Support for Business Takeover or Creation (ARCE)
The catalogue indicates a payment equal to 60% of the remaining ARE entitlement, after the applicable deduction, in two instalments six months apart. Access requires in particular obtaining the ACRE (exemption for unemployed business founders) and meeting France Travail’s conditions. As benefit rules can change, check the official page and your personal situation before choosing between the ARCE and keeping the ARE.
The aid for taking over or setting up a business (ARCE) allows a jobseeker receiving benefit to draw part of their ARE (return-to-work allowance) entitlement as capital to launch or take over a business. It is an alternative to keeping part of the ARE while working: the choice should be compared in terms of cash needs and expected income.
Funded by Ministère du Travail et des Solidarités
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Who can apply
Recipients of the return-to-work allowance (ARE) who set up or take over a business while receiving benefit; jobseekers admitted to the ARE who are not yet receiving it because they are in a deferral or waiting period (this deferral cannot exceed 150 days, or 75 days for employees made redundant for economic reasons); dismissed employees who started steps to set up or take over a business during their notice period or their redeployment or mobility leave. Excluded: people who lost their job after setting up or taking over a business before their employment contract ended. Also check the location, legal form, company size and any sector exclusions in the current rules.
Eligibility conditions
The jobseeker must: show that they have obtained the ACRE (micro-entrepreneurs under the micro-social scheme can receive the ACRE in the form of specific social contribution rates during the exemption period); and not have already combined the ARE with income from work. Before applying, confirm the version of the rules, combination rules, conditions for maintaining the activity and any obligations after payment.
What the scheme covers
This page does not set out the costs in enough detail. Have the eligible items and the cost eligibility date confirmed in writing before any commitment.
Amount and funding terms
The ARCE equals 60% of the remaining ARE entitlement due on the date the activity starts or, if later, the date the ACRE is obtained (after deducting the 3% contribution to supplementary pensions). The aid is paid in two instalments: the first on the date the activity starts, the second six months later. Notes: if the founder or buyer cannot show they have obtained the ACRE on the day the activity starts, partial combination of the ARE with income from the activity is possible; once the ACRE has been obtained, the ARCE can then be paid on the basis of the entitlement remaining on that day. If the activity stops, the ARE entitlement remaining on the day before the business was taken over or set up can be resumed, less the ARCE already paid. If the person re-registers as a jobseeker, they must do so within 3 years of the admission that opened their entitlement, plus the maximum length of their ARE entitlement. To be confirmed: check the basis, caps, combination and scale in force before budgeting the income.
How to apply
1. Confirm your ARE entitlement and calculate the remaining balance. 2. Check eligibility for the ACRE and obtain the required proof. 3. Compare the ARCE capital with keeping part of the ARE in a cash-flow budget. 4. Prepare the documents proving the creation/takeover and the ACRE. 5. Apply for the ARCE with France Travail and follow the conditions for the second instalment.
Timeline
No reliable deadline is confirmed on this page. Check the application period, committee dates, availability of funds and review time with the funder before planning the operation.
Key facts
- Funder
- Ministère du Travail et des Solidarités
- Type of funding
- Grant
- Status
- Ongoing
- Funding rate
- 60%
- Automatically extracted — check the official source
- Geographic scope
- All of France
Frequently asked questions
Who can apply for the ARCE?
People eligible for the ARE who set up or take over a business and meet the conditions, notably those relating to the ACRE.
Can the ARCE be combined with keeping part of the ARE?
For the same situation, you must choose between the options provided; the ARCE is not the same as keeping part of the ARE each month.
How is the aid paid?
The catalogue describes two instalments; check the rules in force, the supporting documents and the conditions for the second instalment with France Travail.
Official source
No official URL is available in our data for this grant.
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