In Old Nice, L’Ouvre-Boîte Côte d’Azur now offers young entrepreneurs the opportunity to test their products for free in-store. The initiative, supported by the Apprentis d’Auteuil foundation, expands its usual operation and opens its space to project leaders outside its support program.
In Nice, entrepreneurship becomes a concrete experimentation field for young people often far from traditional circuits. L’Ouvre-Boîte Côte d’Azur, a device for integration through entrepreneurship supported by the Apprentis d’Auteuil foundation, has opened a store in Old Nice, now accessible to entrepreneurs outside the program. Access is provided without charge or commission with a simple objective: to test one’s activity under real conditions.
Until now, L’Ouvre-Boîte welcomed two classes per year: one in November and the other in April. The program targeted young people aged 18 to 30 years. These are profiles with little or no qualifications and sometimes marked by a lack of network or professional reference points.
Present in Nice, Nantes, Grenoble, Lyon, and Compiègne, L’Ouvre-Boîte is based on a structured course. The maximum incubation period is nine months. The method combines training, experimentation, and personalized support. The program begins with three months of intensive training in entrepreneurship. In Nice, this training is provided notably at the EDHEC Business School.
The course then continues with individual support for three months. This period can be renewed twice, with monitoring provided by a network of volunteer mentors and experts. These profiles come from partner companies.
“The goal is for them to come out of this experience with a viable project, new skills, and above all, the confidence needed to launch”, says Gaëlle Gonzalez, coordinator of L’Ouvre-Boîte Côte d’Azur.
An opening to entrepreneurs outside the program
In November, twelve young entrepreneurs joined the program. Simultaneously, an important development is announced. The L’Ouvre-Boîte Côte d’Azur store now opens to entrepreneurs who are not part of the support program. This possibility is offered for the first time.
Relevant project leaders can test their concept or products for free. No rent. No commission on sales. The space is made available at no cost. A network of volunteers supports several aspects: communication, prospecting, commerce, and setting up the store space. “It is the only concept store in the region that allows young people to test their products without financial constraints. A concrete way to open our doors even more to the youth and give a chance to those who want to start a business”, highlights Gaëlle Gonzalez.
This opening marks a new stage for L’Ouvre-Boîte Côte d’Azur. The program is no longer limited to the beneficiaries of the nine-month course. The space becomes a broader experimentation area. Market confrontation is done without immediate financial pressure. The full-scale test becomes accessible to more profiles.
The store is located in a neighborhood that offers a constant flow of visitors. Visibility is a central issue for projects in the launch phase. Direct selling allows measuring public interest, enabling quick adjustments.
To join the store, young entrepreneurs are invited to send their application to Gaëlle Gonzalez. The selection criteria do not rely on the level of qualifications. The project and motivation are central criteria.
L’Ouvre-Boîte Côte d’Azur is part of the Pôle Formation Insertion des Alpes-Maritimes. PFI06 is an establishment of Apprentis d’Auteuil. The actions cover the entire department. The concerned areas include training, insertion, and youth remobilization.
Apprentis d’Auteuil is a Catholic foundation recognized as being of public utility. The organization works in the fields of prevention and child protection. The deployed programs concern reception, education, training, and insertion in France and internationally. More than 40,000 young people and 9,000 families are supported each year.
