Every year, support and guidance are offered to Festisol groups to help them take part in the Festival of Solidarity project. We invite you to sign up for the scheme as soon as possible so that we can put you in touch with other organisations in your area!
Festisol: affirming our values
The various crises we are facing underscore the urgency of tackling injustices and inequalities. The issue of global interdependence and the need to build a world based on greater solidarity have come to the fore in public debate in a striking way. Festisol therefore remains more essential than ever as a space for raising awareness and mobilising people around the values of solidarity.
Despite a rather difficult period for the voluntary sector, the budget for ‘Coup de pouce’ has been maintained in order to support the Festisol collectives.
Please do not hesitate to contact your regional coordination office so that they can assist you with this matter.
What exactly is ‘Le Coup de pouce’?
‘Le Coup de pouce’ is a scheme providing assistance and support – particularly financial – to collectives during the Festival of Solidarity.
To apply, you must be a local collective – that is, at least five organisations working together to put together a programme of events as part of the Festival des Solidarités, in collaboration with other organisations also taking part in the festival. If this is the first year your collective is organising Festisol, the criteria are more flexible. If you are a Festisol participant on your own, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us anyway! We will put you in touch with other participants in your area so that you can submit a joint application.
For collectives taking part for the first time, they will be eligible if they comprise three organisations that work together to organise the activities, with the support of two partners (who are not involved in planning the activities). This collective must, of course, meet the other eligibility criteria for funding (as detailed in the Coup de Pouce guide).
How is the application review process carried out?
In 2024, the ‘Coup de pouce’ scheme underwent a number of changes to take on board feedback from the Festisol collectives.
The ‘Coup de pouce’ grant is now a flat-rate payment of €900 for all groups that meet the minimum criteria, subject to the overall budget available. This amount corresponds to the average of the grants received by groups in previous years.
Your application is primarily intended to help us tailor our support, as well as to help you prepare for your local Festisol event. It will therefore only be read by your regional coordination team and the national coordination team.
You’ll find a wealth of information in the ‘Coup de Pouce’ educational guide: the timetable, eligibility criteria for support, and advice based on feedback from the Festisol network over more than 25 years :-)! It is therefore essential that you read this guide before completing your ‘Coup de Pouce’ application.
Practical information
You may submit your application by 13 September 2026 at the latest. The application is considered complete once you have submitted the online form and emailed the additional documents as specified in the ‘Coup de pouce’ Guide. You can use the proofreading guide to help you complete the online form. Final decisions will be made in early October, with the advance payment being sent in mid-October.
The regional co-ordination groups (Coras) are here to support you in putting together your programme of events and in drafting your ‘Coup de pouce’ application. Please do not hesitate to contact them, as they are your main points of contact for this matter. Any group submitting an application must therefore be in contact with the Festisol Coordination Office in their region.
If there is no Coras in your area listed on *Le Coup de pouce*, you can contact the national co-ordination team for the Festival des Solidarités: animation@festivaldessolidarites.org or (Marie-Pierre Djekou) marie-pierre@festivaldessolidarites.org – 07 67 35 13 11.
