Which public grants fund an AI project in a French SME?
As of October 2026, two grants target AI in SMEs directly. Diag Data IA, run by Bpifrance under the national "Osez l'IA" (Dare AI) plan and funded by the France 2030 investment program, covers 40% of an 8-day diagnostic led by an approved expert. It is open to SMEs and mid-caps with 10 to 2,000 employees anywhere in France. Pack IA, funded by the Île-de-France region and run by Hub France IA and IMT Teralab, covers 50% of a 3-month project for SMEs and mid-caps based in the region.
Alongside them, the European Digital Innovation Hubs (EDIH, 30 in France) offer AI support funded at 50%, and up to 80% in some areas, according to France Num, the government's digital portal for small businesses. Chambers of commerce and regional "AI Ambassadors" run awareness sessions. None of these grants pays for a software subscription: they pay for expert time.
Bpifrance's Diag Data IA: who is it for, and what does it cover?
Diag Data IA pays part of a diagnostic: 8 days of work by a data and AI expert approved by Bpifrance, spread over 3 months at most. At the end, you get an assessment of your data and tools, a list of use cases ranked by value for your business, and a roadmap.
The conditions, as Bpifrance publishes them on the offer page:
- an independent SME or mid-cap with 10 to 2,000 full-time equivalent employees, whether or not it is already a Bpifrance client;
- a minimum annual revenue set by Bpifrance;
- more than one year in business;
- any sector eligible under Bpifrance's rules, anywhere in France, overseas territories included;
- not a company in difficulty as defined by EU rules.
The grant covers 40% of the engagement; Bpifrance publishes the quote ceiling and the remaining cost on its page. France Num states that 2,000 diagnostics are co-funded for 2026 and 2027. You apply on Bpifrance's platform or through a Bpifrance account manager.
The Paris region's Pack IA: what does it fund?
Pack IA goes further than a diagnostic: it funds a first AI project, from identifying the need to putting it into production. The program describes a 3-month project with 37 days of work, delivered by a data science firm or by one of about fifty startups selected by its organizers. The Île-de-France region covers 50% of the cost, and the program's website states a maximum cost for the business.
The criteria published by the program:
- an SME or mid-cap whose head office or project site is in the Île-de-France region;
- sound finances, confirmed by a sworn statement;
- digitization already under way: the business collects and stores data;
- management and staff involved in the project;
- if a parent company owns more than 50% of the business, the parent must meet these criteria.
You apply by sending the program a message (company registration number, your role, head office, size, planned project), followed by a qualification interview if the application is eligible.
Diag Data IA or Pack IA: which one should you choose?
They answer different questions. Diag Data IA tells you where AI is worth it in your business; Pack IA builds a first use case you already have in mind. A company that does not yet know which task to start with will get more from a diagnostic; a company that has found its use case and has clean data can aim for the project.
| Criterion | Diag Data IA (Bpifrance) | Pack IA (Paris region) |
|---|---|---|
| What is funded | A diagnostic and a roadmap | A first project, up to production |
| Length | 8 expert days over 3 months at most | 37 days of work over 3 months |
| Share covered | 40% | 50% |
| Size | 10 to 2,000 employees | SMEs and mid-caps (France Num: from 5 employees) |
| Area | All of France, overseas included | Head office or project site in the Paris region |
| Prerequisites | One year in business, minimum revenue | Data already collected, team on board |
| Who delivers | An expert approved by Bpifrance | A provider selected by the program |
What we found when comparing eight public pages
On October 23, 2026, we read eight pages describing these two grants: Bpifrance's, France Num's (three pages), the Pack IA program's (two pages), Hub France IA's and a call-for-projects aggregator's. Two of the eight do not match the funder's page:
- France Num's guide to AI grants, updated June 19, 2026, still describes a 3 to 10-day diagnostic with 80% of the cost covered, while Bpifrance's page and France Num's own fact sheet of June 25, 2026 state 8 days and 40%;
- the aggregator shows Pack IA as closed since June 30, 2025, while the program's website still accepts applications.
Grant conditions change in waves, and the pages that relay them lag behind. The practical rule fits in one sentence: read the rate, the length and whether the call is open on the funder's own page, on the day you apply.
Your business has fewer than 10 employees: what now?
Diag Data IA is closed to companies with fewer than 10 employees, and Pack IA requires data already collected and a team available for a 3-month project. Many small businesses tick neither box. They are also the audience of our own online AI audit for businesses with 5 to 50 employees: a first remote look, based on your website and the task that weighs on you most, which also tells you when there is nothing worth automating.
For a small team, the right question comes before funding: which task, repeated every week, is worth handing to an agent? A quote to follow up, inbound requests to sort, invoices to match. Our scoping process always starts there, and it sometimes concludes that a simple automation is enough. The article what AI changes in a 20-person business gives concrete examples.
Before you apply: four things to settle
- The target task. Write down in two sentences what costs you time today and who does it. Any expert, funded or not, moves faster with that starting point.
- Your data. Where are your quotes, emails and customer files? Pack IA assumes they exist and are accessible.
- The person who will follow the project. Both programs take time from management and staff; decide who owns it.
- Whether the call is open. Check on the day, on Bpifrance's or the program's page, not on a page that relays it.
Once the use case is clear, it still has to be built with one clear rule: the agent prepares, a person approves anything that goes out in your name. That is what we describe on our AI agents for small businesses page.
FAQ
Is Diag Data IA open to very small businesses?
No. Bpifrance reserves it for SMEs and mid-caps with 10 to 2,000 employees, at least one year in business and a minimum revenue. A company with fewer than 10 employees should look at the European Digital Innovation Hubs or its chamber of commerce.
Can you combine Diag Data IA and Pack IA?
The pages we read do not say. The two fund different steps, a diagnostic then a project, but only the funders can confirm it for your file: ask Bpifrance and the Pack IA program before you sign.
Is Pack IA still open in 2026?
The program's website accepts applications in October 2026, and France Num's fact sheet was updated on February 2, 2026. An aggregator still lists it as closed in 2025: check the program's website on the day you apply.
Do you have to use an approved expert?
Yes, to receive the grant. Diag Data IA is delivered by an expert approved by Bpifrance, Pack IA by a provider selected by its organizers. A provider outside these lists does not trigger the grant.
Sources, read on October 23, 2026 (all in French): Bpifrance, Diag Data IA; France Num, Diag Data IA (June 25, 2026); France Num, AI grants for small businesses (June 19, 2026); France Num, Pack IA (February 2, 2026); Pack IA, program website; Pack IA, apply; Hub France IA, Pack IA; Nextmove, Pack IA listing.