Funding the creation or takeover of an SME in Guyane

Associated grant

Réseau Entreprendre Guyane honour loan (ID 4490)

Verification status

Partial review: official source of the network identified and institutional context reviewed; current amount, conditions and availability to be confirmed.

Start-up funding combining a loan and mentoring

An honour loan can supplement the director's own equity and help mobilise other financing, particularly bank loans. The catalogue fact sheet links this mechanism to Réseau Entreprendre Guyane: the support is described as a personal loan, interest-free and without collateral, combined with long-term mentoring by an experienced entrepreneur. This model differs from a grant: the capital lent must be repaid according to the contract terms, and obtaining it depends on a selection process.

What amount can be obtained?

The reference database indicates a range of €10,000 to €35,000, with a ceiling that can reach €55,000 for certain innovative projects, over five years. These amounts should not be presented as a guaranteed or confirmed scale for 2026: we found no current official page detailing these ceilings for the Guyane offer. The amount actually offered depends on the open scheme, the nature of the project and the committee's decision. Request written confirmation of the amounts, the term, any deferral and the repayment conditions.

What projects are targeted?

The catalogue fact sheet targets the creation or takeover of job-creating SMEs with significant development potential. The project must be sufficiently well structured to demonstrate its market, its business model, the team's skills, financing needs and development trajectory. The exact criteria — company age, sector, location, expected jobs and any exclusion of certain activities — must be validated with the association.

Why is the loan called an "honour loan"?

The honour loan is generally granted to the project leader personally and without a conventional personal guarantee or interest, under the scheme's rules. It can strengthen the director's contribution and facilitate dialogue with banks, but it guarantees neither a complementary bank loan nor the award of the honour loan itself. The contractual conditions and the repayment obligation must be examined before signing.

What mentoring should be expected?

The reference fact sheet describes long-term personalised mentoring by an experienced entrepreneur and access to a club of past winners. This mentoring can help challenge the business plan, commercial assumptions, recruitment and governance. Check with Réseau Entreprendre Guyane on the frequency of meetings, the commitments expected of the award winner and the availability of the local programme.

How to prepare an application?

Prepare a project presentation, a market study, a business plan, financial forecasts, a financing plan, hiring needs and a project timeline. Add the elements specific to a takeover if applicable: valuation, acquisition financing, audit and transition plan. Contact the association beforehand to check eligibility and the format of the application. Do not incur expenses on the assumption that the loan will be granted.

How does the CTG's role fit in?

The Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane is involved in regional economic development and sets out guidelines in its SRDEII 2022-2028, which covers in particular the creation and development of businesses. However, the fact that a grant appears in a catalogue with the CTG as the associated funder does not mean that the CTG directly awards each loan, nor that the scheme is open without conditions. The operating body and the current financing arrangement must be confirmed with Réseau Entreprendre Guyane and, if necessary, with the CTG.

Recommended steps

1. Contact Réseau Entreprendre Guyane to confirm that the programme is open.
2. Check the selection criteria, eligible sectors and territorial scope.
3. Confirm the possible amount, the term, any deferrals and the repayment terms.
4. Prepare the economic and financial file with a realistic financing plan.
5. Present the project following the association's selection process.
6. Only include the loan among secured financing after written notification and signature of the required documents.

Can the loan be combined with bank or public financing?

An honour loan can sometimes be combined with a bank loan or other grants, but the combination and the expenses funded must be confirmed on a case-by-case basis. Ask whether a co-financing condition with a bank applies, whether the honour loan must be allocated to specific needs, and which State aid or cumulation rules apply to the arrangement. Present separately the financing sought, obtained and still conditional.

Is the loan a grant?

No. It is a loan to be repaid according to the contract. The term "honour loan" describes particular terms but does not turn the financing into a grant.

Is the €10,000 to €35,000 amount guaranteed?

No. This is the range indicated by the reference database, which must be reconfirmed with the local association before any application.

Can innovative projects receive up to €55,000?

The catalogue mentions this ceiling for innovative projects. We were unable to confirm that it still applies to the local programme in 2026: ask for the current scale.

Must jobs be created?

The reference fact sheet targets job-creating SMEs with development potential. The exact quantitative criteria and commitments must be confirmed by the association.

Who should be contacted first?

The operational point of entry is Réseau Entreprendre Guyane. The CTG can provide information on its territorial economic policy and associated public schemes.

Sources and limits of validation

Institutional sources: Réseau Entreprendre Guyane website; CTG page presenting the SRDEII 2022-2028; 2018 CTG page on a historic cash-flow support honour loan scheme; Réseau Entreprendre Guyane document relating to the Plan Co-Rail 2 in 2019. These last two sources concern a specific, older scheme, distinct from the general offer presented in the catalogue fact sheet. The parameters of the current honour loan must be confirmed before publishing it as an available offer.

Check my eligibility

Present your project to Réseau Entreprendre Guyane to confirm that the programme exists, the selection criteria, the accessible amount and the repayment terms before finalising your financing plan.

Do not confuse the CTG with the honour loan operator

The reference database links the Réseau Entreprendre Guyane honour loan to the Collectivité Territoriale de Guyane, but the mentoring and processing fall to the operating association. Before presenting this grant as available, confirm with Réseau Entreprendre Guyane whether the programme is currently offered, which profiles are selected, what mentoring is mandatory and what amounts are available. Being linked to the funder in a catalogue proves neither that the CTG directly awards the loan, nor that the historic programme is still open.

Overview of territorial economic support in 2026

Recent CTG publications show that support can take several forms: ESS (social and solidarity economy) calls for projects, freight schemes, support for certain sectors and direct support for entrepreneurs. Each scheme has its own target audience and timetable. For example, the 2026 ESS call had an application deadline of 26 April 2026, while the grant campaign for integration organisations had a deadline of 31 July 2026; these deadlines have passed as of 13 October 2026. They should be kept as historical references, not shown as open without a new edition. CITE:turn201859search3CITE:turn201859search0

Freight and economic activity: check the applicable version

The CTG announced an update to the freight support scheme effective 1 April 2026, with differentiated goods categories and amounts. A business should therefore not reuse an old scale without checking the resolution and terms applicable to its situation. For a transport-related application, prepare the invoices, the nature of the goods, the route and the supporting documents required by the current scheme. CITE:turn201859search5

Preparing financing for a Guyane SME

Describe the financing need, the timetable, the expenses, the location and the planned jobs. For an honour loan, add the business plan, forecasts and equity needs. For a call for projects, check the eligible legal form, the theme, the minimum project size, co-financing and the deadline. Grants intended for integration, ESS or specific audiences should not be presented as general-purpose grants for any business.

Statuses to use in Capital OS

The catalogue must separate currently open grants, closed calls, historic schemes and financing whose status is unconfirmed. The FEDER Prêt Rebond shown on the dedicated portal is explicitly closed: it must not be presented as an available solution. For the Réseau Entreprendre Guyane honour loan, keep a "to be confirmed" status until validated by the operator. CITE:turn201859search9

Validation checklist before recommending

For each scheme, record the official source, the date consulted, the operator, the beneficiary, eligible expenses, amounts, cumulation rules, required documents, open/closed status and the deadline. If the publication is an old press release or a closed call, keep it for the record but exclude it from recommendations of open grants. This distinction avoids presenting a grant announced in 2018 or a closed 2026 call as a current offer.