Centre Social la Courte Echelle

What Centre Social la Courte Echelle does

Centre Social la Courte Echelle (legal name: Association La Courte Echelle) is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 1992 that operates a community social center in Plouzané, Finistère, Brittany. The organization delivers multi-generational programming across four primary segments — families, youth (6–17), seniors, and local associations — with services that include family outings and cooking workshops, youth spaces and after-school support (CLAS), a repair café (Système R), a youth trade-skills workshop program (L'Etabli), sailing via Centre Nautique du Moulin Blanc, a community web radio (Web Radio Plouzané), a convivial cafeteria (Tous à Bord), a monthly documentary screening club (Cinéma Club Itinérant in partnership with Tënk), and a baby-sitter registry. The core technology is the community-center operating model itself: a physical hub at the Espace Eric Tabarly building (4 rue Anatole le Braz) supplemented by off-site partnerships (camping on Ouessant, sailing school, library, environmental associations), supported by a small staff of five CDI employees (one director, one reception/secretariat, one family animator, two animators) and a broader volunteer base.

The business model is a hybrid of public subsidy and modest user contributions rather than a market-revenue model. Funding comes from municipal and public grants typical of French centres sociaux, supplemented by low participation fees scaled by family quotient (QF) — for example, children's cooking workshops at €4–6, sailing at €4–10, sophrology at €4, and Ouessant youth/family stays ranging from €70 to €270 — plus episodic fundraising such as Kig Ha Farz sales that fund youth programs. There is no mandatory membership fee, no e-commerce or remote service delivery, and no disclosed revenue figures. Go-to-market is community-led: programming is co-developed with residents, awareness is driven by the website, Facebook and Instagram presence, a monthly newsletter, the annual Forum des associations, and word-of-mouth. The center participates in the Fédération des Centres Sociaux de France network and has 17+ documented partner organizations spanning cultural (Tënk), environmental (UniVert Mescouezel, Paysage pour Plouzané, Collectif Graines de Coquelicots), educational (collèges, médiathèque, Lire et faire Lire), nautical (Centre Nautique du Moulin Blanc, Camping Penn Ar Bed), social (Secours Populaire, Comité de jumelage), and wellness (Sophro'zen, Sentier vous bien) domains.

Name

Centre Social la Courte Echelle

Legal name

Association La Courte Echelle

Website

https://lacourteechelle.centres-sociaux.fr

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Centre Social la Courte Echelle is a French non-profit community social center in Plouzané, Brittany, founded in 1992. It serves local families, youth, seniors, and associations with multi-generational activities including youth programs, family outings, a repair café, sailing, and cultural events.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Plouzané

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations

Revenue model

1. Municipal and public funding: Social centers in France typically receive municipal support and public funding to operate
2. Activity participation fees: Low-cost participation fees for activities, with pricing based on family quotient (QF) for accessibility
3. Fundraising and events: Occasional fundraising activities such as Kig Ha Farz sales to fund youth programs and trips

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Centre Social la Courte Echelle is a French non-profit community social center (association loi 1901) that delivers educational, recreational, and social activities for families, youth, and seniors in Plouzané, Brittany. Its core offerings include a repair café, youth programs, senior activities, sailing sessions, cooking workshops, and a youth web radio station, all aimed at fostering local social cohesion.

Product overview

Centre Social La Courte Echelle is a community social center in Plouzané, France, offering a diverse portfolio of community services and activities. The center operates multiple programmatic areas including family support services (family activities, cooking workshops, baby-sitter registry), youth development programs (youth space, school support, L'Etabli workshops), senior activities, and recreational offerings. Signature programs include Système R (a repair café for objects and electronics), Tous à Bord (a community cafeteria), Web Radio Plouzané, and a Nautism program offering sailing activities. The center also partners with Tënk for documentary film screenings. These activities are all free or low-cost community services designed to foster social connection, learning, and environmental sustainability.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Repair Café Community workshop where local residents bring broken household items to be repaired collectively, promoting reuse and sustainability; targeted at Plouzané residents.
• Youth Programs Educational and recreational activities organized for young people in Plouzané, including engagement, training, and leisure opportunities.
• Senior Activities Social and recreational activities for older residents of Plouzané, aimed at reducing isolation and fostering community connections.
• Sailing Activities Sailing sessions and related water-based recreational activities offered to local residents, particularly youth and families.
• Cooking Workshops Hands-on cooking workshops for community members, focused on shared learning and social interaction.
• Youth Web Radio Online radio station produced by and for young people at the centre, offering media training and a platform for youth voices within the community.

