Opening a restaurant: the 10 grants and subsidies to get off to a good start

If you are planning to open your restaurant, several structures can provide you with financial assistance. Don't miss out!

Published on 08/07/2021Hind Andaloussi

Passionate about gastronomy, are you planning to open your own establishment soon? Between subsidies, exemptions, preferential loans and support solutions, there are subsidies available and melba lists them for you!

Please note, melba does not provide assistance in finding a subsidy. melba can however help you assess the costs of your meals in the context of creating your business plan to present to your financial partners.

1. Financing by bank loan

In order to finance their business, restaurant owners generally turn to banks first.

To obtain a bank loan, you will have to convince your banker that your project is solid and that it will pay for itself quickly.

You can thus hope to receive (at most) 80% of your total financing need . However, banks appreciate projects with balanced resources (50% equity capital - 50% bank loan). Loans granted for the creation of a restaurant have an average duration of 7 years.

The interest rates charged by banks are relatively variable and depend on the degree of risk that your project presents. Generally, they will be between 3% and 5%.

2. The Honor Loan

The honor loan is a loan without interest or guarantees that you agree to repay before a certain date.

To obtain it, you will have to put together a file that you will provide to an organization such as Réseau Entreprendre or Initiative France . A committee will be in charge of accepting or not your application.

Although the loan of honor aims to support an entrepreneurial project, it will be granted in your name and not that of your restaurant, because it aims to strengthen your personal contributions. The loan of honor amounts on average to 8,500 €.

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3. The New Support for Business Creation and Takeover (NACRE)

The NACRE is presented as an aid for the realization of your project and a support for its development for a period of three years.

It is intended for young creators under the age of 26, beneficiaries of solidarity income, job seekers benefiting from Assistance to Return to Employment and job seekers over 50.

Concretely, this is a system that will advise you in all of your procedures and will provide you with suitable financing if necessary (in the form of a zero-interest loan ranging from € 1,000 to € 8,000).

Depending on your case, the duration of the NACRE can vary between 4 months and 3 years.

For more information on this device, visit the Public Service website !

4. The Guarantee Fund at the Initiative of Women (FGIF)

The FGIF is a guarantee fund granted to all women who wish to create, develop or take over a business, regardless of their status and the legal form of their business.

However, the responsibility of the business must be fully assumed by the woman applying for the FGIF, and her business must exist / have been taken over less than 5 years ago.

Regarding the duration of the loan granted, it can range from 2 to 7 years and its minimum amount is 5,000 € . The maximum guaranteed percentage of the loan is 70%, and its amount is limited to € 45,000.

If you mobilize another guarantee than the FGIF, this percentage will be limited to 80% at most for these two guarantees.

To obtain the FGIG, contact the Territorial Fund of the France Active network in your region , which will give you the procedure to follow in order to put together a file.

5. The “Creation Guarantee” granted by BpiFrance

With this mechanism, Bpi France guarantees loans granted by banks to SMEs of less than three years. This means that BpiFrance gives "insurance" to your bank, which will allow you to obtain your loan more easily.

This guarantee generally covers 60% of your loan (which can go up to € 200,000) and concerns the financing of your working capital requirement or an investment requirement.

Bpi France offers several guarantees, so do not hesitate to consult their website and contact them!

6. The Intervention Fund for Services, Handicrafts and Trade (FISAC)

The FISAC intervenes in the creation, the takeover or the modernization and maintenance operations of a company.

The maximum subsidy granted by FISAC is equal to 30% of subsidizable operating expenses (regular expenses such as personnel costs) and 20% of subsidizable investment expenses (expenses related to the purchase of movable property).

The latter rate is increased to 30% for accessibility improvements.

Depending on the category of your operation, the maximum amount of FISAC will range from € 15,000 to € 22,500.

Go to the Direccte website to find out about the steps in setting up your file.

7. Aid to the Unemployed Creating or Taking Over a Business (ACCRE)

As its name suggests, ACCRE is an aid which encourages the unemployed person to create or resume an activity.

Concretely, ACCRE will exempt you from numerous social contributions : sickness, maternity, invalidity, family allowances, old age… In addition to that, you will benefit from assistance in setting up, starting up and financial structuring of your activity.

ACCRE has a duration of one year (or three years for a micro-enterprise).

Ask your Pôle Emploi advisor for more information!

8. Assistance for the Takeover or Creation of a Business (ARCE)

ARCE is a financial aid intended for beneficiaries of the Assistance to Return to Employment (ARE) allowance who wish to create or take over a business.

As a reminder, Return to Employment Assistance can be granted to any person who can prove 122 days of membership or 610 hours of work during the 28 months preceding the end of the employment contract (for those under 50 ) or the 36 months preceding the end of the employment contract (for those aged 50 and over).

The condition to obtain the ARCE : you justify the attribution of the ACCRE, the aid mentioned above.

The ARCE is equal to 45% of the amount of the unemployment benefits which remain due to you on the first day of your activity, or, if this date is later, on the date of obtaining the ACCRE.

You can also choose to receive 100% of the Return to Employment Assistance, but on a regular basis and until its end. You will not then collect all of the funds owed to you immediately at the start of your activity: you will have to determine whether this choice is not binding in the short term.

To collect ARCE, be sure to consult your Pôle Emploi advisor!

9. The Business Project Support Contract (CAPE)

With the CAPE, the young company benefits from the support of a company or an already established association. The latter undertakes to provide it with precise and regular assistance, in the form of financial or material resources.

The young company, for its part, will have to follow a preparation program for the creation / takeover and management of a business.

The condition for benefiting from the CAPE : carrying out a project to create / take over a company as a natural person and be the sole associate manager of a EURL or SASU.

The contract will have a maximum duration of one year and can be renewed twice.

Contact the Business Formalities Center that concerns you!

10. Regional aid

The majority of French regions grant aid for the creation and takeover of businesses.

However, each region has its specific aids, so there are many.

To find out about them, we invite you to read this article from L'Express - l'Entreprise .

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