Qualisport

What Qualisport does

Qualisport is a French non-profit association (Association loi 1901) founded in 1976 that operates the only sports and leisure equipment qualification system in France. Its core function is to qualify and list companies involved in the design, construction, equipment, and maintenance of sports and leisure facilities — currently encompassing 150+ qualified companies across nine activity domains (sports surfaces, sports buildings, pools, ice rinks, sports equipment, programming and engineering, recreational developments, maintenance, and skateparks) with 140+ qualifications in the 2026 catalog. The qualification process is governed by the NF X 50 091 standard, with independent juries reviewing dossiers annually, supported by expert committees and an appeals process; Qualisport holds permanent membership in the Commission Nationale de Sécurité des Enceintes Sportives (CNSES) and is formally recognized by the French Ministry of Sports.

The association's core product is the annual qualification certificate, complemented by a searchable public directory of qualified companies (qualisport.fr), a member portal (qualisport.pro), technical documentation and capacity certificates, and supporting publications including a white paper on public procurement and an illustrated book. In 2025, Qualisport launched the Passeport RSE, an ISO 26000-inspired CSR assessment module for qualified companies, and co-created QUALICONFORM (June 2025), an independent association to audit qualification bodies. Revenue is generated through annual subscription fees paid by qualified companies, calculated as administrative fees plus a percentage of each member's sports and leisure revenue, with fee schedules set by the General Assembly. The customer base is two-sided: paying members (qualified companies, primarily SMEs in sports infrastructure) and free-to-access public buyers (French communes, EPCI, maîtres d'ouvrage) who use the directory to verify supplier competence under the Code de la Commande Publique. Distribution is primarily direct through the website directory, supported by industry events, white papers, and partnerships with insurance (SMABTP) and territorial engineering associations (AITF).

Name

Qualisport

Legal name

QUALISPORT - Association loi 1901

Website

https://qualisport.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1976

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Qualisport is a French non-profit association founded in 1976 that qualifies and certifies companies involved in the construction, equipment, and maintenance of sports and leisure facilities, serving French public buyers and the 150+ qualified member firms across nine activity domains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Construction Qualification and Certification Services

NAICS

Fitness and Recreational Sports Centers (71394)

SIC

Services-Membership Sports & Recreation Clubs (7997)

akta.pro primary industry

Awarding Organizations & Credentialing Bodies (Certificates/Diplomas) (EDADAFAC)

akta.pro secondary industry

Qualifications & Credit Framework Authorities (EDADAEAD)

Keywords

• Sports facility qualification
• Company certification services
• Public procurement qualification
• Sports equipment certification
• Construction qualification body

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Annual Qualification Fees: Qualisport charges annual fees to qualified companies comprising administrative/management costs plus a subscription calculated based on the company's last sports & leisure revenue (CA sport & loisirs). Fee schedules are decided by the General Assembly.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Qualisport qualifies and certifies companies that design, build, equip, and maintain sports and leisure facilities in France, awarding annual qualification certificates after independent jury review of technical, financial, and professional dossiers. The qualification covers 9 activity domains (sports surfaces, sports buildings, swimming pools, ice rinks, sports equipment, programming/engineering, recreational developments, maintenance, skateparks) and serves as an objective reference for public procurement buyers and private clients selecting providers under the Code de la Commande Publique.

Product overview

Qualisport is a qualification association (Association loi 1901) founded in 1976 that operates the only sports and leisure equipment qualification system in France. The organization offers a unified qualification platform through its core 'Qualification de entreprises' service, which grants certificates to companies after independent jury review. Supporting this core offering are complementary products: the 'Passeport RSE' (add-on sustainability assessment module launched in 2025), the 'Annuaire des qualifiés' (searchable directory of verified companies), technical documentation and capacity certificates, and two publications (the 'Livre Blanc' white paper on public procurement and the 'Livre - Construire le sport demain' illustrated book). The qualification covers 9 activity domains including sports surfaces, buildings, pools, ice rinks, sports equipment, programming and engineering, recreational developments, maintenance, and skateparks, with 140 qualifications in the 2026 catalog.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Qualification de entreprises (Company Qualification) Annual qualification certificates granted to sports and leisure equipment companies after independent jury review of technical, professional, and financial dossiers; covers 9 activity domains (sports surfaces, sports buildings, swimming pools, ice rinks, sports equipment, programming/engineering, recreational developments, maintenance, skateparks) and serves as an objective reference for public procurement under the Code de la Commande Publique.
• Passeport RSE (CSR Passport) Add-on Corporate Social Responsibility assessment tool inspired by ISO 26000, enabling sports and leisure construction companies to evaluate and showcase their environmental and societal commitments for recognition by public and private clients.
• Annuaire des qualifiés (Qualified Companies Directory) Searchable online directory of over 150 Qualisport-qualified companies across 9 activity areas, allowing public and private buyers to find and verify qualified service providers in real time by department, activity type, and qualification category.
• Certificats de capacité (Capacity Certificates) Capacity certificates issued for specific sports equipment categories including indoor/outdoor sports surfaces, tennis, athletic fields, sports buildings, family and collective pools, ice rinks, prefabricated metal-frame stands, programming and sports engineering, and recreational developments.

