This chapter examines the role played by non-governmental (NGOs) and civil society organizations (CSOs) in the development of policy analysis in France, and it return, how it was analysed in policy studies. First it starts by mapping out the main contours of the voluntary sector in the French context, identifying these groups’ main characteristics, variations across policy domains and major changes over time. Second, it discusses the profound disconnect between CSOs and NGOs and policy analysis as a result from State-society relationships in the context of the Fifth Republic. Third, it considers how a series of recent changes fostered a new relationship between these groups and policy analysis and a growing interest for alternative forms of interests’ mobilization, including the production of knowledge and expertise, the formal participation into state-led consultation process and organizations. This shift has been observed across a large variety of policy domains, and also concerns organizations that explicitly refused to cooperate with state organizations in the past, as shown for example in the environmental sector.