Created in 2014 as part of the development of student entrepreneurship, the PEPITE Prize “reveals, supports and encourages business creation by students and young graduates” says BPI France, the organiser since its creation. The Prize recompenses the best innovative and creative projects from 33 Students Centres for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship (which forms the acronym “PEPITE” in French) divided throughout France. With the PEPITE Prize, student-entrepreneurs are supported in their creation process, both with financial support and a dedicated service offered by the regional network of PEPITE.

The first requirement to participate in the PEPITE Prize is to be a student or young graduate (graduated since less than 3 years ago) and benefit (or having benefitted) from the status of student-entrepreneur, without condition of nationality. This status allows to build and develop an business project as part of a university course, in an institution, regardless of the business process under consideration (individual, collective, economic and/or social goal, innovative or not, technologic or not, with creation of activity or business take over).

To be supported in an application and processes, the student may benefit from the PEPITIZY platform, a community with all student-entrepreneurs from the 33 PEPITE. It is “a platform thought and designed for young entrepreneurs” allowing to obtain free of charge a tailor-made follow-up and professional and educational resources.

As the rules of the contest specify, “any project of innovative or creative business creation may be submitted”. It may take the form of:

• non-technologic innovation (service, social or use);
• technologic innovation (product, process, materials, organisation);
• projects that stand out because of their originality, the creativity of their value proposition and their social and ecological commitment.

Those who have had student-entrepreneur status and whose project has already led to the creation of an innovative or creative company in France (after 1 July 2020) are also eligible.

It should be noted that the company resulting from the project must be established on French territory.

The PEPITE Prize 2022 occurs in two phases (regional and national), and will recompense the best project from each PEPITE. The project owner will be nominated Champion of his/her associated PEPITE. The Ministry explains that the Champion “is the one who will best represent, to the eyes of the jury, the activity of his/her territory and whose project is the most promising”.

These Champions from various PEPITE will become the national laureates of the PEPITE Prize. They will enjoy in this regard as “young talent”:

• a 10,000 euros financial endowment granted by the Ministry of Higher Education;
• a support programme funded by BPI France.

Ceremonies of prize award will be organised on campuses of each region on 29 September, and Champions of PEPITE will be invited to participate to a national ceremony of prize award that should be held on 6 October 2022.

• since their creation, the PEPITE have supported nearly 20,000 project leaders under the French student-entrepreneur status;
• in 2021, 5,000 young people benefitted from this status, a 20% growth over one year;
• student-entrepreneurs included 39% young women;
• 26% of them were holders of a Master’s degree, 22% a engineer degree and 11% a Licence (Bachelor) degree;
• 30% of status holders attended studies specialised in Science, Technology and Health, and 27% on Law, Economics and Management;
• Most of them studied in the Île-de-France region, and the rest in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, Grand-Est and Nouvelle-Aquitaine regions;
• 16% of projects focused on services, training and advice, 14% on digital and connected objects, 10% on food and agri-food, 10% on fashion and design, 10% on culture and media.

• The PEPITE Prize 2022
• French status of “étudiant-entrepreneur” (student-entrepreneur)
• The PEPITIZY platform

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