SOS Suicide Phénix

What SOS Suicide Phénix does

SOS Suicide Phénix (Fédération SOS Suicide Phénix) is a French non-profit federation founded in 1978 in Paris, composed of six regional member associations in Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Havre, and Nice. Its core activity is suicide prevention and restoration of social bonds, delivered through a national telephone hotline (01 40 44 46 45, open 7 days/week 13:00–23:00) and a national internet messaging platform ([email protected]), both free, confidential, and anonymous. The federation employs 10 paid staff and coordinates 65 trained volunteer listeners who apply Carl Rogers' active and empathic listening methodology, with continuous supervision by external psychologists and psychiatrists.

The federation's services target four user segments: people in psychological distress or with suicidal thoughts, people bereaved by suicide, caregivers and loved ones of people at risk, and victims of violence, harassment, or workplace suffering. It is explicitly interventionist — anonymity is preserved except when life is at risk, in which case listeners connect users with appropriate resources. The federation holds the Santé Publique France "Label qualité aide en santé" and has signed a bilateral convention with the national 3114 suicide prevention hotline, embedding it formally in France's national prevention ecosystem.

Revenue comes from three streams: operating subsidies from Santé Publique France (the French national public health agency), public donations via HelloAsso, PayPal, and cheque, and €25 annual supporting membership fees. Distribution is self-serve (telephone and internet messaging), supplemented by in-person listening at the six regional associations and at partner healthcare facilities. Awareness is built through participation in national and international suicide prevention events, mental health weeks, UNPS seminars, cinema debates, pride marches, and partnerships with MONALISA, Psycom, UNAFAM, Addictions France, and Papageno.

Name

SOS Suicide Phénix

Legal name

Fédération SOS Suicide Phénix

Website

https://sos-suicide-phenix.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1978

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

SOS Suicide Phénix is a French non-profit federation, founded in 1978, that operates a free, confidential national telephone hotline and internet messaging platform, staffed by 65 trained volunteers across six regional associations, providing empathetic listening support to people in psychological distress, suicidal crisis, and their loved ones.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Suicide Prevention and Mental Health Crisis Support Services

NAICS

Individual and Family Services (6241), Other Individual and Family Services (624190)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Health Services (8000)

akta.pro primary industry

Crisis Support, Suicide Prevention & Acute Behavioral Triage Platforms (HLALAEAI)

akta.pro secondary industry

Mental Health & Crisis Support Services (BPAGACAD)

Keywords

• Suicide prevention helpline
• Mental health support
• Crisis intervention services
• Empathic listening hotline
• Nonprofit support services

Headquarters

HQ city

Nice

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices7 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Government Grants: The federation receives operating funding from subsidies granted by Santé Publique France, the French national public health agency.
2. Donations: Individual donations from the public, accepted via PayPal, HelloAsso, and by cheque. Donations are used to sustain and expand suicide prevention and mental health actions, communication campaigns, events with partners, and volunteer recruitment and training.
3. Membership Fees: Supporting members can join by paying an annual membership fee of €25. This provides membership to the federation without requiring active volunteer service, allowing supporters to stay informed and encourage the association's mission.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

SOS Suicide Phénix is a federation of six regional non-profit associations in France that provides free, confidential, and anonymous emotional support to people in psychological distress and to those experiencing suicidal thoughts, delivered primarily through a national telephone helpline (01 40 44 46 45, daily 13:00–23:00) and an internet messaging platform ([email protected]). Service is delivered by 65 trained and supervised volunteer listeners using Carl Rogers' active and empathic listening methodology. Complementary offerings include initial and continuous volunteer training, ongoing supervision, and public awareness activities (cinema debates, mental health weeks, national and international suicide prevention events).

Product overview

SOS Suicide Phénix is a federation of six regional volunteer-based associations offering a dual-platform suicide prevention support service: a national telephone helpline (01 40 44 46 45) and an internet messaging platform ([email protected]). The service provides confidential, anonymous active listening for people in psychological distress, those with suicidal thoughts, and their loved ones. The federation operates with 65 trained volunteer listeners across Paris, Lyon, Bordeaux, Clermont-Ferrand, Le Havre, and Nice. Complementary services include initial and continuous volunteer training programs, awareness activities, and community outreach.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Plateforme téléphonique nationale (National Telephone Helpline) Confidential, anonymous telephone listening service for people in psychological distress or experiencing suicidal thoughts, available across France at local-call rate (01 40 44 46 45, daily 13:00–23:00). Operated by 65 trained volunteer listeners across the federation's six regional associations.
• Plateforme messagerie internet (Internet Messaging Platform) Asynchronous, confidential, and anonymous email-based emotional support and listening service for people in psychological distress, accessible at [email protected].
• Actions de sensibilisation (Awareness and Prevention Activities)
• Secrétariat de la Fédération (Federation Secretariat)

Quantifiable outcome

• The federation operates 7 days a week from 13:00 to 23:00, with multiple access channels (telephone, internet messaging, in-person) serving people across 6 regions in France.

