
Below you will find a non-exhaustive list of innovation support available in Reunion Island.
INNOVATION SUPPORT FROM BPI FRANCE
Bpifrance (Banque Publique d’Investissement France, a French public investment bank) works alongside companies, from the pre-seed stage to stock exchange listing, from credit to equity. Bpifrance includes OSEO, CDC Entreprises, FSI (Fonds Stratégique d’Investissement, or Strategic Investment Fund) and Regional FSIs. Some examples of support provided:
- Support for the First Innovative Project (Aide au Premier Projet Innovant – APPI)
Intended for SMEs interested in initiating an innovative approach involving technological partnership. As head-end, the Technopole de la Réunion is responsible for examining submitted applications and selecting projects. Contact us.
- Support for innovative business creation
To approve the feasibility of an innovative project prior to creation, and adjust your business plan.
- Support for innovation development
Financial assistance for the implementation and development of an innovation prior to its industrial and commercial launch.
- Technology transfer support for public research organisations
To simplify the acquisition of public laboratory search results by companies.
- Pre-financing of the Research Tax Credit (Préfinancement du Crédit Impôt Recherche – PREFICIR)
To have liquidities for your R & D expenditure, starting from the year first incurred.
- Innovation Loan (Prêt pour l’innovation – PPI)
To finance the industrial and commercial launch of an SME’s innovation.
- Innovation Development Contract (Contrat de Développement Innovation – CDI)
A loan without collateral or personal guarantee, intended to finance intangible investments and working capital requirements related to innovation or modernisation programmes.
To learn more: www.bpifrance.fr
OTHER ASSISTANCE FOR INNOVATIVE BUSINESS CREATION
- The Research Tax Credit (Crédit Impôt Recherche – CIR)
A tax measure to support business R & D efforts.
See the 2013 CIR guide
- Industrial Agreements for Training through Research (Les Conventions Industrielles de Formation par la REcherche – CIFRE)
The CIFRE scheme, funded by the Ministry of Research, promotes exchanges between public research laboratories and the socio-economic sector, and contributes to the employment of PhDs in business. CIFRE schemes involve three partners: a company that assigns PhD students with a thesis research subject; a laboratory, which provides the PhD student with scientific mentoring; and a PhD student.
To learn more, visit the website of the French National Association of Research and Technology, the ANRT (Association Nationale de la Recherche et de la Technologie).