France Active and the European Commission, joining forces to support the launch of the Seed Fund
France Active has been working with Europe for more than 20 years, to develop social cohesion, ease the access to employment through entrepreneurship and enhance social innovation.
To do so, France Active has benefitted from European funding and recently, the European Commission and France Active have strengthened their fruitful cooperation in the frame of the launch of the Seed fund. Indeed, as a result of a call for proposals under the EU program for employment and social innovation (EaSI), France Active has been awarded a grant to launch this program.
Over the next two years, France Active aims at financing and supporting 100 social business in metropolitan France as well as in its overseas territories, for a total investment of €10 million.
This Seed Fund was officially launched on February 4th, 2020, in presence of Ann Branch, Head of the « Job Creation » Unit, in the « Employment, social affairs and inclusion » Directorate at the European Commission.
https://vimeo.com/458169844
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Ecology and Insertion thanks to the reed
Vincent PARET
CEO of Oasure
Ecology and Insertion
Reconciling ecology and insertion ? Oasure proves this is possible by employing people in integration for innovative projects : water purification using reed wood.
Saint-Just-Saint-Rambert
Ecology and Insertion
Natural purification through innovation
The reed bends but never breaks, and purifies. Vincent Paret became aware of this in 2004, as he was working in his Oasis market gardening structure, based in Saint Just Saint Rambert in the Loire.
“We began to take an interest in the question of phyto-epuration. We were talking about that among ourselves. We decided to experiment a complementary activity to our baskets of vegetables : reed nursery. At the time, we happened to be in touch with SEMGARES/INRA, which later became IRTA. IRTA wanted to develop the sector to respond to the new water health standards. We realized there was a significant backlog on that subject in France, especially in rural areas; so we decided to position ourselves. We developed our own nursery, at first to establish ourselves in small towns.”
The concept starts to work. While the approach responds to an unmet need, innovates and suffers very little competition, the demand is doubling every year and has done so for the last 4 years. Then, Vincent Paret decided to separate his market gardening activity from his reed cultivation, to create OASURE in 2008. This new structure is entirely dedicated to purification. It is an insertion structure, under the status of SARL (limited liability company).
The reed grows
Oasure allies social and ecology issues, by becoming at the same time a job integration workshop (ACI in french) and an insertion structure. Affiliated with the integration network named “Jardins de Cocagne”, the structure is developing and diversifying its activities in the production and direct sale of plants, composting reeds, maintenance if water treatment plants, river banks, green spaces, … France Active started to get involved in the developmental stage of this structure, with a 70% guarantee on a bank loan of 35 000 €, 2 solidarity loans of respectively 25 000 € and 15 000 €. In 2019, to fund its investments in equipment (trucks, basins), the structure solicited one more time France Active Loire to guarantee a new loan. “We modernized the technical part, which required regular investments. Each time, we were able to collaborate with France Active, which enabled us to progress both with banks and with our development strategy”.
Face the crisis : the Solidarity Recovery Loan
If the ecological purification sector has not been harshly hit by the crisis, partners and clients of the structure have been. Several orders were postponed during the sanitary crisis, putting Oasure’s cash position under pressure. As such, Vincent Paret turned to France Active Loire, and was granted Solidarity Recovery loan to face its difficulties. “We have the biggest construction site project of our history, on a leisure basin of 4km of circumference, which is equivalent to 100 000 reeds. Covid19 has rescheduled our work. This completely destructured our cash flows, our stocks… we were facing a major financial risk, which the Solidarity Recovery Loan enabled us to mitigate. We can restart serenely”. The 30 000€ loan is spread over 36 months and Oasure is calling on another insertion structure to help on this big work project. A fine example of recovery through solidarity-based cooperation in territories !
