Fondation La Pimpinière

What Fondation La Pimpinière does

Fondation La Pimpinière is a Swiss non-profit foundation established in 1980 in Tavannes (Canton of Berne) that serves as the principal disability-services structure in the Jura bernois region. It supports 166 beneficiaries with cognitive disabilities through a comprehensive lifecycle offering that includes 13 residential units, 14 vocational workshops, day centers, and socio-educational and therapeutic support, delivered across facilities in Tavannes, St-Imier, Bellelay, Sonceboz, Malleray, and Loveresse. Specialized units include La Tourmaline (autism detection, school, and residence) and integrated workshops hosted at corporate partner sites (Energie Service Biel/Bienne, Ciments Vigier SA). The foundation is governed by a Foundation Council led by President Elisabeth Vogt and operated under Swiss disability-services regulation with ISO 9001/2015 certification.

The operating model blends social mission with commercial activity. Beneficiaries produce handcrafted goods (candles, textiles, wood products such as K-Lumets, cement crafts, and artisanal food items including syrups, jams, and teas) in workshops that are sold through two physical boutiques in Tavannes and St-Imier and an e-commerce storefront at shop.lapimpiniere.ch. The foundation also provides subcontracting services to businesses (packaging, cleaning of horological packaging, assembly work) and operates an Eco-Vaisselle rental service with an eco-responsible washing tunnel, targeting both private events and corporate functions. Pricing is unit-based, with reusable dishware kits at CHF 43–49 and individual crafts ranging from CHF 3.50 to CHF 49.

Revenue is derived from four streams: product sales, workshop subcontracting services, eco-vaisselle rental, and charitable donations, with the bulk of operating support coming from cantonal disability-services subsidies under the Swiss framework. Distribution is multi-channel: direct sales through physical boutiques, an owned e-commerce shop, a dedicated eco-vaisselle website, integrated workshop placements at client sites, and community/word-of-mouth referrals. The organization employs 45 staff and is led by Director Pascal Eggler and Deputy Director Vincent Delémont, with no parent company and no disclosed funding rounds, consistent with an independent foundation structure.

Name

Fondation La Pimpinière

Legal name

Fondation La Pimpinière

Website

https://lapimpiniere.ch

Company type

Private

Founded year

1980

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Fondation La Pimpinière is a Swiss non-profit foundation serving 166 people with cognitive disabilities in the Jura bernois through residential care, day programs, and 14 vocational workshops, supplemented by craft sales, subcontracting services, and an eco-friendly dishware rental business.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Disability and Social Services

NAICS

Residential Intellectual and Developmental Disability Facilities (62321), Services for the Elderly and Persons with Disabilities (624120)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Nursing & Personal Care Facilities (8050)

akta.pro primary industry

Special Needs Adult Day Programs (Developmental/Physical Disabilities, Seniors) (HLADAIAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Respite Care for Adults with Disabilities / Special Needs (HSABAGAI)

Keywords

• Disability care services
• Residential support services
• Occupational workshops
• Subcontracting services
• Nonprofit social services

Headquarters

HQ city

Tavannes

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Supply Chain, Others

Revenue model

1. Product Sales: Sale of handmade crafts including candles, textile products, cement crafts, wood products, and food items (syrups, jams, teas) produced by beneficiaries in the workshops
2. Workshop Services: Subcontracting services for businesses including packaging, cleaning horological packaging, and various assembly work performed by beneficiaries
3. Eco-Vaisselle Rental: Rental and cleaning service for reusable dishware (kits, glasses, plates, cutlery) for private events and corporate functions
4. Donations: Charitable donations from supporters to fund the foundation's mission of supporting people with disabilities

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Fondation La Pimpinière is a Swiss non-profit foundation that provides residential care, day programs, and occupational workshops for approximately 166 individuals with cognitive disabilities across the Jura bernois region. Beyond its social mission, it operates commercial activities — including an e-commerce boutique selling handmade crafts, catering, eco-vaisselle (reusable dishware) rental, and subcontracting services for businesses — that help finance and employ its beneficiaries.

