Financing your project with grants and schemes from the Département du Nord

Introduction

The Département du Nord is involved in particular in employment integration and return to work, support for RSA (minimum income) recipients, assistance to local authorities and certain territorial projects. These fact sheets correspond to territorial financing and support operators — in particular the Initiative and Réseau Entreprendre networks — and should not be presented as grants paid directly by the Département. This guide therefore distinguishes departmental schemes from the private/association financing listed in the catalogue's relationships.

What the Département actually funds

The Département du Nord's institutional pages highlight employment integration, return to work, support for RSA recipients and partnerships with employers. The Activ'emploi scheme can help certain RSA recipients who have found a job or training to fund professional travel, childcare or professional equipment. The Département also works with businesses through its Services territoriaux de relations aux entreprises and the Maisons Nord Emploi to facilitate recruitment and connect employers with candidates. These integration schemes are not general business investment grants: eligibility conditions depend on the target audience, the project and the department concerned. Source: official "Insertion, retour à l'emploi" page.

Grants for local authorities and territorial projects

The Département supports municipalities and intermunicipal bodies in territorial development projects through financial, technical and engineering support. The Projets Territoriaux Structurants and Aide départementale aux villages et bourgs programmes are aimed at local authorities, not at a private business seeking an operating grant. The iNord agency can support member local authorities in identifying public financing, and in preparing and reviewing applications. For a business, the right point of entry therefore depends on the nature of the project: employment/integration, a project led by a local authority, creation/takeover financing, or a regional/intermunicipal grant.

The seven financing fact sheets linked to the Département in the catalogue

The reference database links seven honour loans to this funder. This is an anomaly or a linking relationship that needs to be reviewed: the titles indicate separate local networks (Douaisis Initiative, Initiative Cambrésis, Initiative Flandre Intérieure, Initiative Lille Métropole Sud, Initiative Sambre Avesnois and Réseau Entreprendre Nord). An honour loan is generally granted personally to the project leader, without interest or personal guarantee, and is often intended to strengthen the creator's/buyer's own contribution to facilitate a bank loan. Amounts, per-job ceilings, terms and criteria differ by network and programme. They are not amounts awarded by the Département du Nord.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Douaisis Initiative Création honour loan

Grant ID: 3266 Purpose: Support business creation in the Douaisis area through an honour loan. Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, of between €2,500 and €50,000, limited to - double the amount of own equity; - €5,000 per job created or retained for 3 years, - repayable over 5 years. Repayment term: - if the loan is under €25,000: maximum 3 years, with a possible 6-month deferral, - if the loan is over €25,000: maximum 5 years, with a possible 6-month deferral. Beneficiaries indicated: Businesses:

• created or taken over less than 3 years ago,
• in all sectors of activity,
• of any legal structure (except associations under the 1901 Law),
• whose registered office and jobs are located in the Douaisis employment area. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Douaisis Initiative Premier développement honour loan

Grant ID: 3267 Purpose: Support the first stage of development of businesses in the Douaisis area through an honour loan. Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, of between €5,000 and €50,000, repayable over a maximum of 5 years and limited to: - half of the financing needs over 3 years; - €5,000 per job created or retained for 3 years. Beneficiaries indicated: - Businesses created or taken over less than 5 years ago; - Businesses that have received a first honour loan currently being repaid or fully repaid. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Initiative Cambrésis honour loan

Grant ID: 2106 Purpose: Make business creation possible for as many people as possible through suitable financing (the zero-interest honour loan) and free, long-term mentoring. Support from the local associations of the Initiative France network secures business projects: 90% of supported businesses pass the 3-year mark (vs. 70% on average). Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, granted personally. It is generally between €5,000 and €30,000, repayable over a period of 3 to 5 years. The honour loan is always paired with a bank loan: for every €1 of Initiative honour loan, an Initiative entrepreneur obtains €9.5 of bank loan on average. Mentoring prior to the award of an honour loan allows the entrepreneur to assess the full extent of their financing needs. Beneficiaries indicated: Leaders of business creation or takeover projects in all sectors, regardless of age, background or financial capacity. Excluded sectors of activity: financial intermediation and real estate services. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Initiative Flandre Intérieure honour loan

Grant ID: 7700 Purpose: Make business creation possible for as many people as possible through suitable financing (the zero-interest honour loan) and free, long-term mentoring. Support from the local associations of the Initiative France network secures business projects: 90% of supported businesses pass the 3-year mark (vs. 70% on average). Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, granted personally. It is generally between €5,000 and €30,000, repayable over a period of 3 to 5 years. The honour loan is always paired with a bank loan: for every €1 of Initiative honour loan, an Initiative entrepreneur obtains €9.5 of bank loan on average. Mentoring prior to the award of an honour loan allows the entrepreneur to assess the full extent of their financing needs. Beneficiaries indicated: Leaders of business creation or takeover projects in all sectors, regardless of age, background or financial capacity. Excluded sectors of activity: financial intermediation and real estate services. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Initiative Lille Métropole Sud honour loan

