NEBRASKA

What NEBRASKA does

Association Nebraska – Paille Porteuse is a French non-profit association (association loi 1901) headquartered in Grenoble that has been advocating for the development of load-bearing straw construction (Paille Porteuse) since the 2000s. The association operates as a transdisciplinary coordination entity spanning practice, design, calculation, research, training, and regulatory standardization of using straw bales as structural elements in building construction. Its core technology work focuses on mechanical characterization of straw (compression, creep, humidity behavior, fire resistance, shear, and 900J impact tests) in collaboration with research laboratories, alongside two-sided earth/plaster render systems for wall protection and structural reinforcement. Nebraska coordinates the writing of nearly 200 pages of Professional Rules for Load-Bearing Straw Construction with RFCP, submitted to AQC in June 2023 to establish insurability standards.

The association's core products and services include: Qualiopi-certified professional training delivered in 3-day and 5-day formats, academic teaching programs at multiple ENSA architecture schools (Grenoble, Marseille, Clermont-Ferrand) and Harvard, public awareness events (workshops, site visits, conferences, webinars), mechanical research publications, a building census cataloging completed straw structures, and coordination of the professional rules documentation. Its revenue model rests primarily on professional training fees, with OPCO financing available for active professionals; since 2023, 43 participants have completed training with a 4.7/5 satisfaction rating. The organization employs approximately 8 people.

Nebraska is a winning partner of the POP 2030 project under the France 2030 investment program, funded by ADEME, where it collaborates with CERIB on mechanical and fire resistance tests. Its broader partner network includes CNRS-Laboratory 3SR, ENTPE Lyon, IUT Génie Civil Nîmes, and RFCP. Operating geographies cover Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, Île-de-France, and Bretagne. In 2025, the association gained recognition through the Fibois Bretagne regional award and a Materia Award finalist placement for completed load-bearing straw buildings.

Name

NEBRASKA

Legal name

Association Nebraska – Paille Porteuse

Website

https://nebraskaconstruction.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2000

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Association Nebraska is a French non-profit organization that promotes load-bearing straw construction through professional training, academic teaching, mechanical research, and regulatory standardization, collaborating with research laboratories and industry partners in France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Construction Training and Research

NAICS

Testing Laboratories and Services (54138)

SIC

Services-Testing Laboratories (8734)

akta.pro primary industry

Construction & Trades Licensure (Contractor, Electrician, Plumber, HVAC CE) (EDAAALAH)

Keywords

• Load-bearing straw construction
• Professional training construction
• Bio-based building materials
• Ecological construction rules
• Building research and testing

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Professional Training Services: Nebraska delivers certified professional training courses (3-day and 5-day formats) on load-bearing straw construction techniques. Training is available for financing through OPCO for professionals and potential funding for job seekers. Since 2023, 43 participants have been trained with a 4.7/5 satisfaction rating.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Association Nebraska delivers Qualiopi-certified professional training in load-bearing straw construction (Paille Porteuse) to construction professionals, alongside academic teaching, public awareness activities, mechanical research and testing, a census of paille porteuse buildings, and the development of professional rules for the technique.

Product overview

Association Nebraska operates as a non-profit organization promoting load-bearing straw construction (Paille Porteuse) through multiple interconnected programs: professional training (Formation Professionnelle) for construction professionals, academic teaching (Enseignement) for architecture and engineering students, public awareness initiatives (Sensibilisation), mechanical research and testing, building census projects, and development of professional construction standards. The association also participates in the POP 2030 project under France 2030, conducting fire and mechanical tests with CERIB for regulatory advancement of straw construction techniques.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Formation Professionnelle Paille Porteuse Qualiopi-certified professional training in load-bearing straw construction (Paille Porteuse), intended for construction professionals seeking certification and skills in the technique.
• Recherches et essais mécaniques Mechanical research and testing on load-bearing straw construction assemblies, conducted as part of the association's R&D activities including the POP 2030 program.

