotes regional producers and artisans to the local population. The Comptoir also hosts the Forum de l'économie and the Mérites du Gros-de-Vaud ceremony.
• Canton de VaudcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerARGdV operates under the framework of the Loi sur l'Appui au Développement Economique (LADE) administered by the Canton de Vaud. The Canton provides financial guarantees for projects including the PDRA Gros-de-Vaud (received in March 2026) and approves regional planning documents including the SRGZA (approved July 2026).
• Salon Suisse des Goûts et TerroirscoreGTM or Marketing PartnerARGdV has maintained a presence at the Salon Suisse des Goûts et Terroirs since its 2nd edition in 2001. The association operates a stand showcasing the Gros-de-Vaud region with various regional producers. The salon is held annually in Fribourg.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• Swissmem: Broad incumbent: Swiss mechanical and electrical engineering industries association, comparable in industry-association structure (membership-based, member services, advocacy, training) but focused on industrial sectors rather than regional coordination.
• Switzerland Global Enterprise (S-GE): Broad incumbent: Switzerland's national export and location-promotion agency, comparable in mission (regional/national business support, economic development, FDI attraction) but operating at national scale and across all industries.
• Swiss Tourism Federation (Schweizer Tourismus-Verband): Broad incumbent: umbrella organization for Swiss tourism, comparable to ARGdV's Echallens Région Tourisme arm in promoting destinations, providing member services to tourism businesses, and shaping national tourism policy.
• HotellerieSuisse: Broad incumbent: national hotel industry association, comparable in member-services and destination-marketing structure to ARGdV's tourism-promotion arm but at national scale and focused specifically on accommodation.

Direct peers

• Echallens Région Tourisme: Direct peer: ARGdV's tourism promotion arm itself, but functions as a comparable regional destination marketing organization (DMO) for the Gros-de-Vaud area, with similar remit to other Swiss regional tourism entities.
• Prométerre: Direct peer: Vaud's agricultural professional association providing advisory services, training, and economic support to farmers, directly comparable to ARGdV's agriculture domain including the PDRA and Pain du Gros-de-Vaud initiatives.
• Fédération Patronale Vaudoise: Direct peer: Vaud's employer federation representing business interests, providing member services, advocacy, and training analogous to ARGdV's enterprise and apprenticeship coordination role.
• Chambre vaudoise du commerce et de l'industrie (CVCI): Direct peer: the cantonal-level chamber of commerce for Vaud, providing business support, networking, and economic development services similar to ARGdV's economic and enterprise mandate, but operating at the canton rather than district level.

Emerging players

• ASIRE: Emerging player: operator of Trois Sapins vocational schools in Echallens and Bercher-Plateau du Jorat, partner on apprenticeship speed-recruiting and Mérites du Gros-de-Vaud, addressing the same labor-market-development space.

Regional players

• Jura bernois.Bienne (Regional development agency): Regional peer: a Swiss cross-cantonal regional development agency in the Jura bernois region, providing directly comparable services (economic development, regional coordination, tourism, EU Interreg programs) to ARGdV's mandate but in a different Swiss region.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights5 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/argdv

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 Association de développement Région Gros-de-Vaud (ARGdV)