"La France des entrepreneurs" (Business) · June 22, 2019 · Panel discussion with Thibault Lamarque (Castalie) and Pierre Pelouzet, business mediator
As a guest on *La France des entrepreneurs* alongside Pierre Pelouzet, the business ombudsman, Thibault Lamarque presents Castalie its line of microfiltered water fountains. The program contrasts the company’s rapid growth with the challenge of SME access to public procurement—a market worth 75 to 100 billion euros. It’s an opportunity to position Castalie the companies that already supply public utilities such as Eau de Paris.
Key takeaways
- Founded in 2011, Castalie premium microfiltered water dispensers that remove chlorine, particles, and any heavy metals from tap water, serving it as still or sparkling water—without the need for transportation or generating waste.
- Among its public-sector clients, Castalie the City of Paris—through its water utility, Eau de Paris—as one of its clients, illustrating the growing acceptance of microfiltered water in the market among public-sector entities and local governments.
- Public procurement in France is worth 75 to 100 billion euros annually, but the share awarded to small and micro-enterprises has fallen from about 33% to 29%, according to Business Ombudsman Pierre Pelouzet.
- Pierre Pelouzet presented the guide “Osez la commande publique” (Take a Chance on Public Procurement), designed to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) understand public procurement and take advantage of new developments such as the elimination of the bidding process for innovative contracts worth up to 100,000 euros.
- In 2018, Castalie growth of more than 100% and reported having approximately 1,500 machines installed, driven by growing awareness of the need to reduce plastic waste.
- Castalie , which became a social and solidarity economy (SSE) enterprise in 2018, Castalie enshrined in its articles of incorporation its mission to replace plastic bottles.
- As we reach the middle of 2019, Castalie call Castalie phase out plastic bottles is in line with current legislative developments: the Anti-Waste Bill for a Circular Economy (AGEC), spearheaded by Secretary of State Brune Poirson, is in the works and calls for a phased-out of single-use plastics.
- Castalie two traditional markets Castalie the restaurant and hospitality industry and the corporate sector, with the latter experiencing strong growth at the time, driven by waste reduction policies.
Source: La France des entrepreneurs (Business), June 22, 2019 — panel discussion with Thibault Lamarque and Pierre Pelouzet. Watch the original episode
