Groupama Foundation: 25 Candles Blown Out and 4 Winners!

The Groupama Foundation is celebrating its 25th anniversary this year. On June 19, the Foundation honored innovations and projects that support people living with rare diseases in their daily lives. Meet the award recipients!

When the Groupama Foundation was created in 2000, the fight against rare diseases was barely underway. Yet, rare diseases are a real public health and societal issue, affecting over 3 million people (about 4.5% of the population in France). Established by Groupama’s elected representatives on the occasion of the group’s centenary, the Groupama Foundation was – and still remains – the first and only corporate foundation entirely dedicated to combating rare diseases. Today, thanks to the commitment of its representatives and partner employees, it supports scientific research and works to improve the daily lives of patients and their families. Since its inception, the Groupama Foundation has supported 380 associations, 1,440 projects, and 61 researchers or research initiatives.

June 19 marked the Foundation’s 25th birthday, and to celebrate, four prizes were awarded, including the first-ever Employees’ Prize, allowing staff to sponsor rare disease association projects. Here are the winners of the four awards:

Rare Diseases Research Prize

Awarded to Dr. Jérémie Gautheron, this prize provides €500,000 over five years to support an innovative project exploring a new therapeutic approach for primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a rare disease marked by inflammatory and fibrotic damage to the bile ducts. A researcher at the Saint-Antoine Research Center in Paris, affiliated with INSERM and Sorbonne University, Gautheron aims to better understand the causes of PSC, identify potential therapeutic targets, and open new clinical pathways to improve patient care.

To learn more (french version only)

Employees’ Choice Award

Thanks to the votes of 1,440 Groupama employees, the association Les Enfants de la Lune, sponsored by Sandrine Bastard from Groupama Centre Atlantique, won the inaugural edition of this prize. The €10,000 grant will fund ventilated UV-protective jackets, providing freedom to children affected by this rare condition.

To learn more (french version only)

Social Innovation Prize

The Maison Sport Santé from A2LFS received this award for its “CAP’Héros” program, which transforms children with Prader-Willi syndrome into real-life superheroes. This rare genetic disorder causes motor development issues, physical and behavioral challenges, and severe hyperphagia-a constant, hard-to-control sense of hunger-with serious long-term impacts like rapid weight gain, severe obesity, and loss of independence. The CAP’Héros program blends playfulness and innovation with a multidisciplinary approach, complementing traditional care with adapted, rewarding physical activities.

To learn more (french version only)

2025 Public Award

After three weeks of voting and strong public engagement, internet users chose the SYNAPSE project, led by AFSA, as the winner of the Groupama Foundation’s 2025 Public Award. This innovative initiative receives a €10,000 grant to improve support for individuals affected by Angelman syndrome, a condition marked by severe intellectual and motor disability, absence of speech, an overly cheerful demeanor with frequent inappropriate laughter, balance disorders, limb tremors, epilepsy, and sleep disturbances.

To learn more (french version only)