15 social innovation projects were awarded at the Élysée Palace in Paris by François Hollande, as part of La France s'engage, a presidential initiative suppporting the development of initiatives having a positive impact on society. Thanks to the initiative, a real movement for social enterprise is born in France.

Volunteers, associations, foundations, engaged professionals… France’s social actors gathered at the Élysée Presidential Palace in Paris on the 31st of August, on the occasion of the award ceremony of the winners of the 5th edition of La France s’Engage (which translates as "France makes a stand"). Every six months, until the end of the presidential mandate in 2017, 15 social innovation projects are selected and awarded.

The aim is “to encourage the commitment in the social field in all forms and celebrate all men and women who, through their actions, contribute to build tomorrow’s society”. Projects are selected “because they have capacity to grow, because they bring innovative solutions and they prove to have a real social utility.”

Thanks to La France s’engage, the projects of associations, foundations and enterprises, who often lack resources, means and support, can get exposure and financial support, through a 50 million euro fund. Patrick Kanner, Minister of the City, Youth and Sports, ensures the promotion and valorisation of the presidential initiative.

“La France s’engage is creating in France a real movement for social enterprise, that encourages social innovation in the country thanks to the cooperation of different actors: thanks to the support of the State, but mostly thanks to a mobilization at citizen level”, says Christian Vanizette, founder of MakeSense, an open source global network of thousand of people passionate of social enterprise, who are able to solve the challenges of social entrepreneurs all around the world.
MakeSense is one of the partners of the presidential initiative, and mobilises young entrepreneurs all around France, so that they can present their candidacy to La France s’engage.

The winners of the fifth edition of La France s’engage are:
Lazare, Agorae, Bayes Impact, Lire pour en sortir, Fédération Léo Lagrange, L'Académie Christophe Tiozzo, Groupe Associatif Siel Bleu, Association Nationale des Groupements de Créateurs, PARIS MOZART ORCHESTRA, En Direct Des Eleveurs, Job dans la ville, Association Nationale Handi Surf, Comme les Autres, Réseau Cocagne - Jardins de Cocagne, Fédération Nationale des Écoles de Production.

Cover photo: Winners pose before attending 'La France s'engage' (France makes a stand) at the Élysée Presidential Palace in Paris.
©Stephane de Sakutin/AFP/Getty Images.