INITIATIVE HAUTS-DE-FRANCE

What INITIATIVE HAUTS-DE-FRANCE does

Initiative Hauts-de-France is a non-profit association (Association loi 1901) recognized as being of public utility, established in 2016 as the regional Hauts-de-France chapter of the Initiative France national network. It federates 20 local associations across the Hauts-de-France region, delivering free advisory services, business plan support, mentorship, and zero-interest honor loans (prêt d'honneur, averaging €10,000) to entrepreneurs creating, taking over, or developing businesses. The organization's primary customer segments are business creators, acquirers, and developers, with tailored sub-programmes for under-30s, women, job-seekers (In'cube), and entrepreneurs in Priority Urban Areas (Les Makers). Specialist financing products are offered for the agricultural sector and the wood sector (Prêt d'Honneur Cambium). The 'Label Initiative Remarquable' (created 2020, recognized by Mouvement Impact France) functions as a quality-recognition layer for supported entrepreneurs.

The business model is a non-profit social-economy model. All core services are delivered free of charge to entrepreneurs; the organization charges no fees and the 0% interest loan carries no cost to the borrower. Revenue is derived from public funding and grants, notably European FEDER co-financing (€229,000/year for 3 years for the Maison des Entrepreneurs programme, jointly with the Hauts-de-France Region), as well as institutional co-funding from Bpifrance, Caisse des Dépôts, and partner banking institutions. Operating reach is delivered through the 20 local associations (in-person distribution across the region) and supplemented by digital channels — primarily the initiative-hautsdefrance.fr website, the Mon Kit Entrepreneur mobile application, and the Mon Kit Entrepreneur podcast. Multi-stakeholder partnerships with banking institutions (Crédit Agricole Nord de France, Banque Populaire du Nord, Caisse d'Epargne, CIC Hauts-de-France) and complementary entrepreneurship support bodies (BGE Hauts-de-France, UMIH Hauts-de-France, Banque de France) underpin the GTM motion.

2025 operational impact (per the network's own Impact Report 2025) included 2,329 enterprises supported, 6,978 jobs created or maintained, and a cumulative total of 19,072 enterprises supported since inception. President Alain Mahieu also serves as President of the Conference of Presidents of Initiative France, positioning the Hauts-de-France entity to influence the national network. The organization holds CNIL registration (1762064) for data processing and references ISO 9001 quality management compliance; it has no external equity ownership, no parent controlling entity, and does not trade on public markets.

Name

INITIATIVE HAUTS-DE-FRANCE

Legal name

Initiative Hauts-de-France

Website

https://initiative-hautsdefrance.fr

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

Initiative Hauts-de-France is a regional non-profit association that federates 20 local chapters to provide free advisory services and zero-interest honor loans (averaging €10,000) to entrepreneurs across the Hauts-de-France region, as the Hauts-de-France chapter of the national Initiative France network.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Entrepreneurship Financing and Advisory Services

NAICS

Grantmaking and Giving Services (81321)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600)

akta.pro primary industry

Donor-Advised Fund (DAF) Sponsors (BPAGAKAF)

Keywords

• Entrepreneur financing
• Honor-based lending
• Business advisory services
• Entrepreneurship support programs
• Nonprofit SME mentorship

Headquarters

HQ city

Lille

HQ country

France

HQ region

Europe

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Public Funding and Grants: Initiative Hauts-de-France is financed through public funding mechanisms, including co-financing with the Hauts-de-France Region and European FEDER funds (229,000 €/year for 3 years for the Maison des Entrepreneurs programme). The network also receives support from Bpifrance and institutional partners.
2. Membership and Network Contributions: As a member of the Initiative France national network (214 associations), the regional structure benefits from shared resources, brand, and operational frameworks funded collectively.
3. Free Advisory Services (Social Economy Model): The core service — financing advice, business plan finalization, honor-based loans (prêt d'honneur), and mentorship — is provided free of charge to entrepreneurs. The organization operates as a non-profit association under the French law of 1901, generating no revenue from the entrepreneurs it serves.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels3 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

Initiative Hauts-de-France provides interest-free honor loans (prêt d'honneur) averaging €10,000, free business plan advisory and mentoring, and personalized post-creation follow-up to entrepreneurs creating, taking over, or developing businesses in the Hauts-de-France region. The association operates as a non-profit under French law 1901, federating 20 local associations and delivering services free of charge to recipients, funded through public grants and partnerships.

Product overview

Initiative Hauts-de-France operates as a regional coordination body within the Initiative France network, providing a comprehensive ecosystem of financing and support services for business creation, takeover, and development. The core offering centers on interest-free honor loans (Prêt d'Honneur) including specialized variants for agriculture and the wood sector, supplemented by the Mon Kit Entrepreneur toolkit available as mobile app, podcast, and digital resources. The organization delivers enhanced support programs including In'cube for job-seekers and Les Makers for urban entrepreneurs, alongside mentorship and personalized follow-up services. Complementary programs include the Initiative Remarquable label for recognizing outstanding entrepreneurs, pitch competitions, and regional awards, all interconnected within a network of 20 local associations providing proximity support across the Hauts-de-France territory.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• Mon Kit Entrepreneur: Free support kit for entrepreneurs including an application, podcast, and resources.
• In'cube
• Les Makers
• Prêt d'Honneur Initiative
• Prêt d'Honneur agricole Initiative Hauts-de-France
• Prêt d'Honneur Cambium - Filière bois
• Label Initiative Remarquable
• Concours de pitch

