“Our way of creating impact is through the associative actors of entrepreneurship, who develop entrepreneurial skills, unlock the desire to undertake, support entrepreneurs towards the success of their projects, and sometimes also help them when they are in difficulty so they can bounce back,” explains Thibault de Saint Simon.
Thus, the Fondation Entreprendre supports the entire associative fabric of entrepreneurship, enabling it to structure itself, innovate, and develop its capacity for action.
The impact on the sustainability of projects is colossal. Indeed, there is a survival rate of 70 to 95% at 5 years when entrepreneurs are supported by associative actors funded by the Foundation, compared to less than 60% for others.
The idea is to make entrepreneurship a lever to address three major issues: equality of opportunity, revitalization of territories, and the very usefulness it can have for society.
“Historically, entrepreneurship is about setting up an economic model with a project,” reminds Thibault de Saint Simon. “Today, we need to go beyond just the economic model, but also articulate our project in light of social and environmental issues, thus supporting the emergence of entrepreneurs who are both economically resilient and contributive to societal challenges.”
“We are convinced that entrepreneurship, when done in an engaged, sincere, and authentic manner, can have an impact by creating jobs. It can also provide local services and life. Entrepreneurship can create places, such as the arrival of a business, which fosters encounters. And it is also about innovation, with new solutions that will address needs that are not yet met or poorly addressed.”
“Therefore, I believe that Fondation Entreprendre, through its actions, contributes to evolving the representations of entrepreneurship, fostering an entrepreneurship that is fundamentally useful to society,” concludes Thibault de Saint Simon.