Named customers4 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 3114 (Numéro National de Prévention du Suicide)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner3114 is France's national suicide prevention hotline staffed by health professionals, available 24/7. SOS Suicide Phénix has signed a bilateral convention (Convention bilatérale) with 3114, positioning the federation as part of the coordinated national prevention ecosystem. The federation participates in the 3114 renovation and shared prevention efforts.
• UNPS (Union Nationale de la Prévention du Suicide)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSOS Suicide Phénix is a member of the UNPS, the national union for suicide prevention. The federation participates in UNPS seminars, annual colloquia held at the Ministry of Health, and joint awareness events. The federation is active in UNPS working groups and the national prevention network.
• MONALISAminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerMONALISA (MOuvement National d'Action Lyonnaise pour l'Intergénérationnelle Solidaire et l'Autonomie) is a national movement against isolation among seniors. SOS Suicide Phénix partners with MONALISA on inter-generational actions and shares epidemiological data on loneliness as a suicide risk factor.
• PapagenominorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPapageno is an organization working on suicide prevention and media reporting on suicide. Listed as a useful resource on the federation's resource page.
• PsycomminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPsycom is a French mental health information platform. Referenced as a key partner for mental health information and orientation resources.
• E.S.P.O.I.R.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerE.S.P.O.I.R. is a suicide prevention organization. Listed as a useful resource on the federation's resource page.
• Addictions FranceminorOthersAddictions France is a national organization supporting people with addiction issues. The federation refers callers with addiction-related suffering to Addictions France's resources as part of its holistic approach to mental health.
• UNAFAMminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerUNAFAM is a family association supporting people with mental illness and their families. The federation refers callers affected by psychiatric conditions such as schizophrenia to UNAFAM resources.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Lifeline Australia: Australia's primary 24/7 crisis support and suicide prevention service. International peer with similar mission of crisis line delivery, community awareness, and volunteer-based support.
• 3114 — Numéro National de Prévention du Suicide: France's official 24/7 national suicide prevention line, staffed by health professionals. SOS Suicide Phénix has a signed bilateral convention with 3114 and refers acute cases to it, making 3114 the closest direct peer in the same national crisis-support ecosystem.
• Suicide Écoute: Another long-standing French telephone-based suicide listening service, also volunteer-driven. It is the most direct functional peer to SOS Suicide Phénix in terms of service model (phone-based empathic listening for suicidal callers).
• Crisis Text Line: US-based text-based crisis support service. Represents the digital, text-first evolution of the volunteer crisis-line model that contrasts with SOS Suicide Phénix's phone/email-only delivery and signals where the sector is heading.
• 988 Suicide & Crisis Lifeline (US): The US national 24/7 suicide and crisis line. Functional counterpart to France's 3114 and indirect peer to SOS Suicide Phénix via the national crisis-line ecosystem that the federation complements.
• E.S.P.O.I.R. French suicide prevention association listed by SOS Suicide Phénix as a partner and resource. Operates in the same suicide prevention / postvention support space in France.
• Samaritans (UK & Ireland): The UK's most established volunteer-led emotional support and suicide prevention helpline. Closest international analogue to SOS Suicide Phénix in mission, volunteer-based delivery model, and federated structure.

Others

• UNAFAM: French family association supporting people with mental illness and their loved ones. SOS Suicide Phénix refers psychiatric cases (e.g., schizophrenia) to UNAFAM; they are adjacent ecosystem partners rather than direct competitors.
• Psycom: French public-information platform on mental health, with whom the federation partners for information and orientation. Acts as an upstream referrer into crisis services rather than a competing listener.

Emerging players

• Phare Enfants-Parents: French NGO focused on suicide prevention among young people and postvention support for bereaved families. Overlaps with SOS Suicide Phénix's postvention and youth-adjacent suicide prevention work but is more specialized by population.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/SOS-Suicide-Ph%C3%A9nix-Nice-172876106221722
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/sos-suicide-phenix

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles1 record

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 SOS Suicide Phénix