Departement Du Cher

What Departement Du Cher does

The Conseil Départemental du Cher is a French territorial collectivity (collectivité territoriale) founded in 1790 with its seat in Bourges, Centre-Val de Loire region. As a decentralized public authority under the French General Code of Territorial Collectivities (CGCT), it holds statutory responsibility for social welfare, departmental infrastructure, education, environmental protection, and territorial development across the Cher department. Approximately 1,600 employees deliver services spanning social action (62% of budget), roads (4,603 km), colleges (26 institutions serving 12,613 students), fire and rescue (51 centers, 1,778 personnel), environmental protection (24 Espaces Naturels Sensibles), and water management (5,570 km of waterways, 26M m³ annual drinking water production).

The Department's product portfolio centers on public service delivery rather than commercial offerings: the Cabinet Médical Itinérant mobile clinic addresses medical desertification (56 physicians per 100,000 vs 85 nationally); Concert'eau coordinates water resource management across 4,750 km² with 14 institutional partners; Cher Forêt École is a 20-hectare pedagogical forest for fire prevention training; 350 km of véloroutes including Loire à Vélo (107 km) and Canal de Berry à Vélo (190 km) serve tourism; and the Agrilocal18 platform connects local farmers with public catering. Digital services include the démarches en ligne portal (cd18prod.mgcloud.fr), scholarship simulators, and the Balade ENS18 mobile app for natural spaces. Operating subsidiaries include Cher Ingénierie des Territoires (engineering), SPL Tourisme, SDIS 18 (fire service), and Agrilocal18.

The Department is funded primarily through national taxation, state dotations, and EU co-financing (FEDER, FSE+, Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne). Pricing for direct services is publicly disclosed: health student scholarships of 500-600 EUR/month with practice commitments, housing support at 40-70 EUR/month, and free public access to most cultural and natural sites. Revenue is not disclosed in corporate terms; leadership is the elected President Jacques Fleury (since 2021) governing with 11 Vice-Presidents across portfolios including social affairs, education, environment, health, and culture. The institution has no private equity or venture capital ownership and operates exclusively within the French public administration framework.

Name

Departement Du Cher

Legal name

Conseil Départemental du Cher

Website

https://departement18.fr

Company type

Public

Founded year

1790

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1,001–5,000 employees

Short description

French departmental collectivity founded in 1790, headquartered in Bourges, delivering public services across social welfare, education, infrastructure, healthcare, and environment to Cher department residents through ~1,600 employees and statutory taxation funding.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Local Government Public Services

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Educational Services (611), Health and Welfare Funds (525120), Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Social Services (8300), Services-Educational Services (8200)

akta.pro primary industry

District Student Services Administration (Special Ed, Counseling, Health) (EDADABAJ)

akta.pro secondary industries

Off-Campus Purpose-Built Student Housing (PBSA) Management (BPAJAJAB), Donor Coordination, Monitoring & Evaluation (MEL) Programs (BPADABAN), Residential Safety, Security & Emergency Preparedness (EDALACAF)

Keywords

• Public administration services
• Departmental social welfare
• Local government services
• Territorial infrastructure management
• Public healthcare access

Headquarters

HQ city

Bourges

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices4 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Taxation and State Dotation: The primary revenue for the Department comes from national taxation allocations and state dotations. 62% of the budget is devoted to social action.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels8 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

The Conseil Départemental du Cher delivers statutory public services for the Cher department in France, including social welfare programs (RSA, APA, PCH, ASE), departmental road maintenance across 4,603 km, college education support across 26 establishments, fire and rescue funding through SDIS 18, and environmental protection over 24 Espaces Naturels Sensibles. It operates distinctive services such as the Cabinet Médical Itinérant mobile clinic addressing medical desertification, the Concert'eau water management contract, and scholarship/housing programs for health students committing to practice in underserved areas.

Product overview

Departement Du Cher operates as a French departmental council providing public services across healthcare, education, infrastructure, environment, and social welfare. The service portfolio centers on several key programs: the Cabinet Médical Itinérant mobile health clinic addressing physician shortages; Cher Santé health plan and medical student scholarship programs; Cher Forêt École forestry training center; Escapades Nature network of 24 protected natural areas; Concert'eau water management initiative; and 350km of véloroutes cycling infrastructure including Loire à Vélo and Canal de Berry. Additional services include digital administrative procedures (démarches en ligne), housing assistance (Cher Habitat), and various social welfare programs (APA, RSA, MDPH). The department maintains 4,603km of departmental roads, 26 colleges, and supports 142 libraries.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Cher Ingénierie des Territoires (CIT): Engineering structure providing advice and assistance to communes and intercommunal structures in urban development, roads, buildings, water and sanitation, sustainable development, and ICT.
• Cher Solidarités
• Cher Habitat
• Cher Forêt École
• Concert'eau
• Cabinet Médical Itinérant
• Berry Province
• Escapades Nature
• Agrilocal18

