Entrepreneurship in neighbourhoods at Bpifrance

The ‘Entrepreneuriat Quartiers 2030’ programme was launched by Bpifrance to support entrepreneurs from Priority Urban Neighbourhoods. They are urban areas with more than 10,000 inhabitants that suffer from an income gap between their population and that of the national territory and the conurbation in which the neighbourhood is located. Launched in January 2019, the ‘Entrepreneuriat Quartiers 2030’ programme is mobilising a budget of €456 million. The aim of the programme is to support more than 9,000 entrepreneurs by 2027 and to facilitate access to information and support for project holders, offering them solutions tailored to their specific needs. The schemes include, for example :

• CitésLabs, whose ‘talent-revealing’ project managers aim to detect, prepare and guide budding and existing entrepreneurs.
• ‘Entrepreneurship Buses’, which visit priority areas to offer the most remote sections of the population a place to meet, get information and receive guidance. They provide local, collaborative, itinerant support and offer guidance to partner structures adapted to their needs.
• “Carrefours de l’entrepreneuriat” (entrepreneurship crossroads) bring together the driving forces of a region’s entrepreneurial local ecosystem. This group, made up of a leader and local partners, pools and coordinates their resources and expertise. The aim of the scheme is threefold: to attract entrepreneurs, strengthen the coordination and collaboration of support partners, and simplify the process for entrepreneurs.

Quartier Général is also a flagship event that brings together entrepreneurs, start-ups, investors and economic players every year for inspiring conferences (with successful entrepreneurs, experts, etc.), practical workshops (on themes such as the energy transition and AI for the 2024 edition), start-up pitching sessions, infrastructures dedicated to innovation and networking sessions.

Testimonials from our experts

The programme’s moderators, such as Ahmed BOUZOUAÏD (Director of the Entrepreneuriat Quartiers 2030 programme, Bpifrance), Radeda KERBOUDJ (Head of the Entrepreneurship and Territories Task Force, Bpifrance) and Julien PELLIER (Head of the Financing Department, Creation and Entrepreneurship Division, Bpifrance), stress the importance of proximity and trust in supporting entrepreneurs. Ahmed says that ‘our role is to give young people confidence, by showing them that where they live does not limit their chances of success’. Radeda adds that ‘support must be individualised and adapted to the realities of entrepreneurs’, while Julien insists that ‘each path is unique, and we must promote local initiatives to encourage entrepreneurship’.

Case studies: Moussa CAMARA and Les Déterminés

A striking example of the impact of this programme is the work of the association Les Déterminés, which has trained over 1,600 people in 19 towns across France. Of these participants, 950 have gone on to launch their own businesses, generating more than 2,300 direct or indirect jobs. According to Moussa, ‘Bpifrance has been an accelerator and a real game changer ’. By co-constructing the ‘Entrepreneuriat Quartiers 2030’ programme, the association has increased the number of training courses it supports from 4 to 10. This partnership has also strengthened their credibility with other public and private players. Les Déterminés focuses on deconstructing the stereotypes associated with entrepreneurship in inner-city areas, showing that ‘with the right project, hard work and a network, anything is possible’. This initiative is a perfect illustration of Bpifrance’s commitment to promoting entrepreneurship in inner-city areas and supporting entrepreneurs along the way.

To find out more: https://entrepreneuriat-quartiers-2030.fr/