Philippe BAPTISTE, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space, Anne LE…

Philippe BAPTISTE, Minister of Higher Education, Research and Space, Anne LE HANANFF, Minister in charge of Artificial Intelligence and Digital Technology, along with Bruno BONNELL, Secretary General for Investment, in charge of France 2030, are launching the 7th edition of the i-PhD component of the State’s Innovation Contests to support young researchers in their deeptech startup projects.

Every year, around 15,000 doctoral degrees are awarded in France. The quality of doctoral training makes young doctors a pool of leading scientists, capable of solving complex scientific problems and leading entrepreneurial projects with significant potential impacts for society. In this context, the ability to support new entrepreneurial vocations within academic research, to encourage and stimulate young researchers to create their own companies based on research findings, represents an undeniable innovation potential for France and professional integration for young doctors.

Launched in 2019 by the Government and operated on behalf of the State by Bpifrance, the i-PhD innovation contest is open to all young researchers with a deeptech startup project related to their research work. The contest aims to support the most promising profiles in structuring and developing their entrepreneurial projects. Through this competition, the State aims to enable rapid valorization of scientific discoveries for the benefit of citizens and contribute to strengthening French sovereignty.

In addition to the visibility offered by the Innovation Contest, each winner will benefit from a support program to accelerate their project and develop their entrepreneurial skills, in connection with their laboratory and technology transfer structure.

The support program for winners will start in September 2026 and conclude in July 2027. It will include a training program and co-development combining individual coaching, group coaching, training on entrepreneurial topics, and group seminars.

Winners will have privileged access to the deeptech ecosystem, allowing them to acquire new entrepreneurial skills and expand their professional network. This program also enables winners to join a community of young entrepreneurs engaged in similar initiatives.

Participation in the contest is subject to the following cumulative conditions: – Being a doctoral student or young doctor – Wanting to valorize research results – Leading a technology transfer project

The application deadline is from March 23, 2026, to April 30, 2026. All information regarding i-PhD is available on the Bpifrance website: Innovation Contest i-PhD.

Since 2019, the i-PhD contest has: – Awarded 234 winners – 50% of i-PhD winners have started a startup within 3 years of the program – 44 i-PhD winners have also become i-Lab winners – Raised €250 million by 25 former i-PhD winners

(REDISCOVER THE i-PhD 2025 WINNERS) To learn more about the innovation contests and discover the winners of the 2025 innovation contests, consult the latest winners booklet.