Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine

What Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine does

Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a French non-profit association (loi 1901) operating as a dedicated women's entrepreneurship incubator across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region. Founded in 2009 (with Bordeaux headquarters established at the Darwin Ecosystème by 2011), the organization serves women and mixed-team entrepreneurs in Gironde, Dordogne, Charente, and Haute-Vienne through a portfolio of 10+ structured programs spanning ideation (START-1ère, Choose), creation (L'créent, Entreprendre en Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Premières de Cordée), development and acceleration (PLAY, Pack Expert, Challenge Premières), and business takeover (SWITCH). The incubator accompanies more than 100 entrepreneurs per year and maintains five physical locations, including a 20-workstation coworking facility at the Darwin Ecosystème in Bordeaux.

The technology footprint is minimal: no proprietary platform exists, and operations rely on standard SaaS tools (Airtable/Fillout for applications, eepurl for newsletters). Core capabilities are human-delivered — expert mentorship (7+ accompagnement mentors), peer networking (alumni 'PremièresforEver'), training (Qualiopi-certified), and facilitated access to public and private financing partners. The organization is a member of the national Fédération Les Premières network of 13 incubators.

The revenue model is overwhelmingly grant-dependent. Public partners — BPI France, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, NOVAPEC, Bordeaux Métropole, Préfecture de NA, and various municipalities and departments — finance most program delivery, making most offerings free to participants. Direct participant revenue is concentrated in PLAY (€1,200 + €60 annual membership) and SWITCH (€600 participant contribution toward €5,600 program value), supplemented by coworking desk rentals (€70 HT/day, €230 HT/month for 4 days) and donations via HelloAsso. With 10-15 core staff plus a volunteer board and mentor network, the operating structure is small-team and service-led rather than technology-led.

Name

Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Legal name

Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine

Website

https://lespremieresna.com

Company type

Private

Founded year

2009

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Non-profit women's entrepreneurship incubator in Nouvelle-Aquitaine, France, operating across four territories (Gironde, Dordogne, Charente, Haute-Vienne) from the Darwin Ecosystème in Bordeaux. Delivers 10+ training and incubation programs, a coworking space, and mentorship to 100+ entrepreneurs annually, financed primarily through public grants and the national Les Premières federation.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Business Incubation and Entrepreneurship Support Services

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Accelerators & Incubators (Investor-Operated) (FSANAAAM)

akta.pro secondary industry

Business Planning, Pitching & Competitions (Pitch Decks, Demo Days) (EDAMAHAB)

Keywords

• Women entrepreneurship incubator
• Business creation support
• Entrepreneurship training programs
• Business takeover program
• Coworking space services

Headquarters

HQ city

Bordeaux

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices5 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Public funding and subsidies: The association operates as a non-profit and relies heavily on public funding from partners including BPI France, Région Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Bordeaux Métropole, Préfecture de Nouvelle-Aquitaine, and other regional/local government bodies to finance its programs and operations.
2. Membership fees: An annual membership fee of €60 is required for participation in certain programs (e.g., PLAY program). This provides ongoing revenue and sustains community membership.
3. Program fees: The PLAY program is priced at €1,200 + €60 annual membership, representing a paid professional services offering. Most other programs (Entreprendre en Nouvelle-Aquitaine, Premières de Cordée, SWITCH) are fully funded by public and institutional partners, making them free for participants.
4. Coworking rental income: Revenue from renting 20 coworking desks at Darwin ecosystem, with daily passes (€70 HT/day/desk) and monthly packages (€230 HT for 4 days/month/desk).
5. Donations and support: The organization accepts donations through HelloAsso platform, allowing individuals and organizations to financially support the association's mission of promoting women's entrepreneurship.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels9 records

Core offering

Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a non-profit incubator that accompanies women and mixed-team entrepreneurs across the Nouvelle-Aquitaine region through structured programs including idea testing (START-1ère, Choose), business creation (Entreprendre en Nouvelle-Aquitaine, L'créent), business development (PLAY, Pack Expert, Challenge Premières, Premières de Cordée), and business takeover (SWITCH), along with a 20-workstation coworking space at the Darwin ecosystem in Bordeaux.

