On January 16, the Hôtel Le Saint Paul in Nice hosted a structuring seminar for the Growth Accelerators for Small Businesses and Individual Creation in the Alpes Maritimes region. This day marked a dual highlight: the completion of the 2025 cohorts for both programs and the official launch of the 2026 cohort of the Individual Creation Accelerator.
The Accelerators are part of the national Entrepreneurship Neighborhoods 2030 program, initiated by Bpifrance, the central financier of the initiative alongside the Banque des Territoires, the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, and Cannes Pays de Lérins. In the PACA region, the operational management and support for entrepreneurs are provided by BGE Côte d’Azur, in collaboration with local authorities and economic stakeholders.
The morning was dedicated to reviewing the 2025 cohorts, with two roundtables bringing together entrepreneurs supported in Individual Creation and Small Business Growth. The discussions reflected on their starting position at the beginning of 2025, the stages they progressed through over the year, and the outcomes achieved, both economically and in terms of structuring their entrepreneurial approach.
Participants notably discussed the importance of personal commitment and consistency in these intensive programs, designed to meet the demands of entrepreneurial development and the objectives set within the program led by Bpifrance.
Institutional stakeholders mobilized alongside entrepreneurs
The seminar also brought together several institutional and regional representatives, highlighting the local grounding of the program. Among the attendees were Magali Altounian, deputy mayor and representative of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis, as well as representatives from the Pays de Grasse Agglomeration Community, Cannes Pays de Lérins, and the territories of the Nice Côte d’Azur Metropolis.
A roundtable dedicated to local governments highlighted the strategies implemented to support the creation and development of businesses in various territories, particularly in priority neighborhoods.
Beyond the review, the day marked the concrete start of the 2026 cohort of the Individual Creation Accelerator. The afternoon was dedicated to integrating new participants with administrative sessions, entrepreneur interviews, and group workshops.
Speed meeting exercises were offered to foster initial exchanges between entrepreneurs, facilitate the presentation of their activities, and lay the foundation for networking. A closing workshop then invited each participant to publicly state the goals they wish to achieve during the upcoming year of support.
A key moment for entrepreneurship in the PACA region
By combining the conclusion of the 2025 programs and the launch of the 2026 cohort, this seminar organized in Nice stood out as a pivotal moment for the Accelerators in the PACA region. It illustrates the continuity of the Entrepreneurship Neighborhoods 2030 program and the commitment of public, financial, and associative stakeholders to sustainably support local entrepreneurship.
The entrepreneurs involved in these programs will now continue or begin their support within the BGE Côte d’Azur Entrepreneurship School, with the goal of transforming their projects into economically viable activities that are sustainably anchored in their territory.
