Pépite France

What Pépite France does

Pépite France is a French non-profit national network founded in 2014 by the Ministry of Higher Education, Research and Space to coordinate and federate 33 regional Pépite (Pôles Étudiants pour l'Innovation, le Transfert et l'Entrepreneuriat) student entrepreneurship centers across metropolitan France and overseas territories (Mayotte, Réunion, Guyane, Nouvelle-Calédonie, Antilles, Polynésie). The network's core offering is the Statut National d'Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE), a nationally recognized status allowing students and young graduates (from BAC level upward) to develop entrepreneurial projects while continuing studies, accompanied by the Diplôme des Étudiants-Entrepreneurs (D2E) institutional diploma offered at maximum €500 per year. Supporting programs include the Pépite Starter five-month accelerator, the Pépites des Pépite and Prix Pépite competitions (offering €5,000–€10,000 in prizes), the Starthèse PhD-track program, and the CREATIV' entrepreneurship week. The Pépitizy digital platform serves as the centralized hub, providing personalized monitoring, professional/educational resources, and community access across the network.

The organization's revenue model is non-commercial: it is administered by Fondation FNEGE (a public utility foundation since 1958) and funded primarily through public sources and the French apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage), with all student services (mentorship, coworking, networking, training) provided free of charge to eligible SNEE holders. The network reaches students through institutional channels embedded in universities and higher education institutions, supported by a multi-channel marketing footprint including six social platforms, newsletters, major events (VivaTechnology, GO Entrepreneurs, Delta Festival, CREATIV' week), and a large partner ecosystem (Banque Populaire, Bpifrance Création, AWS, Dell, L'Oréal, Engie, WMH Project, Réseau Entreprendre, OFQJ, and others).

Cumulative scale metrics include 21,181 Student-Entrepreneurs supported since 2014 (5,503 in 2020/2021 alone) and SNEE implementation reported in 10 countries, with 100+ participants engaged in international mobility programs. The coordinating entity lists 1-10 employees at its Paris headquarters (2 avenue Hoche, 75008), reflecting that operational execution is distributed across the 33 regional centers, which retain semi-autonomy within their respective territories.

Name

Pépite France

Legal name

Fondation FNEGE

Website

https://pepite-france.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2014

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Pépite France is a French non-profit national network coordinating 33 regional student-entrepreneurship centers, delivering the SNEE status, training, mentorship, and competitions to students and young graduates across metropolitan and overseas France.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Higher Education Entrepreneurship Support

NAICS

Educational Support Services (61171), Management, Scientific, and Technical Consulting Services (5416)

SIC

Services-Management Consulting Services (8742)

akta.pro primary industry

Private Foundations (BPAGAKAA)

akta.pro secondary industry

Entrepreneurship Foundations & Startup Basics (EDAMAHAA)

Keywords

• Student entrepreneurship
• Entrepreneurship support programs
• Higher education innovation
• Startup incubation services
• Innovation transfer programs

Headquarters

HQ city

Paris

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Taxe d'Apprentissage: Pépite France operates as a publicly funded organization administered by FNEGE (Fondation Nationale pour l'Enseignement de la Gestion). Revenue comes from public funding and the apprenticeship tax (taxe d'apprentissage) contributions from supporting companies.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion2 records

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

Pépite France is a national coordinating body for 33 regional Pépite (Pôles Étudiants pour l'Innovation, le Transfert et l'Entrepreneuriat) that support student entrepreneurship in France. Its core offering is the Statut National d'Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE) combined with the Pépitizy digital platform, providing students and young graduates with mentoring, networking, coworking, funding assistance, and the D2E diploma. The organization is administered by Fondation FNEGE and operates as a publicly funded non-profit.

Product overview

Pépite France is a national network (fédéré par le Ministère de l'Enseignement supérieur, de la Recherche et de l'Espace) that serves as the coordinating body for 33 regional Pépite centers supporting student entrepreneurship across France. The organization's core offering is the Pépitizy platform combined with the Statut National d'Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE) and the Diplôme des Étudiants-Entrepreneurs (D2E). Supporting programs include the Pépite Starter intensive accelerator, the Pépites des Pépite and Prix Pépite competitions, CREATIV' entrepreneurship week, the ORELiG gender observatory, and Starthèse for PhD students. International mobility programs (YEP, OFQJ, Autumn School in Prague) complete the portfolio. The organization is administered by FNEGE Foundation.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Pépitizy: Digital platform bringing together all Student-Entrepreneurs from the 33 Pépite, offering personalized monitoring and professional resources.
• Pépite Starter
• Pépites des Pépite
• Statut National d'Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE)