Product overview

Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a non-profit incubator dedicated to supporting women and mixed teams in entrepreneurship. The organization offers a comprehensive suite of programs spanning the entrepreneurial journey from initial reflection to business launch and growth acceleration. Programs include Avant Premières and Cafés Premières for orientation, START-1ère and Choose for testing entrepreneurial ideas, L'créent for creative industries and Entreprendre en Nouvelle-Aquitaine for pre-launch support, Les Premières de Cordée for Priority Urban Areas residents, PLAY and Challenge Premières for business acceleration, Pack Expert Premières Plus for customized development, and SWITCH for business acquisition. The organization also provides a coworking space at the Darwin ecosystem with 20 workstations and publishes a monthly newsletter. Programs range from free offerings to fee-based options (e.g., PLAY at 1,200€ plus 60€ annual membership). The incubator is headquartered at the Darwin ecosystem in Bordeaux and maintains antennas in Gradignan, Angoulême, Périgueux, and Limoges.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• La Pépinière Le Campement: A shared workspace program operated in partnership with Le Campement in Bordeaux, coordinated by Céline Wienhold. It is presented as an extension of Les Premières' support ecosystem.
• Avant Premières
• START-1ère
• Choose
• L'créent
• Entreprendre en Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• PLAY : Passez à l'Action
• Pack Expert - Premières Plus
• Challenge Premières
• Les Premières de Cordée
• SWITCH

Products and services

• Avant Premières
• Cafés Premières
• START-1ère
• Choose
• L'créent
• Entreprendre en Nouvelle-Aquitaine
• Les Premières de Cordée
• PLAY: Passez à l'Action
• Pack Expert - Premières Plus
• Challenge Premières
• SWITCH: reprenez une entreprise!
• Espace de Coworking

Quantifiable outcome

• Companies with structured accompaniment have ~80% survival rate at 3 years vs 74% national average (INSEE)
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers12 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