Product overview

Fondation La Pimpinière is a social foundation offering a diverse portfolio of workshop and care services for people with disabilities. The organization operates multiple workshop facilities (Atelier Sandoz, Atelier La Volute, Ateliers Services) producing handcrafted products including candles, textiles, woodwork, cement crafts, and food items sold through its boutique. The eco-vaisselle service rents and cleans reusable dishware for events. The foundation also provides integrated workshops within external companies (ESB, Vigier, Erguël, La Place) and operates housing and care facilities. Products include reusable dishware kits, workshop-crafted candles, textiles, wood products (K-Lumets, fagots), cement decorative items, and artisanal food products.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Eco-vaisselle La Pimpinière: Eco-friendly dishware rental and cleaning service for events and celebrations, featuring reusable dishes with an eco-responsible washing tunnel.
• Boutique la Pimpiniere

Products and services

• Residential care services Long-term and short-term accommodation across 13 residential units for adults with cognitive disabilities in the Jura bernois region, staffed by the foundation's approximately 45 employees.
• Occupational workshops 14 protected occupational workshops providing daytime work activities for individuals with cognitive disabilities; outputs feed both craft product sales and business subcontracting work.
• Day centers Day programs providing daytime activities and support for individuals with cognitive disabilities who do not require residential care or workshop placement.
• Subcontracting services for businesses Light manufacturing, assembly, and packaging services performed in the foundation's workshops and offered to local businesses, providing meaningful work for beneficiaries and revenue for the foundation.
• Eco-vaisselle rental service Rental of reusable dishware (eco-vaisselle) for events and catering clients, operated by the foundation's workshops.
• Catering services On-site catering services provided to events and clients, leveraging the foundation's workshop and kitchen capacity.
• E-commerce boutique (handmade crafts) Online store selling handmade crafts and goods produced by beneficiaries in the foundation's workshops, providing retail revenue and showcasing the workshop output.

Named customers1 record

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Two partnerships are on record, tiered core.

• Energie Service Biel/Bienne (ESB)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated workshop providing outdoor maintenance services for water and electricity stations, and fountain maintenance from March to November. Provides 4 sheltered employment places for foundation beneficiaries.
• Ciments Vigier SAcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerIntegrated workshop located within the Ciments Vigier SA facility in Péry since 2002. Provides green space maintenance and cleaning services. Offers 6 sheltered employment places.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Stiftung Rossfeld: Bern-based foundation providing vocational training, residential care, and integration programs for people with disabilities. Comparable because both are Canton of Berne foundations serving people with disabilities with workshop + residential + school offerings.
• Insieme Schweiz: Swiss national federation of associations for parents and friends of people with intellectual disabilities. Comparably positioned as a Swiss disability advocacy and service organization; multiple Insieme representatives sit on La Pimpinière's Foundation Council, indicating direct overlap in mission and target population.
• Stiftung Bühl: Swiss foundation operating sheltered workshops, residential facilities, and day programs for people with intellectual and physical disabilities in the Zurich/Wetzikon area. Directly comparable operating model — disability workshop + residential care foundation serving a defined Swiss region.
• Cerebral Suisse: Swiss disability organization serving people with cerebral palsy and similar cognitive/physical disabilities — the logo appears in the footer of La Pimpinière's website, indicating a recognized peer relationship. Comparable in mission (disability services Switzerland) and overlapping beneficiary population.

Broad incumbents

• Pro Infirmis: Largest Swiss disability NGO providing services, advocacy, and support across all disability categories nationally. Broader scope than La Pimpinière but overlapping in providing social assistance, residential support, and integration services for people with disabilities in Switzerland.

Emerging players

• L'Arche International: International federation of communities where people with and without intellectual disabilities live and work together. Closely comparable mission philosophy (workshops, residential community, social inclusion) but operating model differs — L'Arche focuses on shared residential communities rather than the sheltered workshop + dormitory hybrid.
• Camphill Communities: International movement of intentional communities supporting people with intellectual and developmental disabilities through shared living and craft-based workshop activities. Analogous craft-workshop model and disability-focused values; smaller scale than La Pimpinière but competitively aligned in workshop-based therapeutic employment.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/fondation-la-pimpini%C3%A8re

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 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 Fondation La Pimpinière