In a context marked by international competitive pressure, the energy transition and the transformation of industrial tools, public aid has become a strategic lever for accelerating company projects.
Innovation, industrial modernization, decarbonization, new production capacities and digitalization of processes: there are many projects that can be carried out today. benefit from public co-financing, at both national and European level.
Yet many companies still miss out on these opportunities. The reasons are often the same: difficult-to-identify systems, misunderstood criteria, poor timing or insufficiently structured files.
This guide is designed to help you make sense of it all. You'll discover :
- What types of projects can be financed?,
- How to identify the right devices,
- How to secure your business,
- And how to integrate public aid into a sustainable financing strategy.
Would you like to find out quickly whether your project is eligible for financing?
Answer a few questions about your project and speak with an expert within 48 hours to identify the assistance available.
Which projects can be financed with public aid?
Contrary to popular belief, public support is not limited to technological innovation. Today, they accompany all strategic transformations in companies.
There are three main categories of projects supported.
Financing your innovation projects
Public funding naturally supports projects aimed at develop new solutions, technologies or offers.
This includes :
- R&D projects,
- Development of new products and processes,
- Prototypes and demonstrators,
- Digitizing industrial tools,
- Or the integration of emerging technologies.
These projects enable companies to remain competitive and anticipate market trends.
Financing productive and industrial investments
Public schemes also aim to strengthening the French and European industrial base. A wide range of investment projects can be supported. These include
- Modernization of production units,
- The installation of new industrial lines,
- Increased production capacity,
- Relocation projects,
- Or process automation.
These investments enable improve the competitiveness, quality and industrial resilience of businesses.
Financing the ecological transition and decarbonization
Environmental transformation is now a major focus of public policy. The projects reducing the environmental impact of industrial activities are therefore strongly supported.
This includes :
- Reducing energy consumption,
- Process electrification,
- Circular economy projects,
- Materials recovery and recycling,
- Or the decarbonization of industrial processes.
These projects are gradually becoming essential to industrial strategies.
Why do so many companies miss out on financing?
When a project is turned down for funding, it's not usually a question of quality. More often than not, rejections are the result of avoidable errors.
We frequently find :
- A poorly targeted device,
- An insufficiently structured project,
- A timetable incompatible with eligibility rules,
- A poorly constructed budget,
- Or an incomplete file.
In other words, these are often problems of method rather than substance.
How can you identify the right device for your project?
Finding the right financing requires a structured approach.
The approach is generally based on four key stages.
- Clarify your projectObjectives, timetable, economic and environmental impacts must be explicitly defined.
- Check eligibility conditions: Each system targets specific companies, sectors or maturity levels.
- Identifying the right financing sourcesAid can come from the State, the Regions, public agencies or European programs.
- Structuring a coherent requestThe project must demonstrate its feasibility, financial soundness and economic or environmental impact.
Our experts will get back to you within 48 hours to assess your project's eligibility for available financing schemes.
How does public aid work in practice?
Public funding comes in many forms. Understanding how they work can help you structure your financing plan.
The main distinctions are :
- Subsidies, These are non-refundable, provided the project commitments are met; ;
- Recoverable advances, repayable in the event of economic success; ;
- Public loans, on attractive terms; ;
- European funding, often focused on collaborative projects.
These schemes can generally be combined with tax mechanisms such as the Research or Innovation Tax Credit.
Collaborative and European projects: an under-exploited opportunity
European programs provide access to significant financing while opening up the company to new new partnerships and markets.
Participating in these projects allows you to :
- Develop international cooperation,
- Access new markets,
- Increase technological visibility,
- And to pool the risks of innovation.
However, these projects require strong preparation and structuring of consortia.
How can you maximize your chances of getting help?
Several factors generally make the difference between a funded project and a rejected one:
- Apply at the right time,
- Clearly structure the project,
- Demonstrate economic and environmental impact,
- Build a realistic budget,
- Anticipate administrative requirements,
- And rely on specialized expertise.
Beyond these elements, a clear understanding of the expectations of public funding bodies is crucial Each system responds to specific economic, industrial or environmental priorities that must be taken into account right from the project design stage.
👉To learn more about these best practices and understand how to build a convincing case, you can consult our white paper : Guide to convincing funders - strategies and best practices for successfully applying for national and European funding.
Public subsidies must therefore be integrated into a global financing strategy, and not treated as a one-off opportunity.
What kind of financing is available in your sector?
The schemes available vary depending on the sector: industry, agri-food, healthcare, digital, energy, mobility, etc.
Take a look at our overview of public grants by sector to quickly identify the opportunities that are right for your business.
How G.A.C. Group supports you
For more than twenty years, G.A.C. Group has been supporting companies in :
- Identifying suitable financing,
- Strategic project structuring,
- Preparing and securing files,
- Overall optimization of project financing strategy,
- And the deployment of European collaborative projects.
Our goal: transform your projects into secure financing and accelerate their implementation.
Ready to give your projects a boost? Our experts can help you secure national subsidies and obtain European funding.
FAQ - Key questions companies have about state aid
What types of projects are eligible for public funding?
Public funding supports innovation projects as well as industrial investments, site modernization and energy transition and decarbonization projects.
Can all companies benefit from public aid?
Yes, but each scheme targets specific profiles according to company size, sector of activity, location and nature of the project. Furthermore, a company must be in a sufficiently solid financial position to co-finance the project: companies considered to be «in difficulty» under European regulations may be excluded from certain schemes.
Can public funding finance an entire project?
No. Part of the financing must always be provided by the company, to demonstrate the project owner's commitment. Financial solidity and equity levels are also examined by financiers to ensure that the company can support its share of the investment and see the project through to completion.
When should I apply for public funding?
Applications must be submitted before any irreversible expenditure is incurred. A project started too early may become ineligible. Aid must have an incentive effect.
How long does it take to obtain public assistance?
Depending on the system, the time between filing and decision can vary from a few weeks to several months, which is why it's important to plan ahead.
Can public assistance be combined with the CIR or CII?
Yes, subsidies reduce the calculation base for the tax credit concerned, but when combined, they often significantly increase the overall funding for the project.
Are SMEs the only companies to benefit?
No. While some schemes target SMEs as a priority, many grants are still available to ETIs and large companies, particularly for industrial or environmental projects.
Why are solid projects sometimes turned down?
Refusals are often the result of a poor choice of scheme, an unsuitable timetable or an application that does not precisely meet the expectations of the funding bodies.
Why carry out a financing audit before applying for financing?
An audit verifies the project's eligibility, identifies the mechanisms that can be mobilized, and avoids time-consuming procedures at unsuitable offices.
