Practical guide

Editorial content / associated grant

Type / status

Communaute d'agglomeration de Lens-Lievin (CALL)

Intermunicipal authority — economic development

https://www.capital-os.net/financeurs/ca-de-lens-lievin

Slug taken from the SEO plan; check the route in production.

Grants from the CA de Lens-Lievin for businesses: micro-enterprises, SMEs and shops

SEO proposal

Discover the grants available in Lens-Lievin for investing, growing a micro-enterprise/SME, renovating a shop or financing a social and solidarity economy (ESS) project. Amounts, municipalities and procedures to be checked.

SEO proposal

The Communaute d'agglomeration de Lens-Lievin (CALL) offers several entry points to support economic activity in the territory: productive investment for micro-enterprises and SMEs, renovation of retail premises, setting up shops, social and solidarity economy initiatives, and entrepreneurial support. These schemes do not target the same companies and do not cover the same expenses. Geographic scope is also decisive: some CALL schemes are concentrated on five municipalities, while others apply across the whole agglomeration or fall under a specific call for projects.

SEO guide

The official portal presents the CALL as a local point of contact for creation, takeover, setting up and development. It works with the Hauts-de-France Region and a network of partners (notably Initiative Gohelle, Germinal, Reseau Entreprendre Artois, BGE and Pas-de-Calais Actif). Support can combine guidance, formalising the project, seeking financing, honour loans, guarantees or targeted grants. It is therefore necessary to identify the actual processing body for each scheme, rather than assuming that all applications are processed by the same department.

Context

Before building the financing plan, check the municipality where the business is located and the establishment's exact address. The micro-enterprise development grant and the retail premises renovation grant mentioned on the official page are limited to Avion, Harnes, Lens, Lievin and Mericourt, with the Region indicated as the contact for other municipalities. The SME grant is presented at the scale of the CALL. Do not transpose the scope of one grant to another: it depends on the corresponding rules.

Eligibility

Aid ID 12682. Purpose: Development and investment of SMEs. Amount / form in the catalogue: Productive investment projects (new or used equipment) between €50,000 and €150,000 excluding tax: grant of 20% of eligible expenses excluding tax, with a bonus of €2,000 per full-time equivalent permanent job, capped at €40,000

Property and/or productive investment projects of €150,000 or more: grant that can be combined with that of the Hauts-de-France Region, representing 20% of the payroll of jobs created over 2 years, capped at €40,000. Beneficiaries in the catalogue: not specified. Conditions in the catalogue: not specified. Verification: The CALL portal indicates a grant of 20% on productive investments of €50,000 to €150,000 excluding tax, with a bonus linked to full-time equivalent permanent jobs and an announced cap of €40,000. For larger property/productive projects, the same portal presents a different calculation based on the payroll of jobs created. Have the eligible base and applicable scheme confirmed.

Catalogue entry cross-checked — individual status to be confirmed

Aid ID 12681. Purpose: Productive investment for micro-enterprises (TPE). Amount / form in the catalogue: Grant representing 20% of eligible expenses excluding tax, within the limit of the company's equity, up to a cap of €26,000. Beneficiaries in the catalogue: Micro-enterprises located in Avion, Harnes, Lens, Lievin and Mericourt. Conditions in the catalogue: Investments must be between €30,000 and €130,000. Verification: The CALL presents a grant of 20% of eligible expenses, capped at €26,000 and limited by equity. The page lists the municipalities of Avion, Harnes, Lens, Lievin and Mericourt; for other municipalities, it refers to the Region. Check the exact investment threshold with the processing department, as the database wording may contain a typo.

Catalogue entry cross-checked — individual status to be confirmed

Aid ID 12683. Purpose: Renovation of retail premises. Amount / form in the catalogue: Grant representing 40% of eligible expenses excluding tax, between €2,000 and €12,000. Beneficiaries in the catalogue: Craftspeople and shopkeepers:

existing, being created or taken over; located in the following municipalities: Avion, Harnes, Lens, Lievin, Mericourt. Conditions in the catalogue: Investments must be between €5,000 and €30,000 excluding tax. Verification: The official page indicates fit-out work related to the business, for investments of €5,000 to €30,000 excluding tax, with a rate of 40% and a grant of between €2,000 and €12,000. The local scope cited is Avion, Harnes, Lens, Lievin and Mericourt; for other municipalities, the page refers to the Region.

Catalogue entry cross-checked — individual status to be confirmed

Aid ID 11129. Purpose: Social and solidarity economy (ESS). Amount / form in the catalogue: Grant of:

15% of the FIDESS amount for the emergence grant; €3,000 per job created for the creation grant; 30% of eligible expenses between €25,000 and €150,000 for the development grant. Beneficiaries in the catalogue: Social and solidarity economy organisations. Conditions in the catalogue: not specified. Verification: The catalogue groups the emergence, creation and development components. A call-for-projects PDF available on the CALL website describes specific rates, caps and criteria, but its edition/date must be checked before use. Do not present the parameters of an earlier edition as open in 2026.

