Applications have opened for the French Tech Ticket programme, offering startups from around the world money, French residency and incubation as part of a government initiative aimed at encouraging tech startups to base themselves in France.
Disrupt Africa reported in June the French government announced the Tech Ticket programme, aimed at persuading international entrepreneurs in the startup or scale-up phases to take their businesses to Paris.
Successful applicants will receive EUR12,500 (US$13,880) per founding team member, fast-tracked French residency, mentorship and incubation including workspace, and help in integrating into French life.
Applications opened today and can be made online; however only the first 500 applications will be taken into account.
The programme is open to startup founders from anywhere in the world, and is aimed at encouraging more tech startups to set up and run their businesses in France.
Teams can have a maximum of three founders, one of which may be French.
According to Axelle Lemaire, Minister of State in the French Government, the programme intends to “bolster France’s appeal in the face of global competition and consolidate its position as one of the leading innovative nations”.
The Minister claimed Paris is the ideal place to trial the initiative, given that it is “the European startup capital”.
