Tiers Lieu - Le 21

What Tiers Lieu - Le 21 does

Tiers-lieu Le 21 is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) founded in 2019 and headquartered at 21 Place aux Herbes in Uzès, Occitanie. It operates as a tiers-lieu (third place) combining coworking and meeting-room rentals, a project incubator for social-economy and impact entrepreneurs, and Qualiopi-certified professional training including the Défi'Pro professional transition program funded by Région Occitanie. The organization also runs sub-brands such as Maison UpUpUp (a 350 m² upcycling and creative-economy hub in Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie housing Ateliers 21), the FabLab by Orange mobile 3D printing and scanning service, Pollen (an engaged bar promoting agroecological transition), ICI. L'Agence (a communication agency supporting the national Innover à la Campagne prize), Guid'Asso information services, and family-support initiatives (Module d'Intervention Précoce, Coopérative Famille Solo, Au Bonheur des Liens).

Revenue is generated through four streams: subscription-based coworking and meeting-room rentals, fee-based professional training (300–3,000€ per participant depending on program length), professional-services revenue from project incubation support and event/exhibition space rentals, and grant-funded social services such as the MIP and MADI family-support modules priced at 1,800–2,000€ per family for six-month engagements. Pricing is structured as pay-as-you-go for training and event use and multi-year contracts for social-services programs. The association is exempt from VAT under Article 293 B of the French General Tax Code.

The organization serves five primary segments: entrepreneurs and project developers (primary), local associations and nonprofits, job seekers and career changers, artists and artisans (especially upcyclers), and families in need. It reaches customers through its website (le21.org), a weekly newsletter, Facebook and Instagram channels, in-person open days, regional events, and a dense institutional network including ANCT, Région Occitanie, Département du Gard, Fondation Orange, the Association Nationale des Tiers-lieux, and the local Réseau de la Coopération de l'Uzège (30 associations). The core technology stack is physical infrastructure plus digital tools: coworking platforms, a 3D printing/scanning FabLab, and the Les Halles d'Uzès e-commerce marketplace; there are no disclosed proprietary software platforms or AI capabilities.

Name

Tiers Lieu - Le 21

Legal name

Tiers-lieu Le 21

Website

https://le21.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2019

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Tiers-lieu Le 21 is a French non-profit tiers-lieu in Uzès combining coworking, project incubation, and Qualiopi-certified training, with sub-brands spanning an upcycling maker space, a mobile FabLab, an engaged café, and family-support social services for entrepreneurs, associations, job seekers, artists, and vulnerable families.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Uzès

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices3 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Coworking and Space Rental: Revenue from renting coworking spaces, individual offices, and meeting rooms to professionals and entrepreneurs. Spaces include equipped desks with high-speed internet and shared services.
2. Professional Training Services: Training programs on associative management, project development, entrepreneurship, and professional transition (Défi'Pro). Training fees range from 300€ per participant for single-day courses to 2,500-3,000€ for comprehensive programs.
3. Project Incubation Support: Customized incubation support for entrepreneurs including mentorship, networking opportunities, and access to local mentors and specialized training.
4. Event and Exhibition Spaces: Revenue from hosting events, art exhibitions, concerts, and cultural activities in their spaces.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Le 21 is a non-profit third-place association that rents coworking desks and meeting rooms, hosts a project incubator, delivers Qualiopi-certified professional training, and runs a portfolio of community programs (career transition, family support, association guidance, upcycling, tool lending, mobile FabLab, and a local-producer marketplace). Customers are individual entrepreneurs, local associations, job seekers, families, artisans, and small merchants in and around Uzès, France.

