Institut Français des Productions Cidricoles

What Institut Français des Productions Cidricoles does

Institut Français des Productions Cidricoles (IFPC) is the French sector-level applied research and experimentation institute dedicated to the cider industry, headquartered in Sées, Normandy, with a second R&D site in Le Rheu, Brittany. The institute serves cider apple producers (over 2,000 professional producers plus roughly 10,000 small producers) and cider product makers (500 producers including 2 cooperatives, around 40 artisans and more than 400 professional farm producers), working across the full value chain from orchard cultivation to finished cider, Calvados, and apple juice products. Core activities include applied research on plant material selection, pest management, agroecological transition, climate adaptation, fermentation optimization, sensory quality, and input reduction, delivered through long-running experimental orchard platforms (8+ hectares of IFPC orchards plus a 25-hectree varietal trial network), a pilot-scale technology hall with multi-scale fermentation devices (1 to 100L), and INRAE-partnered physico-chemical and microbiological laboratories.

Its offering packages research outputs as practical tools for the industry: a 42-strain yeast catalog with an online selection tool, an aroma reference kit (25-flask Coffret des arômes), a color reference kit (14-flask Coffret des couleurs des cidres at 120€ TTC), technical notebooks (Cahiers techniques since 2008), annual Entretiens Cidricoles at SIVAL, and recurring technical days. IFPC runs multi-year research programs (JUBILO 2022–2026 on low-input apple and pear juice, CLIMCIDRE on climate-resilient plant material, BIOREGAL on organic orchard performance, C2S on sulfite-free ciders) and is governed by a Board of Directors with parity representation from producers and users.

The business model is institutional rather than commercial: IFPC is structured as a non-profit research institute funded through public grants (Ministry of Agriculture, regional councils of Bretagne, Normandie, Pays de la Loire), industry contributions routed via interprofessional bodies (UNICID, IDAC), in-kind research partnerships (notably INRAE), and modest direct sales of physical tools (e.g., color kit) to industry professionals. The institute operates exclusively within France, with no disclosed equity funding, no M&A activity, and no commercial product platform — its value capture is through sector-wide knowledge transfer rather than productized revenue.

Name

Institut Français des Productions Cidricoles

Legal name

IFPC

Website

https://ifpc.eu

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

IFPC is the French sector-level applied research and experimentation institute for the cider industry, serving cider apple producers and cider product makers across Normandy, Brittany, and Pays de la Loire with experimental orchards, fermentation R&D, and practical quality-control tools.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Agricultural Research Services

NAICS

Apple Orchards (111331), Food Manufacturing (311), Wineries (31213)

SIC

Beverages (2080), Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYAFAFAAAD

Cider & Perry Production

Agriculture & Food Production/Beverage Production/Alcoholic Beverage Production (Beer, Wine, Spirits, Cider)

SECONDARYAFAGACAJ

Cider & Orchard Fruit Production (Apples/pears for cider & processing)

Agriculture & Food Production/Crop Farming/Fruit & Tree Nut Orchards (Citrus, Apples, Berries, Almonds, Walnuts)

SECONDARYCRADAIAE

Cider & Perry Producers & Brands

Consumer Products & Retail/Consumer Packaged Goods (CPG) Manufacturing & Brands/Alcoholic Beverages (Beer, Wine, Spirits) Manufacturing & Brands

Keywords

• Cider production research
• Orchard experimentation
• Fermentation technology
• Sensory evaluation kits
• Applied agricultural research

Headquarters

HQ city

Sées

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Research and experimentation services: As the referent organization for the French cider industry in applied research and experimentation, IFPC helps professionals meet challenges of productive and sustainable production through research, dissemination of technical advances, and development of tools and resources.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels4 records

Core offering

IFPC is the reference French institute for applied research and experimentation serving the cider industry. It conducts research on cider fruit production (plant material, orchard agro-systems, pest management, organic farming, climate adaptation) and cider product transformation (aromatic and visual qualities, fermentation, hygiene, spirits, apple juice), and translates results into practical tools and knowledge resources distributed to cider professionals. Standalone commercial offerings include the Coffret des arômes sensory kit, the Coffret des couleurs des cidres reference kit (€120 TTC), the catalog of 42 yeast strains, and the online yeast selection tool.

