On July 5, Alain Griset, the French Minister for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises, announced the creation of a 15 million euro budget for energy diagnostics for craftsmen, retailers and self-employed workers. This measure is proposed in collaboration with Ademe, CMA France and CCI France.
Finance 35,000 diagnostics and 10,000 support initiatives
The government is keen to support small businesses in their ecological transition. Thanks to the France Relance plan, retailers, craftsmen and the self-employed will be able to benefit from a free individual diagnosis carried out by a CMA (Chambre des métiers et de l'artisanat) or CCI (Chambre de commerce et d'industrie) advisor. The diagnosis willassess the company's level of ecological maturity, and may be followed by a concrete action plan for implementation.
To put these actions into practice and make the most of their approach, small and medium-sized businesses can obtain more in-depth help in finding financing, optimizing their production or operating methods, or initiating an individual or collective environmental recognition process.
In all, thanks to the funds allocated by France Relance, the CMA and CCI networks will be offering 35,000 free diagnoses and 10,000 support initiatives. This exceptional scheme complements other measures for the ecological transition of small businesses already in place in France, such as the Répar'acteurs network for craftspeople wishing to position themselves as players in sustainable development and the solidarity economy, or the "TPE gagnantes sur tous les coûts" scheme, a support program reserved for companies with fewer than 20 employees to identify their energy-material-waste losses and propose an action plan to make savings.
One third of France Relance plan dedicated to ecological transition
The France Relance plan, which is organized around three axes (ecological transition, competitiveness, and social and territorial cohesion), contains a 2-year, €100 billion package aimed at returning activity levels to pre-crisis levels by 2022. Of the 100 billion euros, almost a third is earmarked for financing the ecological transition.
These funds mainly take the form of :
- aid for companies to decarbonize their production,
- measures to promote clean mobility,
- and measures for thermal renovation of buildings.
For example, the stimulus plan includes 105 million euros for the introduction of a tax credit for building renovation investments by VSEs and SMEs in the tertiary sector, and 45 million euros to set up support initiatives for companies committed to the ecological transition.
What's more, France wants to establish itself as a leader in the " green deal " by allocating half of its resources to the ecological transition and climate, i.e. 21 billion euros.