Since 1999, the French Ministry of Higher Education and Research organizes each year un concours de création d’entreprises de technologie innovante et durable sur le territoire français : le i-Lab innovation competition.
The aim of i-Lab is to detect and support business projects - pre-creation or start-up phase - with significant potential for growth and impact from innovative technologies. Bpifrance and its partners provide additional financial support.
Financing supports the R&D program and market research related to it. Visit terms and conditions of support for the i-Lab competition are :
- The eligible expenditure is limited to €1 M
- Assistance is provided in the form of grants up to a maximum of 600 k€.for a maximum project duration of 3 years.
Am I eligible for i-Lab? Test your eligibility in 1 minute for free!
What are the i-Lab eligibility criteria?
The project owner may be :
- A company : if the company is created, it must not be more than two years old. It must not be more than 25% owned by another company. The applicant must be a shareholder in the company.
- At the project stage (prior to company creation)
Le projet doit porter sur une technologie innovante et durable dont la preuve de concept est établie.
In their i-Lab application, project leaders must :
- Demonstrate market potential and economic viability;
- Showcase a complementary team and demonstrate the candidate's ability to carry out the project;
- Master the intellectual property and freedom to operate;
- and demonstrate positive environmental and social impacts.
Although the criterion of public research is no longer explicit in the i-Lab competition specifications, the link with academic laboratories, in a logic of technology transfer or partnerships, remains a bonus in the evaluation of projects.
When should you apply for the 26th i-Lab competition?
La 27e édition du concours, qui s’est faite attendre, est à présent ouverte, vous avez jusqu’au 11 mars pour candidater.
Our experts are at your disposal to accompany you and maximize your chances of success. Prenez un rdv de 20 minutes avec l’un de nos experts en Aid and Subsidies !