Veolia Environnement : awards its "Social Commitment" trophy to Le CentSept, a social entrepreneurship incubator in Lyon

4 july 2017

Inaugurated on 9 March and winner of the 2017 Convergences Award, Le CentSept is a social entrepreneurship project accelerator located at 107 rue de Marseille in Lyon, in France. Veolia is one of the founding partners and founding members and has chaired it since 1 January 2016. On 28 June, the Group awarded the incubator its 'Social Commitment' trophy, which recognizes the Group's best social innovations.

Dedicated to open innovation, Le CentSept brings together large companies, local authorities and social entrepreneurs to meet the needs of Metropolitan Lyon through projects combining economic development and social utility. In 2017 Le Centsept is supporting six social entrepreneurs - Faciligo, Groupe Icare, Les Petits Plus, Orison, Oz'iris, Voisin Malin - whose projects concern people with reduced mobility, or who are isolated or struggling to find employment.

Veolia has partnered CentSept from the beginning

« Centsept breaks down barriers between the various economic players in order to create a real shared dynamism and encourage social entrepreneurs. Our objective is to meet the needs of the population and impact all sectors of activity. Centsept anchors Veolia in the local area, » explains Philippe Imbert, President of CentSept, Territorial Delegate Veolia Water Activity in France.

'It seemed important to us in this urban area to have measures that would allow us support companies that simultaneously target social utility and economic development. Le CentSept falls perfectly in this niche. We were also fortunate to have men and women in Veolia who are passionate about these issues,' said David Kimelfeld, First Vice-President Metropolitan Lyon.

2017 Convergences Award

The partnership was recognized in June 2017 at the Hôtel de Ville in Paris by the National Convergences Award. Le Centsept will therefore participate in the 10Convergences World Forum on 4 and 5 September in Paris - the theme is 'Together, let's innovate for a 3Zero World!'.

Le Centsept in figures

- 5 missions: analyse the needs in the local area, identify solutions, co-create solutions, accelerate projects, facilitation and creating awareness
-11 partner companies: Bouygues Immobilier, Caisse d'Epargne Rhône-Alpes, EDF, ENEDIS, Intrum Justitia, Keolis, La Poste Group, Orange, Sanofi, UGAP, Veolia
- 2 local authorities: Metropolitan Lyon, Region of Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes
- 5 expert partners: Ashoka, ETIC Foncièrement Responsable, In Hominé, Le Mouves, Ronalpia

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