Product overview

IFPC (Institut Français des Productions Cidricoles) is France's reference research and experimentation organization for the cider industry. The institute provides practical tools and knowledge resources to cider producers, including physical products (aroma and color reference kits, yeast strain catalogs), online selection tools, technical publications (Cahiers techniques), and organizes technical conferences (Entretiens Cidricoles and technical days). IFPC also conducts applied research programs on orchard improvement, cider production optimization, climate adaptation, and sustainable practices. The offering is structured as research services and knowledge transfer rather than a commercial product platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Coffret des arômes (Aromas Kit) Wooden box containing 25 small flasks with 20 'quality' oriented aromas and 5 'defect' oriented aromas; used by cider professionals for sensory evaluation training, vocabulary harmonization, and product development support.
• Coffret des couleurs des cidres (Cider Color Kit) Wooden box with 14 bottles containing colored solutions (8 classic colors and 6 rosé colors), 2 empty bottles for comparing own products, and a laminated descriptive sheet; provides color reference standards for cider blending.
• Yeast Strain Catalog (42 strains) Knowledge catalog of 42 yeast strains selected from viticultural commercial strains and validated under cider fermentation conditions, with fiches available for ESTERS and THIOLS profiles.
• Online Yeast Selection Tool (Outil de sélection de fiches levures) Online tool that lets cider professionals filter and select yeast strains from the 42-strain catalog according to cider fermentation criteria, paired with each strain's fiche.
• Technical Cahiers (Cahiers techniques) Series of technical notebooks published since 2008 in the 'Pomme à Cidre' journal, synthesizing IFPC research results, regulatory updates, and technical knowledge for cider industry professionals.
• Applied research and experimentation services for the French cider industry Core research and experimentation services covering cider fruit production (plant material, orchard agro-systems, pest management, organic farming, climate adaptation) and cider product transformation (aromatic quality, color, fermentation, hygiene, spirits, apple juice), delivered from the Sées and Le Rheu sites with INRAE partnership support.

Quantifiable outcome

• 42 yeast strains catalog developed and made available to the cider industry
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers2 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

Feature3 records

Partnerships

38 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major, supporting and minor.

• JUBILO Project Partners (ESA, INRAE, Chambres d'Agriculture)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 September 2022JUBILO project: Development of a low-input and local apple and pear juice sector, with ESA Angers, INRAE, and Chambers of Agriculture of Brittany and Normandy.
• UNICID (Union Nationale Interprofessionnelle Cidricole)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench interprofessional organization representing the cider industry, co-editor of technical publications with IFPC.
• IDAC (Interprofession des Appellations Cidricoles)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInterprofession of Cider Appellations, co-editor of technical publications and partner in projects like MoNArC on Calvados aromatic notes.
• INRAE (Institut National de Recherche pour l'Agriculture, l'Alimentation et l'Environnement)coreTechnology or IntegrationPublic agricultural research institute, major partner providing research expertise and access to analysis platforms like P2M2 at Le Rheu site.
• Région BretagnemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing funding for research projects in cider sector.
• Région NormandiemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing funding for research projects in cider sector.
• Région Pays de la LoiremajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional council providing funding for research projects in cider sector.
• ACTA (Réseau des Instituts des Sciences du Végétal)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural technical institute network - IFPC is a member.
• ACTIA (Association des Centres Techniques des Industries Alimentaires)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgri-food technical institute network - IFPC is a member.
• CTIFL (Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes)supportingTechnology or IntegrationTechnical institute for fruits and vegetables providing expertise in apple and pear production and conservation.
• Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin (IFV)supportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch and development partner contributing expertise in fermentation, aromas, and oenology/cider technology.
• ESA Angers (Ecole Supérieure d'Agriculture)supportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner contributing expertise in plant protection, biology, genetics, and variety selection.
• Chambres d'AgriculturesupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerAgricultural chambers providing regional agricultural expertise and extension services to cider producers.
• Université de CaensupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural research partner contributing expertise in sensory evaluation, consumer science, and cider chemistry.
• Institut Agro Rennes-AngerssupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural higher education institution contributing research expertise.
• AgroParisTechsupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural higher education institution contributing research expertise in food science.
• ISVV (Institut des Sciences de la Vigne et du Vin)supportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch partner contributing expertise in viticulture and wine sciences.
• OnirissupportingTechnology or IntegrationVeterinary, food and nutrition school contributing research expertise.
• Université de Bretagne OccidentalesupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural higher education institution contributing research expertise.
• Institut Agro MontpelliersupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural higher education institution contributing research expertise.
• UTC (Université de Technologie de Compiègne)supportingTechnology or IntegrationHigher education institution contributing research expertise.
• Ecole normale supérieuresupportingTechnology or IntegrationHigher education institution contributing research expertise.
• L'Institut AgrosupportingTechnology or IntegrationAgricultural higher education institution contributing research expertise.
• AstredhorsupportingTechnology or IntegrationHorticultural research institute contributing expertise.
• ArvalissupportingTechnology or IntegrationArable crops research institute contributing expertise.
• FNAB (Fédération Nationale d'Agriculture Biologique)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerOrganic farming federation - partner for organic cider research.
• ITAB (Institut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique)supportingTechnology or IntegrationOrganic farming research group contributing expertise.
• GIS FruitssupportingTechnology or IntegrationResearch group contributing expertise in fruit genetics and horticulture.
• Grab (Groupe de Recherche en Agriculture Biologique)supportingTechnology or IntegrationOrganic fruit production research group contributing expertise.
• BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac)supportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational Cognac Bureau - partner for spirits/distillation research.
• IFBM (Institut Français de la Boisson et des Fermentations)supportingTechnology or IntegrationBeverage fermentation research institute contributing expertise.
• BIP (Bureau Interprofessionnel du Pruneau)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrune sector organization.
• AREFEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLorraine plum and mirabelle sector organization.
• EPLEFPA Agricultural High SchoolssupportingImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerAgricultural education partner - three EPLEFPA institutions (Alençon Sées, Brémontier Merval, Le Robillard).
• Vegepolys ValleysupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerPlant and horticultural sciences competitiveness cluster.
• ValorialsupportingStrategic or Co-development PartnerFood and agro-industry competitiveness cluster.
• UMT RésilicidrecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint Technology Unit focused on cider sector resilience research.
• Ministère de l'AgriculturemajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding by Ministry of Agriculture for the JUBILO project on apple and pear juice sector development.

