Who we are
Avise is a non-profit organisation based in Paris since 2002. Its mission is to develop SSE & social innovation in France by supporting project leaders & helping to establish an ecosystem favouring their development.
It coordinates action programmes covering every stage of social enterprise’s life cycle. Its main objective is to drive essential change in our economy so as to make it more sustainable and more people-centric.
Its mission entails:
- providing tools and guidance to SSE and social innovation project owners during every phase of the project life cycle, from creating an enterprise to assessing its impact, thanks to a free online resource centre;
- coordinating the social innovation ecosystem to share best practices and build expertise;
- developing support programmes in partnership with the public- and private-sector stakeholders that support the SSE and social innovation;
- funding SSE projects through the European Social Fund (ESF). Avise has been an ESF intermediate body since 2004 and funds social innovation and the social innovation ecosystem through calls for projects.
In a few keys figures, Avise represents :
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30
employees
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10 000
social enterprises supported annually
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600
professionals who support & coordinate projects
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800+
tools & resources on its portal
Avise has been endorsed by the French ESF Managing Authority to act as the national competence centre for social innovation (NCCSI). Avise now sets the standard for the SSE, social innovation, and their development in France, while also operating on a European scale.
Our employees work with board members who represent the SSE and SI in France, and a wide range of partners that are keen to support the ecological and solidarity transition.
The mission of the NCCSI operated by Avise is to support the development of social innovation in France and throughout Europe.
To that end, Avise acts on the following levels and works towards the following targets:
- on the national level as a complement to regional and local stakeholders;
- in cooperation and in partnership with the stakeholders in the French ecosystem of support for social innovation and the social and solidarity economy (SSE);
- by seeking to break down barriers around projects and rally public - and private-sector stakeholders, citizens, researchers, and SSE stakeholders around a common goal.