KABIA - Maison de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire en Pays Basque

What KABIA - Maison de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire en Pays Basque does

KABIA — Maison de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire en Pays Basque — is a French non-profit association (Association loi 1901) headquartered at 14 avenue de la République, Biarritz, operating as a territorial resource center for the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) in the Pays Basque. Founded circa 2014 to coincide with France's Hamon Law framework for ESS, the organization employs 1-10 staff and is funded through membership fees, donations (via HelloAsso), and public subsidies from Mairie de Biarritz, DDETS 64 (Secrétariat d'Etat à l'ESS), and the INTERREG POCTEFA European cross-border program. Its core mission areas are: informing and raising awareness about ESS among the general public, promoting territorial ESS initiatives, networking actors (citizens, social entrepreneurs, institutions), supporting project promoters in initial project definition (including ESUS accreditation guidance), and quantifying the sector via its Observatoire de l'ESS en Pays Basque.

The association delivers a recurring program portfolio including the monthly "Mardis de l'ESS" conference series, the annual "Mois de l'ESS" (November month-long campaign, running since 2020 with a 2025 edition), the "Festival de l'Economie Engagée (KABIA FESST)," environmental awareness workshops (Fresques du Climat, des Déchets, de la Biodiversité, du Numérique), and youth entrepreneurship programs "Coopérative Éphémère 64" (2024) and "Ecole des Nouveaux Métiers: Horizons Marins" (2025). Distribution occurs through a physical open-door space (Wednesday/Friday afternoons, 14h-17h, or by appointment) supplemented by a WordPress website, Mailchimp newsletter, HelloAsso self-serve platform, and social media presence (Facebook, LinkedIn, YouTube, X). Strategic partnerships with REC (Réseau des Entrepreneurs Citoyens), LANDESTINI, REAS Navarra, CRESS Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and local "Fresqueurs" extend delivery capacity beyond the small core team.

There is no proprietary technology product, no disclosed revenue or financial statements, no external funding rounds, no AI or API capabilities, and no patents or certifications. The territorial observatory aggregates INSEE FLORES 2020 data — reporting 1,203 ESS structures and 13,775 jobs (13% of local employment) on the Communauté d'Agglomération Pays Basque — making KABIA the de facto data steward for ESS in the territory. The organization's growth model relies on multi-stakeholder partnerships and public grant funding rather than commercial scaling, positioning it as a public-policy instrument for territorial ESS development rather than a growth-stage venture.

Name

KABIA - Maison de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire en Pays Basque

Legal name

Association Maison de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire en Pays Basque

Website

https://kabia-ess.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

KABIA is a non-profit association in Biarritz, France serving as the resource center for the Social and Solidarity Economy in Pays Basque, providing information, training, networking, project support, and territorial data to citizens, social entrepreneurs, and ESS organizations.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Social Economy Support Services

NAICS

Religious, Grantmaking, Civic, Professional, and Similar Organizations (813)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

K–12 Support & School Improvement Nonprofits (BPAGADAB)

Keywords

• Social solidarity economy
• ESS resource center
• Nonprofit support services
• Social enterprise support
• Community development

Headquarters

HQ city

Biarritz

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership fees: KABIA operates as an association and generates revenue through membership/adhesion fees collected via HelloAsso platform. Members can join online or request a paper membership form.
2. Donations: The association accepts donations from supporters through its HelloAsso platform, allowing individuals to financially support its mission.
3. Public funding and subsidies: KABIA receives support from public institutions including Mairie de Biarritz, DDETS 64 (Secrétariat d'Etat à l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire), and INTERREG POCTEFA European funding.

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

KABIA is a non-profit association serving as a regional resource center ("Maison") for the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) in the Basque Country. It supports ESS organizations and stakeholders with information, training, networking, project support, and observatories. Its activities are funded through membership fees, donations, and public grants.