Have a benefit of
from a solidarity recovery loan of
30 000€
from some guarantees of
95 250€
from a solidarity loan of
80 000€
Were supported by
France Active Loire
By 2008
It’s here
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A commitment for governance
[vc_section css=".vc_custom_1510331399657{background-color: #01caaa !important;}" el_class="section-stories-top"][vc_row el_class="btn-sharing"][vc_column width="1/12"][/vc_column][vc_column width="4/6"][vc_empty_space height="15px"][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5ab9bfbe5" el_class="font-montserrat-medium txt-black name"][hover_box image="3102" image_hover="1017"][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5afcbfbe6" el_class="font-zilla-bold-italic txt-white fonction"][vc_column_text el_class="txt-black secteur-activite"]Fences and gates[/vc_column_text][vc_acf field_group="1244" field_from_1244="field_59e764fb55f9c" el_class="txt-white temoignage"][vc_empty_space height="15px"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/6" el_class="profil-box"][vc_single_image image="12265" img_size="full" alignment="center" el_class="profil"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/12"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section full_width="stretch_row" css=".vc_custom_1510396755057{background-color: #ffffff !important;}"][vc_row full_width="stretch_row" css=".vc_custom_1507190362854{background-color: #ffffff !important;}"][vc_column width="1/12"][/vc_column][vc_column width="4/6" css=".vc_custom_1507733071891{padding-right: 8% !important;padding-left: 8% !important;}" el_class="btn-sharing"][vc_empty_space height="10px"][vc_custom_heading source="post_title" use_theme_fonts="yes" el_class="font-montserrat-medium"][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Doulevant-le-Château 52110
Fences and gates[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]A regional player in distress
Eurofence was founded in 1972 in Doulevant-le-Château, a town of 390 inhabitants in the Haute-Marne region. It designs, produces and sells industrial fencing and metal gates. A truly local player, it developed with the help of several family funds over roughly 20 years. Then, in 2005, it was sold to a Swedish investment group, which renamed the company Perimeter Protection France. Unfortunately, its financial results slowed and cash flow problems got progressively worse. Staff were worried. “When we saw difficulties emerging, we expected the company to file for bankruptcy,” says Jean-Pierre Perrard, the Financial Manager at the time. The staff were right: on 2 December, 2016, the firm filed for bankruptcy, making 82 people unemployed. “We talked to four employees about a project to relaunch the company because we thought we had the tools and the know-how to do it,” adds Pierre.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]The watchword: solidarity
A common pot was created internally to relaunch the business, to which were added redundancy bonuses and business creation funds from the Pôle emploi (French Job Centre). Nearly a million euros was collected internally to save the company. News of this wave of solidarity spread across the region, and it grew. The company received help to the tune of €200,000 from the Grand-Est region; le Crédit coopératif and the Caisse d’épargne (major French banks) made loans of €400,000 each. Thanks to a recommendation from the Eastern Regional Union of Co-operative Societies, the company got in touch with France Active Champagne-Ardenne and obtained a loan of €300,000. In total, more than €3.3 million was collected, which enabled the company to be rebought as a co-operative, reclaiming the name Eurofence with the added SCOP (Co-operative Society) on 8 December, 2016.
[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]Because it’s our project
A total of 60 staff, who became shareholders, fought to save their jobs. The company was relaunched as a co-operative to avoid the problems of physically distant and remote management that were part of the old system. “Eurofence did not hire everyone back, but everyone who wanted to be part of the project was brought on board,” explains Jean-Pierre Perrard. Management set an objective of €13 million in revenues. To reach this goal, Eurofence SCOP is looking to hire new people. “We were faced with a need for a bigger workforce. So we recruited three more people shortly after taking over the company. In high season, we have 82 staff members, and around 76 to 77, including apprentices, during low season. The company is now getting ambitious. It is modernising its production with the purchase of a machine that eliminates the need for a sub-contractor. The staff have never given up. Their solidarity created a group success, as evidenced by the creation of a Cop-operative.
