Blue Bees, a solidarity financing solution

Participatory financing, also known as crowdfunding, is a system that makes it possible to call on the public (without going through banks) to finance a project. 

Blue Bees is a crowdfunding company that specialises in the market of solidarity financing for the ecological transition. 

What is participatory funding?

There are basically 3 types of participatory funding:  

• Donation: the investor gives a sum of money and often receives special benefits in return. The donation formula is favoured for "small" projects, often under €15,000 
• Loan: the investor lends money that the entrepreneur repays with an interest rate. It is therefore an investment for the investor and a debt for the project owner. 
• Equity: the investor contributes money to the share capital of the company created by the entrepreneur. He thus participates in the results (profits as well as losses) and accepts the risk of losing his capital if the company does not work or of making a capital gain after a few years if the company works well. 

The projects are presented on an internet platform that brings together project owners and investors. It is therefore a communication tool that allows to make one's activity known and also to find future clients and partners. 

Blue Bees' environmental commitment 

Blue Bees works on projects in the form of grants or loans, but only for projects that work towards sustainable agriculture and food. 

The activities supported are broad and not limited to agricultural production:  

• Installation of organic market gardening 
• Agroforestry and reforestation projects 
• Development of an agricultural sector from A to Z 
• Conversion to organic farming 
• Initial processing of farm products 
• Creation of recycling and secondary material recovery channels 
• Innovative food or cosmetic start-ups 
• Low carbon energy (methanisation) 
• Environmental education 
• Local producers' shops 
• Coffee, trade in rural areas 

This strong social and environmental commitment is reflected in favourable financing conditions, as interest rates are often quite low.  

Investors are more motivated by the realisation of a particular project than by the financial return offered. It is in fact an ethical and solidarity-based savings tool. 

The company is also approved as a socially useful solidarity company. 

Some figures on Blue Bees' activity 

Since its launch in 2015, Blue Bees has supported nearly 700 projects (120 of which are led by women) and raised more than €10 million, which represents 6,200 ha preserved. 
Donation campaigns average €9,500 with an average payment of €78 per donor.  
Loan campaigns average €70,000 with an average payment of €265 per investor. 
Blue Bees is remunerated by a commission proportional to the amount of the project.  

Advantages for project leaders 

The project owner can, through a participatory financing campaign with Blue Bees, find funds for his project, carry out a communication campaign and find both customers and partners. 
The fact of using this type of financing, generally without insurance and without guarantee, allows a bank which intervenes in complement, to reduce its risks without reducing its guarantees. This can often be a decisive factor in obtaining a bank loan. 
The environmental commitment makes it possible to have a low cost of financing (2% on the projects consulted at the beginning of 2022), i.e. fairly close to the conditions of classic bank financing.