Quantifiable outcome

• 43 professionals trained since 2023 with 4.7/5 satisfaction rating

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature4 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• RFCP (Réseau Français de la Construction Paille)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2017Since 2017, Nebraska and RFCP members have been developing the Professional Rules for Load-Bearing Straw Construction. Nebraska coordinates this nearly 200-page document intended to become the reference for insurability and expansion of the technique. First version submitted to AQC in June 2023.
• POP 2030 (France 2030 / ADEME)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerNebraska is one of the winning partners of the POP 2030 project under the France 2030 investment program, coordinated by the General Secretariat for Investment. The project is funded by the French state through ADEME and focuses on innovation in construction with wood, biosourced, and geosourced materials. Nebraska is conducting mechanical and fire tests on load-bearing straw with CERIB.
• CERIB (Centre d'Études et d'Essais de Recherche en Énergétique)coreTechnology or IntegrationCollaboration with CERIB for conducting mechanical and fire resistance tests on load-bearing straw construction elements within the POP 2030 project framework.
• CNRS - Laboratoire 3SRcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResearch collaboration with CNRS-Laboratory 3SR on mechanical characterization of load-bearing straw including shear tests (2022), plaster render testing (2023), and mechanical behavior studies.
• ENTPE Lyon (École Nationale des Travaux Publics de l'État)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative research with ENTPE Lyon on straw bale construction, particularly on plaster render testing (2023).
• IUT Génie Civil NîmescoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partnership with IUT Génie Civil Nîmes for creep mechanics research and construction science studies on straw bale structures.
• ENSA Grenoble (École Nationale Supérieure d'Architecture de Grenoble)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerEducational partnership for teaching load-bearing straw construction techniques to architecture students through tutorials, practical work, and graduation project supervision.
• Harvard UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerWorkshop collaboration with Harvard University students in Arles (13) on straw construction techniques.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Broad incumbents

• France Bois Forêt: National inter-professional organization for the French forest and wood sector, including construction. Comparable as a higher-level umbrella body promoting wood/biosourced construction, professional standards, and industry awareness in France.
• Comité Scientifique et Technique du Bâtiment (CERIB): French construction testing and research institute collaborating with Nebraska on POP 2030 fire and mechanical tests. Comparable as a major French player conducting construction-material testing and standards work, though much larger and broader in scope.

Direct peers

• Maisons Paysannes de France: Long-standing French association for the preservation and promotion of traditional vernacular building techniques, including training and public awareness. Comparable as a French non-profit combining heritage construction advocacy with education.
• Construire en Chanvre: French association promoting hemp construction, providing professional training, technical rules, and advocacy. Highly comparable to Nebraska as a fellow bio-sourced construction training and standards body operating in the same French regulatory context.
• Asder: French renewable energy and sustainable building association in Savoie that hosts academic training on bio-sourced construction. Comparable as a French non-profit delivering sustainable construction training to building professionals and students.
• Réseau Français de la Construction Paille (RFCP): The French national network for straw construction. Nebraska coordinates professional rules development with RFCP and is a partner in the POP 2030 project, making RFCP the closest strategic peer in scope and mission.
• Réseau Français de la Construction en Terre (RFCT): French network dedicated to earthen construction, similar in structure to Nebraska: training, research dissemination, professional rules, and public awareness for an alternative low-carbon building technique.

Others

• ATHEBA (Atelier d'Architecture et d'Environnement): French architecture and environmental workshop focused on sustainable design education. Comparable as an adjacent training and pedagogy actor in the French sustainable construction ecosystem, though broader in scope than Nebraska.

Regional players

• Fibois Bretagne: Regional wood construction federation in Brittany that awarded Nebraska the 2025 Fibois Bretagne prize. Comparable as a promoter of bio-sourced construction with training, awards, and advocacy roles in a specific French region.

Emerging players

• Ecological Building Network: US-based non-profit promoting natural and ecological building practices through education, events, and publications. Comparable as a non-profit knowledge and training organization for sustainable natural building, though operating in a different geography.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/nebraska-paille-porteuse

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles7 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 NEBRASKA