Changing governance style – an essential commitment for France Active.[/vc_column_text][vc_btn title="Website" color="vista-blue" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Feurofence.pro%2F||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/6"][vc_row_inner css=".vc_custom_1510331033335{background-color: #01caaa !important;}" el_class="stories-side-top"][vc_column_inner][fancy_heading h1="0" title="Have benefited"]from a guarantee of[/fancy_heading][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5b40bfbe7"][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5bb7bfbe9"][fancy_heading h1="0"]from a solidarity loan of[/fancy_heading][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5b88bfbe8"][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df6b826fc4e" el_class="fancy_heading"][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5c2abfbea"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][vc_row_inner el_class="stories-side-bottom"][vc_column_inner][fancy_heading h1="0" title="Were supported by"][/fancy_heading][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5c4abfbeb"][vc_acf field_group="1128" field_from_1128="field_59df5c80bfbec"][fancy_heading h1="0" title="By 2017"][/fancy_heading][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/12"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section full_width="stretch_row" css=".vc_custom_1507214196970{background-color: #ffffff !important;}"][vc_row][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_custom_heading text="It's here" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes" el_class="font-zilla-bold-italic arrow-green-bottom title-padding "][vc_empty_space height="30px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces"][vc_column][map zoom="7" height="400" border="0" lat="48.5910795" lng="4.914051" icon="3231"][/map][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section full_width="stretch_row" css=".vc_custom_1507158369201{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-top-color: #1c1c1c !important;}"][vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content"][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_custom_heading text="Stories" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes" el_class="font-zilla-bold-italic arrow-green-bottom title-padding "][vc_empty_space height="30px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces"][vc_column][bloc_ajax params="{count:7,ess:0}"][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_btn title="More stories" color="vista-blue" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Ffranceactive.eu%2Fsinformer%2Fstories%2F|||"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]
France Active and the European Union: a common fight for a more inclusive and sustainable economy
On May 9th, we will celebrate Europe Day. This occasion is an opportunity to recall the crucial role held by the European Union for the preservation of both employment and social cohesion, as well as its cooperation with France Active on these matters. In the particular context of the health and economic crisis linked to COVID-19, the continuity of this support is more than ever essential to give us the possibility to keep supporting socially committed entrepreneurs on their path to recovery and relaunch. This is all the more important to enable Social Economy to play a substantial role in the strategy to respond to this crisis.
France Active has been working with Europe for more than 20 years, to develop social cohesion in our territories, and ease the access to employment through entrepreneurship. In order to do so, France Active has benefitted from European funding, through the mobilization of the European Social Fund, the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) but also the European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development (EAFRD). It has also benefitted from the support of the European Investment Fund for its financial structures, France Active Investissement and France Active Garantie. France Active is also a member of European networks such as FEBEA, EVPA, and actively participates to European working groups on socially committed entrepreneurship.
The renewal of the guarantee and counter-guarantee agreements by the EIF (European Investment Fund) at the beginning of 2020 within the framework of the EaSI and COSME programs, as well as the financial support of the European Commission to the brand new Seed Fund launched in January 2020 (see our article here), confirm the confidence that Europe places in France Active model. Those European resources are essential to strengthen France Active ability to advise and invest in socially committed enterprises. This is also useful for the development of its social impact assessment approach that takes into account social enterprises specificities, as part of the European project VISES.
This long-standing trust takes on particular resonance in the current context. France Active is working alongside the European institutions to implement specific measures to respond to the crisis and to guarantee the access of social economy actors to the economic rescue measures planned by the European Union. By doing so, Europe reaffirms its support to social economy and its relevance for the development of this field. Our network wishes that the context will allow for a top-down exit that will pave the way for the advent of an inclusive, solidarity-based and sustainable economy, supporting social innovation through solidarity finance, and putting upfront the wellbeing of the European citizens. We work to create and strengthen alliances with European actors sharing that same ambition. France Active network will keep on carrying these ideas in its cooperation with Europe, particularly in the framework of the participation of its president Pierre-René Lemas to the European Commission’s Group of Experts on Social Entrepreneurship (GECES).
Continuing this successful cooperation should enable us to pursue the following goals:
- To support all kinds of committed entrepreneurship, and more specifically the model of social and solidarity-based companies.
- To promote solidarity finance in Europe based upon the search of a strong and sustainable social and environmental impact.
Today we face, tomorrow we restart!
France Active mobilizes alongside social entrepreneurs to help them cope with the crisis.
With concrete solutions, tailored to different profiles, France Active and its 40 territorial associations are mobilizing to enable social entrepreneurs to resist the loss of activity they might encounter in the current period, and to prepare the relaunch of their activity in the aftermath of the crisis.
In the panel they have set up, both financial and extra-financial solutions have been developed to respond to a wide variety of needs:
- Financing solutions for those benefitting of a loan from France Active; such as a 6-month suspension of repayment deadlines, the deferment of some maturities at the end of the loan, or if necessary, a restructuration of their loan.
