Together with its subsidiaries and strategic partners, Caisse des Dépôts Group is the leading public financial hub.
"Caisse des Dépôts is responsible for the protection of the public’s savings, the funding of social housing and the management of pension schemes. Caisse des Dépôts also plays a role in local and national economic development, particularly in job creation, urban planning, tackling financial exclusion, business start-ups, and sustainable development. Caisse des Dépôts et Consignations is a long-term investor promoting business development in line with its own ownership interests."(1)
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Our five main missions
Protecting French people's savings
56 million savers have a regulated savings account (Livret A, LDDS or LEP). These day-to-day precautionary savings accounts are popular because they are readily accessible, tax-exempt and guaranteed by the French State. They also offer savers risk-free returns. Caisse des Dépôts has been managing these savings accounts since 1837 and even after all these years, they account for around 60% of French savings... and we put that money to good work!
A portion of the funds held in regulated savings accounts is converted into long-term loans with a term of up to 80 years, and used to strengthen social and regional cohesion by financing social housing, urban planning and public interest projects for local authorities via the Banque des Territoires. The remaining funds are managed as highly secured financial assets, helping to ensure their liquidity and returns while financing the economy.
FIND OUT MORE: Votre épargne vous est bien utile | Regardez la vidéo d'Olivier Mareuse
Financing and supporting social housing
Caisse des Dépôts is the leading provider of social-housing financing in France. It provides over 70% of the financing for new housing projects, supporting an average of 100,000 projects a year, and offers a range of loans covering the entire production chain via Banque des Territoires. It also finances social housing projects and facilities for vulnerable and disadvantaged populations, making affordable solutions accessible to all.
As France's leading social housing provider with a portfolio of over 550,000 housing units, the Group is now a global real estate operator serving the public interest, capable of supporting all major urban projects. Present across France, it works alongside the French State and local authorities to accelerate the construction of new social and intermediate housing, while ensuring that tenants’ housing needs are fully met.
FIND OUT MORE: Le témoignage de Najoua | l'Habitat social à la Banque des Territoires | CDC-habitat
Managing public mandates
Since its creation in 1816, Caisse des Dépôts has been a trusted manager of legally protected private funds. It receives the funds from clients of legal professionals (notaries, judicial administrators and legal trustees, since 1890) and acts as a depository for funds held in escrow, whether on a voluntary basis or by court order.
As a Public Institution, it acts as banker for the social security system and a range of institutional clients including social housing organisations, semi-public companies, foundations and charities.
A trusted third party, Caisse des Dépôts can act as a legal trustee on behalf of public or private entities, providing financial and administrative management together with banking services. The French State has entrusted Caisse des Dépôts with a range of mandates, such as driving the France 2030 plan (an extension of the Investments for the Future programmes), maintaining the French registry of greenhouse gas emissions, and administering various pension schemes.
FIND OUT MORE: Le site de la Banque des Territoires | Le site des politiques sociales | Découvrez nos fonds et mandats gérés
Supporting French people throughout their lives
As part of its key, longstanding role in managing pensions, Caisse des Dépôts offers innovative solutions to its subsidiaries and public sector employers to support them in their day-to-day lives. More broadly, it supports French citizens throughout their lives by providing them with free services and platforms that serve the public interest (Mon Compte Formation, Mon Parcours Handicap, Ciclade.fr, Maisons France Services, digital advisors, etc.) to help young people and people with disabilities enter the world of work, invest in skills development and training, streamline the management of public pensions and promote the use of digital technology.
The Group also works to support the elderly care and healthcare sector. It is helping to accelerate the shift to home care and provides financial support for accommodation for dependent people, public hospitals, the development of telemedicine solutions and the fight against medical deserts. The Group is now the leading provider of local public services in France.
FIND OUT MORE: Accédez au site des Politiques sociales | Découvrez l'interview d'Emmanuel | Lien social et perte d’autonomie : La Poste accompagne la transformation des parcours de santé
Contributing to economic growth
Caisse des Dépôts is a leading shareholder and a major institutional investor in France and Europe, as well as a key player in international capital markets. It finances the economy over the long term and acts in synergy with public policy to support key sectors of the French economy, promote industrial reshoring schemes (defence, healthcare, food and electronics) and strengthen the production capacity of low-carbon sites. A founding member of the European Long-Term Investors Association (ELTI), Caisse des Dépôts forges partnerships with sovereign wealth funds and international long-term investors and seeks new sources of growth for the French economy.
With Bpifrance, the Group works directly alongside companies, offering them tailored solutions and providing them with financial support throughout every stage of their development. Through Banque des Territoires, the Group supports local projects, offering practical solutions and providing financing to local authorities, social housing organisations, the legal profession and local public companies.
FIND OUT MORE: Le témoignage de Jean-Philippe | Le témoignage de Gilles | Le site de bpifrance | Accédez au site de la Banque des Territoires
Our unique business model
Caisse des Dépôts has no shareholders and self-finances all of its activities.
Caisse des Dépôts carries out its mandates (e.g., managing savings funds) "at cost", i.e., it does not generate a profit on such operations and is only paid a management fee.
Its income streams are generated from the stable, diversified funds of its investment activity, its subsidiaries and its strategic investments. A portion of the income it generates is used to constitute the equity essential to maintaining the Group’s financial strength and the capacity for growth. At 31 December 2023, the Group's equity stood at €68bn.
Another portion is funnelled into public interest investments that Caisse des Dépôts makes in sectors and regions that are insufficiently covered by the market, with a medium- or even long-term profitability timeline. Lastly, a portion of income earned is paid to the French State in addition to the contribution representing corporation tax, calculated very precisely on the same bases as those applied to companies. In total, €2.5bn was contributed to the French State budget in 2023, representing almost 65% of the Group's aggregate net profit.
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