In the United States and China, economic and technological patriotism is not an option—it’s second nature. To instil the same mindset in France, the French Tech Mission is launching Je choisis la French Tech AcadĂ©mie, a free online training programme designed to help startups navigate public procurement.

This initiative has been developed in partnership with OpenClassrooms, a leading e-learning platform. Additionally, around forty public procurement experts from various government bodies—including the State Procurement Directorate, the Legal Affairs Directorate, and the Business Mediator—have contributed their expertise.

Four Hours to Master Public Procurement

The goal is to provide a fast-track, four-hour training course for French startups, equipping them with the essential knowledge needed to secure public contracts. "Without this understanding, responding to public tenders is extremely difficult," said Julie Huguet in an interview with Maddyness a few weeks ago.

The course focuses on helping startups better understand government bodies and their needs, enabling them to adopt the most effective strategies. It also covers contract management to ensure long-term relationships with public sector partners. In its first year, the French Tech Mission aims to train 1,000 startups, with the hope that this will quickly lead to new contracts with government agencies.

Startups account for just 2.4% of State Purchases

Currently, startups represent only a marginal share of public procurement. Despite significant growth in France’s tech ecosystem over the past decade, startups account for just 2.4% of government purchases. Clearly, urgent action is needed to change this trend. "We are starting to see a ‘French Tech buying reflex,’ which is great progress! But we need to go even further," says Julie Huguet, director of the French Tech Mission.

The Je choisis la French Tech initiative was launched in June 2023 to double the volume of public procurement and corporate purchases from startups by 2027. Some startups have already secured significant deals—for example, Alan with Matignon and the National Assembly, Mistral AI with France Travail, and Swile with the Rennes metropolitan area—but this momentum must accelerate.

"Public procurement is a key element of our technological and economic sovereignty. It is also a major growth driver for all companies, particularly startups, and a catalyst for innovation and efficiency in the public sector—as demonstrated by the recent partnership between France Travail and Mistral AI," says Clara Chappaz, Minister Delegate for Artificial Intelligence and Digital Affairs.

The question now is whether her message, as the former director of the French Tech Mission, will resonate with startups across France in the coming months.