Bureau d'études Rainette SAS

What Bureau d'études Rainette SAS does

Bureau d'études Rainette SAS is a French ecological consulting firm (bureau d'études en écologie) headquartered in Jenlain (Hauts-de-France) and operating through 5 regional agencies and 6 satellite antennas across metropolitan France. Founded in 2010 in Valenciennes as a SARL with approximately 10 employees, the company converted to SAS status in 2022 and is now a subsidiary of Holding Stratégie [r]. Rainette specializes in field-based natural environment expertise covering fauna (avifauna, herpetology, entomology, mammals including bats), flora and habitats, aquatic environments (hydrobiology, IBGN, electric fishing), and soil science (pédologie, wetland identification via auger soundings).

The company's core offering is project-based professional ecological consulting services for public and private project developers (maîtres d'ouvrage) undertaking territory development and construction. Services span the full project lifecycle: pre-diagnostic ecological analysis, site-comparison scenarios, regulatory dossier preparation (environmental impact assessments, Natura 2000 incidence studies, protected species authorization dossiers, Water Law/Loi sur l'eau applications), construction-phase ecological monitoring, wetland delineation and ONEMA functionality analysis, management plan development, and post-implementation ecological monitoring of mitigation and compensation measures. The technology backbone is the Géonature open-source field data collection platform (adopted April 2022, developed by Parcs Nationaux de France) for paperless, georeferenced mobile data entry with INPN species database integration, alongside QGIS for cartographic output.

Rainette operates a direct sales model through its regional agency managers, with quote-based pricing negotiated per project scope. Revenue is generated entirely through professional services contracts with no platform, subscription, or recurring-revenue component. The company is led by President Maximilien Ruyffelaere, an ornithologist-herpetologist, supported by a deputy manager, regional agency managers, and a team of 80+ specialized ecologists. Marketing is conducted primarily through content marketing on its website/news section, industry conferences in the Hauts-de-France region, and referral partnerships with French engineering and environmental firms (Ingérop, BEPG, Kaliès, IrisConseil). The firm has completed several thousand ecological studies across France over its 10+ year operating history.

Name

Bureau d'études Rainette SAS

Legal name

SAS Ruyffelaere Maximilien – Rainette SAS

Website

https://rainette-ecologie.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2010

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

51–100 employees

Short description

French ecological consulting firm providing field-based natural environment expertise (fauna, flora, hydrobiology, soil science) and regulatory environmental assessments for project developers across France through 5 agencies and 6 satellite offices.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Ecological Consulting Services

NAICS

Environmental Consulting Services (541620), Environmental Consulting Services (54162)

SIC

Services-Engineering Services (8711), Services-Commercial Physical & Biological Research (8731)

akta.pro primary industry

Nature & Biodiversity Reporting (TNFD, natural capital) (EUAHAJAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Environmental Reporting, Dashboards & Regulatory Submittals (Automated Reports, e-Reporting) (EUAHAKAL)

Keywords

• Environmental impact assessment
• Ecological consulting services
• Biodiversity field studies
• Regulatory dossier preparation
• Natural habitat surveys

Headquarters

HQ city

Jenlain

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices12 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Environmental Consulting Services: Professional ecological consulting services for development projects including regulatory dossier preparation (environmental impact studies, Natura 2000 assessments, protected species authorization dossiers, Water Law compliance), ecological diagnostics, wetland delineation, habitat management plans, and ecological monitoring.

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

Bureau d'études Rainette SAS is a French ecological engineering firm that performs field-based inventories of fauna, flora, natural habitats, aquatic environments, and soils to support project developers in preparing regulatory environmental dossiers (environmental impact assessments, Natura 2000 studies, Water Law applications, protected species authorizations) and in carrying out pre-diagnostics, construction monitoring, ecological monitoring, wetland delineation, and natural space management plans. The firm operates nationally through 5 regional agencies and 6 antennas, employing 80+ specialists and using the Géonature open-source platform for paperless field data collection.