Products and services

• Pépitizy Digital platform that aggregates Student-Entrepreneurs from all 33 Pépite centers, providing personalized monitoring, professional and educational resources, and community access for young entrepreneurs across France.
• Statut National d'Étudiant-Entrepreneur (SNEE) Official national status allowing students and young graduates holding a BAC or equivalent qualification to build and develop their entrepreneurial project while continuing their studies, with access to double mentoring, networking, coworking spaces, and funding assistance.
• Diplôme des Étudiants-Entrepreneurs (D2E) Institutional diploma for holders of SNEE, completed over one academic year, allowing students to validate their entrepreneurial project in lieu of an internship and potentially earn ECTS credits.
• Pépite Starter Five-month early-stage accelerator for SNEE holders who are fully dedicated to their entrepreneurial journey, featuring intensive training, coworking space, Bootcamp, mentoring sessions, and Demo Day.
• Pépites des Pépite Annual competition showcasing exceptional alumni entrepreneurs from the Pépite France network, highlighting innovative and impactful projects with awards including up to €8,000 in funding and visibility at VivaTechnology.
• Prix Pépite National competition launched by the 33 Pépite selecting the most creative and innovative projects, with champions receiving €10,000 from the Minister of Higher Education and Research.
• CREATIV' Student Entrepreneurship week led by Pépite France, showcasing the different faces of entrepreneurship and the many actors, tools, and opportunities available for students.
• ORELiG (Observatoire des Représentations de l'Entrepreneuriat Liées au Genre) Observatory aimed at better understanding young women's motivations and obstacles to entrepreneurship, to promote actions in favor of female entrepreneurship.
• Starthèse National program encouraging PhD students and young PhDs to experiment with entrepreneurship, valuing skills and thesis work in addressing societal challenges.
• International Mobility Programs Mobility programs including YEP (Franco-Italian), OFQJ (Franco-Québécois), Autumn School in Prague, and HEG Fribourg Summer School supporting student-entrepreneurs in international expansion.

Quantifiable outcome

• 21,181 Student-Entrepreneurs supported since 2014
• +3 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments3 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed Yes

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature1 record

Partnerships

29 partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• WMH ProjectcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2026WMH Project is a European non-media communications group and mission-driven company with 500+ employees in 7 countries and €240 million revenue. This is a strategic partnership focused on promoting innovative student entrepreneurial projects, sharing non-media communication expertise, and supporting project leaders in sustainability and social responsibility. The partnership aims to connect innovation with meaningful societal impact.
• Banque PopulairecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2014Long-standing partner committed to the promotion of entrepreneurship and skills development. Highly involved in the academic environment, contributing to encouraging the entrepreneurial mindset among all audiences. Awards the Coup de Cœur prize (€5,000) to Pépites des Pépite finalists.
• Bpifrance CréationcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerBpifrance acts hand in hand with each Pépite on the territory, with investment impacting the Pépite France network through transversal projects including training of accompanying persons.
• Engie / WMH PROJECTcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerDriven by mission to accelerate transition towards carbon neutral economy, Engie promotes emergence of high-impact projects managed by young entrepreneurs operating as entrepreneurs or intrapreneurs.
• FNEGE (Fondation Nationale pour l'Enseignement de la Gestion)coreOthersFNEGE is the administrative parent of Pépite France, recognized as a public utility foundation. Provides a structured and sustainable framework for national activities of Pépite France.
• EnactusminorGTM or Marketing PartnerEnactus helps high schoolers, students and professionals develop skills to innovate and act in service of the greatest number. Created bridges between activities and tools to improve entrepreneur journey.
• Wild Code School (ANESTAPS)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerOffers intensive training in Tech jobs. Developer teams serve advanced Student-Entrepreneur projects, especially in Pépite Starter programmes, to offer POC development.
• AUF (Agence Universitaire de la Francophonie)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPioneering implementation of student entrepreneurship programs in other countries through SALEEM and DEEL projects.
• MakeSenseminorGTM or Marketing PartnerExpert in impact commitment based on collective intelligence, works on training for Pépite network. Pépite France sponsors the French social entrepreneurship competition: the Social Cup.
• OFQJ (Office Franco-Québécois pour la Jeunesse)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports Student-Entrepreneurs with mobility opportunities, training programs and events promoting networking, expertise sharing, innovation and co-creation.
• Réseau EntreprendreminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOperates in 10 countries helping create more than 1,700 new businesses each year. Offers accompaniment by experienced entrepreneurs for 2-3 years plus interest-free honor loan with no personal guarantee.
• Union des CouvéusesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerOriginator of Contract of Support to Enterprise Project. 50 incubators, 5,500 entrepreneurs in 2022. CAPE offer includes market test in real situation (SIRET loan), training, and networking.
• UrssafminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership to inform and support Student-Entrepreneurs about social protection challenges to make entrepreneurial careers more secure.
• Live for GoodminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports young impact entrepreneurs developing innovative projects for tomorrow's world. Shares desire for community of entrepreneurs with positive impact.
• Petit PoucetminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCompetition giving student entrepreneurs greater visibility, personalized support and funding opportunities.
• Handitech Trophy (JobinLive)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerFirst national competition rewarding start-ups, students, research laboratories or associations developing innovative solutions for people with disabilities.
• Ulule / KissKissBankBankminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPioneer of crowdfunding in France coaches Student-Entrepreneur community through webinars, workshops, and individual appointments. Crowdfunding campaigns benefit from increased visibility.
• 100 000 EntrepreneursminorGTM or Marketing PartnerAssociation organizing annual events promoting entrepreneurial mindset and success of women among young people aged 13-25.
• CNJE (Confédération Nationale des Juniors Entreprises)minorGTM or Marketing PartnerEducational consulting associations where SNEE is considered an asset. Leverages synergies for carrying out joint projects.
• Genius GlobalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerFederation of entrepreneurial student associations present in 20+ schools in France to promote student entrepreneurship and create dynamic community.
• AnimafacminorGTM or Marketing PartnerStudent association network supporting initiatives and promoting commitment through support courses, resources and meetings. Supports CREATIV' entrepreneurship week.
• Delta FestivalminorGTM or Marketing PartnerLargest student forum in Europe held annually in Marseille welcoming nearly 90,000 visitors. Includes entrepreneurship village hosting Student-Entrepreneurs.
• Fondation Sopra SteriaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports projects putting digital technologies at service of people and environment, facilitating daily life of vulnerable audiences through innovation and social entrepreneurship.
• APECminorGTM or Marketing PartnerKnowledge of labour market and territorial network supports clients in job market transformations and activates essential relationship between companies and skills.
• Institut de l'EngagementminorGTM or Marketing PartnerSupports young people in commitment and professional projects through training and accompaniment.
• Cap CréaminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCollective of 27 actors committed to entrepreneurship with manifesto for new entrepreneurial course signed at Bpifrance Inno Génération event.
• Créa IUTminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership promoting National Student-Entrepreneur Status within French University Institutes of Technology (IUTs) and supporting students in developing entrepreneurial projects.
• Banque de FranceminorGTM or Marketing PartnerCentral bank partnership providing financial education and support resources for student entrepreneurs.
• AFNICminorGTM or Marketing PartnerPartnership providing 'L'Atelier du Web en .fr' program: 6 practical workshops helping students master digital fundamentals and develop online presence including website creation, SEO, email marketing, cybersecurity, and AI tools.

