France celebrated last November the 18th edition of the Social and Solidarity Economy Month, an event promoted by ESS France that brings together thousands of initiatives aimed at promoting this economic model throughout the country. The organisation of the event is supported by the Regional Chambers of Social and Solidarity Economy (CRESS), which are jointly supported by the sector and the French regional administrations.
The Social and Solidarity Economy Month is a time of mobilisation and visibility that each year brings together a wide diversity of actors around thousands of events. During the 2025 edition, there were nearly 1,300 registered events and more than 500 committed actors helping to bring this collective initiative to life.
This year, the national launch of the ESS Month took place on 30 October on the occasion of the Global Social Economy Forum in Bordeaux. The opening event was attended by Benoît Hamon, President of ESS France; Alioune Dione, Minister of Microfinance and Social and Solidarity Economy of Senegal; Sarah de Heusch, Director of Social Economy Europe; and Fernando Zamban, Director of Partnerships and Development at the National Secretariat for Popular and Solidarity Economy of Brazil.
This launch also provided the perfect opportunity to award the national winner of the ESS Awards, which this year went to the association Dédale, based in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, which combats the housing crisis by making vacant homes available to people.
The ESS Month also included themed weeks, such as the Solidarity Finance Week, the European Week for the Employment of People with Disabilities (SEEPH), the Solidarity Festival, the European Week for Waste Reduction, and the Digital Commons Week.
