Starting or taking over a business: available guarantees

A bank guarantee "serves to cover part of the lender's ultimate loss," according to the Ministry of the Economy. It protects the bank, not the borrower. Bpifrance Création states that the Création Guarantee covers up to 60% of the amount loaned by the bank and is aimed at companies less than 3 years old.

This page does not provide interest rates: financing is arranged through our banking partners. It does not publish the amount of the Transfer Guarantee; this should be verified with Bpifrance before making a decision. It does not address the tax deduction for the manager's personal guarantee.

Devices at a glance

The Ministry of the Economy's webpage is dated October 16, 2023, and shows no updates. The Business Creation Guarantee is still listed on a Bpifrance Création webpage from September 2026, and the Business Transfer Guarantee on a page from March 2025. The names of the France Active guarantees are from the 2023 webpage.

The Creation Guarantee

According to the Ministry of the Economy, this program targets new business creation, initial establishment through the acquisition of existing businesses, and the creation of companies by existing businesses or entrepreneurs for new activities or products. The condition is that "new entrepreneurs must not already control existing businesses." Bpifrance Création specifies in its September 2026 version that it is aimed at companies less than three years old.

Transmission Guarantee

The Bpifrance Création SME Transfer Plan (March 2025) states that Bpifrance guarantees financing for business takeover projects involving companies over three years old, with loan terms ranging from two to seven years. The document adds that this solution improves access to credit "while limiting risks related to personal guarantees." A June 2021 document lists eligible transactions as the purchase of company shares, the purchase of business assets, and bank guarantees for seller financing.

The amount of the Transmission guarantee should be verified with Bpifrance before making a decision. This page does not publish any information.

France Active, regional funds, mutual guarantee societies

France Active. The Ministry of the Economy cites four categories: EMPLOYMENT (entrepreneurs or business buyers who are unemployed or in precarious situations), IMPACT (businesses with a social, territorial, or environmental impact, social and solidarity economy), EQUALITY (Women, Access, Territories), and SOLIDARITY (inclusion, disability). An undated page from Bpifrance Création states that France Active can cover up to 80% of the loan amount, under certain conditions, making it possible to obtain a bank loan without personal guarantee.

Regional or departmental funds. They are created at the initiative of local authorities to guarantee bank loans. Their conditions vary depending on the location. The legal framework cited is that of loan guarantees for local authorities (articles L2252-1 to L2252-5 of the General Code of Local Authorities).

Mutual guarantee societies. These are cooperative societies that guarantee the borrower or counter-guarantee the bank. A 2021 page mentions Siagi, for crafts and local businesses, and Socama, for loans from the Banques Populaires.

IFCIC. The Ministry of Economy cites the guarantees of the IFCIC for jobs in the cultural and creative sector: video games, music, young fashion designers, cinemas.

What the warranty does not do

According to a Bpifrance Création website from June 2021, the guarantee only covers the bank's risk, not the borrower's. It generally limits the personal guarantees required, but this isn't automatic and should be verified in the contract. It comes at a cost: the lender charges a commission on the guaranteed amount, the rate of which varies depending on the lender, the loan amount, and the loan term (Bpifrance Création, September 2026). The eligibility of an application must be verified with each lender.

If you are asked for a personal deposit

Acting as a guarantor means promising to pay another person's debt if they fail to fulfill their obligation. The rules to know:

• Mention and ceiling. The individual guarantor adds by hand the mention of their commitment, and the document indicates the limit in principal and accessories, in words and figures.
• Proportion. According to Bpifrance Création, a "manifestly disproportionate" commitment is not cancelled but reduced to the amount corresponding to the guarantor's financial capacity at the time of signing. Service-Public uses the term "disproportionate commitment".
• Information. According to Service-Public, the professional creditor must inform the individual guarantor before March 31st of each year of the amount remaining due as of the preceding December 31st. They must also inform them as soon as the first payment default occurs and is not rectified.
• Solidarity. A joint and several guarantee cannot benefit from the right of discussion or the right of division. According to Service-Public, commercial guarantees are automatically joint and several.
• Spouse. Under a community property regime, community property cannot be used without the express consent of the spouse.
• Guarantee on first demand. Bpifrance Création suggests checking that it is indeed a surety bond and not a first demand guarantee.

According to Service-Public, the heirs of a guarantor are obligated to pay debts incurred before the death, but not those incurred afterward. Among the alternatives to a personal guarantee, Bpifrance Création cites pledges, securities liens, mortgages, guarantees from mutual guarantee organizations, current account deposits, and capital increases.

Guarantees for starting or taking over a business: a numerical example (fictitious profile)

Situation. Karim, a fictional profile, creates a company and borrows €150,000 to set it up.

Issue. The bank is asking for a guarantee. Karim wants to know what portion of the loan the Création guarantee covers, and what happens to his personal guarantee if he signs one.

Strategy. Apply two illustrative amounts, 60 % and 50 %. These are the amounts cited on the Ministry of the Economy's page of October 16, 2023, for the Creation Guarantee; Bpifrance Création (September 2026) states "up to 60 %". The amount applicable to a project should be verified with Bpifrance. No interest rate is used.

Result.

Another scenario: if Karim were to sign a guarantee for €150,000 when his financial capacity at the time of signing was only €80,000, and the commitment is "clearly disproportionate," it would be reduced to €80,000 according to Bpifrance Création. This calculation is for illustrative purposes only: the percentage is applied according to the organization's terms and conditions and is confirmed with Bpifrance, and the guarantee says nothing about the borrower's risk. The profile is fictitious.

Guarantees for starting or taking over a business: what changes depending on your situation

• Creation or takeover, and the age of the company (less than 3 years, more than 3 years).
• Your personal situation : job seeker, female entrepreneur, resident of a priority neighborhood.
• Your location, for regional funds.
• The sector of activity, for the IFCIC.
• Your matrimonial property regime, if a deposit is required.

The rule depends on your situation. No results are guaranteed.