PUBLICS

What PUBLICS does

Public(s) is a French boutique consulting firm (do-tank) headquartered in Toulon, Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur, structured as a SAS with approximately 15 employees. Founded by Julien Meyrignac (formerly founder/director of the Citadia Group, sold to SCET/Banque des Territoires in late 2019) and Kevin Guerel (formerly Director of Aire Publique), the firm delivers collaborative consulting engagements to three customer segments: local and regional public authorities (collectivités, métropoles, régions), private operators (notably real estate developers and energy companies), and citizen initiatives. Its service portfolio spans observation & research, collaborative consulting (Conseil Collaboratif), communication à impact, and training & coaching, with sub-services including public consultation, media training, territorial foresight, and its proprietary antifragility methodology.

The firm's core differentiator is a proprietary antifragility methodology — adapted from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's framework — applied to analyze territories, communities, and organizations through the lenses of robustness and vulnerability. This is complemented by a hybrid consulting format that integrates study, training, co-design, and communication, and supported by GIS/geomatic tools (QGIS, ArcGIS Pro, PostGIS, AutoCAD) used by urban planners such as Marwa Abdellaoui for spatial diagnostics. Public(s) does not offer a software product; its intellectual property is methodological and content-based (Revue Urbanisme editorial presence, authored books, and a documentary film series).

The business model is professional services with bespoke, project-based consulting mandates, supplemented by training program delivery through partners such as Université des Territoires CDC, Abilways-EFE, and Le Moniteur. Pricing is not publicly disclosed. Go-to-market is entirely sales-led, relying on direct outreach, professional networks, thought-leadership publishing, and conference participation. Marketing channels emphasize editorial credibility, with no indirect distribution. The firm operates exclusively in France across at least 13 regions and holds multiple national awards (Palmarès National EcoQuartier, Prix Robert Auzelles, Trophées centres-villes), signaling a focused domestic footprint without international expansion.

Name

PUBLICS

Legal name

Publics

Website

https://noussommespublics.com

Company type

Private

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

Public(s) is a French boutique consulting do-tank (SAS, ~15 employees, Toulon) delivering collaborative consulting, training, and impact communication to public authorities, real estate developers, and citizen initiatives across France, differentiated by a proprietary antifragility methodology for territorial development.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Urban Planning Consulting

NAICS

Advertising, Public Relations, and Related Services (5418), Public Relations Agencies (541820), Research and Development in the Social Sciences and Humanities (54172)

SIC

Services-Advertising (7310)

akta.pro industry

PRIMARYBPAHACAN

Public Sector & Policy Consulting

Business & Public Services/Professional Services (Legal, Accounting, Consulting)/Management Consulting

SECONDARYBPAJANAL

Real Estate Public-Private Partnership (PPP) & Infrastructure-Adjacent Real Estate Advisory

Business & Public Services/Real Estate Services (Brokerage, Property Management)/Real Estate Advisory & Consulting (Investment, Strategy)

SECONDARYBPAFADAM

Social Media & Community Management (PR-led)

Business & Public Services/Marketing, Advertising & PR Services/Public Relations & Communications

Keywords

• Urban planning consulting
• Territorial development
• Collaborative consulting
• Public sector advisory
• Ecological transition services

Headquarters

HQ city

Toulon

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Collaborative consulting services: Project-based consulting engagements mixing study, training, co-design, and communication for ecological transition, social innovation, economic agility, territorial adaptation, and urban transformation. Services are tailored to each client (collectivités, enterprises, citizen initiatives) and delivered through observation & research, collaborative advice, and sharing (communication & training) activities.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Public(s) is a French do-tank that delivers collaborative consulting services for French municipalities, metropoles, real estate developers, and citizen initiatives. It operates a hybrid consulting format mixing study, training, co-design, and communication dedicated to ecological transition, social innovation, economic agility, territorial adaptation, and urban transformation. Its work is grounded in a proprietary antifragility methodology adapted from Nassim Nicholas Taleb's framework, combined with research-action, systemic analysis, and strategic design.

