Company Project Support Contract (Cape)

Verified 04 September 2026 - Public Service / (Prime Minister)

The company project support contract (Cape) allows a project owner to test the economic viability of a company creation or takeover project while benefiting from the help of an accompanying organization (company or association). The Cape is not an employment contract but it offers social protection similar to that of employees.

The Cape allows you to test a project by taking advantage of support to study its feasibility.

It is a written contract between a project leader and an accompanying organization (company or association):

  • The accompanying structure undertakes to provide ongoing assistance to prepare for the creation or resumption of a company.
  • In return, the project leader must follow a program preparation for the creation or resumption and management of an economic activity.

Please note

The Cape is not an employment contract.

The Cape has a maximum duration of 1 year but it may be renewed in writing 2 times. Its maximum duration is therefore 3 years.

To benefit from the Cape, you have to be holder of a project to create or take over a company.

You also have to be in one of the categories following:

Please note

A full-time employee cannot benefit from the Cape

The company project support contract (Cape) must specify all elements following:

  • Program to prepare for the creation or resumption and management of a company
  • Respective commitments of the two parties (project leader and accompanying structure), distinguishing those provided until the start of the activity and those applicable after the start of the activity
  • Amount and conditions of use of the resources made available by the accompanying structure and any changes during the contract
  • Conditions for the calculation or lump sum of the remuneration of the accompanying structure and their possible evolution during the contract
  • Nature, maximum amount and conditions of the beneficiary's commitments to third parties during the contract, with the party bearing the financial burden
  • Conditions and periodicity according to which the accompanying structure is informed of the beneficiary's accounting data (project holder) after the start of the activity
  • Early Break Mode
  • Possible remuneration of the beneficiary (project leader), calculation and payment conditions
  • Conditions for repayment to the accompanying company of the amount of social contributions paid on behalf of the project holder (Cape beneficiary) after the start of the activity

Before the launch of the activity

As long as the activity is not launched, the accompanying company guarantees the Cape beneficiary's commitments towards third parties. Thus, the beneficiary of the Cape can enter into an agreement with a client, a bank or a partner. In this context, the Cape beneficiary must indicate on all business documents (invoices, purchase orders, advertising materials, etc. ) the following:

  • The benefit of a Cape with its duration
  • The company name, the place of the registered office and the identification number of the accompanying structure

From registration to the end of the support contract

The beneficiary of the Cape can start his activity and carry out the formalities of creation of his company.

The registration of a individual business (EI) (including a micro-company) or a business must be carried out on the website of the company formalities office:

Window of company formalities

The beneficiary of the Cape is not bound by an employment contract with the accompanying structure. However, he has the same social protection as an employee.

Throughout the Cape, it has the following social protection:

  • Social coverage of the general social security system
  • Unemployment insurance coverage
  • Protection in the event of an accident at work or occupational disease (AT/PD)

FYI  

The beneficiary of the Cape is attached to the general social security scheme as a person treated as an employee until the expiry of the Cape.

The accompanying structure assumes the social obligations of an employer and carries out the following operations:

  • Information from Urssaf and France Work on the signature of the Cape, specifying in particular its duration and the renewal(s)
  • Declaration and payment of social security contributions. These are based on the revenues corresponding to the tax-free revenues generated by the activity of the project owner and his remuneration, if any, expected before the start of activity. If no remuneration is paid and the activity does not generate any revenue, the contributions are not due. However, the AT/MP contribution remains due by the accompanying structure.

The project owner thus retains his rights to social assistance under certain conditions (unemployment benefit to help people return to work (ARE), active solidarity income (RSA)etc.).

Like any company creator, he can benefit from exemption from social security contributions in the context of theaid for the creation or resumption of a company (Acre).

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