Product overview

Rainette is an ecological engineering consultancy offering a unified portfolio of environmental assessment services rather than a software product platform. The core offering comprises specialized fauna expertise (avifauna, herpetology, entomology, mammals including bats), flora and habitat studies, hydrobiology, and soil science (pédologie). These natural science capabilities feed into regulatory dossier services (environmental impact assessments, Natura 2000 studies, Water Law applications) and project assistance services (pre-diagnostics, construction monitoring, ecological monitoring, management plans, wetland compensation). The company uses Géonature open-source software for field data collection and management, but this is an internal operational tool rather than a customer-facing product integration.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Faune Expertise (Fauna Studies) Field-based fauna inventories following adapted protocols for each taxonomic group, including avifauna (ornithology), amphibians and reptiles (herpetology), insects (entomology), and mammals including bats (chiroptera). Includes evaluation of faunistic stakes for environmental impact assessments. Targeted at project developers needing ecological data for regulatory dossiers.
• Flore et Habitats Expertise (Flora and Habitat Studies) Botanical inventories using plot and transect protocols to identify plant diversity and habitats on study sites. Includes search for patrimonial species and precise cartography of natural environments. Used by project developers for impact assessments and habitat conservation planning.
• Milieux Aquatiques / Hydrobiologie (Aquatic Environments) Studies of water courses and their functionalities, including sinuosity analysis, bank vegetation, erosion, and granulometry. Biological quality assessment via macroinvertebrate studies (IBGN protocols), spawning ground research, and electric fishing. Used to support Water Law (Loi sur l'eau) applications and aquatic impact assessments.
• Pédologie (Soil Science / Wetland Identification) Soil identification through pedological horizon analysis, including texture, thickness, and granulometry. Detection of hydromorphy traces for wetland identification using auger soundings up to 1.20m depth. Provides wetland delineation following strict protocols defined by regulation, using flora and pedology criteria.
• Regulatory Dossiers (Environmental Impact Assessments and Authorizations) Preparation of regulatory environmental dossiers including environmental impact assessments (fauna, flora, natural habitats), Natura 2000 incidence studies, protected species displacement/destruction authorization dossiers, and Water Law (Loi sur l'eau) applications. Delivered to project developers needing environmental authorizations.
• Assistance à Maîtrise d'Ouvrage (AMO) - Environmental Project Support Project support for project developers including pre-diagnostic analysis, site comparison scenarios, construction monitoring, specifications for contractors, protected species transfer operations, post-implantation ecological monitoring, site management plans, and compensation site research and negotiation.
• Ecological Diagnostics and Pre-diagnostics Ecological diagnosis and pre-diagnosis services establishing baseline fauna and flora inventory on study sites to identify ecological issues at early project stages for project developers.
• Wetland Functionality Analysis (ONEMA method) Application of the ONEMA wetland functionality method for wetland compensation projects, dimensioning compensation at the level of destroyed ecosystem services for project developers subject to compensation obligations.
• Natural Space Management Plans Development of management plans defining objectives and actions for natural sites over defined time periods. Used by project developers and site managers for conservation and stewardship of natural environments post-development.
• Post-Development Ecological Monitoring Post-development monitoring to evaluate effectiveness of recommended ecological mitigation and compensation measures over time, supporting project developers in demonstrating regulatory compliance and adaptive management.

Quantifiable outcome

• Zero net biodiversity loss approach adopted as company objective for client projects

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Four partnerships are on record, tiered minor.

• KalièsminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on Rainette's partner page. Kaliès is an environmental consulting firm operating in France.
• BEPGminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on Rainette's partner page. BEPG is a consultancy providing environmental and engineering services.
• IrisConseilminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on Rainette's partner page. IrisConseil is a consulting firm operating in the environmental sector.
• IngéropminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a partner on Rainette's partner page. Ingérop is a major French engineering and consulting group providing infrastructure and environmental services.

Scale indicators3 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Ingérop: Ingérop is a major French engineering and consulting group providing infrastructure and environmental services. It is listed as a Rainette partner, reflecting its role as both a complementary provider and a competitor when project developers bundle ecology into broader engineering commissions.
• Setec: Setec is a large French engineering group with an environment practice (SCE) covering ecology, water, and environmental impact assessments. As a broad incumbent, it can absorb ecology scopes into larger engineering contracts, competing with Rainette on integrated project commissions.
• SCE (Setec Group): SCE is Setec group's environment subsidiary, offering ecology, water resources, and environmental impact assessment services across western France. It competes with Rainette on regional environmental dossiers, particularly in Brittany and the Atlantic seaboard.
• Ginger Environnement: Ginger is a large French group of environmental engineering firms (including Burgeap) offering ecology, water, soils, and regulatory compliance services. As a broader incumbent, Ginger competes with Rainette on larger mandates while offering complementary disciplines Rainette does not cover in-house.

Direct peers

• Burgeap: Burgeap is a French environmental engineering consultancy providing ecological assessments, environmental impact studies, and regulatory dossiers. It operates at similar scale to Rainette but with a stronger engineering orientation, frequently competing on water law, soil, and biodiversity studies in France.
• Biotope: Biotope is a French ecological consultancy offering flora, fauna, and habitat expertise, regulatory dossier preparation, and biodiversity diagnostics. It is the closest direct competitor to Rainette in terms of service portfolio, multi-disciplinary staffing model, and target client base of project developers and public stakeholders in France.
• Terea: Terea is a French environmental and ecological consultancy providing environmental assessments, regulatory dossiers, and biodiversity studies. It competes with Rainette for project developers' environmental commissions across France, with comparable multi-disciplinary ecological capabilities.
• EODD Ingénierie: EODD is a French ecological engineering consultancy delivering biodiversity diagnostics, environmental impact assessments, and Natura 2000 studies. Its service mix and target customers (project developers, public agencies) overlap directly with Rainette's dossier preparation and field expertise offerings.

Emerging players

• IrisConseil: IrisConseil is a French environmental consulting firm listed as a Rainette partner. It operates in adjacent ecological and environmental assessment areas, with partial overlap on regulatory dossier work for project developers.
• Kalies: Kalies is a smaller French environmental consultancy listed as a Rainette partner. It provides complementary environmental and biodiversity services, often co-engaged on dossiers and occasionally overlapping with Rainette on the same client projects.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/bureau-d-%C3%A9tudes-rainette-sas

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles11 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 Bureau d'études Rainette SAS