Successfully relocate your business within France

The recent Covid-19 health crisis and the ongoing increase in transport costs are leading to a growing number of companies seeking to relocate. Moving an industry within France involves meticulous preparation and bespoke support. Explore the benefits of relocating within France, the range of formalities to be completed and the support to which you may be entitled.

Why relocate a business?

Relocation is the opposite of offshoring. It involves a company bringing part of its strategic roles, particularly its production chain, back to its country of origin. There are numerous benefits linked to this process including:

• Reduced transport costs between the production site and points of sale
• Less customs duties to pay for the import and export of goods
• A better synergy from initial design to production, since the two roles were previously spread over several sites 
• A significant reduction in delivery times and uncertainties
• Greater control over the intellectual property of your products and services
• Improved carbon footprint
• An enhanced brand image among clients thanks to the “Made In France” factor.

On the other hand, relocation can also result in higher production costs.  It may also make it difficult to recruit staff locally should certain skills disappear from a given territory. Be sure in advance that the know-how you need is available in the target territory.  

Once you’ve taken the decision to relocate your business, you should study the geographic areas that would be ideal for growing your company.  

What steps must be taken to relocate a business?

Relocating a business within France is not something that can be done on the fly. The main challenge is choosing the right region in France for the company, taking into account:

• The availability and level of training of the local workforce
• The proximity of other companies in the same sector of activity
• The presence of potential suppliers or subcontractors
• The quality of training and research infrastructures, or even a competitive cluster
• The availability of certain local grants for setting-up or relocation.

Are you unsure about your future geographical location? Download our comprehensive guide to choosing the right place to set up your company in France.

The importance of good support

A well-established local economic promotion and development agency can make all the difference when it comes to successfully relocating a company within France. As a project leader, you can benefit from:

• Help to search for premises or available land
• A special relationship with the public authorities and local communities
• Help to secure subsidies to set up your business
• Recruitment and training support
• Help to find public procurement contracts.

What financial support is available for business relocation in 2022?

Aside from general financial support for setting up a company in a territory, subsidies were created specifically to encourage certain activities to be relocated within France.

• The so-called “Industrial Relocation Engineering” subsidy is provided by the Banque des Territoires. It can co-finance up to 50% of the amount (including tax and VAT) of a relocation study conducted by a company.
• The “France Relance” economic recovery plan has released 35 billion euros for the industry. It includes a call for projects for the relocation of certain critical activity sectors: health, agri-food, electronics and telecommunications. 

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Dunkerque Promotion provides support to make your relocation project a success. We are specialists in the Maritime Flanders and Hauts-de-France regions.

We can help you to find the ideal premises and get subsidies to suit your circumstances. Our knowledge of local policies will make your processes much simpler. Feel free to contact us to talk about your needs.