Product overview

KABIA is a resource center for the Social and Solidarity Economy (ESS) operating as a physical space in Biarritz combined with digital programming. Its core offering consists of information and awareness services for all publics, regular events including the monthly 'Mardis de l'ESS' conferences, the annual 'Mois de l'ESS' month-long program, and the 'Festival de l'Economie Engagée' (KABIA FESST) festival in November. The Maison also provides project support for ESS entrepreneurs in their initial definition phase, maintains an ESS Observatory for territorial statistics, hosts environmental workshops (Fresques) on climate, biodiversity, waste, and digital topics, and runs youth entrepreneurship programs through the Coopérative Éphémère 64 and Ecole des Nouveaux Métiers: Horizons Marins initiatives.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Information and Documentation Service
• Training Programs
• Networking and Events
• Project Support and Incubation
• ESS Observatories

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core, major and minor.

• REAS NavarracoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerTransborder collaboration partner in the ESSkabi project aimed at developing employment in the Social and Solidarity Economy across the France-Spain border.
• REC - Réseau des Entrepreneurs CitoyenscoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in the Cooperative Ephémère 64 and l'école des nouveaux métiers programs, providing expertise in social entrepreneurship support.
• LANDESTINIcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates in the Cooperative Ephémère 64 and l'école des nouveaux métiers initiatives, bringing expertise for youth entrepreneurship in rural areas.
• Mairie de BiarritzmajorOthersMunicipal government providing financial support and political backing for KABIA's operations and mission.
• DDETS 64 - Secrétariat d'Etat à l'Economie Sociale et SolidairemajorOthersState secretariat providing governmental support and recognition for ESS development in the Pyrénées-Atlantiques department.
• INTERREG POCTEFAmajorOthersEuropean cross-border cooperation program providing funding for transborder ESS development projects.
• CRESS Nouvelle-AquitaineminorOthersRegional chamber for Social and Solidarity Economy ensuring representation and promotion of ESS in the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
• Les Carrioles VertesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartner animating 'fresque des déchets' (waste fresco) workshops held monthly at KABIA premises.
• Fresqueurs du territoireminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLocal fresco facilitators partnering with KABIA to deliver climate, biodiversity, waste, and digital awareness workshops.

Scale indicators5 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Broad incumbents

• AVISE: National agency supporting social entrepreneurship and ESS in France. Comparable as a larger-scale intermediary providing resources, training, and project support to social economy actors across France, including project promoters similar to KABIA's segment.
• France Active: National network financing and supporting social enterprises and associations. Comparable as a regional/national player providing financing guidance and accompaniment to social entrepreneurs, overlapping with KABIA's project-support use case.
• ESS France: National organization representing the French Social and Solidarity Economy. Comparable as a higher-tier ESS umbrella body that coordinates regional chambers and ESS houses (Maisons de l'ESS), of which KABIA is effectively a regional node.

Emerging players

• France Bénévolat: National organization promoting and supporting volunteering in associations. Adjacent peer given KABIA's reliance on volunteer and partner facilitators for workshops and events in the ESS ecosystem.
• Mouvement associatif: National organization representing associations in France. Comparable as a federated voice for associative actors, with overlapping representation and advocacy roles for the kind of member-based associations KABIA serves.
• Le Labo de l'ESS: ESS think-and-do tank producing research, events, and policy proposals on the social economy. Comparable as a knowledge and convening intermediary working with ESS actors, though operating at national rather than territorial scale.

Direct peers

• CRESS Nouvelle-Aquitaine: Regional chamber for the Social and Solidarity Economy in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Directly comparable as the regional-level ESS representative body operating in KABIA's home region, with overlapping mandates to promote, measure, and support ESS actors.
• REAS Navarra: Network of Social and Solidarity Economy initiatives in Navarra, Spain. Directly comparable as a transborder ESS intermediary and KABIA's ESSkabi project partner, serving the same sector across the France-Spain border.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xtwitter.com/kabia_ess
• YouTubeyoutube.com/channel/UCab5FS7gF6OY0Jdj4aYtdRw/videos
• Facebookfacebook.com/maison.ess.paysbasque
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/kabia-maison-de-l-ess-en-pays-basque

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about KABIA - Maison de l'Economie Sociale et Solidaire en Pays Basque