Innovation Competition i (Concours d'innovation i)

Innovation Competition i (Concours d'innovation i)

Funds innovation projects by French startups and small and medium-sized companies in digital, health, transport, and energy.

i-Nov (Concours d'Innovation) is a France 2030-funded innovation competition co-operated by Bpifrance and ADEME, designed to accelerate the emergence of French startup and SME leaders in high-priority technology domains. The programme co-finances mono-partner R&D and innovation projects — meaning a single company applies, not a consortium — with total eligible costs between €1 million and €5 million, over project durations of 12 to 36 months. Thematic eligibility is restricted to four domains: digital, health, sustainable transport and cities, and energy and natural resources; ADEME co-operates on the transport/cities and energy/resources themes.

Funding is structured as a mixed instrument: 60% non-repayable grant and 40% recoverable advance, applied at aid intensity rates of up to 45% for small enterprises and 35% for medium enterprises as defined under EU State aid regulations. There is no fixed award ceiling per se — the assistance amount flows from the eligible cost band and the applicable aid rate for each beneficiary. Eligibility requires the applicant to be a PME (small or medium-sized enterprise) under French law, with the project demonstrating innovation, economic impact, capacity to execute, and environmental performance.

The competition runs on an annual wave cycle. Wave 14, the most recent disclosed cycle, ran from 10 July to 1 October 2024 and is closed. No Wave 15 start date had been publicly announced as of May 2026. Strong applicants prepare submissions that clearly address one of the four thematic domains, demonstrate a minimum €1 million eligible cost budget supported by a rigorous cost plan, and show a credible path to commercial leadership in their segment. Contact: concoursinnovation@bpifrance.fr and concoursinnovation@ademe.fr.