Grant ID: 2099 Purpose: Facilitate business creation for a wide audience through suitable financing: the "0%" honour loan, a free loan without guarantees or interest. This scheme strengthens the project leader's own equity and provides genuine recognition through its award process. The mentoring provided by the association is entirely free for the beneficiary. In addition, support from the local associations of the Initiative France network secures entrepreneurial projects, with a 3-year survival rate of 90%, compared with 70% on average. Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, granted personally. It is generally between €3,000 and €30,000, repayable over a period of 3 to 5 years with a 3-month repayment deferral. The honour loan is always paired with a bank loan: for every €1 of Initiative honour loan, an Initiative entrepreneur obtains €8 of bank loan on average. Beneficiaries indicated: Leaders of business creation or takeover projects with no restriction on age or background. The beneficiary must, at a minimum, create their own job through their entrepreneurial project. Excluded sectors of activity:

financial intermediation and real estate services; mobile street trading at markets. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Initiative Sambre Avesnois honour loan

Grant ID: 2102 Purpose: Make business creation possible for as many people as possible through suitable financing (the zero-interest honour loan) and free, long-term mentoring. Support from the local associations of the Initiative France network secures business projects: 90% of supported businesses pass the 3-year mark (vs. 70% on average). Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, granted personally. It is generally between €5,000 and €30,000, repayable over a period of 3 to 5 years. The honour loan is always paired with a bank loan: for every €1 of Initiative honour loan, an Initiative entrepreneur obtains €9.5 of bank loan on average. Mentoring prior to the award of an honour loan allows the entrepreneur to assess the full extent of their financing needs. Beneficiaries indicated: Leaders of business creation or takeover projects in all sectors, regardless of age, background or financial capacity. Excluded sectors of activity: financial intermediation and real estate services. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

Catalogue fact sheet to reconcile — Réseau Entreprendre Nord honour loan

Grant ID: 2568 Purpose: Help entrepreneurs (creator / buyer / developer) of future SMEs emerge and succeed, where those SMEs are job-creating and have strong development potential, through: - the award of an honour loan intended to strengthen the creator's own equity and facilitate access to bank loans; - personalised mentoring of the entrepreneur over 3 years, provided by business leaders who are members of the Réseau Entreprendre ® Nord association; - collective training in business leadership over 3 years, offered each month by volunteer business leaders as part of a "Club de Lauréats" (winners' club), which allows the entrepreneur to discuss their successes and difficulties with other new business leaders and break out of isolation. Form of financing indicated: Honour loan, interest-free and without guarantee, granted personally, of between €15,000 and €70,000 (up to €100,000 for innovative projects) and repayable over 5 years. Beneficiaries indicated: Leaders of business creation projects with strong development potential: - aiming eventually to create a significant number of jobs (at least 5 to 10 jobs over 5 years); - whose financing needs are equivalent to those of a future SME (at least €70,000). Leaders of business takeover projects where the minimum headcount at the time of takeover is 10 full-time permanent employees (CDI FTE). In the case of a takeover through court proceedings, only an asset takeover with the formation of a new company will be eligible; a takeover by continuation of activity is to be avoided.

Leaders of business development projects:- with turnover of €500,000;- with a headcount of at least 5 full-time permanent employees (CDI FTE);- with at least two sets of annual accounts;- aiming for significant growth (x2) in turnover and headcount. Franchisees are excluded, except in exceptional cases where: - review of the franchise agreement reveals genuine independence from the franchisor; - mentoring proves relevant. Current link in the reference database: Département 59 - Nord (funder ID 535). Data quality alert: the title designates a separate honour loan operator. Do not present this fact sheet as a direct departmental grant without proof of a partnership or distribution mandate. Check the operator, the territory, the rules, the criteria and the financial link.

How to direct a project

For hiring or a return to employment, contact the Maisons Nord Emploi or the relevant departmental service and check eligibility for the Activ'emploi scheme. For an investment project led by a municipality or intermunicipal body, consult the territorial schemes and, if the local authority is a member, the iNord financial engineering offer. For a business creation or takeover, apply directly to the Initiative network or Réseau Entreprendre corresponding to the project's location; the approval committee, personal contributions, the financing plan and expected job creation can be decisive.

Precautions before any application

Check who actually awards the grant, who receives the funds and who signs the decision. Being linked in a catalogue is not enough to establish that the Département is the legal funder or the manager of the scheme. For honour loans, confirm the amounts, repayment terms, complementary bank loan requirements and approval criteria with the operator. For integration grants, check the beneficiary's status and the nature of the expenses covered. For territorial schemes, confirm that the project leader is indeed an eligible local authority.

FAQ

Does the Département du Nord award the seven honour loans listed? The catalogue titles designate separate financing networks. The link must be checked and corrected before presenting them as departmental grants. Which departmental grants may interest businesses? Mainly integration and return-to-work schemes for eligible target groups, as well as recruitment support; some territorial grants are aimed at local authorities. Can a business apply for the departmental grant for villages and towns? These schemes are intended for municipalities and intermunicipal bodies, not for private businesses acting alone. Who should be contacted for an honour loan? The Initiative network or Réseau Entreprendre body covering the business's territory, after checking the conditions and the programme's availability.

Sources and verification status

Official sources consulted on 13 October 2026: • https://lenord.fr/nos-politiques/insertion-retour-a-lemploi • https://lenord.fr/nos-politiques/amenagement-du-territoire-validation • https://inord.lenord.fr/offre-d-ingenierie-financiere • https://maires.lenord.fr/ Status: partial review / linking anomaly detected. The official pages document the Département's action on integration and with local authorities. The seven honour loans must be reassigned to their true operator before final publication; no current availability or eligibility decision is asserted.