Les Petits Debrouillards Paca
Les Petits Débrouillards Paca is the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regional branch of a French non-profit association delivering popular science education through workshops, training, exhibitions, and community programs to children, youth, educators, and local authorities.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded1986
- HeadquartersMarseille, France
- Headcount1,001–5,000
- GTM typeB2B and B2C
- OfferingServices
What Les Petits Debrouillards Paca does
Les Petits Débrouillards Paca is the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regional branch of the French non-profit association Association des Petits Débrouillards, founded in 1986 and headquartered nationally in Paris, with the PACA regional headquarters located at the Technopole Château Gombert in Marseille and six sub-antennas covering the Alpes-Maritimes (Nice), Var (Ollioules), Vaucluse (Avignon), Alpes-de-Haute-Provence (Manosque), and Bouches-du-Rhône (Marseille) departments. The organization delivers popular science education ('éducation populaire') to children, youth, educators, and local communities through hands-on scientific experimentation, with the explicit pedagogical philosophy of 'faire pour comprendre, comprendre pour agir' and a démarche scientifique combining observation, questioning, experimentation, debate, and conclusion.
Its product portfolio is a platform of interconnected educational offerings organized around three thematic programs — digital education, ecological and social transitions, and 'être humain, vivre ensemble' — supported by recurring animations (Les Clubs, Mini-stages, Science Tour, 'Débattre sans se battre'), professional training for educators, twelve traveling interactive exhibitions co-produced with research institutions (INSERM, INRAE, Universcience, Ifremer), a publishing imprint (Encyclopédie des Petits Débrouillards, Sciences en poche), eleven pedagogical trunks ('malles pédagogiques'), panel poster exhibitions, tailored project consulting for municipalities and schools, and participatory digital platforms (Wikidéb Brouillard, LesTaxinomes.org, CoteACote.org, Treck TIC).
The association operates as an association loi 1901 of general interest, financed through a hybrid of membership fees and donations (collected via HelloAsso), recurring public grants from at least five national ministries (Culture, National Education, Ecological Transition, Higher Education, Overseas) and agencies (ADEME, FONJEP, CNAF), regional councils (Occitanie, Nouvelle-Aquitaine, PACA), and corporate and philanthropic foundations (Fondation de France, Fondation SNCF, Fondation Lilian Thuram). Its go-to-market is community-led, relying on the network of 60 territorial antennas, roughly 3,000 animators and volunteers, more than 100 service-civique volunteers, and approximately 200 permanent employees to deliver activities directly in schools, leisure centers, and public spaces. No commercial pricing applies.
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- Les Petits Debrouillards Paca
- Legal name
- Association des Petits Débrouillards
- Website
- https://lespetitsdebrouillards.org
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 1986
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 1,001–5,000 employees
- Short description
- Les Petits Débrouillards Paca is the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur regional branch of a French non-profit association delivering popular science education through workshops, training, exhibitions, and community programs to children, youth, educators, and local authorities.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca industry classification
Industry- Product category
- Science Education Services
- SIC
- Services-Educational Services (8200)
- akta.pro primary industry
- Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs) (EDAMABAA)
- akta.pro secondary industries
- Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology) (EDAMABAB), Children’s Nonfiction Educational (Science, History, Nature) (EDAGAIAC), Debate Curriculum, Lesson Plans & Instructional Materials Publishers (EDAMAOAM)
Keywords
Where Les Petits Debrouillards Paca is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Marseille
- HQ country
- France
- HQ region
- Europe
Offices6 records
Markets served
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2B and B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Supply Chain, Others
Revenue model
- Membership subscriptions: Adhésion (membership) fees from individual members who support the association's mission of promoting scientific culture for all, particularly children and youth
- Public funding and grants: Support from government ministries including Ministry of Culture, Ministry of Ecological Transition, Ministry of National Education, Ministry of Higher Education, Ministry of Overseas, as well as regional councils and local authorities
- Donations: Financial contributions from supporters to fund actions fighting against obscurantism and promoting critical thinking
Go-to-market motion1 record
Distribution channels1 record
Marketing channels8 records
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca product offering
Product offeringCore offering
Les Petits Débrouillards PACA delivers popular science education and scientific mediation through a network of hands-on activities for children and youth, professional training for educators and animators, traveling interactive exhibitions, pedagogical trunks, books and digital platforms. Operating under the philosophy "faire pour comprendre, comprendre pour agir," it combines observation, experimentation, debate and critical thinking to make science accessible across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
Product overview
Les Petits Débrouillards is a French popular science education association (founded 1986) operating as a network of 60 territorial branches across 12 regions. Its portfolio is a platform of interconnected educational products and services centered on science-based popular education: thematic programs (digital education, ecological transitions, being human-living together), hands-on animations (clubs, mini-workshops, Science Tour), professional training for educators, 12 interactive traveling exhibitions, book collections (Encyclopédie, Sciences en poche, age-specific series), 11 pedagogical trunks, panel poster exhibitions, tailored project consulting services, and 5 participatory digital platforms (including Le Wikidébrouillard collaborative encyclopedia). The network also runs advocacy campaigns, youth congresses, and publishes annual reports and strategic documents. All offerings share a common pedagogical philosophy of 'faire pour comprendre, comprendre pour agir' (learning by doing), emphasizing curiosity, critical thinking, and democratic scientific inquiry.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Companies that use Les Petits Debrouillards Paca
Customer profileSegments4 records
Ideal customer profiles4 records
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca technology and API
TechnologyAPI detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
Feature1 record
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
14 partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.