- Financing solution adapted to beneficiaries of bank loans guaranteed by France Active, by maintaining the guarantee commitment in the event of rescheduling of the loan, the extension of the maximum guarantee period if it is extended, or pending the effective disbursement of the loan
- France Active also offers a reinforced support to social entrepreneurs, to help them assess their economic situation, and define a roadmap for the upcoming months. This type of support can lead to the constitution of a financial round table, but also to the grant of a zero-rate loan to help the company meet short-term financing needs and support its search of other funding.
In addition to these measures, France Active has published on its website a toolbox, which it regularly updates, to inform on emergency measures undertaken by social economy actors.
This toolbox, developed in French, is available here.
All the teams of the France Active network remain available to respond to the needs and requests of entrepreneurs. As its president Pierre-René Lemas would say, “Social entrepreneurs can count on us. The emergency is solidarity. This concerns all of us”.
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France Active launches the 1st Seed Fund fully devoted to social innovation entrepreneurs.
France Active launches the 1st Seed Fund fully devoted to social innovation entrepreneurs.
Montreuil, Tuesday 4th February 2020
Obtaining financial assistance and counselling at the first and critical stage of commercial introduction, is often difficult, especially for those embarking on social innovation. To give social entrepreneurs the means to face this high-risk stage, France Active launches the first seed fund of 10 Million Euros.
Under the French Impact banner (an initiative led by the French government), the brand new Seed fund, has been selected by the European Commission to strengthen France Active’s ability to advise and invest in committed social entrepreneurial projects. This project is also supported by the High-Commission for Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation (HCESS).
This Seed Fund was officially launched on February 4th, 2020, in presence of Ann Branch, Head of the « Job Creation » Unit, in the « Employment, social affairs and inclusion » Directorate. Christophe Itier, High-Commissionner for Social and Solidarity Economy and Social Innovation, and Chistophe Genter, director of the Social Innovation and Territorial Cohesion Department at the Bank of the Territories.
Objective : Finance 100 companies for a total amount invested of €10 million
The crucial first fundraising that will allow a project to be launched concretely or to scale up is the most stressful phase for the entrepreneur. A recent OpinionWay survey for France Active showed that while 42% of 18-30 year olds say they want to start their own business, nearly 80% of them acknowledge that they would not be able to do so without help. 31% of them mention a need for financing, 21% want support to access a professional network, 20% want to be supported by a coach, etc.
Therefore, France Active decided to hasten its action in favor of social entrepreneurs, especially those in seed stage, with:
- the mobilization of 12 advisors who will provide tailor-made advice in each region to entrepreneurs who place social innovation at the heart of their project.
- the creation of this Seed Fund, a solidarity-based seed capital offer dedicated to social innovation structures that will enable them to obtain equity financing of between 50,000 euros and 200,000 euros, as well as support during the first round of financing.
Over the next two years, France Active aims at financing and supporting 100 social business in metropolitan France as well as in its overseas territories, for a total investment of €10 million.
As part of the official launch of this new fund, France Active organized an event on February 4th, 2020 with 6 social entrepreneurs who benefited from a fundraising. Thus, Simplon, Label Emmaüs, Moulinot, Eco-Mégot, Le Drive Tout Nu, Ecov, were invited to talk about their experience with other future entrepreneurs.
- Simplon is a social company that intends to make digital technology a lever for inclusion, revealing different talents whom are currently little represented in the digital economy. It accompanies organizations, to make their digital transformation inclusive and providing them with technical solutions (high-performance and responsible websites and applications). Today, Simplon builds a network of digital factories in France and abroad. Since its creation in 2013, more than 6200 trainees have been trained, including 40% of women and 50% of whom have few or no qualifications.
https://simplon.co/
- Label Emmaüs : This cooperative is a web-based e-commerce platform, which belongs to the Emmaüs Movement, created in 2016. It enables a multitude of items sold in the Emmaus shops to be purchased online. More generally, the label supports a digital solidarity transformation project within the movement, by offering a new distribution channel for items sold by the communities. It is also helping to build Emmaüs companions’ capacities by teaching them new trading techniques. The cooperative also builds professional integration programs for the job fields of the future such as web development, web marketing and logistical support.
