Surfrider Foundation Europe

What Surfrider Foundation Europe does

Surfrider Foundation Europe is a French-headquartered non-profit environmental organization (association loi 1901) founded in 1991, registered in Bayonne (RCS 388734220) with its European headquarters at 33 allée du Moura, Biarritz. Its mission is the protection of oceans, coastlines, and aquatic ecosystems through three engagement pillars: plastic pollution reduction, healthy aquatic environments, and sustainable coastal management. The organization operates across 13 European countries with 48 local volunteer groups and national entities in Spain, Belgium, Germany, the Netherlands, and Portugal, supported by 57 salaried employees in France and territorial offices in Marseille, Bordeaux, Paris, and Brussels.

The organization's core offerings are structured around citizen science programs that generate scientific evidence to drive advocacy. Flagship programs include Retrace! (flagship beach/lake/river waste collection), OSPAR (harmonized quarterly European marine litter monitoring), Plastic Origins (six-year riverine plastic tracking), SeaClic (fixed-point coastal photography monitoring), and the 2025 PFAS Study covering 107 coastal and freshwater sites with 58 PFAS compounds analyzed by Eurofins, producing over 6,200 results. Complementary programs include the Ocean Friendly Restaurants charter (9 mandatory + 7+ optional criteria for certified restaurants), Act! with Surfrider (commercial subsidiary for corporate employee engagement), the L'Écho Bleu newsletter, the Ma Vie Sans Plastique digital challenge, and an e-commerce shop at shop.surfrider.eu.

Surfrider's revenue model combines philanthropic, subscription, e-commerce, and professional services streams. Individual donations constitute approximately 50% of the total budget and benefit from a 66% French income tax deduction. Recurring annual membership fees (Adhésion, Surfrider Blue), ethical savings products (Épargne Solidaire), merchandise sales, EU grants (notably LIFE Programme), and corporate fees from the Act! with Surfrider subsidiary round out the funding base. Primary customer segments are individual citizens and activists, corporate clients seeking CSR/RSE programs, restaurants pursuing sustainability certification, and local authorities who use Surfrider's citizen science data for policy decisions (e.g., Landunvez Zone à Enjeux Sanitaires designation). In May 2026, the organization announced an economic restructuring reducing fewer than 10 of 57 French positions to restore budgetary balance by 2027.

Name

Surfrider Foundation Europe

Legal name

Surfrider Foundation Association

Website

https://surfrider.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

1991

Operating status

Operating

Short description

Surfrider Foundation Europe is a French non-profit environmental NGO founded in 1991 that protects oceans through citizen science data collection, policy advocacy, and community mobilization across 13 European countries with 48 volunteer groups and 57 employees.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Environmental Advocacy & Ocean Conservation

NAICS

Environment, Conservation and Wildlife Organizations (813312), Grantmaking Foundations (813211)

akta.pro primary industry

Marine & Freshwater Conservation (BPAGAGAE)

akta.pro secondary industries

Marine Conservation & Citizen-Science Experiences (reef monitoring, turtle walks) (THAAAIAH), Oceans, Coastal & Marine Resource Management (BPADALAI)

Keywords

• Ocean protection advocacy
• Citizen science programs
• Marine pollution research
• Environmental education services
• Corporate sustainability engagement

Headquarters

HQ city

Biarritz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices6 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

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

Revenue model

1. Individual Donations: Individual donations represent 50% of the organization's total budget. Donors receive a 66% tax deduction benefit, making a €100 donation cost only €34 to the giver after tax benefit.
2. Membership Fees (Adhésion): Annual membership fees from individual supporters who join as paying members of the association.
3. E-commerce Shop: Sale of eco-responsible products through the online store (shop.surfrider.eu) featuring merchandise designed to combine environmental commitment with respect for the environment.
4. Act! with Surfrider Corporate Engagement: Commercial subsidiary providing corporate sustainability services including team-building eco-citizen events and employee sensitization programs. Revenue supports both the service delivery and finances Surfrider's social mission.
5. Solidarity Savings (Épargne Solidaire): Ethical banking/savings products where a portion of savings is directed to fund environmental protection activities.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion3 records

Distribution channels6 records

Marketing channels8 records

Core offering

Surfrider Foundation Europe is a non-profit association that runs citizen science programs (Retrace!, Plastic Origins, OSPAR, SeaClic, PFAS Study), advocacy campaigns, and education initiatives to protect the ocean from plastic, chemical, and bacterial pollution. It also generates revenue through donations, an online shop, membership fees, and corporate sustainability services delivered via its wholly-owned subsidiary Act! with Surfrider.

