The 27th i-Lab innovation contest opens: promoting the best innovative projects

“In its 26 years of existence, i-Lab has become a key point of passage for innovative project leaders and a quality label unanimously recognised by deeptech investors”, said the ministry in charge of research in its opening speech of the contest, which registered a whooping 24,643 applications and awarded 3,861 winners since 1999!

Which contests?

 The three Innovation Contests of the French government include various complementary sections ensuring “a funding continuum for business creators”:

• the i-PhD contest: the first of the three, aims at attracting doctorate/PhD students and young doctors towards the creation of start-ups and supporting their best research work;
• the i-Lab contest promotes the results of French research through the creation of innovative technology companies.
• the i-Nov contest supports innovative development projects driven by start-ups and/or SMEs.

All these contests have a common point: they must all focus on innovations “with a strong tech content and all foster eco, energy or food transitions, and the decarbonation of French economy”. In the long term, Innovation Contests thus foster the development of “highly innovative and tech companies born from progress of cutting edge research”.

Who may participate in i-Lab, and for what type of project?

 The i-Lab contest, at the heart of the mechanism, thus aims at showcasing the concrete results of French research while identifying projects of creation of innovative tech businesses. A part of the France 2030 plan, this contest thus support “the best projects thanks to financial assistance and tailor-made support”.

Bpifrance, public bank of entrepreneur and operator driving the contest, details the conditions on its website:

• About the participation requirements: any natural person who created a company less than two years ago or planning a project of creation in France of an innovative tech company, regardless of its nationality, status or professional status;
• regarding the types of projects that may be submitted: any project of “creation and development” if they are technically, economically and legally feasible and can lead, in the short term, to the creation of a company or to innovation projects carried out by companies that are less than two years old.

What are the criteria of eligible projects?

 Bpifrance explains that “the assessment of projects submitted for the contest is based on an analysis of their human, technological, legal, financial and commercial scale”, and goes on to describe the many criteria used to select projects. These include:

• the innovative nature of the technology;
• the economic viability of the project;
• significant potential for development and value creation, including internationally;
• the applicant’s ability and availability to become involved in the project;
• the project’s environmental and social impact, and “the integration of sustainability criteria into the design and implementation of the project”.

What kind of funding?

 Bpifrance explains that should the project be selected, the funding will take the form of an endowment of up to €600,000 and support tailored to the project. This grant covers staff, operating and equipment costs directly related to the company’s research and development programme, including examples such as project design, intellectual property, market and feasibility studies, partner searches, prototype production, consultancy and training services, etc.

Finally, the projects submitted will be assessed by a jury of experts, made up of qualified personalities from the world of entrepreneurship and research (industrialists, investors, researchers, former winners of the contest). This jury, which will meet in September 2025, will draw up the list of winners and may also select up to ten Grand Prizes from among the most promising winning projects, “with particular attention paid to projects with a strong impact in terms of sustainable development and social benefits”.

Explore more: 

- Launch of the i-Lab contest

- The three innovation contests