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In 2018, we won the precious EPV label for 5 years. In 2023, the time comes to apply for its renewal. A lovely Christmas present awaits us under the Christmas tree in the form of a letter from the Prefect of the Bourgogne-Franche-Comté Region. He announced that Maison Briottet had once again won the EPV label.
What is the EPV label?
The EPV label stands for Entreprises du Patrimoine Vivant (Living Heritage Companies). It is a symbol of recognition by the French government that distinguishes French companies with excellent industrial and craft skills.
Created in 2005, the EPV label rewards unique French companies that blend innovation and tradition, know-how and creation, with local and international roots.
It is attached to the Ministry of the Economy and Finance. It is awarded by regional prefects. Since 2019, it has been managed by the INMA, Institut National des Métiers d’Arts.
The excellence of French know-how is represented in several sectors. The companies are grouped into 8 sectors, that are:
– Industrial, medical and mechanical equipment
– Tableware
– Culture & Communication
– Gastronomy
– Architecture and Built Heritage
– Fashion and Beauty
– Furnishings and Decoration
– Leisure and Transport.
At regional level, various associations exist to bring together the companies that have earned this government recognition.
One example is AREPV BFC, the Association Régionale des EPV de Bourgogne-Franche-Comté, which brings its members together several times a year. Whether in terms of the size of the company, its sector of activity or its history, there is a real diversity and richness within the companies. Meetings and sharing are on the programme to federate around a common goal: the excellence of know-how. More than a hundred companies are members, including Tolix and its street furniture in Autun. For saucepans and frying pans, we have Cristel in Fesches-le-Châtel in the Doubs region, and the timeless Lacanche stoves in the Côte d’Or region.
How do you obtain the EPV label? What are the criteria?
This label is only awarded to companies that are registered in the Trades Register and/or the Trade and Companies Register. They must be involved in production, processing, repair or catering. Service sector companies are therefore excluded from the scheme.
Three criteria are examined to be eligible for the EPV label:
– Possession of a specific economic heritage based on manufacturing experience.
For Maison Briottet, this is a process that has been mastered for 6 generations in its historic premises in the heart of Dijon.
– The use of a complex and/or rare know-how based on the mastery of highly technical and/or traditional techniques.
At Briottet, this complex know-how is reflected in ancestral recipes and techniques handed down by mouth.
– Attachment to a region and a reputation in France and/or internationally
The Briottet brand is recognised locally, nationally and around the world in over 30 countries.
In recent years, criteria associated with CSR (Corporate Social Responsibility) have been added.
To win the label, companies must submit an application on the INMA portal. It must detail and explain how it meets the criteria. Photos and examples are included to complete the application.
The application process takes around 1 year. This is the time required for examination by expert committees appointed by ministerial decree. In the second stage, the company is audited by an independent outside party to give its opinion.
If successful, the company is awarded the label for 5 years. After this time, you have to start all over again. The renewal procedure is no less complicated.
Companies with this recognition are proud. They represent a tiny part of the French economy, the “crème de la crème” as some might say. The proof is in the figures: in October 2023, there were only 1,061 companies with an EPV label and 209 in the process of renewal. A rare award that Maison Briottet is very proud of!
Companies with this label are proud. They represent a tiny part of the French economy, the “crème de la crème” as some would say. The proof is in the figures: in October 2023, there were only 1,061 companies with an EPV label and 209 in the process of renewal. A rare distinction that Maison Briottet is very proud of!