Quantifiable outcome

• 60% of public project owners mention Qualisport in their calls for tender
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers4 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles2 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Eight partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• QUALICONFORMcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025Newly created association (June 2025) to audit qualification organisms like Qualisport. René Gamba serves as President. This partnership completes the 'virtuous circle of trust' by adding independent auditing to the qualification process.
• Terrains de Sports MagazineminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading magazine for local authorities on outdoor and indoor sports facility management. Offers 10% discount to Qualisport members. 6 issues/year plus 2 newsletters/month.
• SMABTPcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInsurance mutual providing professional liability, decennial, and other insurance solutions. Offers preferential rates for civil liability and decennial insurance to Qualisport qualified companies.
• UNSFA (Union Nationale des Syndicats Français d'Architectes)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerLeading professional organization for architects in France. Supports Qualisport's white paper on public procurement and qualification.
• AITF (Association des Ingénieurs Territoriaux de France)coreGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation representing territorial engineers with sections across France. Partnership renewed in 2024 for joint actions on sports facility development.
• ANDIISS (Association Nationale des Directeurs et Intervenants d'Installations et des Services des Sports)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerNational association of sports facility directors with over 600 members. Supports Qualisport's white paper.
• GIP Skatepark de FranceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGroupement representing skatepark professionals. Informal collaboration for several years with joint participation in qualification standards development.
• DoubleTrademinorGTM or Marketing PartnerBusiness intelligence solution helping clients identify public procurement opportunities.

Scale indicators9 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• Bureau Veritas: Global testing, inspection and certification (TIC) major. Although not specialized in sports facility qualification, Bureau Veritas is a comparable 'qualification/certification body' archetype and a credible entrant if the French sports qualification market scales.
• AFNOR Certification: France's national standards and certification body. Qualisport's NF X 50 091 compliance is verified under AFNOR-aligned oversight; AFNOR is a broad incumbent whose general certification portfolio could expand into Qualisport's sports niche.
• Intertek: Global TIC provider with presence in France offering certification, inspection and testing. Comparable business model archetype (third-party qualification) and a credible broad-incumbent peer.
• SGS: Swiss-headquartered global TIC leader offering certification services across industries. Structurally comparable to Qualisport as a certification provider and a potential large-scale competitor in sports facility compliance.
• TÜV Rheinland France: Global testing and certification group with French operations. Comparable as a multi-domain certification incumbent that could replicate Qualisport's niche at significantly greater scale.

Others

• Fédération Française du Bâtiment (FFB): France's main construction industry federation representing building professionals. Adjacent/ecosystem peer — both organizations interact with the same pool of sports facility construction firms, and FFB represents a channel or competitive influence on Qualisport's membership base.

Emerging players

• QUALICONFORM: Newly formed French association (June 2025) explicitly created to audit qualification organisms such as Qualisport. As a same-country entrant in the qualification ecosystem, it is structurally comparable and could evolve into either a competitor or a regulator-adjacent partner.

Direct peers

• CERTIVEA: French certification body focused on HQE (High Environmental Quality) for buildings including sports facilities. It is the closest direct peer to Qualisport, already operating as a listed 'interested party' collaborator and addressing overlapping buyer needs in sports infrastructure qualification.
• PRELUD: French technical expertise firm specializing in safety verification of play and sports equipment, including mandatory first-installation controls and compliance audits. Comparable niche overlap in certifying competence for sports facility installation.
• Agence Qualité Construction (AQC): French construction quality agency recognized as of general interest, addressing defect prevention and construction quality. Directly comparable to Qualisport's mandate around quality assurance in a sports/construction niche.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/Rom1QS
• Facebookfacebook.com/Qualisport.sport.et.loisirs
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/qualisport

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles2 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 Qualisport