https://www.label-emmaus.co/fr/
- Moulinot : is a solidarity-based company pioneering in the management of food waste also called “biowaste”. As early as 2014, it came up with an innovative solution to an insolvable issue, by proposing to raise awareness and train restaurant owners located in Ile-de-France to set up a waste sorting system in their kitchen. The company comes, collects these wastes on a daily basis thanks to the use of ecofriendly vehicles, and bring it back to the firm in the region. From that point, Moulinot has developed 2 ways to reuse it, either as compost, or by transporting it to agricultural methanizers to make biogas or electricity. This activity is also supporting a social project, aimed at bringing marginalized people back to employment through training and construction of integration programs. Supported during the seed stage by France Active in 2014, the company is now the leading player in this sector among all the Parisian region.
https://www.moulinot.fr/site/
- EcoMegot provides a complete, professional and local solution to raise awareness, collect and reuse cigarette butts for both private and public actors. To this end, it sets up specific ashtrays from where these butts will be collected and treated afterwards. It follows a twofold objective: on the one end it contributes to the depollution in urban and natural spaces, on the other end, it creates local employment.
https://ecomegot.com/
- Ecov is an innovative, social and solidarity-based start-up. Its objective is to use cars as a collective means of transportation by developing local solutions for carpooling, with and on behalf of local collectivity. Ecov offers local car-sharing lines in peri-urban and rural areas, providing a solution to the issue of desertification, public transportation shortage, and the subsequent isolation in those areas.
https://www.ecov.fr/
- Le Drive Tout Nu : Opened in 2018 next to Toulouse, thanks to solidarity-based finance, Drive Tout Nu is the first zero waste drive, 100% responsible. It offers food, cosmetics, and household products in zero-waste version. By combining the bulk with the convenience of the drive, Drive Tout Nu aims to democratize a more responsible and ecological consumption for everyone. At least 60% of the products are sourced within a 100km range, and are produced organically or assimilated. 100% of the products are provided within a reusable packaging, and 10cts are offered as a voucher for each returned container. For an equal amount, the products are 10 to 40% cheaper than their packaged equivalent.
https://ledrivetoutnu.com/
Press release
Accommodation: there is another way
Bernadette PAUL-CORNU and Jean RUCH
Co-Directors of Familles Solidaires (Family Solidarity Association)
Shared accommodation
For the last five years, Familles Solidaires has supported and encouraged the development of shared and assisted accommodation projects for people made vulnerable by age, illness or disability. In its search for unusual projects, the association is launching an ambitious call for projects in partnership with AG2R LA MONDIALE.
Mulhouse – Haut-Rhin – France
Shared accommodation
Familles Solidaires was created five years ago by a group of family caregivers of disabled people. The goal: to support and encourage the development of shared and assisted accommodation projects.
What if there were another way ? That was the question behind the slightly crazy gamble taken in 2012 by eight family members and friends of people made vulnerable by age, illness or disability. Faced with a lack of appropriate daily support solutions for their loved ones, they decided to invest some of their savings – €180,000 – to set up a mutual investment fund. The objective was to create suitable accommodation and provide assistance with significant social added value.
“The idea was to spare others from having to deal with the same difficulties as us”, explains Jean Ruch, Co-Director of Familles Solidaires. Ruch and his partner Bernadette Paul-Cornu, who has a medical-social background, are pushing back the boundaries in terms of accommodation. By adapting apartments to include home automation, facilitating the creation of social relationships, and providing low-rent options, they are offering innovative accommodation solutions for the vulnerable.
Ambitions on a national scale
Created to meet a specific need in the Alsace region of France, Familles Solidaires now has its sights set on a country-wide rollout. In December 2017, France Active invested €50,000 in the association to finance this change of scale. “We require a lot of financing as some of our projects cost more than €3 million. Having a prestigious partner like France Active amongst our shareholders enables us to fine-tune our strategy and build projects together”, says Bernadette Paul-Cornu. The association is now looking to promote its way of working to meet the needs of vulnerable people, their caregivers, managed associations, and local authorities.
