The Chèque France Num: 500 euros to help your company with its digitisation expenses

You are one of the retailers, craftsmen or hotels established in France that have been banned from receiving the public during the November 2020 lockdown and you have made (or are going to make) investments for the digitalisation of your activities?

Then you may be pleased to learn that, as part of the plan to support the digitisation of businesses established on its territory, the French Government is offering financial aid of €500 to be applied to expenditure on digital solutions or digital transformation support services.

This aid is the “Chèque France Num“. Discover its complete presentation in this article:

 

• What’s the Chèque France Num?
• Is my company eligible for the Chèque France Num?
  • Eligibility criteria related to your company
  • The availability criterion
  • What’s my company’s counterpart?
• Are my company’s expenses eligible for the Chèque France Num?
• How long can my company benefit from the Chèque France Num?
• What do I need to do to make my company eligible for the Chèque France Num?

What’s the Chèque France Num?

The Chèque France Num is a lump sum voucher worth €500. It can be used to cover all or part of the expenses incurred before the end of June 2021 for the digitisation of your company.

The Chèque France Num is part of the French government’s plan to support the digitisation of retailers, craftsmen, hotel and restaurant professionals and liberal professionals.

 

Is my company eligible for the Chèque France Num?

Eligibility criteria related to your company

Since 10 May, the eligibility rules have been extended so that as many companies as possible that need help to go digital can benefit.

Businesses and self-employed people who carry out an economic activity and who can benefit from the Chèque France Num must now meet only two specific cumulative criteria:

• Have fewer than 11 employees
• Have an annual turnover of less than €2 million excluding tax

Please note, however, that companies that are natural persons or those whose majority manager has a full-time employment contract are not eligible for the Chèque France Num.

Note: only one application per SIREN will be accepted for eligible companies, the application for aid is made in one go.
 

The availability criterion

To put it simply, let’s say that there may not be enough Chèque France Num for everyone.

Indeed, this aid from the French state is offered within the limits of available credits.

According to estimates, around 110,000 companies established in France will be able to benefit from it. There are already more than 30,000 companies that have applied for the Chèque France Num.
 

What’s my company’s counterpart?

In return for the Chèque France Num, only one thing is required of you by the French Government:

• Your company must undertake to communicate on the State’s financial contribution, under France Relance, via the mention “This project was financed by the Government under the recovery plan” accompanied by the France Relance logo
• This mention and the logo will have to appear on all communication documents relating to the funded project (website, publication on social networks…) and during events that promote it.

 

Are my company’s expenses eligible for the Chèque France Num?

To be eligible for the Chèque France Num, your expenses must be of one of the two types below:
 

1. Expenses related to the purchase or subscription to digital solutions (with or without an accompanying part) from a company established in France or in a Member State of the European Union. This expenditure must fall under one of the following themes:
   • Sales, promotion – E-commerce or promotional site
   • Sale, promotion – Content
   • Sale, promotion – Online payment
   • Sale, promotion – Marketplace
   • Sale, promotion – Internet visibility
   • Management – Booking solution, appointment scheduling
   • Management – Stock management, orders, deliveries
   • Management – Cash register software
   • Management – Hosting, data storage, domain name management, cyber security tools
   • Customer relations – Customer management
   • Customer relations – Bulk email management tool, newsletters

2. Expenditure on support for digitisation, including a diagnostic or consultancy service to kick-start the digital transformation of your business.
   • Small subtlety: This support service must be carried out by a service provider referenced on France Num and additional lists of private consultants transmitted by France Num partners

Retis is of course part of the list of service providers referenced in the Chèque France Num system. You can therefore ask us for support, advice or a diagnosis to initiate your digital transformation!

You can consult this list at this address: https://cheque.francenum.gouv.fr/ecom/

How long can my company benefit from the Chèque France Num?

Good news! The Cheque France Num system has recently been extended.

You have until 30 June 2021 to make digitisation expenses of at least €450 (with supporting invoice) to then apply for the Chèque France Num.
 

What do I need to do to make my company eligible for the Chèque France Num?

In practice, to benefit from the aid, your company must:

1. Be eligible for the Chèque France Num system (see the point dedicated to eligibility)
2. Have incurred, with supporting invoice(s), digitisation expenses of at least €450 between 30 October 2020 and 30 June
3. Comply with the deadlines for applying for support:
   • For invoices dated before 28 January 2021, your business must apply within 4 months of 28 January 2021
   • For invoices dated between 28 January and 30 June, your business must apply within 4 months of the most recent invoice date

Reminder: Only one application per SIREN will be accepted for eligible companies, the application for the aid is made in one go.

To apply for the Chèque France Num, you must go to the official website of the aid and provide the information and documents requested: https://cheque.francenum.gouv.fr/ecom/pre-requis

Official information regarding the Chèque France Num :

• https://cheque.francenum.gouv.fr/ecom/
• https://www.francenum.gouv.fr/comprendre-le-numerique/cheque-france-num-aide-de-500-euros-pour-soutenir-les-tpe-ayant-engage-des
• https://www.legifrance.gouv.fr/jorf/id/JORFTEXT000043317398