BEELYS

Young innovators and entrepreneurs, the world is your oyster!

BEELYS (Boosting Entrepreneurial Spirit in Lyon and Saint-Étienne) is the Université de Lyon’s PEPITE (Student Center for Innovation, Transfer and Entrepreneurship) for young entrepreneurs.BEELYS aims to help students acquire an entrepreneurial spirit and learn the skills they will need, support their efforts to build a company and prepare them for acceleration, etc. To this end, BEELYS calls on some of the region’s leading professionals to support students in their entrepreneurial project.

BEELYS, which was created in 2014 and is run in conjunction with the Fondation pour l’Université de Lyon, provides a link between the university and players in Lyon and Saint-Etienne’s entrepreneurial ecosystem, contributing to the momentum of exchanges between the academic and socio-economic worlds.

BEELYS benefits over 25,000 students and young graduates from 33 institutions every year and enables them to develop entrepreneurial skills and strengthen their startup projects.

BEELYS is supported by the IDEXLYON, the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region, the Métropole de Lyon and the Saint-Étienne Métropole.

Find out more (FR)

A COMPLETE PROGRAM: FROM TEACHING STUDENTS ABOUT ENTREPRENEURSHIP TO ACCELERATING NEW COMPANIES

BEELYS has established a number of programs that support students from their initial idea through to the creation of their company and its acceleration:

The Campus Creation competition is a company creation simulation which encourages creativity and teamwork. It gives students from the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes region an opportunity share an original and unique experience, working as part of a team, and to defend their innovative projects in front of a panel of experts. Participants are divided into in multidisciplinary, inter-institutional teams, with the aim of exploring all aspects of a company, from its creation to how it operates.

Why take part?

• Be part of a hands-on, professional experience;
• Showcase your talent and creativity (prizes, pass, stand, prestigious finale);
• Benefit from subsidies or even ECTS credits for your academic program, according to your institution’s policy;
• Expand your professional network during your studies;
• Develop experience that is recognized by both academic departments and employers;
• And also… A €13,000 prize.

To be able to participate, you must:

• Be a student in the Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes Region;
• Have established or be willing to join a team of up to 8 people;
• Have an idea you want to develop, or be creative enough to come up with one;
• Comply with the year’s theme.

Find out more on Campus Creation (FR)

BEELYS enables young entrepreneurs to apply for the nationally recognized status of Student-Entrepreneur. Advanced projects and recent graduates can register for the incubation program, which includes the “student-entrepreneur” training program (D2E).

Two student-entrepreneur pathways:

• The national status of student-entrepreneur

This status entitles students to replace their internship with in-depth work on their project and for this work to be recognized by their institution. It provides an array of resources: funding, prototyping, accommodation, international mobility, and much more.

• Incubator and D2E (Student Entrepreneur Diploma)

When joining the incubator program, students and recent graduates with a start-up project receive support and training to help them build and develop their entrepreneurial project.The program is offered through the incubator and the D2E (Student Entrepreneur Diploma).It is open to all entrepreneurs and all business areas.

Find out more about the D2E Incubator (FR)

Accelerated Young Companies (JEA) is a selective program that helps young entrepreneurs focus on their project’s acceleration into the market and on increased exposure through the Young Accelerated Companies contest.

Why take part:

• Gain exposure;
• Easier access to the market;
• Meet with investors;
• A unique opportunity to expand your network;
• Well-established, professional support;
• €29,000 prize money and an equivalent amount in support.

Who can take part?

The JEA program is open to:

• Applicants under 30 years old;
• Companies in the process of being set up (with plans to launch within six months) or that were created in the past two years;
• Entrepreneurs must be able to provide a business plan and demonstrate the growth potential of their start-up;
• The project can be in any business sector and must be high-impact.

Find out more on JEA (FR)