Scale indicators7 records

Recent moves8 records

Expansion highlights6 records

Emerging players

• Founder Institute: Global pre-seed accelerator and startup training program; comparable as a structured, cohort-based entrepreneurship training and mentorship program for early-stage founders, though commercial rather than public-utility in nature.
• LiveMentor: French training organization dedicated to entrepreneurs and digital skills, supporting 26,000+ entrepreneurs; comparable as a partner-style training provider to Pépite France with overlapping content on business creation and digital marketing.

Direct peers

• Union des Couvéuses: Federation of 50 French business incubators ("couvéuses") supporting ~5,500 entrepreneurs with CAPE contracts; directly comparable as a non-profit incubation network providing legal testing frameworks and training to early-stage founders.
• Réseau Entreprendre: French non-profit network of entrepreneur mentors supporting business creation across 10 countries; comparable as a structured, regional-center-based support model that pairs founders with experienced mentors and offers interest-free loans.
• MakeSense: French non-profit mobilizing citizens around social entrepreneurship; directly comparable as an impact-oriented entrepreneurship community running open programs and competitions (e.g., the Social Cup sponsored by Pépite France).
• CNJE (Confédération Nationale des Juniors Entreprises): Federation of student-run consulting firms in French universities; directly comparable as a student-empowerment structure embedded in higher education that trains and supports students in real business practice.
• 100 000 Entrepreneurs: French association promoting entrepreneurial mindset among 13-25 year-olds via events and role models; directly comparable as a youth-focused entrepreneurship awareness and inspiration organization partnered with Pépite France.
• Enactus: Global non-profit operating student entrepreneurship programs in 30+ countries; directly comparable as a youth- and student-led entrepreneurship support network with competitions, mentoring, and corporate partnerships.
• Live for Good: French non-profit supporting young impact entrepreneurs; directly comparable as a youth-focused entrepreneurship program providing training, mentoring, and community for project leaders.

Broad incumbents

• Bpifrance Le Lab: Public investment bank's research and foresight unit on SMEs and entrepreneurship; comparable as a state-adjacent, broad-scope player producing research, training, and ecosystem support that overlaps with Pépite's mission of strengthening French entrepreneurship culture.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/PepiteFrance
• YouTubeyoutube.com/c/P%C3%A9piteFrance
• Facebookfacebook.com/PepiteFrance
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/p%C3%A9pite-france
• Instagraminstagram.com/pepitefrance/?hl=fr
• TikToktiktok.com/@pepitefrance

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Subsidiaries33 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 Pépite France