Newsletter
Impact, inclusion and digitalisation: our latest news from the field in France and Worldwide
Supporting the replication of eco-construction in Africa
From 13th to 15th May 2025, ScaleChanger was in Djougou, Benin, to support the Nubian Vault (AVN) association in the strategic evaluation of its project in Africa. For the past two decades, AVN has been developing an innovative eco-construction solution specifically designed for Sahelian contexts: An architectural technique that uses no wood or sheet metal, relying solely on local materials such as earth, stone, and water. This method, which is low-carbon, sustainable, economical, and resilient to climate change, addresses the housing needs of the region while generating significant social, environmental, and economic impact.
Active in six West African countries (Benin, Burkina Faso, Ghana, Mali, Mauritania, Senegal), AVN has enabled over 65,000 people to access sustainable housing, supported by a network of more than 1,000 local masons, trainers, and entrepreneurs.
Building on this experience, the organisation is now pursuing an ambitious goal: to reach 10,000 Nubian Vault constructions per year by 2025.
In this context, ScaleChanger supported AVN in their strategic thinking as well as their scaling journey. The mission involved field visits and meetings with masons, trainers, beneficiaries, elected officials, and partners, as well as in-depth work on the key levers for transforming the sustainable construction sector in Africa.
👉 If you too would like support in evaluating a high-impact initiative: contact@scalechanger.org
Scaling up inclusion: the success story of VETA
Founded in 2014, VETA, (meaning “A different way of living and working”), is a French organisation that promotes the inclusion of individuals with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) and Intellectual Developmental Disabilities (IDD), through an innovative approach that combines employment, housing, and personalised support.
A pilot project carried out with the company Andros (French food company specializing in fruit products and dairy) demonstrated that integration into mainstream work environments is not only possible, but also beneficial, both for the individuals supported and for the companies involved. Building on this success, VETA set out to replicate its model in other French regions.
ScaleChanger supporting VETA in its scaling ambitions and helped them develop a social franchise: formalising the model, creating practical tools, establishing the governance structure, and building a long-term vision.
The model is proving effective: eight projects were rolled out by the end of 2024, and the initiative received official recognition at the institutional level!
👉 Want to learn more about this success story? Read the full article here
DiGi-SEII: a European project to digitalise the social and solidarity economy
DiGi-SEII stands for Digital Scaling for Social Enterprises, in other words, how to scale up socially impactful organisations through digitalisation. Alongside seven European partners, we are committed to accelerating the digital transition of social enterprises and the organisations that support them across Europe.
Launched in September 2024 and running over three years, this European project aims to help social enterprises and entrepreneurship support organisations (ESOs) strengthen their digital skills, enabling them to grow, innovate, and increase their social impact. The project is built around a blended learning approach, combining online learning, in-person training, peer exchanges, mentoring, and innovative AI-based tools for skills assessment.
At ScaleChanger, we are deeply involved in this initiative and will contribute to the co-creation of training programmes, the delivery of capacity-building workshops, and the digital transformation support of ESOs.
The project is led by the Euclid Network in collaboration with a consortium of European partners with complementary expertise: Reach for Change Foundation (Sweden), ScaleChanger (France), ESSEC Business School (France), Social Economy Ukraine (Ukraine), EIT Digital (Belgium), Sociale Innovatiefabriek (Belgium), and the Academy of Entrepreneurship (Greece).
👉 Learn more about DiGi-SEII: https://www.scalechanger.org/en/news/digi-seii-empowering-social-enterprises-through-digitalization/
DIGI SEII is co-funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union. Neither the European Union nor the granting authority can be held responsible for them.
Opportunity from our network
Updates :
Call for Applications – Cartier Women’s Initiative Programme
The Cartier Women’s Initiative has opened its 2026 call for applications to support 30 women impact entrepreneurs through a comprehensive programme offering financial, social, and human capital support. Applications are open until 24 June 2025.
👉 More information here
📢 To discover : a key tool for strengthening NGOs’ autonomy
Produced by Efiscience, the publication “Resource Mobilisation by National NGOs” offers practical strategies to enhance NGOs’ financial independence, moving beyond traditional funding approaches.
This work stems from an extensive consultation process (80 participants + 400 respondents), available 👉here.
Date : May 23, 2025