- Ministère de la CulturecoreNational ministry providing institutional support and funding for cultural and educational initiatives in scientific mediation
- Ministère de l'Éducation NationalecoreNational education ministry supporting school-based scientific education programs and curricula development
- Ministère de la Transition Écologique et SolidairecoreMinistry supporting environmental education and ecological transition initiatives
- ADEME (Agence de la Transition Écologique)coreEnvironmental transition agency providing funding and expertise for sustainability education programs; awarded Prix Planète gagnante
- Fondation de FrancemajorMajor French philanthropy foundation supporting various social and educational projects
- Fondation Lilian ThurammajorFoundation co-developing educational tools against racism and discrimination, including the 'Le Racisme, comprendre pour mieux agir' parcours
- Fondation SNCFmajorCorporate foundation supporting educational and mobility-related initiatives
- CRID (Centre de Recherche et d'Information pour le Développement)coreDevelopment research and information center collaborating on international solidarity and development education
- UniversciencecorePublic institution combining Palais de la Découverte and Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie; partner for interactive exhibitions
- INSERMcoreFrench National Institute of Health and Medical Research; scientific partner for health-related exhibitions and content
- INRAEcoreNational Research Institute for Agriculture, Food and Environment; partner for biodiversity and agricultural science programs
- GoogleminorTechnology company supporting digital education initiatives
- IfremermajorFrench Research Institute for Exploitation of the Sea; partner for ocean education programs and UNOC3 exhibition
- Mouvement AssociatifcoreNational associative movement federation representing French associations; co-signatory of mobilization calls and shared advocacy initiatives
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves5 records
Expansion highlights6 records
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- Les Francas: Major French federation of youth popular-education associations with territorial antennas — directly comparable non-formal education delivery structure and pedagogical values (éducation populaire).
- Fédération Léo Lagrange: French federation operating leisure, youth, and socio-educational activities including science and digital programs — comparable popular-education network model serving municipalities and youth audiences.
- Ligue de l'Enseignement: France's largest secular popular-education federation, with a comparable decentralized network of local associations delivering extracurricular activities including scientific culture — similar scale and mission breadth.
- Centre Sciences: Regional CCSTI (Centre de Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industrielle) coordinating science-culture events and exhibitions in the Centre-Val de Loire region — directly comparable territory-based science mediation mission.
- Association Française d'Astronomie (AFA): French nonprofit delivering astronomy clubs, observations, and educational activities for youth — comparable hands-on science pedagogy and association loi 1901 structure, though narrower thematic focus.
- Planète Sciences: French nonprofit running hands-on science and technology activities (clubs, camps, aerospace projects) for youth — almost identical mission, methodology, and target audience to Les Petits Débrouillards.
- AMCSTI (Association des Musées et Centres pour le Développement de la Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industrielle): National network coordinating French science centers, museums, and CCSTIs — comparable federated-network structure aiming to expand scientific culture across territories, overlapping with Les Petits Débrouillards' institutional positioning.
- La Main à la Pâte: French foundation dedicated to inquiry-based science education in primary schools, sharing the démarche scientifique pedagogical philosophy and school-channel delivery model of Les Petits Débrouillards.
Broad incumbents
- Universcience: Public institution combining the Palais de la Découverte and Cité des Sciences et de l'Industrie — addresses the same scientific-culture mission at a much larger national scale, with which Les Petits Débrouillards partners on exhibitions.
Emerging players
- Réseau Français des FabLabs: Network of makerspaces offering hands-on experimentation, prototyping, and informal STEM learning — adjacent to the association's pedagogical territory with partial overlap on DIY scientific exploration for youth.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat6 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights6 records
Customer concentration
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca social profiles
Digital presenceLes Petits Debrouillards Paca financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about Les Petits Debrouillards Paca
What does Les Petits Debrouillards Paca do?
Les Petits Débrouillards PACA delivers popular science education and scientific mediation through a network of hands-on activities for children and youth, professional training for educators and animators, traveling interactive exhibitions, pedagogical trunks, books and digital platforms. Operating under the philosophy "faire pour comprendre, comprendre pour agir," it combines observation, experimentation, debate and critical thinking to make science accessible across the Provence-Alpes-Côte d'Azur region.
Is Les Petits Debrouillards Paca a public or private company?
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca is a private company. It is currently operating.
When was Les Petits Debrouillards Paca founded?
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca was founded in 1986. It employs 1,001 to 5,000 people.
Where is Les Petits Debrouillards Paca based?
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca is headquartered in Marseille, France, in the Europe region.
How does Les Petits Debrouillards Paca make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Membership subscriptions are the primary driver. The others are public funding and grants and donations.
Who are Les Petits Debrouillards Paca's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are Les Francas, Fédération Léo Lagrange, Ligue de l'Enseignement, Centre Sciences, Association Française d'Astronomie (AFA), Planète Sciences, AMCSTI (Association des Musées et Centres pour le Développement de la Culture Scientifique, Technique et Industrielle) and La Main à la Pâte. Universcience is listed as a broad incumbent. Réseau Français des FabLabs is listed as an emerging player.
Does Les Petits Debrouillards Paca have an API?
No public API is recorded for Les Petits Debrouillards Paca.
What industry is Les Petits Debrouillards Paca in?
Les Petits Debrouillards Paca's product category is Science Education Services. Its primary akta.pro industry code is EDAMABAA, Hands-on Science Exploration & Experiments (Lab Kits, Science Clubs), with a secondary code of EDAMABAB, Science Camps & Field Programs (Nature, Space, Marine, Geology). Its SIC code is 8200.