Products and services

• Prêt d'Honneur Initiative Interest-free honor loan (prêt d'honneur) granted by an approval committee, averaging €10,000, to support business creation and development for entrepreneurs in Hauts-de-France.
• Prêt d'Honneur agricole Initiative Hauts-de-France Specialized interest-free honor loan program dedicated to agricultural projects, supporting farming-sector entrepreneurs across the Hauts-de-France region.
• Prêt d'Honneur Cambium - Filière bois Specialized interest-free honor loan for the wood and forestry sector value chain, supporting entrepreneurs in the timber industry across Hauts-de-France.
• Mon Kit Entrepreneur Comprehensive entrepreneur toolkit providing resources, tools, and guidance for business creation, accessible via mobile application and podcast.
• In'cube - Programme d'accompagnement Enhanced support program for business creation targeting people far from employment, providing intensive mentorship and resources to help them build sustainable businesses.
• Les Makers - Communauté des entrepreneurs Community program for entrepreneurs located in Priority Urban Areas (QPV) of Hauts-de-France, financed by the Initiative Network to foster local business development in underserved neighborhoods.
• Entrepreneuriat féminin Dedicated programs and initiatives encouraging and supporting female entrepreneurship in Hauts-de-France, including awareness campaigns 'Elles l'ont fait, pourquoi pas vous?' and 'Vis ma vie d'entrepreneuse'.
• Parrainage et accompagnement Mentorship and personalized follow-up services for entrepreneurs supported by the network, delivered by volunteer experts and continuing after initial financing to foster business growth.

Quantifiable outcome

• 2329 enterprises supported in 2025; 6978 jobs created or maintained in 2025; 19072 total enterprises supported since creation
• +2 more outcomes

Named customers1 record

Segments7 records

Ideal customer profiles5 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature2 records

Partnerships

Six partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• UMIH Hauts-de-FranceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023A partnership convention was signed between UMIH Hauts-de-France (hotels, restaurants, cafes) and Initiative Hauts-de-France to support entrepreneurs in the hospitality sector. Announced in 2023 via press releases in La Voix du Nord and Nord Littoral.
• BGE Hauts-de-FrancecoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2023An interview-based collaboration between BGE Hauts-de-France and Initiative Hauts-de-France was featured in La Voix du Nord, highlighting the complementary nature of both networks in supporting entrepreneurs across the Hauts-de-France region.
• Initiative France (National Network)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInitiative Hauts-de-France is a member of Initiative France, the largest associative network for financing business creators in France (214 associations, 770 reception points). The national network provides brand, methodology, shared resources, and a national platform for the regional structure.
• Experts-Comptables (Lille-Nord-Pas-de-Calais)minorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerThe accounting professionals' association for Lille-Nord-Pas-de-Calais is listed as a partner, providing accounting and financial expertise to entrepreneurs supported by the network.
• In-extensominorImplementation/ SI/ Consulting PartnerIn-extenso, an accounting and business advisory firm, is listed as a partner supporting entrepreneurs in the network.
• Droits des FemmesminorGTM or Marketing PartnerDroits des Femmes is listed as a partner, likely collaborating on initiatives related to women's entrepreneurship support.

Scale indicators8 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights9 records

Regional players

• Chambre des Métiers et de l'Artisanat Hauts-de-France: Regional chamber supporting artisans and trades, a parallel publicly-mandated entrepreneurship channel that overlaps with the loan and advisory services for craft and agricultural borrowers in Hauts-de-France.
• CCI Hauts-de-France: Regional Chamber of Commerce and Industry offering formal business-formation services and guidance to entrepreneurs in Hauts-de-France. Serves the same regional SMB creation segment via a publicly mandated channel.

Broad incumbents

• Bpifrance: French public investment bank supporting business creation, growth and innovation. Functions both as a partner and an overlapping funder of the same entrepreneurs via co-financing and Cap Créa / BIG events.

Emerging players

• France Angels: National federation of business angel networks. Operates further upstream (post-creation equity) but shares the volunteer-expert plus local-network model for supporting entrepreneurs.
• EuraTechnologies: Lille-based major tech incubator and accelerator. Targets a narrower digital-startup segment, but is the primary tech-innovation counterpart in the Hauts-de-France region and an indirect funnel source.

Direct peers

• BGE Hauts-de-France: Regional branch of the BGE network that delivers complementary free business-creation advisory and micro-finance to entrepreneurs in Hauts-de-France. Directly comparable service line with explicit partnership/referral overlap.
• Réseau Entreprendre: National non-profit network providing entrepreneur financing and peer-mentoring across France. Same prêt d'honneur-style mechanism plus mentoring, comparable mission and beneficiary base.
• Initiative France: National parent network federating 214 associations that operate the same prêt d'honneur model, methodology and brand. This is the direct national comparand with which Initiative Hauts-de-France operates under the same operating model.
• ADIE: National association providing microcredit and advisory to entrepreneurs excluded from traditional banking. Comparable non-profit financing model with strong overlap in serving job seekers and under-banked founders.
• France Active: National network financing social and solidarity economy entrepreneurs. Same public-grant-anchored funding model, complementary rather than overlapping beneficiary segments.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Facebookfacebook.com/Initiative-Hauts-de-France-1686858938276271
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/initiative-hauts-de-france
• Instagraminstagram.com/initiativehautsdefrance

Compliance2 records

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Subsidiaries1 record

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 INITIATIVE HAUTS-DE-FRANCE