The landscape of support for French companies has been profoundly reconfigured in recent years. With the rollout of the France 2030 plan and its 54 billion euros dedicated to supporting innovation, public and private initiatives are multiplying, but their clarity remains a recurring issue for SME and ETI leaders.
AI Diagnosis and Acceleration: What the Osez l’IA Plan Changes for SMEs
Launched on July 1, 2025, the Osez l’IA plan marks a turning point in how technological support is offered to companies. The initiative is not limited to funding: it organizes awareness actions, personalized AI diagnostics, and acceleration programs operated notably by Bpifrance.
The approach is sequential. A company starts with a diagnostic that assesses its digital maturity and identifies relevant use cases. If the diagnostic is conclusive, it gains access to an acceleration program with operational follow-up over several months.
This funnel model contrasts with the old systems where the company had to identify the right contact itself. However, feedback from the field varies regarding the initiative’s ability to reach very small structures, which are often less equipped to apply. The services offered by Positive Entreprise illustrate this structured support logic, combining strategic advice and connections with the right funding levers.
Innovation Tax Credit and JEI Status: Fiscal Stability Until 2027
The innovation tax credit (CII) remains accessible to SMEs with a 20% rate on eligible expenses, extended until December 31, 2027, by the finance law. This extension secures the planning of medium-term product innovation projects.
The status of young innovative enterprise (JEI) has also been maintained, with exemptions from property tax and corporate property contribution. These two initiatives constitute the fiscal foundation of innovation in France.
Limits of the CII for Projects with a High Software Component
The scope of the CII covers expenses related to the design of prototypes or pilot installations of new products. However, purely software projects or those based on algorithmic optimization find it more challenging to meet eligibility criteria.
Companies developing digital services often have to articulate their application between CII and research tax credit (CIR), complicating the setup. Specialized support on the fiscal aspect avoids later adjustments, as controls over these initiatives have intensified in recent years.
Strategic Support: Beyond Funding, Project Structuring
The available data does not allow us to conclude that funding alone guarantees the success of an innovative project. Several sector studies highlight the gap between obtaining a grant and the actual capacity of the company to execute its roadmap.
Strategic support encompasses very different services depending on the providers:
- The innovation maturity diagnostic, which maps internal skills, existing processes, and organizational barriers before any technological investment
- Intellectual property consulting, which allows for the valuation and protection of an innovation before its market launch, an angle often overlooked by startups in the early stage
- Connecting with industrial or academic partners, which accelerates the transition from prototype to marketable product
The structuring phase logically precedes the search for funding. A France 2030 application or a CII/CIR setup assumes that the technical scope, target market, and development timeline have been clarified.
Public Funding for Innovation: Mapping Accessible Initiatives in 2026
The landscape of public aid for innovation remains dense. France 2030 structures most sector-specific calls for projects (health, energy, digital, industry), but other initiatives coexist at the regional and European levels.
- The i-Nov project calls, which target innovative startups and SMEs with significant grants but require a rigorous technical file and private co-financing
- Innovation loans from Bpifrance, available without guarantees on the company’s assets, suitable for industrialization phases
- Regional innovation support initiatives, such as those operated by economic development agencies, which offer free diagnostics and a first level of advice
The main pitfall remains the fragmentation of initiatives and the absence of a central aggregator. A SME leader often has to consult several contacts before finding the right initiative, which lengthens the setup times.
Innovation Competitions: Anticipating Closures
Some emblematic competitions have been closed since 2024. Companies relying on these initiatives to finance their R&D must redirect their requests towards the France 2030 project calls or towards the CIR/CII, whose budgets remain stable.
This reconfiguration reflects a desire to concentrate resources on structuring programs rather than dispersing aid. However, it penalizes atypical projects that do not fit into the categories of sector-specific project calls.
The choice of a support service depends less on the size of the company than on the maturity of its project. An early diagnostic directs towards the right initiative and reduces the risk of mismatch between the funding obtained and actual needs. Structures that combine fiscal expertise, strategic advice, and knowledge of public initiatives provide measurable value, provided that the company has clarified its technical and commercial objectives.
