Good Practice - Project
La Fabrique à Entreprendre - promoting entrepreneurship and a dynamic community
Rural entrepreneurship in France supported by CAP-funded multifunctional service facility.
General information
RDP Priority
- P6. Social inclusion and local development
RDP Focus Area
- 6B: Local development
RDP Measure
- M19: LEADER/CLLD
Summary
The project developed a multifunctional space supporting rural entrepreneurship in a mountain community. The space - ‘La Fabrique’ - is available as a coworking space and can support meetings, training sessions, and office rental. It also supports vulnerable and underrepresented groups such as women and young people from areas with higher levels of poverty.
Results
- 420 participations in collective workshops and events organised by the La Fabrique.
- 300 people came to the place and received information and advice.
- 20 co-workers involved as test users.
Promoter
Réseau Initiative Alpes Provence
Funding
Total budget - 49 454.39 (EUR)
EAFRD - 26 975.37 (EUR)
National/Regional - 17 983.58 (EUR)
Private - 4 495.44 (EUR)
Resources
Documents
La Fabrique à Entreprendre - promoting entrepreneurship and a dynamic community
(PDF – 2.72 MB)
Links
Context
Digne-les-Bains is the capital of the Department of Alpes de Haute-Provence. Its low-density population is ageing and the department has a higher-than-average unemployment level. In this context, the Southern Alps territory has been looking for innovative ways to attract newcomers and generate added value. Actions such as establishing multifunctional coworking spaces, delivering workshops, ‘FabLabs’, and shared gardens appear to have a positive impact on employment, create opportunities for training, and enable access to digital technology and entrepreneurship.
Objectives
The project aims to foster entrepreneurship in rural areas by establishing a multifunctional service facility.
Activities
In 2019, the project conducted a study on the territory’s ‘third places’ in order to identify development and positioning paths for the creation of ‘La Fabrique à Entreprendre’. ‘Third places’ is a term used to describe spaces for social interaction outside of the home (first place) and the workplace (second space). An extensive consultation was carried out with local private and public stakeholders, as well as with potential users of the facility.
In 2020, the project launched beta-tests of the coworking space along with animation actions.
In 2021, the consultation took place, alongside the construction of the multifunctional space. Input was received from stakeholders across the community. A website and social media presence were also established.
In 2022, the works were completed and the visual identity for La Fabrique was launched.
From 2019 to 2022, the project conducted support actions and entrepreneurial events, and has benefited from another European funding sources, namely the ALCOTRA PITEM-CLIP as part of a cooperation project with Italy.
Main results
Quantifiable results for 2021 included:
- 420 participations in collective workshops and events organised by the La Fabrique.
- 300 people came to the place and received information and advice.
- 20 co-workers involved as test users.
The multifunctional space can accommodate coworking, meetings, training sessions and office rental.
La Fabrique has the ability to identify needs and offer specific support to the most vulnerable groups. It prioritises support to people from deprived areas and has specific actions for local women. It carries out various actions targeted at young people including acting as an incubator, awareness workshops, support programmes, and providing targeted funding.
Key lessons
Exchanging and sharing skills and knowledge should be at the heart of any actions aimed at promoting and investing in future entrepreneurs, especially if they come from a disadvantaged background. Hence, all shared spaces developed within a multifunctional space need to embrace these values.
“La Fabrique” is not just a place of welcome, because of their dynamism and their voluntarism, it is above all a place of exchange and shared values which allows the different structures of business creation to exist and to work together.”