Our commitment
Given the scale of social and environmental challenges, only the development of a Social and Solidarity Economy, based on the needs of local communities and their residents, will ensure a bright future for generations to come. This is the purpose of our work at France Active. Together with committed entrepreneurs, we are building a new model of entrepreneurship and finance that is people-centred and resolutely forward-looking.
Partner of committed entrepreneurs
Every day, entrepreneurs place commitment at the heart of their projects by getting involved in cities, neighbourhoods, rural areas, and overseas territories.
Every day, our 850 employees and 3,000 volunteers throughout France meet their needs for financing, support, and networking so they can start businesses with confidence. We stand by their side to help them realize every aspect of their commitment to serving local communities, creating jobs, and fostering social cohesion.
Sharing common values, we are the financial partner of entrepreneurs who lead the most socially responsible, robust, and committed projects. Through our dual roles as guarantor and investor, we empower them to launch, organize, and grow their businesses at every stage of their journey.
« At the heart of our work: the entrepreneurs.
Pierre-René LEMAS
Together with them and our partners, we are working to develop a more inclusive and sustainable economy. We champion a new model, one that goes beyond the sole pursuit of financial profit and supports the development of local communities and their residents. »
Chairman of France Active
The Social and Solidarity Economy as a compass
For more than 40 years, we have been applying the principles of the Social and Solidarity Economy SSE at the heart of entrepreneurial life. It is a patient, resilient economy that cares for both people and the environment.
SSE: an economy of solidarity and cooperation
The Social and Solidarity Economy—or SSE—refers to a way of doing business that reconciles economic activity with social utility. What are the founding principles of its cooperatives, enterprises, associations, foundations, and mutual societies? Solidarity, cooperation, democracy, and the primacy of people over profit.
In practice:
– the organization carries out a project that prioritizes the collective interest above all else,
– its governance is democratic and participatory,
– its profits are regulated: there are no shareholders, and profits are reinvested in the project.
Since 2014, in France the legal framework for the SSE has been strengthened by the French law on social and solidarity economy (Law No. 2014-856).