Ecosystem mapping : Country factsheet
France 🇫🇷
Key facts
Population
Current population of France –
67,749,632
Data supplied by the World Bank
GDP
Current GDP of France –
2,957,879.76 ($ millions)
Data supplied by the World Bank
World Happiness Index
France currently ranks 6.687 out of 10.
Since 2002, the World Happiness Report has used statistical analysis to determine the world’s happiest countries. To determine the world’s happiest country, researchers analysed comprehensive Gallup polling data from 149 countries for the past three years, specifically monitoring performance in six particular categories: gross domestic product per capita, social support, healthy life expectancy, freedom to make your own life choices, generosity of the general population, and perceptions of internal and external corruption levels.
Country factsheet: ESEM SEs in France
(Source: ESEM)
Perceived Political Support Grade
- 35.9% perceive national political support for social entrepreneurship to be low, very low or non-existent
Top 3 Business Sectors (UN ISIC)
- Human health and social work activities (28.2%)
- Education (17.9%)
- Administrative and support service activities (7.7%)
Company Size (OECD)
- Micro enterprises 59.0%
- Small enterprises 23.1%
- Medium enterprises 12.8%
- Large enterprises 5.2%
Top 3 UN SDGs
#10 – Reduced inequalities (56.4%)
#8 – Decent jobs and economic growth (46.2%)
#3 – Good health and wellbeing (43.6%)
Impact Management & Measurement
- 66.6% currently measure their social/environmental impact; 30.8% plan to do so
- 30.8% refer to the UN SDGs in impact reporting; 20.5% plan to do so
Top 3 Beneficiaries (Persons)
- Individuals with very low income/debts/in poverty (35.9%)
- Individuals living in rural/remote areas (28.2%)
- Long-term unemployed (28.2%)
Top 3 Sources of External Financing
- Public financing (69.2%)
- Foundation funding (48.7%)
- Bank loan (33.3%)
Funding Gap
On average, French ESEM SEs only managed to secure enough funding to meet 64.7% out of 100% of their financing needs in the past 12 months. Gap = 35.3%.
Top 3 Key Barriers
- Too complex public financing (51.3%)
- Lack of options to finance the organisation once started (43.6%)
- Poor understanding/awareness of social enterprises among the general public and customers (33.3%)
Key Stakeholders & Members
EN Members
Avise
Type of organisation: National Network for Social Enterprises, Social Enterprise Umbrella Organisation
Website – www.avise.org
Avise is a non-profit agency committed to serving the public interest with a headcount of around 30. It can rely on support from board members representing the French SSE and an extensive network of partners keen to promote the ecological and solidarity transition. Today, Avise is the go-to partner for the SSE ecosystem. For the past 20 years, Avise has been enabling and encouraging the development of the social and solidarity economy (SSE) and social innovation in France and Europe by making its expertise and resources available to SSE businesses and the bodies that support them.

Cress Mayotte
Type of organisation: Social Enterprise Umbrella Organisation
Website: www.cress-mayotte.org
CRESS Mayotte is committed to promoting democracy and solidarity in the economy (SSE). Main focus and activities include:
-
- Structure and represent the SSE: CRESS Mayotte ensures the promotion and development of the social and solidarity economy at the local level.
- Support the development of SSE companies and sectors
- Awareness raising and visibility of SSE

Empow’Her
Type of organisation: National Network for Social Entrepreneurs, Social Incubator
Website: www.empow-her.com
Empow’Her acts to reduce inequalities in the entrepreneurship sector that prevent women from launching and carrying out their projects successfully. They directly mobilise women entrepreneurs and take parallel actions to transform the sector by focusing on collaboration and awareness. Empow’her is committed to supporting women entrepreneurs, not as a result of a single program or training tool. Empow’Her is committed to supporting women, in ALL their entrepreneurial problems. To do this, they mobilise different learning approaches and different support tools to maximise their impact.

Impact France
Type of organisation: National Network for Social Enterprises
Website: www.impactfrance.eco
Mouvement Impact France brings together a community of pioneers who have demonstrated that another business model is possible and that companies can grow by respecting the 4 pillars: social impact, ecological impact, value sharing and power sharing. Impact France is a network uniting social and ecological impact entrepreneurs in France. Impact France is the leading lobbying and business network of economic actors with a social and ecological impact.
The Impact France Movement has a dual entrepreneurial and political project, which it intends to include in a European and international perspective in order to contribute to a fairer, more united and more sustainable society.

Pulse Group SOS
Type of organisation: International Network for Social Enterprises/Enterpreneurs, Social Incubator and Accelerator
Website: www.pulse.groupe-sos.org
PULSE was founded on the conviction that each of us can become a change-maker if given the opportunity. Since 2006, Pulse’s mission is to lead positive change in all regions to create pathways towards entrepreneurship as a lever for inclusive and sustainable development.
Pulse creates favourable conditions to foster the emergence of civil society and entrepreneurial ecosystems worldwide, through our programs and awareness-raising activities. In Africa and Europe, Pulse develops support courses within their incubators and beyond, thanks to digitalized and travelling tracks. Pulse also works to empower local organisations to strengthen their services to entrepreneurs.

ScaleChanger
Type of organisation: Training centre/Institute, Accelerator, Knowledge centre/platform, Social Enterprise Umbrella Organisation
Website: www.scalechanger.com
ScaleChanger supports impact-driven organisations in their scaling ambition so they can maximise their social impact. ScaleChanger contributes to the deployment of social innovations by supporting impact-proven solutions to scale.

Other Stakeholders
Incubators/Accelerators
Coming soon
Funders
Coming soon
Universities/Research Centres
Coming soon
Key Policies
Key Legal and Policy Framework Overview
Introduction
Framework Law on Social and Solidarity Economy (2014)
Law on Collective Interest Cooperative Societies (2001)
Ordinance No. 2015-899 of 23 July 2015 on public procurement
Fiscal Directive (1998)
Financing and Support Measures
Key policy documents
Coming Soon
Funding Partners
Relevant Resources
Relevant Research Experts
News
Coming soon
Events
Coming soon
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