Product overview

Le 21 is a tiers-lieu (third-place/coworking hub) in Uzès operating as a multi-service ecosystem rather than a traditional product company. The core offerings center on physical infrastructure and professional support: coworking spaces and meeting rooms at Place aux Herbes, a project incubator for entrepreneurs, and professional training programs (including Défi'Pro, associative management, and business creation courses). The ecosystem extends to Maison UpUpUp in Saint-Quentin-la-Poterie housing shared creation workshops (Ateliers 21), a FabLab with 3D printing/scanning capabilities, and a showroom for upcycling artisans. Supporting services include Guid'Asso information points for associations, specialized initiatives like the Coopérative Famille Solo, the Pollen engaged café exploring agroecological transition, and ICI.L'Agence communication services. The organization functions as an aggregator of physical spaces, training services, and community programs rather than a software platform.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Défi'Pro: Professional transition training program supporting people in changing careers, jobs, or location of life.
• Ateliers 21
• Maison UpUpUp
• Pollen
• ICI. L'agence
• Coopérative Famille Solo
• Au Bonheur des Liens

Products and services

• Coworking Spaces Shared workspace desks available to individual entrepreneurs, freelancers, and remote workers at Place aux Herbes and other Le 21 sites, with half-day, full-day, and monthly access options.
• Meeting Rooms Bookable meeting rooms at Place aux Herbes for client meetings, workshops, and small gatherings, targeted at coworking users and local professionals.
• Project Incubator (Incubateur de Projets) Structured incubation support for project creators and nascent entrepreneurs, providing collective accompaniment, workspace access, and connections to local partners.
• Qualiopi-Certified Professional Training (Formations Pro) Catalog of professional training programs certified Qualiopi, with published per-day tariffs and eligibility for French training funding mechanisms. Targets employees, job seekers, and small organisations.
• Défi'Pro Uzès Multi-week intensive career-transition program for job seekers and career changers in the Uzès area, with accompanying services to support professional reintegration.
• Maison UpUpUp A dedicated space combining a creative upcycling workshop, a boutique of upcycled objects, and hands-on workshops for creators, artisans, and the curious public.
• Bricothèque (Tool Library / Ateliers 21) Lending service for DIY and repair tools, enabling members and locals to borrow equipment they would otherwise need to buy, supporting repair and upcycling activities.
• Mobile FabLab Mobile digital fabrication service bringing 3D printing and 3D scanning workshops and demonstrations to schools, associations, and community groups.
• Guid'Asso Information Point Information and orientation service for local non-profit associations, helping them navigate governance, funding, and operational questions.
• Pollen Engaged Café An engaged café concept combining a coffee/food outlet with social and cultural programming, contributing to the third-place atmosphere at Le 21.
• Coopérative Famille Solo Multi-year accompaniment and support program for single-parent and vulnerable families, combining workshops, follow-up, and family services over an extended commitment.
• ICI. L'Agence In-house communication agency providing communications support to Le 21's programs, member associations, and partner projects.
• Les Halles d'Uzès Online Marketplace Online marketplace platform operated by Le 21 that aggregates and promotes local producers, artisans, and merchants from Uzès and the surrounding region, allowing consumers to discover and purchase local products.
• Espace Copie Print and Copy Service Associative print and copy service at the Espace Copie site offering printing, copying, and related document services to the public, associations, and local professionals.

Quantifiable outcome

• 160 family dossiers processed with 340 children supported through MIP program (July 2020-July 2023)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments5 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

17 partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and important.

