I-Démo (Innovation Demonstration) is the flagship competition in France 2030’s open funding architecture. It is where France’s most advanced industrial technologies — those that have exited the research phase but have not yet achieved commercial scale — receive the large-scale public funding necessary to cross the Valley of Death. Since 2021, I-Démo has committed over €3 billion across seven competitive waves, making it the single largest open competition mechanism in the France 2030 system.
What I-Démo Is Designed to Fund
I-Démo targets projects at Technology Readiness Levels 5 through 7 — technologies that have been validated in the laboratory (TRL 4) but have not yet been demonstrated in an operational environment or at industrial pilot scale. This is the most capital-intensive stage of the innovation journey: the research is complete but the production systems do not yet exist. Private capital is often insufficient because the commercial risk is still high and the investment required is large.
The program’s name is precise: its purpose is demonstration. An I-Démo award does not fund further laboratory research. It funds the construction of pilot lines, demonstrator plants, and semi-industrial facilities that prove a technology can function at meaningful scale. A successful I-Démo project ends with a system operating at 10-30% of commercial scale, de-risked enough to attract the private investment needed for full industrialization.
Eligible expenses cover capital equipment, construction and installation of demonstrator facilities, engineering and technical integration costs, personnel working directly on the demonstration project, and external testing and validation. Pure R&D salaries not tied to the demonstrator are generally ineligible.
Program Scale and Funding Ranges
I-Démo operates with minimum project eligibility set at €5 million total project cost. In practice, the average successful I-Démo project costs €30 to €80 million in total — making it appropriate for mid-size industrial companies and consortia, not early-stage startups.
Grant and repayable advance ranges:
- Minimum grant: €3 million (for projects at the lower end of eligibility)
- Average grant: €8 to €15 million
- Maximum grant: Approximately €40 to €50 million for flagship projects
The grant component covers 25 to 45 percent of eligible project costs for industrial companies and up to 60 percent for SMEs. Repayable advances may cover an additional 15 to 25 percent, with repayment triggered if the demonstrated technology reaches commercial revenue within 10 years.
The remaining 30 to 50 percent of project costs must come from the applicant and co-investors — an equity contribution requirement that screens out projects without genuine private sector commitment.
Seven Waves: A Track Record of Sectoral Breadth
Since October 2021, I-Démo has run seven competitive waves. Each wave covers all France 2030 sectors simultaneously, though specific thematic calls may be bundled with particular waves.
Wave 1 (2022): The inaugural wave attracted over 600 applications and selected approximately 85 projects. Notable winners included Verkor’s initial battery chemistry demonstrator, Lhyfe’s offshore renewable hydrogen pilot platform (Sealhyfe), and several sustainable aviation fuel production facility demonstrators.
Wave 2 (2022-2023): Quantum and AI projects appeared in significant numbers for the first time. Pasqal received I-Démo support for its 100-qubit neutral-atom processor demonstrator. Several advanced materials and circular economy projects were selected.
Wave 3 (2023): Alice & Bob received I-Démo backing for its cat-qubit error-correction demonstrator. Genvia, the CEA-Schlumberger joint venture developing high-temperature solid-oxide electrolysis cells, secured funding for its industrial pilot in Béziers. Multiple industrial decarbonization demonstrators across steel, cement, and chemicals received awards.
Wave 4 (2023): Heavy focus on SMR (Small Modular Reactor) supply chain demonstrators, bioproduction scale-up, and semiconductor process technology demonstrators aligned with the Nano 2030 roadmap.
Wave 5 (2024): Deep sea technology and marine renewable energy demonstrators appeared at scale for the first time. Agricultural technology — precision fermentation, controlled-environment agriculture — received larger allocations than previous waves.
Wave 6 (2024): Hydrogen distribution infrastructure demonstrators (pipeline conversion, liquid H2 logistics) received significant support, reflecting the maturation of upstream production investments and the need to develop the distribution ecosystem.
Wave 7 (2025): The most recent wave emphasized next-generation battery chemistries (sodium-ion, solid-state) and second-generation SAF processes, reflecting France 2030’s focus on staying at the technology frontier as first-generation solutions begin commercial deployment.