Products and services

• Cabinet Médical Itinérant Mobile medical clinic that travels to underserved areas of the Cher department (communes where no doctor is available within 20 km/20 minutes) to provide general medicine and gynecological consultations to residents without a treating physician.
• Aides à destination des étudiants en santé Scholarship and housing support program for health students (medicine, dentistry, paramedical) who commit to practicing in underserved areas of Cher. Includes monthly grants of 600 EUR for medical and dental students, 500 EUR for paramedical students, and housing support of 40-70 EUR/month.
• Plan Cher Santé Comprehensive departmental health plan addressing medical demographic challenges in Cher, one of the areas with lowest physician density in France (56 physicians per 100,000 inhabitants vs 85 nationally).
• Véloroutes du Cher Network of 350 km of cycling routes including Canal de Berry à Vélo (190 km), Loire à Vélo (107 km), Saint-Jacques à Vélo (140 km), Coeur de France à Vélo, and the Méridienne à Vélo project, with bike transport and baggage transfer services.
• Escapades Nature (Espaces Naturels Sensibles) Network of 24 protected natural spaces covering the Cher territory, with biodiversity conservation, public access, and environmental education missions including sites like Bocage de Noirlac, Lac de Sidiailles, and Tourbière des Landes.
• Concert'eau Multi-year territorial contract bringing together 14 signatories to achieve balanced and sustainable water resource management in the southern two-thirds of the Cher department, with 32 actions addressing consumption reduction and climate adaptation.
• Cher Forêt École Pedagogical forest located in Neuvy-sur-Barangeon spanning approximately 20 hectares with a pond, serving as a training and awareness center for forest fire prevention (DFCI) and climate change adaptation, developed in collaboration with the Préfecture du Cher.
• Cher Habitat Departmental housing advice and assistance service helping residents with renovation (France Rénov'), energy efficiency (ALEC 18), and housing support programs across the Cher territory.

Quantifiable outcome

• Medical density: 56 physicians per 100,000 (vs 85 nationally) - Department deploying Cabinet médical itinérant to address the deficit
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments9 records

Ideal customer profiles6 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

21 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Agence de l'eau Loire-BretagnecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Primary co-financier of the Concert'eau territorial water management contract. Funded 41.9% of the 2021-2023 action plan (1,421,000 EUR) and 43% of the 2024-2026 plan (1,403,163 EUR). Partners with the Department on water resource protection across the southern two-thirds of the Cher department.
• Etablissement Public Loire (EPLoire)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2021Appointed by the Department to ensure the overall coordination of the Concert'eau territorial contract. EPLoire handles the general animation and management of the water initiative.
• Chambre d'agriculture du ChercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerResponsible for the general agricultural animation of the Concert'eau contract given the large size of the territory, focusing on agricultural water use optimization.
• ARS Centre Val de Loire (Regional Health Agency)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-partner in the single-window service (guichet unique) for healthcare professional installation, facilitating personalized support for doctors settling in Cher.
• BGE Berry-TouraineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAssociation partner in the guichet unique for healthcare professional installation, providing business development support (conjoint employment search, premises) for doctors settling in Cher.
• Université de Tours - Department of General MedicinecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerAcademic partner enabling de-centralized master trainer physician certification in Cher. In March 2017, 14 additional master trainers were certified through training organized in Cher, addressing the previous requirement to travel to Tours.
• Conseil de l'Ordre des médecins du ChercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerMedical ethics body collaborating with the Department and University of Tours to organize decentralized master trainer physician certification, expanding training capacity in Cher.
• SAGE (Schéma d'Aménagement et de Gestion de l'Eau) entitiesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSix SAGE bodies partially covering the Cher department: Cher amont, Cher aval, Yèvre Auron, Sauldre (in elaboration), Allier Aval, and Creuse (carried by EPTB Vienne). The water department participates in SAGE management.
• FDAAPPMA-18 (Fédération départementale des associations agréées pour la pêche)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental fishing federation partnered in river management through ASTER cell support and waterway restoration projects.
• Préfecture du ChercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPrefecture of Cher collaborating closely with the Department on the Cher Forêt École project to combat forest fires. A convention signed in March enabled the development of the pedagogical forest space at Neuvy-sur-Barangeon.
• Commission des financeurs de la prévention de la perte d'autonomiecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerJoint initiative of Department, Carsat Centre Val de Loire, ARS, and MSA Beauce Cœur de Loire to fund prevention of loss of autonomy projects for people aged 60+ through annual calls for projects.
• Loire à Vélo network (connected to EuroVelo 6)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerThe Cher section of Loire à Vélo (107 km) connects to EuroVelo 6 (Atlantic to Black Sea) and 9 other véloroutes and 13 loop networks, bringing international cycling tourism to the department.
• Syndicat du Canal de BerryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRiver syndicate managing Canal de Berry development and promotion; collaborates with Department on véloroute development and waterway heritage.
• Ad2T - Agence d'attractivité Tourisme et Territoire du ChercoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartment-funded tourism development agency ensuring development and promotional marketing of Cher's tourism assets, including cycling routes, natural spaces, and cultural heritage.
• Conservatoire d'espaces naturels Centre-Val de LoireminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerRegional conservatory partnering on ENS management and nature events including wildlife observation, habitat restoration, and invasive species removal at sites like Iles de la Gargaude.
• Nature 18minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerDepartmental nature association organizing ENS activities including butterfly discovery, nature photography, and children's nature camps (Connaître et Protéger la Nature summer camp).
• Val de BerryminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a departmental partner organization for territorial cooperation.
• CAUE du Cher (Conseil d'Architecture, d'Urbanisme et de l'Environnement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a departmental partner organization for urban planning and environmental advice.
• Sem TerritoriaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a departmental partner organization for territorial engineering and development.
• ADIL 18 (Agence Départementale d'Information sur le Logement)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerListed as a departmental partner for housing information and advice services.
• GIP TeranaminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSince 1 July 2020, the departmental analysis laboratory was transferred to GIP Terana (Groupement d'Intérêt Public), previously a departmental service.