Product overview

Public(s) is a do-tank offering collaborative consulting services organized around three main pillars: Observation & Research, Collaborative Consulting (Conseil Collaboratif), and Sharing (Communication & Training). The company provides hybrid services mixing study, training, co-design, and communication, centered on ecological transition, social innovation, economic agility, territorial adaptation, and urban transformation. Their proprietary antifragility methodology differentiates their approach, supplemented by impact communication services and professional training programs. The firm does not offer a software product but delivers consulting engagements, training workshops, and facilitation services to public administrations, private companies, and citizen initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Conseil Collaboratif (Collaborative Consulting) A hybrid consulting engagement format that combines study, training, co-design, and communication, dedicated to ecological transition, social innovation, economic agility, territorial adaptation, and urban transformation. Delivered to public administrations, private companies, and citizen initiatives.
• Observation & Recherche (Research-Action) Research-action services using classical foresight tools (scenario construction, matrix analysis) and strategic design (ideation, fiction) to illuminate deep transformations of territories and society.
• Communication à Impact (Impact Communication) Impact communication services including publications, narratives, visual and audiovisual productions, public events, conferences, and exhibitions designed to reinforce appropriation and stimulate collective intelligence.
• Formation & Coaching (Training and Coaching) Training and coaching services including public consultation preparation, media training, pre-electoral communication rules, and responses to calls for tenders.
• Concertation Publique (Public Consultation) Preparing, structuring, and facilitating sincere, useful, and mobilizing citizen participation through appropriate formats and contribution capitalization.
• Prospective Territoriale (Territorial Foresight) Territorial foresight services using standardized foresight tools to identify vulnerabilities, robustness, and trajectories of territories and communities.

Quantifiable outcome

• Hundreds of public sector clients served across France over 25+ years
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers25 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• SCET (Banque des Territoires): SCET is a major public-sector consultancy subsidiary of Caisse des Dépôts, providing territorial strategy, urban planning, and real estate advisory to French local authorities. It is the most direct institutional competitor after absorbing Citadia and serves the same collectivités customer base.
• Algoé: Algoé is a French management and public-sector consultancy advising local authorities, public agencies, and enterprises on strategy, organization, and public policy. It competes for high-level public-sector advisory mandates with overlap in territorial strategy and transformation.
• Espelia: Espelia is a French public-sector consultancy specialized in public management, evaluation, and territorial strategy. It serves the same collectivités customer base with adjacent expertise in public policy and local governance.
• SCE (Setec group): SCE is a French engineering and urban planning consultancy offering territorial diagnostics, urban project design, and environmental strategy to public and private developers. It competes with Public(s) for urban project co-design and PLU/ecoquartier mandates.
• Citadia (now part of SCET / Banque des Territoires): Citadia is the leading French urban planning, environmental, and territorial strategy consultancy — directly competitive with Public(s) on PLUi/PLU/SCoT consulting, ecoquartier design, and participation. The Meyrignac-led Cinadia predecessor was acquired by SCET, making it both the historical comparator and the dominant competitor.
• Cittànova: Cittànova is a French urban planning consultancy providing PLU/PLUi/SCoT and territorial strategy services to local authorities and developers. It is a direct comparator for Public(s)'s urban planning and co-design offerings.

Broad incumbents

• Egis: Egis is a large French engineering and infrastructure consultancy with a substantial urban development and territorial strategy practice. It overlaps with Public(s) on urban projects and developer advisory, but as a much broader multi-disciplinary incumbent.
• KPMG Public Sector (France): KPMG's French Public Sector practice advises central and local government on strategy, transformation, and policy. It competes for large public-sector advisory mandates and overlap with Public(s) on public sector strategy and transition.

Regional players

• Institut Paris Région: Institut Paris Région is the Greater Paris urban planning agency producing research, diagnostics, and strategic studies on regional development. It is a research and thought-leadership peer that helps shape the demand environment for Public(s)'s advisory services.

Emerging players

• Eau de Paris / Atelier Roland Schweitzer: Atelier Roland Schweitzer is a French architecture and urban planning atelier active in metropolitan and territorial projects. It overlaps with Public(s) on co-design and urban project delivery but with a more architect-led approach.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks7 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/noussommespublics

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 PUBLICS