Eligibility Requirements in Detail
Legal Form: Applicants must be French-registered legal entities. Subsidiaries of foreign multinationals are eligible if the French subsidiary is the project lead and the intellectual property and manufacturing are committed to France.
Consortium Requirement: Projects above €15 million typically require a consortium of at least two entities. Many I-Démo calls specify that at least one consortium partner must be a recognized research organization (CEA, CNRS, INRIA, university, or specialized institute). This requirement reflects the program’s goal of bridging public research excellence and industrial application.
Geographic Commitment: Funded projects must result in technology demonstration on French soil. There is no mechanism to use I-Démo funding for operations or manufacturing outside France.
Co-financing: Applicants must demonstrate that private co-financing (equity, bank debt, or investor commitments) is secured for the non-subsidized portion of project costs before funding contract signature.
Excluded Sectors: Commercial real estate, financial services, distribution, and retail activities are ineligible. Defense-specific applications with no civilian application are handled through separate DGA channels.
The Application Process Step by Step
Step 1 — Pre-Diagnosis: Bpifrance offers free pre-diagnosis consultations (approximately 2 hours with a sector advisor) for companies considering I-Démo applications. This step is not mandatory but strongly recommended — it reveals whether the project genuinely fits I-Démo criteria or would be better suited for I-Nov, First Factory, or a sectoral call.
Step 2 — Expression of Interest (EoI): For most I-Démo waves, applicants first submit a 15-page Expression of Interest on the SGPI’s online portal. EoIs are reviewed within 6 to 8 weeks; only shortlisted projects are invited to submit full applications.
Step 3 — Full Application: Full applications run 50 to 150 pages and cover: technical description and TRL validation, project management plan, financial model with sensitivity analysis, consortium agreements, environmental impact assessment, state aid notification template, and IP ownership confirmation.
Step 4 — Expert Evaluation: Applications are reviewed by a panel of 4 to 6 independent experts (technical specialists, market analysts, IP evaluators). Panels may request presentations and clarifications. Duration: 8 to 14 weeks.
Step 5 — Investment Committee: Projects above €10 million pass through a Bpifrance Investment Committee for final approval. Strategic projects (above €25 million) require SGPI sign-off.
Step 6 — Funding Contract: Signature of the convention de financement, specifying payment milestones, reporting obligations, auditing rights, and intellectual property conditions. From EoI submission to contract signature: 12 to 18 months for successful projects.
Competitive Landscape: Success Rates and Key Considerations
I-Démo’s success rates are genuine competitive filtering, not pro forma screening. The acceptance rate across all waves has held at 15 to 20 percent of admissible full applications — meaning 4 in 5 technically admissible projects are rejected on substantive grounds.
The most common rejection causes:
- Insufficient co-financing: Private investors not yet committed, creating doubt about project viability
- TRL mismatch: Project is either too early (needs more R&D, should apply to ANR or PEPR) or too advanced (commercial risk is manageable, public subsidy unnecessary)
- Weak industrial scale-up plan: Technology demonstrates well but applicant lacks credible plan for subsequent manufacturing at commercial scale
- Team gaps: Strong technical team but no commercial development or supply chain management capability
I-Démo in the Broader France 2030 Architecture
I-Démo occupies a specific position in France 2030’s investment ladder. Companies typically encounter France 2030 support at multiple stages:
- Early research → ANR grants or PEPR programs (€200K–€2M)
- Proof of concept → Concours d’Innovation or I-Nov (€200K–€4M)
- Demonstration → I-Démo (€5M–€40M) ← this program
- First industrialization → First Factory / Première Usine (€1M–€10M)
- Large-scale production → Aide aux Projets Structurants or IPCEI (€50M–€1B+)
I-Démo is the critical fulcrum of this ladder — the point where a successful research program becomes an investable industrial project. Companies that win I-Démo awards almost invariably attract significantly larger private investment rounds within 12 to 24 months, because the demonstrator provides the proof point that unlocks institutional capital.
The program’s seven-year track record has produced a compounding return: each wave’s winners become the next wave’s consortium leaders, creating a dense network of France 2030-backed industrial innovators anchored in the French deeptech ecosystem.