Starting a business: what financial assistance is available in France's largest cities?

Each region of France is responsible for promoting the economic dynamism of its metropolises, and must adapt to remain among the most attractive in the whole of France.

Tohelp companies at every stage of their life and development, local authorities have set up a number of financial aid schemes.

Each metropolis wants to create the best conditions for welcoming new entrepreneurial projects, and in particular innovative companies with high growth potential.

Let's take a look at the different types of financial assistance offered by each of them to meet all your needs.

In Lyon

The Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region offers a wide range of support solutions for entrepreneurs:

• The BPI France Regional Guarantee Fund provides a guarantee of up to 70% to finance development projects, cash-flow reinforcement and transfer operations.
• The Seed Equity Loan, in partnership with BPI France, aims to help young companies succeed in their first round of financing by providing them with financial support.
• The Fonds Régional d'Investissement is designed to support regional companies throughout their development, helping them to expand, redeploy or transfer their activities.
• The Fonds d'Innovation Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, in partnership with BPI France, supports the development projects of innovative companies in the form of zero-interest loans.

In Marseille

The "Initiative Marseille Métropole" public agency is in charge of the region's economic development, and particularly encourages business start-ups:

• The Prêt d'Honneur Croissance is a 0% personal loan of up to €30,000, with no personal guarantee, repayable over five years. It can be used to strengthen the entrepreneur's equity capital.
• "Mon projet Entreprise" is a loan of between €1,000 and €8,000, repayable over a maximum of 5 years, backed by a bank loan of at least the same amount as the autonomy loan.
• The Prêt d'Honneur Initiative remarquable is aimed at start-up companies with a genuine local dynamic, a commitment to the environment, or an innovative, socially responsible approach.

In Toulouse

The Toulouse metropolitan area has created a special scheme dedicated to innovative companies: the Bourse French Tech.

It enables a company with strong growth potential, whether it's just starting up or has recently been created, to make its first expenditures to enter the market, having identified the risk factors and secured the strategic dimensions of the project as far as possible.

Finally, the CCI Toulouse Haute-Garonne 's financial engineering advisors help entrepreneurs with their financing issues, and provide assistance with all their research and applications for project financing.

BPI France has also developed its initiatives in the Occitanie region by granting 0% interest loans and making guarantee funds available to entrepreneurs. 

In Lille

• The Lille Métropole Honors Loans, up to 50,000 euros (80,000 euros for the "Pepite" loans for students setting up innovative businesses), are designed to accelerate and leverage other aid by strengthening the project holder's contribution to his or her business.
• Business start-up loans BPI France, in partnership with the Lille Metropolitan Area, offers a range of grants for innovation and development.
• The Prestation Technique Réseau (PTR) is a grant enabling a company to validate the feasibility of its innovative project by applying for assistance of up to 10,000 euros for a service.

You can also call on BGE Hauts de France, an association of professional advisors working alongside entrepreneurs to help them create and develop their businesses. 

In Bordeaux

• The Caisse Sociale de Développement Local grants loans for business takeovers and expansion, as well as for financing equipment, works and working capital requirements.
• ADIE offers microloans of up to €10,000 to finance all kinds of needs, and interest-free loans of up to €4,000 to supplement project financing.
• Gironde Initiative is a local initiative platform whose primary aim is to encourage and secure business start-ups and takeovers.
• The Entreprendre Aquitaine network grants a personal honor loan of between €15,000 and €50,000, without guarantee or interest. It is repayable over 5 years, with an 18-month grace period. 

All metropolises compete fiercely to attract the most innovative projects to their territory.

Many initiatives have been deployed by each of them. All the assistance granted by the central government and local authorities is now available on a single, centralized database called Aides-Entreprises.fr.