Stage 2 · Startup, innovation and deeptech
Financing a startup's seed stage
Around the first fundraising round: unsecured public debt that supports and extends investors' contribution.
- 6
open schemes - 0
closed scheme (history) - 2 national
3 local or regional - 3
funding families
The seed stage is the period when a startup raises its first funds from investors to move from project to product. Public funding does not replace the fundraising round here: it is tied to it. Bpifrance's seed loan, for example, assumes that a fundraising round is already under way.
The catalogue lists {{ouvertes}} open schemes for this stage. They are few but structuring: an unsecured national loan, zero-interest regional honour loans for founders, and an assessment for industrial startups.
What gets funded during the seed stage?
The seed stage turns a feasibility proof into a first marketable product.
Equity
The first round from business angels or seed funds; honour loans strengthen the founders' contribution ahead of this round.
Leverage
Unsecured debt, tied to the fundraising round, which increases resources without further diluting the founders.
Industrial preparation
For a startup that will manufacture: sourcing, location, first production choices.
What are you looking for?
Key schemes
Three schemes cover most seed-stage needs, from the founder to the factory.
Prêt d'Amorçage
Bpifrance
Up to €100,000
From €50,000 to €100,000, unsecured, for innovative SMEs already supported and engaged in a fundraising round.
Diagnostic Amorçage Industriel
Bpifrance
Up to €8,000
Startup industrialisation strategy: 80% of a service worth €10,000 excl. VAT covered, according to the catalogue.
Prêt d'honneur pour l'amorçage régional (PHAR) Bretagne
Région Bretagne
Up to €90,000
Zero-interest honour loan, up to €45,000 per person and €90,000 per project.
How does Bpifrance's seed loan work?
The seed loan is an unsecured loan of €50,000 to €100,000. It is aimed at innovative SMEs that have already received innovation support within the last two years (Bpifrance grant, i-Lab prize, support for a research, development and innovation project) and that have launched a fundraising round with investors.
Its role is to complement the fundraising round: it provides additional resources without dilution, at a point when a traditional bank would not lend. The amount granted, the rate and the repayment schedule depend on the assessment of the application.
Seed-stage honour loans for founders
Some regions offer honour loans reserved for innovative projects, higher than standard start-up honour loans. The Brittany Region's PHAR, for example, can reach €45,000 per person and €90,000 per project, interest-free, with support from a specialised organisation.
Like any honour loan, it is granted to the founders, who contribute it to the company: it strengthens equity before investors come in, and so improves the founders' position when negotiating the fundraising round.
Industrial startup: preparing the factory from the seed stage
A startup that will manufacture a physical product must plan its production from the seed stage onward. Bpifrance's Industrial Seed Assessment helps define the industrialisation strategy, assess location, purchasing and sourcing options, and prepare the preliminary steps before launch. According to the catalogue, it covers 80% of a service worth €10,000 excl. VAT.
All schemes for this stage
6 schemes open
Amorçage Start-up
Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine
Up to €3,000,000
FRG (Fonds Régional de Garantie) - Occitanie - Volet Prêts d’amorçage
Région Occitanie
Up to €300,000
Prêt d’amorçage Grand Est
Bpifrance, Région Grand Est
Up to €300,000
Prêt d'Amorçage
Bpifrance
Up to €100,000
Prêt d'honneur pour l'amorçage régional (PHAR) Bretagne
Région Bretagne
Up to €90,000
Diagnostic Amorçage Industriel
Bpifrance
Up to €8,000
Schemes linked to this stage after individual review (unreviewed proposals are never shown). Scope is "national" or "local" based on the territory declared by the scheme; 1 scheme(s) with no territory on record are counted in neither.
Steps to secure funding
- 1Obtain initial innovation supportFrench Tech Grant or regional grant: a condition for accessing the seed loan.
- 2Strengthen the founders' contributionSeed-stage honour loan from the region or a network.
- 3Launch the fundraising roundBusiness angels, seed funds, terms of the round.
- 4Apply for the seed loanWith Bpifrance, alongside the fundraising round.
- 5Prepare for industrialisationFor industrial startups, a dedicated assessment before the first production line.
Useful resources
Frequently asked questions
Does the seed loan replace a fundraising round?
No. It assumes a fundraising round is already under way with investors and supplements it, without further dilution.
Is a personal guarantee required?
Bpifrance's seed loan is presented as unsecured. Honour loans, for their part, require neither interest nor a personal guarantee.
What is the link with the French Tech Grant?
The seed loan is reserved for companies that have already received recent innovation support: the grant obtained at the creation stage therefore often opens this door.
Is your company not an innovative startup but a young SME consolidating its first years? See the start-up stage of the SME pathway.
See SME start-upOfficial sources
- Prêt d’amorçage — Bpifrance Création — fiche Capital OS relue en octobre 2026 (source officielle citée)
- Diagnostic Amorçage Industriel — Bpifrance — fiche Capital OS relue en octobre 2026 (source officielle citée)
- Prêt d’honneur pour l’amorçage régional (PHAR) — Région Bretagne — fiche Capital OS relue en octobre 2026 (source officielle citée)
Your situation is unique
Prepare the funding for your seed stage
Enter your SIRET or describe your project: the report cross-references your technological maturity, your location and your funding plan to keep only the schemes you can actually access.