Scale indicators20 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Direct peers

• Conseil Départemental du Loiret: Another departmental collectivity in Centre-Val de Loire, sharing regional planning and transport coordination with Cher. Comparable statutory remit (RSA, APA, PCH, ASE, collèges, roads) and budget scale, with similar reliance on state dotations.
• Conseil Départemental de l'Allier: Departmental collectivity that shares the Concert'eau territorial water management perimeter with Cher via SAGE Allier Aval. Comparable scope of social welfare, infrastructure, and environmental responsibilities.
• Conseil Départemental du Loir-et-Cher: Departmental collectivity in Centre-Val de Loire with comparable statutory remit, including social welfare, collèges, and road infrastructure. Provides a directly comparable benchmark for budget execution and rural service delivery.
• Conseil Départemental de l'Eure-et-Loir: Departmental collectivity in the same Centre-Val de Loire region, exercising the same statutory social, educational, and infrastructure responsibilities as Cher. Comparable scale and rural-urban mix.
• Conseil Départemental de la Nièvre: Departmental collectivity in Burgundy with similar rural and demographic profile to Cher, including comparable medical desertification challenges. Useful peer for benchmarking health-access and rural-development interventions.
• Conseil Départemental de l'Indre: Neighboring French departmental collectivity in the same Centre-Val de Loire region with a similar rural profile, jointly developing the Berry Province tourism brand with Cher. Directly comparable in scope of statutory responsibilities and demographic challenges.

Broad incumbents

• Conseil Départemental du Puy-de-Dôme: Larger departmental collectivity in Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes with broader urban-rural mix but identical statutory remit. Useful benchmark for cycling infrastructure scale (Véloroutes), water governance, and youth engagement programs at greater scale.
• Conseil Départemental de la Gironde: Large departmental collectivity exercising the same statutory responsibilities (RSA, APA, collèges, roads, environment, culture) at substantially greater budget scale. Relevant peer for understanding how larger departments structure social action (62% of budget in Cher) and digital service platforms.

Others

• Agence de l'eau Loire-Bretagne: Public basin agency co-financing the Concert'eau territorial contract and other water initiatives in Cher. Adjacent enabling institution, not a peer in the deliver-services sense, but a structural counterparty shaping fiscal capacity for environmental programs.
• Région Centre-Val de Loire: Regional authority that co-finances departmental investments (college renovations, véloroutes, training programs) and shares policy alignment with Cher. Adjacent enabling partner rather than direct competitor.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xthreads.net/@departementducher
• YouTubeyoutube.com/@departementducher
• Facebookfacebook.com/departementducher
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/departement-du-cher
• Instagraminstagram.com/departementducher

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles14 records

Subsidiaries4 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 Departement Du Cher