7th wave of the i-Nov contest for SMEs and start-ups

The French government has just announced the launch of the 7th wave of the i-Nov Innovation Contest. The i-Nov contest is financed and monitored by the French government through the Programme of Investment for the Future (PIA in French). Its goal is to support innovative development projects designed by start-ups and SMEs. Selected projects must boost the fast emergence of companies that may become world-class leaders in their field.

The French Innovation Contest focuses on 3 complementary aspects: the i-PHD, the i-Lab, and the i-Nov contests. Each will lead to a joint funding of research, development and innovation projects.

Eight themes for the new wave momentum

 The new call for projects of the i-Nov competition is open until 11 May. With total funding of between €600,000 and €5 million, it concerns single-partner innovative projects led by start-ups and SMEs.

Its specific aim is to select innovation projects with particularly strong potential for the French economy. To this end, the selected innovative projects must be included in at least one of the eight predefined themes, covering two key areas: digital industry and energy transition.

In the digital industry, projects in the following areas are eligible:

- Digital Deep Tech;

- the transformation of cultural and creative industries through digital technology

- new forms of diagnosis, screening and monitoring of pathologies.

In the new energies area, projects may concern:

- proteins and ferments of the future;

- renewable energies, storage and new energy systems, including hydrogen;

- the challenges of energy and ecological transition in industry and agriculture;

- water and biodiversity;

- sustainable and intelligent mobility.

Depending on the theme and the nature of the projects, the applications are managed by Bpifrance, the public investment bank that supports companies, or by Ademe, the national agency for ecological transition.

Winners from previous waves

 As the year 2020 was marked by lockdowns and restrictive travel measures, the winners of the 5^th and 6^th editions of the i-Nov competition could not be rewarded. They will be awarded together with the winners of the other rounds of the competition at a joint award ceremony held at some point in 2021.

However, the 5^th wave of the i-Nov competition has already rewarded 85 winning projects for a total amount of €50 million, while the 6^th wave has rewarded 51 winning projects for a total amount of €26 million. It should be noted that the funding provided in the framework of the Innovation Contest is in the form of State aid, two-thirds of which is in the form of subsidies and one-third in the form of recoverable advances. 

To know more:

- on the i-Nov Contest (wave 7) (in French)

- on the three aspects of the Innovation Contest