All ideas welcome
In order to unearth more unusual projects, Familles Solidaires is launching an ambitious call for projects in partnership with AG2R LA MONDIALE. “From 1 June to 14 July, family caregivers can tell us what they want and share their ideas for accommodation development via a dedicated website. Familles Solidaires has pledged to support and provide training and advice for 10 projects, and to finance three,” explains Jean Ruch.
“AG2R is a partner that shares our convictions, and will help promote our initiative across the country, in particular amongst the caregivers it works with all year round. It will also help raise public awareness of the challenges caregivers face,” adds Bernadette Paul-Cornu. With the support of France Active and through this call for projects, Familles Solidaires intends to continue making a difference with its very inclusive accommodation solutions.
Have benefited
from an equity investment of
50 000€
a support via a local capacity building program (Dispositif local d’accompagnement)
Were supported by
France Active Alsace
By 2017
It’s here
Stories
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Eric LAUR
Founding CEO of AfB France
In 2012, Eric Laur, a truly social entrepreneur, created AfB France, inspired by a German concept that aims to limit the environmental impact of obsol…
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Frédéric BARDEAU
President and co-founder of Simplon.co
Simplon.co is a computer coding school with a solidarity mission that identifies, trains and facilitates the integration of school-leavers in disadvan…
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Stephan MARTINEZ
Creator of Moulinot
Created in 2013, this Paris-based company specialising in the recovery of organic waste from restaurants was the winner of the 2017 Grand Prix de la f…
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Vanessa BRANCHEREAU and Amélie PIETRI
Creators of API LsF (Professional Agency for Sign Language Interpreters)
Developed as a cooperative, Amélie Pietri and Vanessa Branchereau’s API LsF was created to promote the development of French sign language. Operati…
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Jules and Antonin STRAUMANN
Creators of Au Pré des Frères
The Straumann brothers produce and sell organic and diversified vegetables, promoting little-known varieties in particular.
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Alexandre SCHMITT and Christine ODINOT
Co-founders of the Maison des Sages
Since its inception in 2014, La Maison des Sages has offered an innovative alternative to shared housing for people with Alzheimer’s disease, in the f…
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Bernadette PAUL-CORNU and Jean RUCH
Co-Directors of Familles Solidaires (Family Solidarity Association)
Familles Solidaires was created five years ago by a group of family caregivers of disabled people. The goal: to support and encourage the development …
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Matthieu ESCUDIÉ
CEO of Eurofence
Eurofence SCOP staff are unlikely to forget the adventure of the relaunch of their own company, which was filing for bankruptcy. They were not sure it…
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Vincent PARET
CEO of Oasure
Reconciling ecology and insertion ? Oasure proves this is possible by employing people in integration for innovative projects : water purification usi…
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Social entrepreneurs: a strengthened offer for seed stage
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Montreuil, 30 october 2019
Very few business support organisations operate in seed stage, although it is a key period in business creation. It is even more relevant for entrepreneurs who are primarily focused on having a strong social impact in society. To succeed, fundraising is a fundamental step when starting a company. This is where France Active comes in.[/vc_column_text][vc_separator][vc_column_text]Number 1 social funder in France and pioneer in the field of support services to social enterprises, France Active supports entrepreneurs at all stages of their company’s life: from seed stage to scale-up. As seed stage is a difficult phase, France Active launches a dedicated program that has been awarded the “French Impact” label (initiative of the French government). With the support of France Active’s partners and the shareholders of its investment company, it will enable new entrepreneurs to start out and to offer concrete solutions to tackle current social and environmental challenges.[/vc_column_text][vc_column_text]France Active is strengthening its action towards social enterprises and developing funding, coaching and networking services for social entrepreneurs in seed stage. This will be even more possible thanks to the European Commission support, as France Active’s answer to the call for proposals “EaSI – Transaction cost support for social enterprise finance market” has been selected. Along with capacity building of 10 local advisers, those additional means will be entirely dedicated to seed stage support. It will thus enable to fill a gap in the social enterprise finance market by providing innovative social enterprises with appropriate equity funding (between 20K€ and 100K€) as well as personalised coaching and networking services. This 2-year project aims at supporting 100 social enterprises in the territories concerned. [/vc_column_text][vc_row_inner][vc_column_inner][vc_btn title="Download the press release" shape="square" color="vista-blue" size="lg" align="center" i_icon_fontawesome="fa