20 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• Bordeaux MétropolecoreOthersBordeaux Métropole is a public partner providing financial support for the incubateur's operations and programs, enabling accessibility across the metropolitan area.
• Préfecture de Nouvelle-AquitainecoreOthersRegional prefecture provides institutional support and public funding, contributing to the organization's ability to serve the Nouvelle-Aquitaine territory.
• Ville de BordeauxminorOthersCity of Bordeaux provides local public support and is a key territorial partner for the incubateur's activities.
• Ville de GradignanminorOthersCity of Gradignan hosts one of the organization's antennas at La Canopée - Château de l'Hermitage.
• Département de la DordogneminorOthersDordogne department supports the organization's regional antenna activities in Périgueux.
• Grand AngoulêmeminorOthersGrand Angoulême supports the Charente antenna and regional accompaniment activities.
• French Tech BordeauxminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Tech Bordeaux is part of the national French Tech initiative, promoting tech entrepreneurship in Bordeaux. Partner in the broader entrepreneurship ecosystem.
• French Tech PérigordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFrench Tech Périgord supports tech entrepreneurship in the Dordogne territory, complementing the organization's regional activities.
• CRESS Nouvelle-AquitaineminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerChambre Régionale de l'Économie Sociale et Solidaire (CRESS) NA is a partner supporting the social and solidarity economy dimension of the organization's programs, particularly the ESS-focused program at Gradignan.
• SPIEminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerSPIE, a multi-technical services company, participates as a private partner in the incubator ecosystem.
• TGS FranceminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerTGS France, an accounting and consulting firm, contributes expertise to the incubator as a private partner.
• CCI Nouvelle-AquitaineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChambre de Commerce et d'Industrie (CCI) Nouvelle-Aquitaine supports entrepreneurship in the region and refers entrepreneurs to the incubator's programs.
• CMA Nouvelle-AquitaineminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChambre de Métiers et de l'Artisanat (CMA) Nouvelle-Aquitaine supports artisan entrepreneurs and collaborates with the incubator.
• DS AvocatsminorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerDS Avocats, a law firm, provides legal expertise to the incubator's entrepreneurs as a private partner.
• Initiative PérigordminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative Périgord, a business creation support network, collaborates on supporting entrepreneurs in the Dordogne territory.
• EurekatechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerEurekatech supports tech entrepreneurship in the region and collaborates with the incubator.
• CCI Haute-VienneminorChannel Partner/ Reseller/ DistributorChambre de Commerce et d'Industrie in Haute-Vienne supports entrepreneurship in the Limoges area.
• TranstechminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerTranstech is a partner supporting technology transfer and innovation within the incubator ecosystem.
• La Ruche BordeauxcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerLa Ruche Bordeaux co-created the WE DAYS festival, an annual event dedicated to women's entrepreneurship in Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This is a flagship collaborative initiative between the two organizations.
• Darwin EcosystèmecoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDarwin Ecosystème is the physical home of Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine. This iconic location on the right bank of Bordeaux is dedicated to ecological transition and economic cooperation. The incubator has been present there for over 10 years and benefits from the startup and innovation ecosystem.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves7 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Fédération Les Premières: National federation of 13 women's entrepreneurship incubators of which Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine is a regional member. Direct peer/parent in the same mission, methodology and brand system, coordinating national campaigns (Make Her Day, VivaTech) and shared alumni.
• Initiative France: Federation of local Initiative platforms (including Initiative Périgord in Dordogne) providing business creation accompaniment and zero-interest loans to entrepreneurs. Directly overlaps on the public-funded incubation and follow-on financing mission in the same Nouvelle-Aquitaine region.
• Réseau Entreprendre: National non-profit network of volunteer mentors supporting entrepreneurs with free accompaniment and loan financing. Comparable on the long-duration accompaniment model and volunteer mentor mobilisation across France.
• France Active: National network financing and supporting social and solidarity economy (ESS) entrepreneurship, partnering with BPI France and regional bodies. Direct peer on the social-impact incubation mandate and public co-financing model that Les Premières NA uses for Premières de Cordée.
• BGE (Boutiques de Gestion): National non-profit network of business creation support centres across France, providing incubation, training and financing support to aspiring entrepreneurs. Closest direct competitor on the generalist incubation mandate and public-funding model.
• ADIE: Association supporting entrepreneurship through microcredit, training and accompaniment, particularly for excluded populations. Comparable target audience (under-served entrepreneurs) and public-funded accompaniment model.
• La Ruche Bordeaux: Bordeaux-based coworking and incubator dedicated to positive-impact entrepreneurs, co-creator of the WE DAYS festival with Les Premières. Operates a comparable shared workspace model in the same city with a similar mission-driven target audience.

Broad incumbents

• CMA Nouvelle-Aquitaine: Regional Chamber of Trades and Crafts supporting artisan entrepreneurs, listed as a channel partner of Les Premières. Provides parallel incubation and accompaniment services for craft-based entrepreneurs in the same territory.
• CCI Nouvelle-Aquitaine: Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry supporting business creation and development across Nouvelle-Aquitaine. Listed as a channel partner of Les Premières but also operates its own incubation and creation support offerings that overlap on the same territory.

Regional players

• French Tech Bordeaux: Bordeaux branch of the national French Tech ecosystem supporting tech startups and scale-ups. Listed as a strategic partner of Les Premières but operates a parallel incubator/acceleration programme in the same Bordeaux territory, with a different (tech-led) audience focus.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/lespremieresna
• Facebookfacebook.com/lespremieresNA
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/les-premieres-nouvelle-aquitaine
• Instagraminstagram.com/lespremieresna/?hl=fr

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles10 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Les Premières Nouvelle-Aquitaine