• République FrançaisecoreOthersNational government partnership providing institutional support and recognition for the tiers-lieu initiative. Part of broader national tiers-lieu policy framework.
• ANCT (Agence Nationale de la Cohésion des Territoires)coreOthersNational agency supporting local development projects. Provides funding and strategic support for tiers-lieu initiatives across France, including Le 21's programs.
• Région OccitaniecoreOthersRegional council providing funding and support for training programs (Défi'Pro) and local development initiatives in the Occitanie region.
• Département du GardcoreOthersDepartmental council supporting social programs including the Module d'Intervention Précoce and funding for associative development.
• Service CiviqueminorOthersNational civic service program hosting volunteers at Le 21 for community service missions.
• Association Nationale des Tiers-lieux (ANTL)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association coordinating and representing tiers-lieux across France. Le 21 participates in the national tiers-lieu network and manifesto.
• Réseaux des Tiers-lieux du GardcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional network of tiers-lieux in the Gard department, providing peer support, resource sharing, and coordination.
• Fondation OrangeimportantOthersCorporate foundation providing support for digital inclusion initiatives, including the Fablab 3D printing and scanning services.
• Fondation RTEminorOthersFoundation of the electricity grid operator supporting rural innovation projects, partnered with Innover à la campagne prize.
• Réseau Initiative FranceimportantStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational network supporting entrepreneurship and business creation, partnered for the Innover à la campagne prize.
• Fédération des Parcs Naturels Régionaux de FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational federation of regional natural parks, partnered for the Innover à la campagne prize recognizing rural innovation.
• Office Français de la Biodiversité (OFB)minorOthersNational biodiversity office, partnered for the Innover à la campagne prize and environmental initiatives.
• ARRU (Association Ressourcerie et Recyclerie de l'Uzège)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLocal association operating the UpUpUp maker space and managing the Fablab mobile unit, partnered for upcycling and circular economy initiatives.
• La Rôsée / Tiers-lieux OccitanieminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional tiers-lieu network in Occitanie providing peer support and resource sharing.
• Destination Pays d'Uzès Pont du GardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerTourism development agency promoting the Uzès Pont du Gard territory, supporting local event promotion.
• Entrepreneurs de l'Uzège Pont du GardminorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness network connecting entrepreneurs in the Uzège Pont du Gard region, supporting local economic development.
• AMRF (Association des Maires Ruraux de France)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerNational association of rural mayors, partnered for the Innover à la campagne prize recognizing innovation in rural areas.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• 1Kubator: French network of startup incubators operating physical spaces with mentorship and training programs across multiple cities. Direct overlap with Le 21's project incubation and training streams, though targeting tech startups rather than social/associative economy projects.

Direct peers

• La Caserne: Paris sustainable-fashion hub combining maker/co-creation spaces, residency programs, training, and events. Highly comparable as a French third-place ecosystem combining workspace, workshops, training, and community programming.
• La Mutinerie: French coworking and solidarity-focused space combining shared workspace with community programming and inclusion-oriented services. Operates a comparable mix of physical workspace, training, and associative community support.
• Ground Control: Paris community-driven third place combining food & beverage, coworking, event programming, and cultural activities. Comparable community-first tiers-lieu operating model with food/beverage programming similar to Pollen.
• La Cordée: Paris-based coworking and community-led workspace operator with multiple sites blending coworking, incubation support, and event programming. Closely comparable community-first tiers-lieu model, though operating in urban Paris rather than rural France.
• La Recyclerie: Paris community space built around circular economy and upcycling themes, combining coworking, a café, exhibition space, and maker workshops. Shares Le 21's blend of coworking, upcycling artisanship (Maison UpUpUp), and engaged bar/café (Pollen).
• H7 (Hub de Lyon): Lyon-based tech and innovation hub hosting coworking, startup incubation, training, and event spaces under one roof. Direct functional equivalent of Le 21's coworking-plus-incubation-plus-events stack at larger scale.

Broad incumbents

• Wojo (formerly Multiburo / Accor): Major French coworking brand owned by Accor offering shared offices, meeting rooms, and event spaces across multiple cities. Overlaps Le 21's core coworking/meeting-room services but at much larger scale and without community-led incubation or social-services orientation.
• WeWork: Global coworking and flexible-office giant with French operations. Direct overlap on coworking, meeting-room, and event-rental offerings, but operates at massive scale with a corporate membership focus rather than rural community/incubation model.

Regional players

• La Halle Tropisme: Montpellier creative and cultural hub combining coworking, maker spaces, event venues, and a food court. Closest comparable French hub within Occitanie, operating in the same region with overlapping creative-economy programming.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat3 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/tierslieule21
• Instagraminstagram.com/tierslieu_le21
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/tiers-lieu-le-21

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 Tiers Lieu - Le 21