National and European aid & subsidies

BPI France

In 2023, Bpi France finances the French economy with 63 billion euros, 9.4 billion euros in aid and loans for innovation in French companies, 1.5 billion euros in support of the French Touch. Development capital investments amount to 1.7 billion euros in private equity.

From seed to stock market listing, from credit to equity, Bpifrance supports the innovation, growth and internationalization of companies. It offers a variety of financial mechanisms to obtain the aid best suited to the company’s innovative project.

CEFIR consulting proceeds from identification to obtaining financing.

We take into account your innovation strategy, technological maturity to obtain the maximum aid (grants, repayable advances or loans) to enable you to produce the most relevant scientific results and establish your success.

L’ANRT (National Agency for Research and Technology)

The Industrial Convention for Training through Research “CIFRE”

This system provides financial support to a company that hires a young doctoral student to entrust them with a mission in conjunction with an external research laboratory.

The agreement brings together three partners: a company, a young graduate wishing to undertake a doctorate within the framework of a company (bac +5 level) and a research laboratory that provides supervision.

The company undertakes to recruit a master’s degree graduate (on a fixed-term or permanent contract of 3 years) with a minimum annual gross salary of €24,529.44 per year from January 1, 2023*, and to entrust them with a research mission that will serve as preparation for a doctoral thesis.

The Beneficiaries are all companies governed by French law.

The academic research laboratory supervises the work of the employee-doctoral student, as such the latter is registered in the doctoral school to which the laboratory is attached.

The doctoral student devotes 100% of his time, shared between the company and the academic laboratory, to his research work. He benefits from dual academic and professional training.

The financial advantage :

An annual subsidy of €14,000 per year for 3 years paid by the ANRT,

To this subsidy is added the Research Tax Credit (CIR) on the non-subsidized part of the full costs. The subsidy is then 46% of the full cost.

A particular advantage for the calculation of the CIR for the recruitment of the young doctor at the end of his thesis:

• the loaded salary is counted double,
• the operating costs are increased to 200% of the loaded salary
• for 24 months following the first recruitment provided that the company’s workforce is not lower than that of the previous year.

*The EMPLOYER undertakes to comply with the salary conditions set by the Ministry according to the following schedule for the minimum annual gross salary:

–  2023: €24,529.

– 2024: €25,200;

– 2025: €26,400;

– 2026: €27,600.

🎨 Creative Europe

Creative Europe is the European Union programm that supports the cultural and creative sectors. The Creative Europe programme pursues two objectives: To preserve, develop and promote cultural and linguistic heritage and diversity, To increase the competitiveness and economic potential of the cultural and creative sectors, and in particular the audiovisual sector.

🔬 Horizon Europe: Programme for Research and Innovation

Participation in Horizon Europe is open to any legal person, regardless of its place of establishment, including legal persons from third countries not associated to the programme or international organisations, subject to the exceptions set out in the work programme.

For actions relating to the interests, autonomy or security of the Union, the work programme may provide that participation is limited to legal persons established in the Member States and to legal persons established in certain associated countries or third countries.

For justified and exceptional reasons, in order to ensure the protection of the strategic interests of the Union and its Member States, the work programme may also provide for exclusions. These will be mandatory mentioned at the beginning of each call in the “specific conditions” section.

Each call for proposals is conditioned by a type of project, a type of action to be carried out. There are mainly 3:

Research and innovation actions, abbreviated RIA (Research and Innovation Action).

These are collaborative projects that consist mainly of activities aimed at establishing new knowledge and/or exploring the feasibility of a new or improved technology, product, process, service (or solution).

Innovation actions abbreviated IA (Innovation Action).

These are collaborative projects that consist mainly of activities aimed directly at producing plans, arrangements or concepts for a new or improved product, process or service.

Coordination and support actions, abbreviated CSA (Coordinating and Support Action).

This is an action that mainly consists of accompanying measures such as standardization, dissemination, awareness-raising and communication, networking, coordination and support services, policy dialogues, mutual learning exercises and studies.

The co-financing rate can range from 60% to 100% of eligible direct costs depending on the call.

🌿 LIFE: environment and climate programme

The LIFE programme supports projects in the areas of environment and climate. It is aimed at public and private project leaders and aims to promote and finance innovative projects relating, for example, to the conservation of species and habitats, soil protection, improvement of air or water quality, waste management or mitigation or adaptation to climate change and the energy transition. Calls for projects are annual.