**Missions
Promoting and financing innovation in French industry particularly for SMEs. Facilitating the emergence of new products and processes in all fields of activity. OSEO Anvar depends on Ministries of Economy and Ministry of Research.
Key Figures
- Annual budget :301 Million of euros (2002)
- Staff: 500 persons (at headquarters and in regional offices).
- From 1981 to 2001, 4,09 billion euros have enabled OSEO Anvar to share the risk of innovation with more than 36000 companies and laboratories, supporting more than 76000 technological innovation projects.
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A profession : innovation engineering
The role of the Agency is to meet the needs and requirements of French SMEs, through its 24 regional offices , by offering a multi-faceted professional approach :
- Providing information, access to consultancy services and expertise;
- Establishing contacts with technical partners (laboratories, technology transfer agencies);
- Assisting in partner search to set up industrial and commercial partnership, and in looking for capital funds for start-up or growing companies.
OSEO Anvar organizes European technology exchanges and investment fora, via its 24 regional offices information on European R&D and EU programs.
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Financial Support
OSEO Anvar gives a financial support under the form of an interest-free loan, repayable if the project is successful, covering up to 50 % of the expenditure relating to the innovation program or technology transfer.
This support can also be a grant (up to 38 000 euros) to finance, some specific phases of a project:
- Preparing or completing innovation programs (market survey, design, patents) ;
- Facilitating the setting up of innovative companies ;
- Raising the technology level of SMEs (hiring researchers, scientific and technical information, etc..) ;
- Encouraging SMEs to become more involved in European technological cooperation projects within Eureka (seeking for partners and drawing up formal cooperation agreements), or within the Sixth Framework Programme.
Decisions to finance are taken by the regional officers, and are based on both technical economic and financial experts’ reports.
