Agence France Entrepreneur (AFE) aims to strengthen and coordinate national and local action in favor of entrepreneurship, particularly in the most disadvantaged areas.
It has three main missions: to encourage the creation of new businesses and jobs; to promote the development of VSEs and SMEs in each region; and to encourage innovation to create a more competitive framework for economic activity.
Since its creation in 2016, it has woven a vast network of coordinating committees and synergies, as well as an observatory of entrepreneurial educational practices. AFE also coordinates the implementation of public action at national level, ensuring the right conditions for the application of measures at local level.
Last but not least, it is a guide for many entrepreneurs looking for solid support in bringing their projects to fruition.
It provides direct access to all information as well as an online collaborative space. Dominique Restino, Chairman of AFE, has announced that it will join BPI France on January 1, 2019 to pursue its growth strategy.
Let's discover the changes linked to this absorption
From January 1, 2019, AFE's missions will be placed at the heart of Bpi France's strategy to ensure a broader presence among all players in French entrepreneurship. This is one way of ensuring the means for its long-term survival and the keys to its long-term growth.
Bpi France's influence will also make it easier for AFE to expand internationally.
In 2019, more than ever, entrepreneurship is everyone's business, and more and more business schools (and not only) are seizing the opportunity to share it with their students.
Starting in January 2019, Bpi France will roll out initiatives to guide, inform and train tomorrow's entrepreneurs. In addition, financing conditions for innovative companies will remain unchanged, with operating subsidies maintained, and business start-up support schemes developed.
Bpi France supports and finances companies from their creation and throughout their existence, by granting loans, offering guarantees and helping them consolidate their equity capital.
Bpi France is also committed to the international export of its client companies.
The first novelty is undoubtedly the total disappearance of the name "Agence France Entrepreneur".
As a result, all entrepreneurs will have a one-stop shop to which they can turn for all their needs.
The concentration of support, assistance and financing offers withina single structure will ensure a more fluid flow of information. It is important to note that all AFE staff will be retained and transferred to Bpi France's premises.
To strengthen its position, Caisse des Dépôts will provide Bpi France with nearly 45 million euros in public funding to enable it to assume its new role.
Bpi France has decided to build its policy around 4 major areas of cooperation in order to ensure a certain continuity with the activities carried out by AFE.
No revolution in the making, but an amplification of the new entity' s prerogatives and power to act.
First of all, pooling all the resources of AFE and Bpi France will undoubtedly create better synergies for more effective decision-making.
Bpi France wants to focus its efforts on developing regional opportunities, particularly in the most fragile territories and rural areas.
To achieve this, it will be able to rely on its 48 locations throughout France.
Promoting digital resources dedicated to better informing and training tomorrow's entrepreneurs is one of our priorities for the coming year.
The merger of Agence France Entrepreneur and Bpi France was warmly welcomed by all entrepreneurs, who welcomed the government's proactive policy.
In Emmanuel Macron's view, the AFE's track record was "fairly negative", and this absorption should help simplify the system and bring all territories together arounda single policy.
At a time when the proportion of self-employed workers is increasing every year, encouraging professional mobility must be a priority for the decades to come.
Written by our expert Paul LASBARRERES-CANDAU
January 23, 2019