Catalogue entry cross-checked — individual status to be confirmed

Aid ID 12680. Purpose: Setting up and keeping shops. Amount / form in the catalogue: Coverage of 30% of rent excluding ancillary costs for one year, within an annual cap of €10,000 excluding tax and excluding charges. Beneficiaries in the catalogue: Shopkeepers and craftspeople.

Not eligible:

Regulated or equivalent professions; financial and real estate activities; non-independent franchises; non-fixed-location shops; fast food; intra-community relocations. Conditions in the catalogue: not specified. Verification: The catalogue indicates coverage of 30% of rent excluding ancillary costs for one year, capped at €10,000 excluding tax per year. The CALL's services page still mentions Objectif Commerces; however, the rules, municipalities, excluded activities, duration and budget availability must be confirmed with the economic development department.

Catalogue entry cross-checked — individual status to be confirmed

Aid ID 2556. Purpose: Honour loan and support. Amount / form in the catalogue: Interest-free, unsecured honour loan, granted on a personal basis, of between €15,000 and €50,000, repayable over 3.5 or 4 years. Beneficiaries in the catalogue: Creators and buyers of SMEs. Conditions in the catalogue: not specified. Verification: The catalogue indicates a personal, interest-free, unsecured honour loan of €15,000 to €50,000, repayable over 3.5 to 4 years. The operator is Reseau Entreprendre Artois; the decision depends on review and support, not an automatic right to a grant.

Catalogue entry cross-checked — individual status to be confirmed

Productive investment: start by distinguishing between micro-enterprises and SMEs, then check the investment threshold and the municipality. Shop works: check the nature of the works, the minimum and maximum amount of the eligible base, and the local scope. New shop: look at Objectif Commerce and its activity criteria. Project of social value or job creation: check the ESS call for projects and its edition. Creation or takeover with potential: look into the honour loan with the relevant operator.

Method

Prepare a clear description of the project, the planned timetable, quotes not yet committed, the financing plan, the latest available accounts, a cash-flow forecast, staffing levels and planned jobs, as well as proof of registration and location. For works, document the premises, the nature of the fit-out and its direct link to the business. For an ESS project, explain the local need addressed, the business model, the jobs created and the social impact. The exact list of documents is set by the official application file.

Process

Ask the processing department whether the expense can be incurred before submission or the decision. Public grants frequently require prior submission, and an expense already incurred may be excluded. Get written confirmation of the timetable and the eligible base. For works and equipment, also check planning, co-ownership and safety rules, and authorisations independent of the grant.

Point of caution

Do not calculate your cash flow assuming that all grants will be obtained. Present the other public funding applied for, check combination caps and State aid rules, and distinguish between grants, honour loans and bank loans. The announced cap is a maximum limit, not a guaranteed amount. Some grants may be limited by equity, budget availability, the number of jobs created or selection by a committee.

Funding

The CALL's official grants page lists the Direction du developpement economique et de l'emploi (Economic Development and Employment Department), 21 rue Marcel-Sembat, 62300 Lens, at 03 21 790 534 and deveco@agglo-lenslievin.fr for information and applications. Ask for the current rules for the relevant grant, confirm it is open, and have the geographic scope, eligible expenses and required documents specified.

Contact

No, not necessarily. The official page notably limits the micro-enterprise development grant and the retail premises renovation grant to Avion, Harnes, Lens, Lievin and Mericourt, and refers other municipalities to the Region. Check each set of rules before concluding on eligibility.

FAQ

Not automatically. The rate only applies to the base recognised as eligible, within the limits of the rules, the caps and budget availability. The grant may also be limited by equity or conditional on job creation.

FAQ

The call-for-projects documents found on the website have parameters specific to one edition. They do not prove that the window is open as of 13 October 2026. Ask for the rules and timetable of the current edition before preparing an application.

FAQ

No. It is a personal loan granted after review by the operator, according to its own criteria. The catalogue amount is neither a decision nor a guarantee of acceptance.

FAQ

Review carried out on 13 October 2026. The official pages confirm the existence of micro-enterprise/SME development and retail premises renovation schemes, and list Objectif Commerces and the ESS call for projects. Openness and the current rules still need to be verified for each grant; the ESS call for projects identified is an earlier edition. Recommended status: partial verification, without an unjustified "open" badge.

Partial verification

To finance a project in the Lens-Lievin area, start by qualifying the investment, the size of the company, the municipality and the nature of the expenses. The CALL can direct companies towards suitable schemes and partners, but the decision depends on the official criteria and review process. Capital OS helps match the company's profile with the referenced grants; always confirm the rules and openness with the processing body.

CTA

The official page «Grants for micro-enterprises, SMEs, craftspeople and shopkeepers» is the primary source for thresholds, rates, caps and municipalities. The pages «Business welcome and services» and «Support for entrepreneurship» provide additional context on support. Sources and limitations are recorded in the dedicated tab.

References

Official sources

• Communaute d'agglomeration de Lens-Lievin — Grants for micro-enterprises, SMEs, craftspeople and shopkeepers
• Communaute d'agglomeration de Lens-Lievin — Business welcome and services
• Communaute d'agglomeration de Lens-Lievin — Support for entrepreneurship
• Communaute d'agglomeration de Lens-Lievin — Economic development / services
• CALL — Call for projects supporting ESS initiatives (PDF)