Are you starting your own business and looking for financial support or assistance to get your project off the ground? As a business creator, you may be entitled to a wide range of assistance !
What assistance are you eligible for?
These aids exist to encourage budding entrepreneurs to get started and open a business.
How do you find your way around all these schemes and the multitude of aid schemes with their complex acronyms? Here's a comprehensive guide to help you get started.
Nouvel Accompagnement pour la Création ou la Reprise d'Entreprise (NACRE) (New Support for Business Creation or Takeover)
NACRE
Introduced in 2009, this scheme provides entrepreneurs with 3 years' personalized assistance with their project, as well as financial support. This financial assistance is characterized by the granting of a zero-interest loan, which must be accompanied by a loan from the entrepreneur's bank.
Set-up assistance, financing assistance and support
This system is based on three main levels: help with setting up, help with financing and support.
Many creators are eligible for this assistance. For example: jobseekers receiving ARE, unpaid jobseekers who have been registered as jobseekers for 6 months, young people under 25...
You can find all the information you need directly in our article on the subject: NACRE scheme: how to benefit?
ARCE
The "Aide à la reprise et à la création d'entreprise" (ARCE) is paid by Pôle emploi. It consists of receiving your unemployment benefit in the form of a lump sum.
This assistance is available to jobseekers receiving ARE. In order to receive this aid, jobseekers must have obtained ACRE and must declare their project to Pôle emploi.
The amount of the ARCE is 45% of the remaining ARE entitlement. If the jobseeker stops working, his or her remaining unemployment benefit rights are restored.
ACRE
The ACRE is characterized by an exemption from certain social security charges for 1 year , and personalized support to help you with the process.
As of January 1, 2019, there is no longer any need to apply for ACRE.
The scope of application has also been extended: it applies directly to any business start-up or takeover, provided that the beneficiary has not already benefited from ARCE (ex-ACCRE) during the last three years, and that he or she effectively exercises control over the business.
For full details of this assistance, see our article on the subject: Business start-up assistance: who can benefit from ACRE?
CAPE
Less well known among business creators, the CAPE enables you to benefit from the support of a company or association in the context of a business start-up or takeover. It's worth pointing out that the CAPE is in no way an employment contract. It is a form of sponsorship, with the provision of material and financial resources, for example. The aim is to provide specific, ongoing support throughout the project's development.
The CAPE is a contract that must be concluded in writing. The maximum duration is 12 months, which can be renewed 2 times.
PCE
If you're an entrepreneur with a SIREN number, you may be eligible for the Prêt à la Création d'Entreprise. In fact, any entrepreneur who is in the process of setting up a business, but has not yet obtained a bank loan, can take advantage of this significant financial aid offered by BPI France.
There are a number of conditions to be met before you can obtain this loan. These include
- Have not yet taken out a bank loan of two years or more
- Financing requirements must not exceed 45,000 euros
- Have fewer than 10 employees
Regarding the characteristics of this loan, it is worth noting that it has a 5-year life and the rate is identical to that of the bank loan. No sureties or guarantees are required. The entrepreneur begins repaying the PCE after six months, in 54 monthly installments.
If you're wondering where you can benefit from this loan, contact your bank for advice.
Bpifrance, the main provider of loan guarantees
Bpifrance, through its OSEO branch, is France's leading provider of loan guarantees. The aim of this structure is to facilitate the granting of loans to SMEs (but not only) in the riskiest phases of their financing cycle.
As with all operators, these guarantees apply mainly to financing provided by banks, but also increasingly to financing provided by Bpifrance in its role as a direct lender.
The terms and conditions of the guarantees issued by Bpifrance depend above all on the entrepreneur's project and loan conditions.
Please note, however, that you will need to contact your banker, who will draw up a loan application which will then be examined by Bpifrance. However, you can also contact one of BPI's local structures directly to obtain a loan, which it can then guarantee directly.
In this article, you'll find a list of all the assistance available from BPI for start-ups!
France Active is a local network that helps people in difficulty to set up a business or find a job.
Facilitating access to bank credit
The main aim of Garantie France Active is to facilitate access to bank credit for job-seekers setting up new businesses, for social integration structures and for socially responsible businesses.
Beneficiaries are people who are unemployed or in a precarious economic situation and who are setting up a business, as well as any social enterprise (business or association) that creates or consolidates jobs.
The guarantee is granted after an application has been submitted to the Réseau France Active.
The maximum warranty period is 5 years at a cost of 2% of the warranty amount.
Last but not least, there is a wide range of assistance available to entrepreneurs and project leaders. So, as you can see, you've got everything you need to get started on your entrepreneurial adventure!
Accompaniment, financial support, guarantees
Depending on your project and your company's profile, you may be eligible for assistance in the form of coaching, financial support or bank loan guarantees.
Whether you're looking for a breath of fresh air or a valuable boost to your development, don't hesitate to consult our articles to find out more about these grants.
