IREF's Missions
The IREF promotes all forms of independent and associated organized trade (franchise, partnership, concession, brand license, commission-affiliation, etc.). The IREF makes it possible to exchange, to fertilize their experiences, in order to give power to all the networks in their development, in their organization and in their management.
IREF in brief
Legal
Development
Management
Commercial &
Marketing
What is the Federation for a future buyer, franchisee or partner?
IREF has a professional qualification service to guide the approach of the creator or buyer. For a franchisee or partner buyer, the choice is vast (today nearly 2,000 brands of all forms of independent organized commerce and associated commerce). Some target the city, the region, others are particularly flexible.
The IREF has the capacity to answer all the questions posed by a candidate on the legal, economic, sectoral plans and on the spirit of cooperation in relation to the various existing forms on the market. Thus, a future buyer, franchisee or partner can ask the IREF for its opinion on the sectors of activity and promising concepts, within the limits of the information held by it.
Help from IREF experts
The networks, depending on their state of progress in their development, wonder about:
- Concept modeling
- Choosing the best form of organized commerce
- The restructuring of the existing model
- Legal and contractual compliance
- The search for economic, financial and tax optimization but also for financing
- The global protection of its concept
- Strengthening the legal protection of existing structures
- Animation, cohesion and harmony of the network
- Network management
- Development (qualified candidates, locations, project financing)
- Communication, marketing and the digital transformation of networks
Whatever the questions, IREF and its experts have the capacity to answer all concerns.
Help from IREF in disputes
IREF can offer the parties an arbitration solution by providing several levels of support in the event of a dispute between the head of the network and its affiliates, between affiliates, between consumers and brands:
- For the settlement of disputes, the IREF is in partnership with the European Court of Arbitration and offers a mediation unit
- A conciliation commission with an amiable composer
- An arbitral tribunal rendering an award which will be subject to exequatur by the competent Court of Appeal
- In certain contentious cases relating to criminal proceedings, to file a civil action
- Consumer mediation
The route favored by the IREF remains conciliation, namely the “reconciliation of the parties” by a neutral third party.
Finally, the IREF can also issue an opinion or a recommendation by establishing a motion with, in certain cases, authorization for production in court. This is a consultation and defense of interests by our expert lawyers in all kinds of disputes affecting one or other of the parties of a network.
IREF accompanies the evolution of the partnership in the world of networks
IREF has supported the promotion of partnership since 1990, when franchising began to evolve towards this new form of independent organized commerce. First of all, the IREF distributes educational information relating to the legal and managerial form of the partnership by making the networks understand the interest that this form presents for their management and their development (attached the definition). Then, the IREF accompanies the networks which want to be created in this form on all the legal, economic, financial and development levels. And also at the level of the restructuring of a head of network which wishes to optimize its management and its development.
With regard to network creation and development, IREF and its experts have the ability to support you in:
- Help you develop your network
- Help you in the animation and cohesion of the network
- Help you in national and international development
- Organize the tools and mechanisms for duplicating the formula
- In the visibility and enhancement of your brand
What does IREF have more than other specialized organizations?
The IREF is today the only federation that brings together all forms of French and European independent organized commerce . It opens membership to networks of different cultures, different legal and contractual structures, different types of management, by allowing them to exchange experiences while enriching themselves with their methods and, thus, promote the cross-fertilization of networks. . What you can’t find anywhere else. This situation meets the expectations of today’s networks which, more and more, tend to structure themselves as a sui generis model. For this, the IREF regularly organizes workshops on topics of interest to the networks. This is a fundamental element that differentiates the IREF from other federations, to which is of course added its famous competition for the best franchisees and partners in France.
A certification program for network heads and independent organized and associated trade with a label with an “IREF BUREAU VERITAS CERTIFICATION” label.