Product overview

Surfrider Foundation Europe is an environmental NGO operating as a unified advocacy organization rather than a technology product platform. Its offerings consist of citizen science programs (Retrace!, Plastic Origins, OSPAR, SeaClic, PFAS Study Campaign), certification programs (Ocean Friendly Restaurants), corporate engagement services (Act! with Surfrider), public education tools (L'Écho Bleu newsletter, Ma Vie Sans Plastique challenge), and an e-commerce shop. These programs work together to collect scientific data on marine pollution, advocate for policy change, engage citizens and businesses in ocean protection, and fund the organization's mission through donations and merchandise sales.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Surfrider Blue: A membership/donor program enabling supporters to join and financially contribute to Surfrider's ocean protection mission.
• Initiatives Océanes
• Retrace!
• Ocean Friendly Restaurants
• Ma Vie Sans Plastique
• PFAS Study 2025

Products and services

• Act! with Surfrider Corporate environmental engagement and employee sensitization program offering eco-citizen team-building activities (beach cleanups, kayaking Initiatives Océanes, DIY workshops, Fresque sessions) and digital masterclasses on plastic pollution, climate, and ocean topics to help companies meet their CSR/RSE goals. Revenue from these services funds Surfrider's mission.
• Retrace! Citizen science project where volunteers organize waste collection events on beaches, lakes, and rivers. Participants collect, sort, and categorize waste according to scientifically recognized protocols to generate actionable data on aquatic waste sources. Data feeds the OSPAR harmonized European monitoring dataset used for marine litter trend tracking.
• Plastic Origins Citizen science initiative focused on tracking and understanding plastic pollution in rivers, enabling trained volunteers to document and analyze plastic debris flows through waterways over a six-year period.
• Ocean Friendly Restaurants Eco-responsibility charter that certifies and supports restaurants adopting environmentally friendly practices, covering 9 mandatory criteria and 22 optional criteria on plastic reduction, sustainable sourcing, waste management, and water/energy conservation. Participating restaurants gain visibility on Surfrider's interactive map, Mapstr integration, social media promotion, and eligibility to host volunteer events.
• OSPAR monitoring Harmonized European citizen science protocol requiring waste collection 4 times annually at fixed sites to generate comparable, longitudinal marine litter data across countries for regional environmental assessment.
• PFAS Study Campaign 2025 Citizen science study analyzing PFAS (per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances) contamination across 107 sites (80 coastal and 27 freshwater beaches) in France, with 58 PFAS molecules analyzed and over 6,200 results generated. Developed with Eurofins laboratory using standardized protocols. Found TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) in 100% of samples and PFOS exceeding EU limits on 78% of freshwater and 44% of coastal sites.
• SeaClic Coastal monitoring project enabling citizens to become sentinels of the coastline by photographing changes from fixed vantage points, creating a longitudinal visual record of littoral evolution and erosion patterns.
• Ma Vie Sans Plastique Month-long digital challenge with weekly email actions and accessible tips to help participants reduce plastic consumption in their daily lives, with collective impact tracking across the community.
• L'Écho Bleu newsletter Monthly newsletter (published around the 10th-15th of each month) delivering accessible ocean education content, campaign updates, key statistics, cultural recommendations, and Surfrider news in an approachable, humorous tone to supporters and donors.
• Surfrider Online Shop E-commerce platform (shop.surfrider.eu) selling eco-responsible merchandise including apparel and accessories. Products are designed to combine environmental commitment with style, and proceeds support Surfrider's ocean protection mission.

Quantifiable outcome

• TFA (trifluoroacetic acid) detected in 100% of 107 water samples in PFAS study, with up to 19 distinct PFAS identified on a single site. PFOS exceeded EU maximum allowed values on 78% of freshwater sites and 44% of coastal sites.
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature5 records

