« Bpifrance has succeeded in imposing its model of a French foreign trade bank 4.0 in just 5 years by bringing together advice, financing and insurance at the fingertips of entrepreneurs in all territories. »- Pedro Novo, Global Head of Export Finance & Export Promotion

Despite the crisis and after years of decline, the number of exporters in France has remained stable overall, reaching 128,300 in the period from Q4 to Q3 2020, the same number as in the same period a year earlier. This is already a performance after years of erosion.

In a strongly altered configuration, about 28,500 companies have started an export activity. It is the demonstration that we have not lost the fight even if the dropouts remain as numerous with 28,600 companies that have ceased their export activities.

Bpifrance supports companies even in times of crisis :

Bpifrance is available at every stage of a company’s export life and its internationalization project:

• prospecting for markets: through Prospecting Insurance (taking on the financial risk of prospecting operations) or now, in addition, Prospecting Support Insurance (for first-time exporters and VSEs).
• financing sales: export credit (buyer’s credit or supplier’s credit)
• financing development: international growth loan, guarantee of guarantees and pre-financing, etc.
• securing the project: credit insurance (all-risk insurance), foreign exchange insurance
• Establishing a foothold in new markets: international project guarantees, support through international missions.
• Bpifrance also provides support and training in addition to these missions, with gas pedals that allow us to better identify opportunities and become aware of our strengths and weaknesses while prioritizing a powerful and ambitious strategic plan.

In addition to the solution proposed before the crisis, Bpifrance’s Export Department participated in the creation of a historic recovery plan that is no less ambitious for its depth, its resolute commitment to greening our exports, its encouragement to develop the digitization of our trade and its speed of implementation.

This plan includes 13 measures that have been implemented in record time alongside Business France and CCI France within the Team France Export (TFE), ensuring its operational implementation as close as possible to the territories.

Among these measures, the Export Revival Vouchers, combined with its VIE variation, or the Assurance Prospection Accompagnement, is prospecting insurance with coaching for the less experienced. The same for personalized support linked to financing. This four-handed combination with the TFE allows companies to finance their international emergence in an enlightened and sustainable manner. It is a response to Bpifrance’s determination to create the export champions of the next ten years, mainly for first-time exporters.

In total, the budgetary resources mobilized will enable to make more than €1 billion in Prospecting Insurance available to nearly 5,000 companies over three years, bringing countless market opportunities within reach of their balance sheets.

Finally, Bpifrance has not put down the backpack in terms of export development with prospecting missions that have been digitized and allowed to keep the goal of more than 150 companies projected in 2020, webinars deciphering the impacts of the crisis and opportunities on all continents, a Relance Export Tour that has led us to all territories alongside Christophe Lecourtier and the Minister Delegate for Foreign Trade and Attractiveness Mr. Franck Riester to share and explain the Export Recovery Plan and how to mobilize it.