Named customers3 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• TënkcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Partnership since 2017 with Tënk, a documentary film platform, to provide monthly screenings of auteur documentaries. Part of the Fédération des Centres Sociaux de France collaboration. Selections are renewed every six months.
• Fédération des Centres Sociaux de FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederation that supports centres sociaux across France, providing programming resources and network collaboration.
• Camping municipal Penn Ar Bed (Ouessant)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for leisure base activities on Ouessant island during summer. Provides accommodation and kitchen facilities for youth and family stays.
• Secours Populaire de PlouzanéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for outings and community activities including Iroise Marine Park visit.
• UniVert MescouezelminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for environmental activities including seed exchange and plant propagation workshops.
• Paysage pour PlouzanéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEnvironmental association partner for spring festival and sustainability activities.
• Collectif Graines de CoquelicotsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal collective partner for seed exchange and environmental education events.
• La Roulotte (Centre Social)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner for reading workshop programs for children.
• Médiathèque de PlouzanéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaboration for reading activities and library services.
• Lire et faire LireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational reading program partnership for intergenerational reading activities.
• Lire à PlouzanéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal reading association partnership.
• Réseau des médiathèques de la métropoleminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMetropolitan library network providing digital resources access.
• Centre Nautique du Moulin BlancminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSailing center partnership for youth and family sailing activities every Saturday.
• Comité de jumelage de PlouzanéminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTwinning committee partnership for youth exchange trip to Germany (Stelle near Hamburg).
• Association Sentier vous bienminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartnership for nature immersion activities promoting wellbeing and social connection. 12-session cycles with 7-8 people groups.
• REPPI (Rucher Expérimental et Pédagogique du Pays d'Iroise)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerBeekeeping and apiary association partnership for caféconvivial opening activities.
• Sophro'zenminorOthersExternal wellness practitioner providing sophrology sessions.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Others

• Secours Populaire Français: French solidarity association already partnered with La Courte Echelle on community outings (e.g., Iroise Marine Park). Operates similar family, youth, and seniors outreach through local branches.
• UNIOPSS: National federation of social, health, and family non-profits representing association loi 1901 organizations in the social services sector; comparable institutional context to La Courte Echelle's association governance model.
• Emmaüs France: Major French social-action network operating community-anchored programs including solidarity-based reuse, social insertion, and community engagement — adjacent to La Courte Echelle's repair café (Système R) and family/youth support work.
• ATD Quart Monde: French anti-poverty organization focused on family, youth, and community empowerment in disadvantaged areas — comparable in addressing isolation and supporting families facing hardship through grassroots community work.
• Fédération des Centres Sociaux de France: National umbrella federation of which Centre Social la Courte Echelle is a member; provides programming resources, training, and network coordination that directly shape the center's operations and peer benchmarking.

Broad incumbents

• Croix-Rouge française: Large national humanitarian organization with local branches delivering social support, family services, and seniors programs across France; overlaps with the community-services footprint of a local centre social but at far greater scale and geographic breadth.

Regional players

• Fédération des Centres Sociaux de Bretagne: Regional federation grouping centres sociaux across Brittany, providing local training and peer exchange; directly comparable institutional peer within the same territory as La Courte Echelle.

Direct peers

• Fédération Française des MJC: Federation of Maisons des Jeunes et de la Culture, the closest organizational analogue in France: community-based, multi-activity centers offering youth, family, and cultural programming to a defined local population under a similar association loi 1901 governance model.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks4 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/CSPlouzane
• Facebookfacebook.com/cslacourteechelle
• Instagraminstagram.com/lacourteechelle29
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/centre-social-la-courte-echelle

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Centre Social la Courte Echelle