Partnerships

15 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Zero Waste FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 13 August 2025Joint press release rejecting the Chair's proposed international plastic treaty text at INC 5.2 negotiations in Geneva. Both organizations called for rejection of the weak proposal and demanded work on an ambitious text reflecting the proposals of over 100 ambitious countries. Demonstrates coalition coordination in EU environmental advocacy.
• Eurofins LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2025Eurofins provided laboratory analysis services for Surfrider's landmark PFAS study covering 107 sites across France. The laboratory applied standardized analytical methods to quantify 58 PFAS compounds across coastal and freshwater samples, generating over 6,200 results. This partnership enabled Surfrider's citizen science network to produce scientifically rigorous data on 'forever chemical' contamination in recreational waters.
• Break Free From Plastic CoalitioncoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurfrider is a member of the Break Free From Plastic movement, a global coalition organizing collective actions and manifestations throughout plastic treaty negotiations. The coalition represents a unified civil society voice advocating for binding obligations versus voluntary measures in international plastic governance.
• Rethink Plastic AlliancecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerSurfrider is a member of the Rethink Plastic coalition, a European NGO alliance working to reduce plastic pollution. Surfrider co-authored the comprehensive mid-term evaluation report on EU Single-Use Plastic Directive implementation with Rethink Plastic and Break Free From Plastic, assessing member state performance across 9 EU countries.
• Fondation Tara OcéanminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-signed the June 2025 joint NGO tribune calling for an ambitious 'Plan Plastique' with 15 concrete proposals to address plastic pollution transversally, including source reduction, industrial obligations, natural environment protection, and health consequence prevention.
• Notre Affaire à TousminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-signed the joint NGO tribune on plastic pollution with 15 proposals for structural solutions, published June 2025 in Vert le média as part of coordinated civil society advocacy.
• Fondation de la MerminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCo-signed the joint NGO tribune on plastic pollution published June 2025, contributing to a coalition of approximately 10+ organizations calling for ambitious French and EU plastic policy.
• MapstrminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership for Ocean Friendly Restaurants visibility. Mapstr application provides Surfrider's European restaurant network with interactive mapping functionality, enabling environmentally conscious consumers to locate and navigate to certified sustainable dining establishments.
• Comité National Contre le Tabagisme (CNCT)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner at INC 5.2 negotiations advocating for inclusion of plastic cigarette filters (97% plastic composition) in the list of products to ban under the international plastic treaty. Plastic filters represent the most collected waste item in environmental cleanups.
• Smoke Free PartnershipminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner at INC 5.2 advocating for plastic cigarette filter restrictions in the international plastic treaty framework.
• Stop Tobacco Pollution AllianceminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCoalition partner working alongside Surfrider at INC 5.2 negotiations to address plastic cigarette filter pollution through binding treaty provisions.
• Agence Ici BarbèsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerCreative agency partner that developed Surfrider's awareness campaign against single-use plastic containers in take-away food service. The campaign was produced for Plastic Free July and included visual materials denouncing environmental and health impacts of single-use food packaging.
• BRGM (Bureau de Recherches Géologiques et Minières)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerScientific expert partner at the 'Municipales 2026: quel avenir pour nos littoraux?' conference organized by Surfrider. BRGM contributed geological and hydrological expertise on coastal erosion, submersion dynamics, and shoreline management.
• I4CE (Institut de l'Économie pour le Climat)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEconomic analysis partner at the 'Municipales 2026' conference, presenting financial and economic dimensions of coastal adaptation policies and costs of inaction on climate adaptation at the municipal level.
• France Villes et Territoires DurablesminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner at the 'Municipales 2026' conference sharing experience in supporting municipalities with resilient transition and sustainable coastal area management.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• The 5 Gyres Institute: Research and advocacy organization focused on plastic pollution, particularly microplastics. Comparable in combining citizen-science research with policy advocacy targeting plastic regulation.
• Plastic Pollution Coalition: Global alliance working to end plastic pollution through advocacy, education, and coalition-building. Comparable focus on plastic policy outcomes and shared membership in Break Free From Plastic coalition.

Broad incumbents

• WWF: One of the world's largest conservation organizations with significant marine/ocean programs. Comparable as a major environmental NGO competing for donations and policy influence across European jurisdictions.
• Environmental Defense Fund: Major US-based environmental NGO with significant European programs on climate, oceans, and plastics. Comparable as a science-driven advocacy organization competing for philanthropic funding and policy influence.
• Greenpeace: Global environmental advocacy organization operating across climate, oceans, plastic pollution, and biodiversity. Directly comparable as a large NGO competitor for donor mindshare, media coverage, and policy advocacy influence in Europe.

Direct peers

• Oceana: International ocean-focused advocacy organization running science-based campaigns on plastic pollution, fisheries, and marine habitat protection. Highly comparable mission focus and advocacy-driven model, though based in the US with European operations.
• Sea Shepherd: Marine conservation organization focused on ocean ecosystem protection through direct action campaigns and advocacy. Comparable mission and grassroots activist positioning, with overlapping European donor base.
• Fondation Tara Océan: French ocean-focused foundation operating the schooner Tara for scientific expeditions and ocean advocacy. Direct partner of Surfrider on the June 2025 'Plan Plastique' tribune and a peer in the European ocean-conservation space.
• Zero Waste France: French NGO dedicated to eliminating waste, particularly plastic packaging. Direct coalition partner with Surfrider on plastic treaty advocacy and a natural peer in the French environmental NGO ecosystem.
• Surfrider Foundation (USA): The American sister organization of Surfrider Foundation Europe, founded earlier and operating in the same ocean-protection space with citizen science and advocacy programs. Most directly comparable peer given shared brand origin and mission.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/surfriderfrance
• LinkedInfr.linkedin.com/company/surfridereurope
• Instagraminstagram.com/surfriderfrance
• TikToktiktok.com/@surfriderfrance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries1 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 Surfrider Foundation Europe