How to test your project or activity in a company incubator?
Verified 25 September 2026 - Entreprendre Service Public / (Prime Minister)
An incubator is a support structure for the creation of a company or the development of a new activity. Your company or activity project must meet the characteristics of a project called " innovative ». We are talking about start-up.
The incubator is a support structure that allows:
- whether your project is viable
- to ripen it
- and give it chances to develop quickly.
Your project must be innovative.
Innovation is defined by its innovative character and to strong potential economic development. The planned budget for research and development (R&D) must be high.
We often talk about start-up andstart-up incubator.
The incubator is often located within a university or a public or private research center.
Example :
This may be an innovative field of activity (digital, digital, ecological, artificial intelligence, etc.) or a non-existent technical process.
The incubator is for you if you are at one of the following stages of your activity:
- Start of the company project
- About to wrap up your business plan
- About to register your company at RNE: titleContent
- Already installed but wishing to develop a new activity, increase your performance, etc.
The incubator supports you in the medium term, that is to say between 6 months and 1 year and a half.
The conditions of support vary greatly depending on the incubator and the services chosen.
Depending on the options and the structure, integrating an incubator provides access to the following services:
- Premises (office or storage), equipment (office), internet connection
- Advice and personalized coaching of professionals
- Help in the assembly of the project, help in the construction of business plan
- Contacts, exchanges, implementation network with professionals.
The cost of incubator support is very variable. It can go from €150 à €500 per month approximately depending on the support services chosen and the surface of the premises. These prices are indicative.
Please note
You can choose from domiciliate your individual business or your business at the incubator address.
You must constitute a application file which presents your project. It is analyzed by those responsible for the incubation structure.
You must defend and argue your project by maintenance.
As a result of this process, your file is selected or not.
Each incubator has specific areas of expertise (technological, digital, ecological, etc.).
You can consult the networks of private or public incubators on the website of Bpifrance création.
Do not hesitate to contact the structures to target those that best suit you.
Example :
- The Ville de Paris offers many incubators in different sectors (agriculture, food, fashion and design, optics, technology, health, etc.).
- The École nationale supérieure des arts et métiers offers its own incubator structure.
- The French Tech, is the main network of start-up incubators you will find those offered in your region.
- The Ministry of Higher Education and Research proposes incubators dedicated to public research.
- L'Atelier de Paris offers a incubator for crafts.
To find an incubator, you can also ask the CMA: titleContent of your region (for a craft activity) or of your CCI: titleContent (for a commercial or industrial activity).
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
For information on incubators, accelerators, company incubators in France
French Chamber of commerce and industry (CCI)- Chamber of Trades and Crafts (CMA)
For information on incubators, accelerators, international company incubators (94 countries)
International French Chambers of commerce and industry (CCI)For information on incubators and activity and employment cooperatives (EAC)
France Labor
FAQ
École nationale supérieure des arts et métiers (Ensam)
Office of Fashion Design and Crafts
Ministry of Higher Education and Research