The Degroof Petercam Foundation awards its grand prize to Activ'Action

The Degroof Petercam Foundation awards its grand prize to Activ'Action

A grant of one million euros over five years

Brussels, June 9, 2022 – Activ'Action is the winner of the fourth edition of the Degroof Petercam Foundation prize. Based in France, Activ'Action is a non-profit that supports people in their professional transition. By winning the first prize, this initiative will benefit from a grant of one million euros, spread over five years, as well as access to the Foundation's expertise and network. Alongside Activ'Action, the Foundation is also rewarding five other projects: Inco Academy and Mozaik RH, with a grant of 50,000 euros each, as well as Konexio, Social Builder and H'up Entrepreneurs, with a grant of 20,000 euros each.

Created in 2008, the Degroof Petercam Foundation's mission is to support employment by focusing on three main areas: tomorrow's skills, entrepreneurship and working towards a more inclusive labor market. Each year, the Foundation selects and supports a new project with an innovative approach to job creation with a grant and tailored coaching. The Foundation's first award consists of a one million euro grant and personalized follow-up over five years. The Degroof Petercam Foundation is now one of the ten largest Belgian foundations.

Activ'Action is the 2022 winner of the grand prize. This initiative aims to transform the job search period into an opportunity to enlarge one's network, enhance one's employment skills, carry out projects and try out new abilities through its free and collaborative workshops. Its unique methodology focuses on a catalog of 15 soft skills (oral fluency, teamwork, active listening, etc.) that are essential for today's world and tomorrow's challenges. This project responds to a societal need, knowing that unemployment has a negative impact on soft skills and behavioral aptitudes (self-confidence, social cohesion, optimism, perseverance, ambition, etc.), which are paramount for the job market.

Emilie Schmitt, co-founder of Activ'Action:

"We are particularly honored and enthusiastic about this recognition, which demonstrates the necessity of our action towards the job market. With the help of 50 team members and 50 volunteers across Belgium and France, we strive to transform professional transition phases into opportunities for development rather than destructive personal experiences. This award from the Degroof Petercam Foundation allows us to significantly accelerate the systemic change we aim to achieve,notably with the creation of an office in Belgium, thus contributing to meeting our objective of reaching 10,000 job seekers per year.”

Xavier Van Campenhout, chairman of the Degroof Petercam Foundation:

"Activ'Action fits perfectly into the broader mission of the Foundation, which is to support the entrepreneurs of employment solutions and to give them the means to grow. We are delighted to accompany Activ'Action in its development.”

The Degroof Petercam Foundation is awarding its prize for the fourth consecutive year. Previous winners are Ticket for Change (2021), Bayes Impact (2020) and DUO for a JOB (2019). The support of the Foundation has enabled these initiatives to develop and expand in Belgium and beyond.


More information
Degroof Petercam Foundation
​Silvia Steisel
​+32 2 287 99 31
[email protected]
https://www.degroofpetercam.com/en-be/foundation

Activ’Action
​Justine Cachart
​+33 6 29 41 26 99
[email protected]
www.activaction.org

About the Degroof Petercam Foundation
The Degroof Petercam Foundation supports social innovations for employment by focusing on three main areas: the skills of tomorrow, entrepreneurship and accessibility to employment. Adopting a participatory philanthropy model, the foundation selects one project each year and grants one million euros over five years. In addition to its main mission in favor of employment, the Degroof Petercam Foundation is also committed to promoting philanthropy within the Degroof Petercam Group and among its employees through participative social engagement programs such as volunteering, sponsorship campaigns, etc. By 2023, it aims to reach a commitment of 5 million euros of aid, as well as a portfolio of five supported projects, the participation in the creation of 3,000 jobs, and an involvement of 30% of Degroof Petercam employees.
​For more information, follow the LinkedIn page.

About Activ’Action
Activ'Action was born from the desire of a group of job seekers to transform this period into a constructive experience filled with learning, networking and personal and professional reflection. In concrete terms, Activ'Action offers free, collaborative workshops, both face-to-face and online, that are open to all and focus on mutual aid and the development of soft skills. Since its creation in 2014, Activ'Action has organized 4,500 workshops in France and Belgium with a total of 21,000 participants, and trained 500 people to lead workshops. In 2021, their activities have reached approximately 4,500 participants. Activ'Action's partners include Actiris, Forem, L'Oréal and Ashoka.
​To participate in a free workshop: www.activaction.org/agenda
​To collaborate with Activ'Action: www.activaction.co

About Degroof Petercam

Founded in 1871, Degroof Petercam is a Belgian-rooted reference investment house built on more than 150 years of integrated financial knowledge. We create responsible prosperity for all by opening doors to opportunities and accompanying our private, corporate and institutional clients with expertise.

Clients in over 20 countries trust us for our convictions and for our distinctive combination of services in private banking, asset management, investment banking (corporate finance and global markets) and asset services. Total client assets (under management, under administration and in custody) amount to 71.1 billion euros (on 31.12.2022).

More than 1,500 experts are committed to our clients through offices in Belgium, Luxembourg, France, Switzerland, Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, Italy and Hong Kong.

Degroof Petercam
Trust. Knowledge.

Degroof Petercam
Rue de l'Industrie | Nijverheidsstraat 44
1040 Brussels