Scale indicators10 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights10 records

Direct peers

• BNIC (Bureau National Interprofessionnel du Cognac): French interprofessional organization for Cognac, with research and technical activities around distillation, aging, and spirits production. Direct peer and partner on spirits research (including Calvados/aromatic notes work), with the same industry-funded applied research model.
• INRAE: France's national research institute for agriculture, food, and environment. IFPC's primary scientific partner, providing access to the P2M2 metabolomics platform and broader research capabilities. Peer in the broader French agricultural R&D ecosystem.
• IFV (Institut Français de la Vigne et du Vin): French technical institute for wine and vine research, organized along the same non-profit technical institute model as IFPC. Closest direct peer given the shared fermentation, aroma, and oenology/cidrology expertise, and the overlapping research infrastructure around plant material and transformation.
• CTIFL (Centre Technique Interprofessionnel des Fruits et Légumes): French interprofessional technical institute for fruits and vegetables, providing applied research and technical support to producers. Direct apples-to-pears adjacent peer in the same agricultural-technical-institute model, covering apple production for cider-adjacent fresh and processed fruit markets.
• ASTREDHOR: French horticultural technical institute covering ornamentals, vegetables, and fruit nursery production. Peer in the ACTA network with overlapping expertise in plant material, nursery production, and orchard/varietal evaluation.
• ITAB (Institut Technique de l'Agriculture Biologique): French technical institute dedicated to organic farming research and knowledge transfer. Direct peer working on organic orchard management, low-input production, and agroecology — areas where IFPC's BIOREGAL project and 30% organic orchard base overlap.
• Arvalis: French arable crops technical institute conducting applied research on crop production, varietal evaluation, and agroecological transition. Peer in the same ACTA network with overlapping expertise in plant material improvement, low-input farming, and climate adaptation.

Emerging players

• Campden BRI: UK-based food and beverage research organization providing applied research, analytical services, and technical training to the brewing and beverage industries. International peer with comparable testing/laboratory services for fermented beverage producers.

Broad incumbents

• ACTIA (Association des Centres Techniques des Industries Alimentaires): French network of agri-food technical institutes coordinating applied research across industries. IFPC is a member and partner; ACTIA provides broader coordination across food industry research and project funding through framework programs.
• ACTA (Réseau des Instituts des Sciences du Végétal): National network coordinating France's plant-science technical institutes. IFPC is a member, and ACTA provides collective advocacy, funding representation, and coordination across the broader French agricultural R&D ecosystem.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCyk4H5DRsthhL7HViQZRhOg
• Facebookfacebook.com/profile.php
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/institut-fran%C3%A7ais-des-productions-cidricoles
• Instagraminstagram.com/ifpc.recherche.cidricole

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 Institut Français des Productions Cidricoles