Ways to embark on an entrepreneurial adventure in France

In France, there are a number of schemes to help entrepreneurs, both young and old, set up their own business. With the aim of providing an overview of these different forms of assistance, the Government Information Service has chosen to list the public schemes set up by the State and local authorities to facilitate the start-up phase.

"Whatever your background and profile, there's plenty of help available to support you in your entrepreneurial adventure". With these encouraging words, the government website offers an "overview of the levers" you can activate to create your own business, including support measures, financing and specific schemes.

Aid subject to conditions

From the very first formalities, notes the information site, many entrepreneurs come up against concrete questions. To get you off to a good start, the site lists a number of schemes, such as :

• ACRE (Aide à la création ou à la reprise d'une entreprise), which provides a 50% exemption from social security contributions for the first few months of business, and is available under certain conditions to microentrepreneurs, young people under the age of 25, salaried entrepreneurs and jobseekers;

• the CAPE (Contrat d'Appui au Projet d'Entreprise), which enables you to test your business while benefiting from support, material and financial resources and a protective legal framework, while retaining your social security rights. The CAPE can be combined with part-time employment or job-seeker status, for up to three years.

Support systems and networks

In addition to these conditional aids, the site lists other types of support for all:

• BGE, a pioneering national network in the field of entrepreneurship, which has supported the creation and takeover of over 450,000 businesses. To provide the best possible support for young entrepreneurs, the BGE network relies on "a close relationship and in-depth knowledge of your area", and has over 530 locations in France;
• Réseau Initiative France, the^leading network of associations for financing and supporting entrepreneurs. Founded in 1985, the network also has "strong local roots", with 205 associations throughout France, both metropolitan and overseas;
• Adie, Association pour le droit à l'initiative économique (Association for the right to economic initiative), a French non-profit organization, whose aim is to "to enable people who do not have access to the traditional banking system to create their own business, thanks to supported microcredit".

Specific and adapted aids

There is also a wide range of targeted assistance available, depending on the target audience, business sector and region. These include

• the national Student-Entrepreneur status, which enables students and recent graduates to develop an entrepreneurial project within the framework of a PEPITE(Pôles étudiants pour l'innovation, le transfert et l'entrepreneuriat), located throughout France;
• the JEU(Jeune entreprise universitaire)scheme, which aims to encourage the creation of businesses by students and people involved in research at higher education establishments. This status entitles them to significant social and tax exemptions;
• Beyond the JEU scheme, a new company investing in research and development (R&D) has the status of Jeune entreprise innovante (JEI) or Jeune entreprise de croissance (JEC). As such, they can benefit from tax and social security exemptions ;
• Wom'Energy, a Réseau Entreprendre support program for women entrepreneurs, designed to promote female entrepreneurship.

Regional and local aid

Each region offers its own form of start-up assistance. According to the information site, this can take the form of subsidies, calls for projects, incubator accommodation, honor loans, individual support...

These devices are available for consultation:

• on the aides-entreprises.fr website. This national site, created as part of the simplification program for businesses, is a unique database of public, regional, local and national aid for businesses;
• on the Aides territoires website, which enables local authorities to find funding and support for their projects in a wide range of areas, while at the same time giving business creators the opportunity to find out about projects supported in their area;
• regional and/or departmentalcouncil websites.

Find out more

- Presentation on the government website

- Entreprendre.service-public.fr, the official site for administrative information and procedures for businesses, with practical information sheets for each stage in the life of a company.