01
People before capital
The people involved and the social purpose take precedence over invested capital. The company exists for what it does, not for what it returns.
Social and solidarity economy
Registered in the social and solidarity economy
An economic model that puts people before capital — and a legal framework that holds us to it.
The social and solidarity economy is not a label you buy. It is a statutory framework that constrains how profits are shared, how decisions are taken, and who the company ultimately serves.
What the SSE actually is
The social and solidarity economy covers cooperatives, mutual societies, associations, foundations and commercial companies that adopt its principles in their bylaws. In France it has been defined in law since 31 July 2014 around three requirements: a purpose other than the sole sharing of profits, democratic governance, and profits mainly reinvested in the activity.
The founding values
02
Democratic governance
Leaders are elected and strategy is decided collectively, on the principle of one person, one vote — regardless of how much capital each holds.
03
Solidarity and responsibility
Pay gaps are capped by the bylaws, results are shared, and the organisation answers for its social and environmental effects.
04
Independent of public authorities
SSE organisations are managed independently of public authorities, while cooperating closely with them.
The three statutory principles
- A purpose other than sharing profits: Profit is a means, not the object. Local development, integration into work and the fight against exclusion come first.
- Democratic governance: Leaders are elected and strategic decisions are taken collectively, on the principle of one person, one vote.
- Constrained financial management: The bulk of profits is reinvested in the activity, and statutory reserves can never be distributed.
Who belongs to the SSE
- Associations under the 1901 law
- Cooperatives, including SCOPs and SCICs
- Mutual insurance and health societies
- Foundations and endowment funds
- Commercial companies that write the SSE principles into their bylaws
What it weighs
The SSE accounts for close to 10% of salaried employment in France — around 2.6 million jobs, according to the Observatoire national de l'ESS. It is not a niche, and it is not charity: it is an ordinary way of running a company that happens to be bound by its own rules.
What it changes for your projects
- Working with an SSE supplier is a documented, auditable element of your own social responsibility reporting.
- Public bodies and SSE networks provide dedicated support and financing routes for projects run inside the framework.
- Access to a network of committed organisations — cooperatives, associations, local authorities — that share tooling and practice rather than compete over it.
- Eligibility for the public procurement clauses reserved for suppliers of recognised social utility.
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