“Scaling up to transform society” workshop – a look back at the session organized as part of GSEF 2025
Table of contents
Foreword: What exactly is scaling up?
Four levers for scaling up, according to the panelists
Highlights of the discussion
Key takeways
More than 10,000 people attended the World Forum on Social and Solidarity Economy, held in Bordeaux, France, from October 29 to 31, 2025. This represents 109 countries and 907 cities!
On this occasion, we led a session alongside committed stakeholders entitled “Changing scale to transform society: cooperation, financing, and the spread of high-impact SSE solutions.” The round table was composed of:
- Isabelle Hoyaux, ScaleChanger
- Julie Langlade from the Novapec programme
- Anne-Sophie VIVES from L’Burn – an association that provide supports and guidance to women suffering from burnout with a view to their social and professional reintegration. L’Burn received support from both ScaleChanger and Novapec.
- Franck Fortuné de CIRRMA – Conférence Inter-régionale des Réseaux Régionaux Multi-Acteurs
- Rachel Delorme du TIESS (Innovative territories in the social and solidarity economy) au Canada
- Elías Michelena, Fiducie du Chantier de l’économie sociale
- Laurence Moret, Executive Secretary of Crédit Coopératif Foundation
Together, the panelists shared their perspectives and feedback to facilitate the scaling up of solutions with social/environmental impact.
Foreword: What exactly is scaling up?
Scaling up means increasing organizations’ capacity to respond to growing social and environmental needs. The goal is not just to grow the organization (its budget, human resources, etc.). Above all, it is about extending the reach of a solution with proven impact in order to:
- reach more people,
- deepen the response provided to beneficiaries,
- transform practices at the local and systemic levels.
Impact-driven management becomes the priority and guiding principle for the project leader and their team in order to achieve the ambition of scaling up.
Four levers for scaling up, according to the panelists
1- Trust as a driving force
Scaling up involves transformations within organizations and very often requires funding to support the development of impact (to recruit, equip, professionalize, etc.). Many actors support associations in their scaling up, and one of the keys to the success of this partnership is a relationship of trust. Trust, listening, and taking into account the realities of the project leader are essential for smoothly achieving this milestone in development.
2- Extra-financial support and tailored, diversified financing
Needs evolve according to the phase (testing, scaling up, consolidation), hence the importance of being able to rely on a mix of financing to support associations: grants, sponsorship, contracts, loans, solidarity savings, and even community bonds where relevant. These mechanisms make it possible to align financing with the desired impact.
3- Cooperate to achieve more
With the economic situation currently very unfavorable for the non-profit sector (notably due to a decline in public subsidies), one way to scale up its impact at a lower cost is to focus on multi-stakeholder alliances, regional networking, and the sharing of tools and methods. Cooperation makes it possible to pool resources, gain greater visibility, and benefit from greater clout to raise awareness of the cause, bring about change, and mobilize funding.
To go further : Scaling through cooperation
4- Supporting human and organizational change
In French, we say “changer d”échelle” (literally changing the scale) and this is very accurate because when scaling, it is the entire organization that moves and evolves. In fact, the project leader moves from a “doer” role to that of a “conductor.” Their position becomes more strategic, and all other components of the organization will inevitably evolve: governance, digital tools, data management and processing, and new roles are integrated (administrative and financial manager, partnership manager, etc.). This is why it is essential to be supported by experts during these transition phases in order to take a step back and ensure that all organizational mechanisms are aligned.
Key points of discussion
🟡Clarify the organization’s vision and mission, formalize what can be replicated before expanding.
🟡 Rely on a winning trio
To successfully scale up, project leaders have a few levers at their disposal:
- benefit from strategic support,
- surround themselves with committed partners and financiers
- rely on local networks that will help implement and adapt the solution locally.
🟡 Invest in digital technology
Digital technology (management tools, intranet, data collection and impact measurement, etc.) is a real accelerator. It increases efficiency and impact.
To go further: take advantage of a free digital training program. Applications are open until January 9, 2026.
🟡 Promote multi-year, non-earmarked financial support
This provides the flexibility to test, adjust, and maintain the path to impact. It also allows organizations to prepare for the future with greater peace of mind and allocate their spending where it is most needed.
🟡 Take care of teams
Leaders of impact organizations have poorer mental health than those in traditional companies. This calls for sustainable management practices and work rhythms. Scaling up does not mean “go for it, speed up.” It is important to:
- take the time to think about and prepare for scaling up (note that this is not a mandatory step in the life of an organization),
- start at the right time,
- and protect the health of leaders and teams.
Key takeaways
Scaling up is a journey. It’s not something you do alone. You equip yourself, you cooperate, you finance intelligently, you measure impact, and you protect people. The result: more robust and useful solutions to challenges.
To learn more about how ScaleChanger can support you with your scaling challenges
18 Novembre 2025
