PEPITE (Student Pole for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship)
About this good practice
The main objective of the programme is to facilitate the achievement of the entrepreneurial project by allowing to come back to the Higher education institutions, to adapt the academic cursus, to offer tailor made training, housing student in coworking spaces through a unique specific medium which is the SNEE.
In 2013, the French State looked for new measures in favour of entrepreneurship in France. One of the measures taken to stimulate entrepreneurship was the creation of a Student Entrepreneur scheme aiming to enable those who set up a company after completing their studies to keep on benefitting from the status of students.
Four national measures were launched in 2014:
1) The access for all students to a training in entrepreneurship and innovation integrated in the education cursus,
2) The setting up of 29 PEPITE on higher education sites, to support the implementation of entrepreneurship and innovation training programs in higher education and to accompany students-entrepreneurs in their entrepreneurial projects.
3) The creation of the National Student-Entrepreneur Status (SNEE, a world first, accessible to students and alumni) and all the the associated activities,
4) The creation of a national PEPITE prize with a subsidy during the creation of companies.
Expert opinion
This is an interesting systemic approach to facilitate entrepreneurship among students and recent graduates. A legal and operational framework (“SNEE”) is provided for students who want to set up a company during or after their studies. The students are furthermore provided a network that connects them with other entrepreneurial students and business support organizations. This practice could interest other regions seeking to increase entrepreneurial studies within higher education institutions.
Resources needed
The implementation of this programme requires the mobilization of the ecosystem: HEIs, networks of professionals, regional institutions in charge of the economy. For the Hauts-de-France, Pepite needs 4 FTE (Full Time Equivalent) and 120 000 € of operating budget per year.
Evidence of success
This practice may be considered relevant because it answers to a student request. Since its launch, there has been an increase in requests for national status. For the Hauts de France region, more than 180 applications were made for the academic year 2016/2017. It was only 20 in 2014/2015.
Potential for learning or transfer
The PEPITE practices is potentially interesting for others regions as it allows to:
1) Ensure successful studies for students while developing an entrepreneurial desire and skills
2) Provide a legal, safe and operational framework for students who intend to set up a company during or after leaving HEI
3) Facilitate the networking of students with support organisations that helps them develop their project
The Wallonia region (Belgium) has joined the French disposal. Wallonia has decided to import part of the Pepite model, by creating a status of the student entrepreneur close to French status. First in contact with the national representative of the Pépite, link was made between the representatives of regional Pepite and Wallonia to improve the work on the concrete modalities of transfer. This contributed to the construction of the Interreg V "Entrepreneurs Without Borders" project, involving French, Flemish and Walloon academic and institutional partners, which starts on 1.10.18.
Good practice owner
You can contact the good practice owner below for more detailed information.
Ministry of Education, Higher Education and Research Ministry of Economy and Finance Caisse des Dépots et Consignations Universities and HEI Community