Carnot Innovation Challenge for PME & Start-ups – Rendez-vous Carnot 2025
This year, the Rendez-vous Carnot event is launching a new opportunity for ambitious companies looking to tackle tomorrow’s major challenges.
Organized in partnership with Bpifrance, this competition is aimed at innovative PME and start-ups developing disruptive solutions in strategic sectors. Leading industry players invite them to take on a business challenge designed to accelerate connections and pave the way for mutually beneficial collaborations.
Rules of the Carnot Innovation Challenge
Award Categories
- Agriculture and Biodiversity - Groupe Roullier
Biodiversity Booster on Farms:
Solutions that promote biodiversity and ecosystem services in crop and livestock farming, leading to improved farm sustainability and financial performance through higher yields, reduced losses, and lower operating costs.
WHAT’S AT STAKE:
Support for the SME or start-up, with up to 1,600 hours of dedicated time from the Roullier Group’s technical, commercial, regulatory, financial, and legal teams — representing €150,000 in covered costs.
Access to our R&D and pilot facilities at the Global Innovation Center (CMI) over a period of 1 to 3 years, including hosting of the start-up at the CMI, subject to space availability and team size compatibility.
- Water in the City - Nexity
Imagine innovative solutions to address water-related challenges.
Flooding, wastewater and stormwater treatment, or managing the risks of clay shrink-swell (RGA): take on the challenge and help build a more resilient and sustainable future by supporting local authorities and Nexity Transformation des Territoires in delivering concrete, rapidly deployable solutions.
WHAT’S IN IT FOR YOU:
A €1,500 grant
Visibility at trade shows and in Nexity publications
An article featured on Envie de Ville
Access to a recording studio or auditorium to showcase your product
Spotlight opportunity at Nexity’s 2026 Construction Expo
Presentation of the selected solution to Nexity’s 80 subsidiaries
- Health: Reducing Animal Testing - Servier
Creative and impactful solutions to replace animal use in R&D, reduce their numbers, and improve practices:
Alternative methods to animal experimentation such as in vitro (cell culture, organoids, organ-on-chip, etc.), in silico (bioinformatics, digital models, digital twins, etc.), or in chemico (biochemical analyses for toxicity using biochemical models).
WHAT’S AT STAKE:
Six months of hosting at the Spartners by Servier and BioLabs incubator, located in the heart of the vibrant Paris-Saclay ecosystem and in close proximity to Servier’s teams. You will have access to fully equipped laboratories, a dedicated BioLabs team focused on simplifying the life of biotech researchers, and the entire innovation network of BioLabs and Servier. This opportunity guarantees to accelerate your science while enabling you to establish valuable partnerships.
- Deadline to apply: September 8, 2025
- Announcement of selected winners: September 15, 2025
- Award ceremony at Rendez-vous Carnot: October 16, 2025
Quels sont les critères pour candidater ?
Le Challenge Innovation Carnot est ouvert aux PME et start-ups innovantes développant une solution répondant au challenge proposé par l'une des entreprises partenaires.
Vous ne devez pas forcément disposer d'un stand sur Les Rendez-Vous Carnot pour tenter votre chance. Toutefois, les lauréats sélectionnés bénéficieront d’un accès privilégié à l’événement pour présenter leur innovation.
Les candidatures seront évaluées sur plusieurs critères :
- Le caractère innovant du projet
- L’impact sur le marché et les enjeux sociétaux
- Le potentiel de développement et d’industrialisation
- La solidité du modèle économique
- Les partenariats établis ou en cours avec des acteurs de la recherche et de l’industrie
Comment candidater ?
Candidatez sur votre espace et remplissez les conditions demandées (liste des conditions du parcours d'inscription).
Attention, vous n’avez que jusqu’au 08/09/2025 pour candidater !
Quand seront annoncés les lauréats ?
Les lauréats sélectionnés seront annoncés le 15 septembre 2025 et auront l’opportunité de présenter leur projet auprès des entreprises partenaires en direct lors des Rendez-vous Carnot.
Quand et où aura lieu la remise de prix ?
La cérémonie de remise des prix se tiendra le 16 octobre 2025, au Centre des Congrès de Lyon, en clôture de l’événement.
