Are you looking to start your own business and are looking for grants ? This article should interest you. We reveal the main existing grants in a non-exhaustive list and explain you how to apply for a grant.

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State subsidies to create a business

The State mainly provides financial aid and exemptions to business creators or rescuers.

Assistance to business creators and rescuers

The ACRE (Aide aux créateurs et repreneurs d’entreprise) is a State aid that allows business creators and rescuers to benefit from a total or partial exemption from social security contributions (sickness, maternity, invalidity, death, family allowances, retirement, etc.). It is also a support during the first years of the company.

However, you must meet one of the following criteria to be eligible :

• You are a job seeker who receives compensation ;
• You are a job seeker who has been registered with Pôle emploi for more than 6 months during the last 18 months;
• you are receiving ASS or RSA;
• you are between 18 and 26 years old;
• you are under 30 years old and are recognized as disabled;
• you have a company in a priority district of the city policy (QPPV);
• you have concluded a Cape ;
• you are self-employed under the micro-social system;
• you are self-employed and not covered by the micro-social system;
• you benefit from the PreParE.

You must also meet the conditions for obtaining :

• You have an industrial, commercial, artisanal, agricultural or liberal economic activity, in the form of a sole proprietorship or company, and you actually have control over it, according to various criteria;
• You undertake a non-salaried profession, auto-entrepreneur being part of it.

Since January 1, 2019, you have no steps to take to benefit from this aid unless you are under the self-employed or micro-social regime. In these cases, you must download and fill out a form and send it directly to the Urssaf.

The grants delivered by Bpifrance

Bpifrance (Banque Publique d’Investissement) is an organization that supports the creation and development of companies. It offers different financing solutions :

• Participation in your company’s capital as a partner or minority shareholder alongside other shareholders by subscribing to securities issued by your company;
• Honorary loan, in case you do not have enough personal contribution to be granted a bank loan to create your business, only you commit yourself to pay back this loan without interests or guarantees;
• Guarantees of financing in the riskiest phases of the companies;
• Investment subsidy in the form of an aid that tends to cover your tangible and intangible investments within the framework of eligible expenses.

It is essential to think upstream about the grant that could correspond to your project and to check that you meet the award criteria. For this, it is essential to consult the Bpifrance website. It is also important to write a business plan to apply for the grant and to present with a financial part where the need for financing is precisely broken down. Then you just have to contact Bpifrance.

Subsidies granted by the regional council and local authorities

Many regions offer grants to create a business. These are generally granted by the general councils, so it is advisable to contact the council on which you depend to know the eligibility criteria of each of them. Some town halls also grant subsidies. Do not hesitate to contact the town hall of the town where you plan to set up your business.

The grants delivered by the European Commission to create your business

You can benefit from these subsidies by contacting the organizations in charge of issuing them. You can also respond to calls for applications on the European Commission’s website to benefit from certain grants.

The subsidies delivered by the associations to create its business

Financial aid for the creation of a business is not only granted by the State. Some associations have also set up subsidies to help you launch your business. Here is a non-exhaustive list of associations concerned:

• Adie ;
• BGE ;
• Initiative France ;
• France Active ;
• Réseau Entreprendre.

Initiative France is the first associative network that finances and supports business creators. In particular, it offers interest-free and collateral-free loans ranging from €3,000 to €6,000 for each job created or taken over. They can be obtained under certain conditions :

• You must not be an auto-enterprise or micro-enterprise;
• You can present any type of project of creation or resumption, but the projects of agricultural exploitation and liberal professions are excluded;
• You must present a business plan which will be studied by an approval committee in front of which you must support it.

You can apply for a loan from Initiative France. You will have to present your project in front of a representative.

Réseau Entreprendre is also an organization that offers honorary loans ranging from €10,000 to €50,000 for creators of small and medium-sized businesses. They are repayable over 5 years. To benefit from them, the best way is to contact directly Réseau Entreprendre through their form provided for this purpose.

France Active accompanies and finances entrepreneurs in the creation of their business. It proposes in particular solidarity financing for which it is necessary to meet certain conditions to benefit from it. We can mention for example Garantie ÉGALITÉ Femmes or Garantie SOLIDARITÉ Insertion, which are primarily aimed at entrepreneurs who are committed to employment, social and territorial services.

Several associations provide grants. To benefit from them, it is best to consult the websites of these associations and contact them directly.

Financial aid for the creation of a business is not only granted by the State. Some associations have also set up subsidies to help you launch your business. Here is a non-exhaustive list of associations concerned :

• Adie ;
• BGE ;
• Initiative France ;
• France Active ;
• Réseau Entreprendre.

Initiative France is the first associative network that finances and supports business creators. It offers interest-free and guarantee-free loans ranging from 3 000 to 6 000 € for each job created or taken over. These are therefore interesting subsidies to obtain in order to create your business. They can be obtained under certain conditions :

• You must not be an auto-enterprise or micro-enterprise;
• You can present any type of project of creation and resumption, but the projects of agricultural exploitation and liberal professions are excluded;
• You must present a business plan which will be studied by an approval committee in front of which you must support it.

You can apply for a loan by making an appointment with the Initiative France near your business. You will have to present your project in front of a representative.

Réseau Entreprendre is also an organization that offers honorary loans ranging from €10,000 to €50,000 for creators of small and medium-sized businesses. They are repayable over 5 years. To benefit from them, the best way is to contact directly Réseau Entreprendre through their form provided for this purpose.

France Active accompanies and finances entrepreneurs in the creation of their business. It proposes in particular solidarity financing for which it is necessary to meet certain conditions to benefit from it. We can mention for example Garantie ÉGALITÉ Femmes or Garantie SOLIDARITÉ Insertion which are primarily aimed at entrepreneurs who are committed to employment, social and territorial services.

Several associations provide subsidies to create a business. To benefit from them, the best thing to do is to consult the websites of these associations and contact them directly.

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