Tailored Material Support: Lessons from France for Meeting Diverse Needs

On 20^th – 21^st of November, 61 participants from 17 Member States gathered in Paris for the Community of Practice on Material Support onsite event ‘Meeting varying needs: how material support can be tailored to meet the diverse needs of different target groups.’

The two-day event in Paris focused on tailoring material support to meet the diverse needs of vulnerable groups. Discussions included innovative approaches in France and other countries and site visits to key NGOs: Les Restos du Coeur, La Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires, Secours Populaire Français, and Croix-Rouge Française, providing food support on a national level. The participants reflected on the lessons learned from the FEAD programming period and explored strategies to enhance the impact and inclusivity of material support systems under the ESF+ in the future programming period.

Rimgailė Baltutė, Lead Thematic Expert at the CoP on Material Support, outlined the significance of the initiative: ‘Material deprivation affects millions of people across Europe, with the specific needs of various vulnerable groups being both unique and often complex. Understanding and addressing these diverse needs can be challenging, yet it is crucial for establishing effective support systems.’

Unmet Social Needs of End-Users: The Roots of Social Innovation

Social innovation offers an avenue to address unmet social needs through tailored and novel solutions, which can also be applied to material support. Beneficiary involvement is crucial at every stage, from needs assessment to solution design and impact evaluation. However, reaching vulnerable populations presents challenges that require innovative approaches. These include engaging beneficiaries in familiar environments, providing universal services to minimise stigma, adapting support to recipients’ capacities, and collaborating with intermediaries like social workers or NGOs.

Collaboration among diverse stakeholders — beyond the conventional actors — is essential for tackling these multifaceted challenges. Armelle Ledan, Lead Thematic Expert on Social Innovation at the European Competence Centre for Social Innovation, emphasised the importance of experimentation: ‘In the face of ever-increasing and varied needs for material support, it is urgent to test new approaches, services, and tools before implementing them at a wider scale. ESF+ support to social experimentation and social innovation can be a good option.’

Material Support System in France

As part of the discussions on tailoring material support to diverse needs, the Paris event examined how France addresses these challenges though its material support system. The participants explored the structure and strategies France employs to meet the needs of the most vulnerable, offering valuable lessons for other Member States.

France operates two key programmes targeting food and material support:

1. The ‘Employment, Inclusion, Youth, and Skills’ (hereafter EIYS) Programme under the Ministry of Labour.
2. The ‘European Support for Food Aid’ (hereafter ESFA) Programme under the Ministry of Social Cohesion- Managing Authority of the national ESF+ programme.

The ESFA Programme, co-financed by the EU at 90%, encompasses €647 million allocated over seven years to combat food insecurity in both mainland France and the Overseas Territories. ‘FranceAgriMer’ centrally procures foodstuffs, which are distributed to four major NGOs:

• ‘Croix-Rouge Française’
•  ‘La Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires’
•  ‘Les Restos du Coeur’,
•  ‘Secours Populaire Français’.

These organisations work closely with public authorities to ensure the effective distribution of aid and the implementation of supplementary support measures. The NGOs have consistently highlighted the critical role of ESF+ in reaching the most vulnerable populations and fostering inclusion.

François Bridelance of the Directorate-General for Employment, Social Affairs, and Inclusion at the European Commission highlighted the importance of the EU’s contribution: ‘The FEAD and ESF+ regulations allow for EU funding, whether for food aid, basic material assistance, or both. France has chosen to dedicate this funding exclusively to food aid, which represents 25–30% of the total food aid distributed in the country. This makes the EU the largest source of food aid in France.’

Thanks to the commitment of numerous volunteers from partner organisations, France’s national programme supported over 42 million beneficiaries between 2014 and 2022. More than half of these beneficiaries were women, over one-third were minor children, and many were from single-parent families, or were isolated individuals. Alongside food distribution, the same associations implemented accompanying measures to enhance social inclusion and promote self-sufficiency.

The successive crises since 2020 —the COVID-19 pandemic, the invasion of Ukraine, and rising inflation —have significantly increased the number of individuals relying on food aid. In response to this growing demand, France has taken decisive action by allocating over 9% of its total ESF+ budget to combating material deprivation, well above the regulatory minimum of 3% and the EU Member States’ average of 4%. This proactive approach makes France one of the leading countries investing in addressing material deprivation during the 2021–2027 programming period.

The evolving crises have introduced new profiles of food aid recipients, highlighting the emergence of distinct needs among beneficiaries. This development underscores the importance of adapting both food aid provision and accompanying measures to meet these specific requirements effectively.

Key Insights from the Panel Discussions and Workshop on the Multiannual Financial Framework

Experts and practitioners from various Member States participated in the first panel discussion, sharing their insights and experiences on identifying the specific needs of vulnerable populations, determining effective delivery methods, and overcoming challenges in ensuring equitable access to support. The panellists explored diverse approaches to meeting the needs of different vulnerable groups, including in-kind support and voucher systems. The discussion emphasised the importance of accessibility, tailoring solutions to local contexts, and fostering more effective engagement with recipients. Material support was highlighted not only to alleviate deprivation but also as a foundation for promoting social inclusion through accompanying measures and community-based interventions.

The second panel discussion focused on gathering insights into the impact and challenges of FEAD implementation, along with key recommendations for enhancing material support programmes under ESF+ and future initiatives. The panellists praised FEAD’s flexibility in addressing crises and fostering collaboration, which enabled the development of innovative solutions and ensured uninterrupted food distribution during recent crises. However, challenges, such as administrative burdens, inflation, and reliance on volunteers, underscored the need for improved support systems and increased budgets. The panellists emphasised the importance of integrating material support with accompanying measures and adopting multidimensional approaches to combat poverty effectively.

In addition to the panel discussions, the participating experts and practitioners engaged in the workshop on the Multiannual Financial Framework (MFF).Material support was underscored as essential for addressing immediate needs and fostering long-term social inclusion. The participants advocated for increased budgets, greater flexibility to adapt to local needs, and expanded accompanying measures to promote autonomy and reduce poverty. Simplifying administrative processes, enhancing support for volunteer-driven initiatives, and strengthening partnerships with civil society were identified as key strategies for the new MFF.

Overall, the event emphasised the importance of involving target groups in the development of material support systems. Direct engagement with beneficiaries ensures their needs are clearly understood and addressed, fostering trust and building meaningful connections. Collaboration among stakeholders was highlighted as essential for delivering coordinated and effective support. Flexibility emerged as a one of the key themes, with an emphasis on the need for systems that can swiftly adapt to crises or evolving situations. Innovation was recognised as crucial for enhancing the effectiveness and reach of material support. Personalised accompanying measures were also emphasised/noted/pointed out for their role in addressing immediate deprivation while creating pathways towards social inclusion and long-term autonomy.

We would like to express our sincere gratitude to the Ministry of Solidarity, the Ministry of Labour, and the four national partner organisations: Les Restos du Coeur, La Fédération Française des Banques Alimentaires, Secours Populaire Français, and Croix-Rouge Française, for hosting and organising these two insightful days.