How to test your activity in a company nursery?
Verified 29 September 2026 - Entreprendre Service Public / (Prime Minister)
The company nursery is a structure ofaccommodation and support which allows you to test and develop your business by being surrounded by other entrepreneurs. The incubator allows you to benefit from shared services and spaces (meeting rooms, internet, etc.).
A nursery is a structure ofaccommodation andaccompaniment for young companies.
The peninsula is for project leaders or creators who have just registered their company.
A nursery brings several benefits to the contractor:
- Connecting with entrepreneurs in the same situation and experts
- Business premises (offices, workshops, storage spaces, etc.) at an attractive price
- Pooling of equipment (printers, mail handling, broadband internet, etc.) and spaces (meeting rooms, documentation space, etc.).
A nursery offers collective training and conferences on company creation.
Some nurseries also offer support with interviews custom.
The duration of the nursery support is generally 24 months renewable once, or 48 months. The maximum duration of accommodation is 48 months (4 years old).
The cost of accommodation and support in a nursery usually varies between €150 and €500 per month approximately, depending on the type of support and the surface area of the premises needed by the candidate. These prices are indicative.
Additional services (with a supplement) can be offered for further support.
Example :
Some nurseries offer personalized coaching interviews several times a year. These benefits require an additional fee.
Nursery accommodation requires the agreement of an accreditation committee.
You have to build a application file who presents the project or company. It is analyzed by the nursery managers.
The applicant is then invited to present his project to the Incubator Accreditation Committee (description of the activity, service needs, financing, economic viability, etc.).
You can contact either the CMA: titleContent of your region if your project is artisanal in nature, CCI: titleContent of your region if your project is commercial or industrial in nature. Counselors will help you find a nursery that suits you.
Who shall I contact
There are also many regional networks. The next page of Bpifrance creation lists some of these networks:
Nurseries are often specialized by field of activity (industry, digital, social and solidarity economy (SSE), etc.).
- The station F in Paris is the largest incubator in the world specialized in the support of start-ups.
- The CMA of Île de France offers a artisanal hotel and nursery which bring together about twenty workshops with interesting rental conditions for young companies (contemporary decoration, organic cosmetics, tapestry, creation of furniture, plumbing, ceramics, tea production, etc.).
The following table summarizes the main characteristics of the company project support and testing facilities.
Incubator | Activity and Employment Cooperative (CAE) | Nursery | Incubator | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
Which project leader? | Job seeker – Part-time employee – RSA beneficiary | Job seeker – Part-time employee – RSA beneficiary | Independent contractor | Any holder of innovative project |
What stage of the project? | Company not created - Project start | Company not created - Project start | Recent company (less than 6 months) | New project, new activity - Future company or company already installed (young) |
What kind of activities? | Any type of activities | Any type of activities | Any type of activities | Start-up - Innovative activity of any kind (industrial, agricultural, commercial, craft) |
What is the main advantage? | Full-scale risk-free testing – Cape contract until the company is created | Entrepreneur-employee under contract Cape – Permanent status (CDI) | Attractively priced premises – Shared services | Support for the raising of investment funds and the business plan – Networking |
Who can help me?
Find who can answer your questions in your region
FAQ
Chambers of Crafts and Crafts (CMA)
Bpifrance Creation