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This article is for those who want to understand what really lies behind Le Colibri Frenchy’s commitment to solidarity—and why we made this choice from day one, not as a marketing ploy, but as a founding principle.
An ESAT—Établissement et Service d’Aide par le Travail (Work-Based Support Facility and Service)—is a medical-social facility that enables people with disabilities to engage in gainful employment under conditions adapted to their abilities.
ESAT workers are adults with mental, psychological, physical, or sensory disabilities that prevent them, at a certain point in their lives, from directly entering the mainstream workforce. The ESAT provides them with a supervised work environment, medical and social support, and compensation.
In France, there are approximately 1,500 ESATs that employ nearly 120,000 workers with disabilities (source: DREES, 2023).
Nicolas Valentin, founder of Le Colibri Frenchy, is a former elite athlete (pole vaulter). He spent time with Paralympic athletes and realized early on that athletic performance has nothing to do with disability—that a passion for hard work, discipline, and precision can be found everywhere, regardless of an employee’s background.
When he founded the brand in 2020, integrating an ESAT into the production chain was a no-brainer. Not to check off a CSR box. Not for a certification. For one simple reason: an inclusive economy yields better results when it’s built in from the start, not tacked on as a marketing gimmick after the fact.
People working at ESATs are involved in various stages of the manufacturing or packaging of Le Colibri Frenchy products. Tasks are tailored to each worker’s abilities, with ongoing supervision by workshop instructors.
The rigor applied to these steps is genuine and well-documented. Quality controls carried out at ESATs are often more methodical than those performed in traditional industrial workshops, where the pressure to maintain production pace can compromise attention to detail.
When you buy a Le Colibri Frenchy T-shirt, a portion of your purchase directly supports:
This is no small matter. In France, the unemployment rate among people with recognized disabilities is about twice that of the general population (source: DARES, 2022). Every order placed with a company that works with an ESAT makes a tangible contribution to narrowing this gap.
In addition to the ESAT, Le Colibri Frenchy also works with an adapted company (EA). Unlike the ESAT, an adapted company operates in a mainstream work environment but employs at least 55% of workers with recognized disabilities.
Supported employment businesses operate in a wide variety of sectors—logistics, digital technology, manufacturing—with the same quality and deadline requirements as any traditional business. Working with them means taking another step toward full and complete employment inclusion.
Le Colibri Frenchy does not separate its values from its practices:
These choices come at a cost. They partly explain why a Le Colibri Frenchy T-shirt costs more than an imported T-shirt. This cost is intentional and transparent.
Without naming specific individuals to respect their privacy, the feedback from instructors at our partner ESAT workshops is consistent: the workers take pride in their contribution to the creation of a visible product, worn by real athletes, that is featured in races and events.
Seeing your own hands contribute to a product that you can see in action—on a trail, during a race—has a symbolic value that numbers can’t capture. It’s an important part of what Le Colibri Frenchy is striving to build.
What is an ESAT, and how does it work? An ESAT (Établissement et Service d’Aide par le Travail) is a medical-social facility that enables adults with disabilities to engage in gainful employment in an adapted setting. Employees are paid, receive support from healthcare and social work professionals, and develop recognized professional skills.
What is the difference between an ESAT and an adapted company? An ESAT is a medical-social facility for people whose disabilities prevent them from integrating into the general workforce. An adapted company (EA) is a regular business that employs at least 55% workers with disabilities in a standard work environment. Both contribute to the professional inclusion of people with disabilities.
How can you tell if a product was manufactured using a truly inclusive approach? Ask the brand directly to specify its manufacturing partners. A reputable brand can name its workshops, the types of organizations it works with, and the portion of production involved. Be wary of vague statements like “social commitment” without further details.
Every Le Colibri Frenchy T-shirt is made in France, in partner workshops that include an ESAT and a company that employs people with disabilities. This is a fundamental choice, not just a sales pitch.
Directed by COQPIT - Communications Agency