fa-download" add_icon="true" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Ffranceactive.eu%2Fwp-content%2Fuploads%2F2017%2F11%2FCP_POSITIONNEMENT-FRANCE-ACTIVE.pdf||target:%20_blank|"][/vc_column_inner][/vc_row_inner][/vc_column][vc_column width="1/12"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section][vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces" css=".vc_custom_1507207606477{background-color: #fcfcfc !important;}"][vc_column][related_post_fa posts_per_page="15"][vc_single_image image="485" alignment="center" el_class="no-margin-bottom"][vc_empty_space height="5px" el_class="no-margin-bottom"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section][vc_section full_width="stretch_row" css=".vc_custom_1507158369201{border-top-width: 1px !important;border-top-color: #1c1c1c !important;}"][vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content"][vc_column][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_custom_heading text="Autres News" font_container="tag:h2|text_align:center" use_theme_fonts="yes" el_class="font-zilla-bold-italic arrow-green-bottom title-padding " css=".vc_custom_1507768799388{margin-top: -20px !important;}"][vc_empty_space height="30px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][vc_row full_width="stretch_row_content_no_spaces"][vc_column][related_post_fa posts_per_page="15"][vc_empty_space height="30px"][vc_btn title="Découvrez toute l'actu" color="vista-blue" align="center" link="url:http%3A%2F%2Ffranceactive.eu%2Fsinformer%2Factualites-evenements%2F|||"][vc_empty_space height="65px"][/vc_column][/vc_row][/vc_section]
Europe and France Active – Working together for a more inclusive and sustainable economy
Europe Day, held on 9 May, provided the perfect opportunity to remember the crucial role the European Union plays in creating employment and promoting social cohesion, working in tandem with the France Active network.
France Active has been working with the EU for nearly 20 years, promoting social cohesion across member states and increasing access to employment through entrepreneurship. In support of this work, France Active receives European financing, particularly through the intermediary of the European Social Fund. France Active’s bank loan guarantee activities draw on the resources of the European Regional Development Fund and European Agricultural Fund for Rural Development; it is also supported by the European Investment Fund. Through this collaboration, our movement of socially-committed entrepreneurs entrepreneurs has developed a certain expertise in the management of European resources. France Active is a member of several European networks, for example, the European Federation of Ethical and Alternative Banks – FEBEA and the European Venture Philanthropy Association – EVPA, and plays an active role in working groups on subjects concerning Europe.
Our network now wishes to make an even greater contribution to building the Europe of the future at a time that offers every opportunity. While promoting social awareness amongst businesses is an important first step towards creating a new economic model, it is not Europe’s only option. Along with many others, France Active is keen to adopt a clear position promoting a socially aware economic model that offers benefits for both society and the economy.
This goal is the logical continuation of a political project that our network is leading in France: creating an inclusive, sustainable and socially conscious economic model. This is achieved by reinforcing the social innovation that is key to developing the European social model. In parallel, we are working with various partners to develop socially conscious financing. We are also creating and strengthening ties with European players that share our goals. The idea is to promote and duplicate alternative and hybrid business models like those developed by France Active.
France Active has two main missions
1/Supporting all forms of socially conscious entrepreneurship at a European level and promoting social and inclusive business that:
- prioritises social inclusiveness and environmental protection;
- encourages fair distribution of wealth amongst all parties involved;
- is built on participatory and inclusive governance.
2/Promoting socially conscious financing at a European level with a significant and long-lasting impact on society and the environment that:
- encourages banks to finance real businesses, supporting those with least access to their services and developing responsible practices (for example, eliminating the need for personal liability loans);
- encourages participation in solidarity savings.
Others news
Agreement signed with the EIF (Cosme)
23 Jan 2018
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Meeting with Ulla Engelmann from the European Commission (DG GROW)
12 Juil 2018
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France Active President Pierre-René Lemas is a member of the European Commission’s Expert Group on the Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship
26 Sep 2018
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1st meeting of the European Commission’s Expert Group on the Social Economy and Social Entrepreneurship
23 Oct 2018
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European Centre for Social Finance launched
05 Mar 2019
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2nd meeting of the « Social Investment & Skills » working group within the framework of GECES
26 Mar 2019
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