Charter of commitment for Student-Entrepreneurs holding the National Student-Entrepreneur Status

1. Preamble

This charter defines the commitments of Student-Entrepreneurs, regardless of their background.

The principles of this charter are a common foundation and are applied in all Pepites. Depending on its operation and environment, each Pepite may implement specific rules in addition to those specified in this charter.

You must check that you have read the terms of this charter when you register in the Pépitizy management and monitoring tool. It is not possible to complete your registration at Pépitizy and benefit from the support program without this validation. The SNEE certificate will only be issued to students who have completed their registration.

1.1 Reminder on the National Student Entrepreneur Status

The national student entrepreneur status is intended to support young people who wish to engage in an entrepreneurial project that results in the creation of an activity, whether it is the creation of a company, the creation of an association, the creation of a major event, the creation of a new activity within an existing structure, the takeover of an activity...and whatever the purpose or combination of purposes (economic, social, cultural, ecological...).

This status gives visibility and credibility to these young entrepreneurs, facilitating their professional relationships with clients, suppliers, partners or financiers and also reassuring families by recognizing the entrepreneurial project as part of a complementary training program.

1.2 Two types of SNEE paths

The SNEE offers two main pathways, depending on the person's situation, whether they are currently studying or have already graduated, and the maturity of their project. Each of these pathways provides access to services managed by the Pépite, whether it delivers them directly or whether these services are carried out by its partners.

The maturation path

This path allows for the gradual refinement of a student's or group's thinking on a project while the project leader can only devote part of their time to it.

Generally, this path is followed by student-entrepreneurs still in their studies for projects that are still in the early design phase.

The transformation path

This path provides a concrete structure for the business creation process and is organized within the D2E, Diplôme d'Etudiant Entrepreneur.

Generally, this pathway is followed by young graduate student-entrepreneurs (recently graduated or already with initial professional experience) who can devote most or all of their time to it. It can also be followed by students who are still in the course of their studies and whose project is at an advanced stage of maturity, as well as by students or recent graduates in charge of an intrapreneurial project within an existing structure. For the latter, the services offered by the maturation pathway, particularly in terms of study planning, are added to those of the transformation path^[1]

2. My commitments as a holder of the National Student Entrepreneur Status

2.1. Regarding the support program

As a Student Entrepreneur, I commit to:

• Attend all mandatory workshops, training courses and events organized by my Pepite;
• Keep the Pépite team informed of any impediments at least 24 hours in advance;
• Respond to emails and solicitations from the Pepite and my mentor(s) as part of my support;
• Respect the places and material resources made available to me.

Throughout my support from the Pépite, I commit to:

• Use the Pépitizy platform;
• Plan and carry out regular meetings with my mentors and write/complete the minutes of these meetings via my Pépitizy profile;
• Realize my self-positioning on entrepreneurial skills in Pépitizy;
• Keep my mentors and the Pépite team informed of the project's progress, difficulties and successes. (participation in competitions, registration, difficulties encountered, etc.) via my Pépitizy profile ;
• Solicit the Pepite when necessary to avoid aggravating problematic situations;
• Make myself available to carry out an assessment of my skills at the end of the support process using the Pépitizy tool;
• Make myself available to carry out an assessment at the end of the academic year as part of the SNEE and D2E.

As a member of the Student Entrepreneurs class, and aware of the importance of networking in the entrepreneurship process, I commit to:

• playing my part in animating the promotion through mutual assistance, proposing events and activities, and disseminating information to the collective, etc.
• Testify about my experience and the benefits of the National Student Entrepreneur Status, particularly to interested students or young graduates;
• Contribute to Pépite events which aim to promote Student-Entrepreneur projects.

In return for the visibility given to my project by the Pépite on various channels, I commit to:

• Communicate about my project by citing the Pépite (by affixing the Pépite logo on communication materials or the mention “supported by the Pépite…”);
• Remember to have obtained the National Student-Entrepreneur Status;
• Stay in touch with the Pépite for at least 3 years after obtaining the SNEE and/or the D2E, in particular by responding to the follow-up surveys of former Student Entrepreneurs.

• As a Student-Entrepreneur led to exchange or hear the testimony of other student entrepreneurs, I take every precaution to maintain the confidentiality of the information received.
• I observe an attitude of reserve towards information that I may be required to deliver about my experience as a Student-Entrepreneur during interviews or conferences, to avoid, for example, any risk of recognition of other Student-Entrepreneurs when discussing sensitive information.

• I must take the initiative to report to the Pépite team of any potential conflict of interest with other Student Entrepreneur projects in seminars or workshops so that measures can be taken (allocation to different groups...). I can refuse the assignment of a Mentor if I consider and can demonstrate that it creates a risk of conflict of interest.

• I will refrain from making any value judgments about a Student Entrepreneur or their project in my speaking or writing;
• In the event of serious non-compliance with these commitments, and after discussing the reasons for these failures, the Pépite may consider that the Student-Entrepreneur has renounced the benefits of the various activities offered as part of its support and reserves the right to take any action it deems appropriate (impact on ECTS credit equivalences and grade transfers, on the commitment grade in the Student-Entrepreneur Diploma project, inability to renew the National Student-Entrepreneur Status, or even exclusion from the National Student-Entrepreneur Status and therefore from the D2E, if applicable).

Annex 1: General information on the SNEE and the D2E

Purpose of the SNEE

The National Student-Entrepreneur Status was created in 2014 and follows a strong growth in entrepreneurship among students. It is aimed at students and graduates from the baccalaureate and upwards and with no age limit. Any high school graduate is therefore eligible to obtain the National Student-Entrepreneur Status through a Pépite, provided they are subsequently enrolled in a higher education institution. It allows students to build and develop an entrepreneurial project and benefit from support regardless of the entrepreneurial approach (individual, collective, with an economic and/or social purpose, innovative or not, technological or not, with business creation or takeover, compatible with any legal structure). This Status, implemented by a network of 33 Pépite under the aegis of the Ministry of Higher Education and Research (MESR), gives stature, a position, and credibility to the enterprising student among their contacts.

Purpose of D2E

In addition to this Status, a Student Entrepreneur Diploma (D2E) is available via the Pépite on all higher education sites. It allows young higher education graduates to regain student social status and the associated benefits (social security, scholarships, social housing in particular). An Institutional Diploma, the D2E is a completely unique training program where individualized support plays a major role. The D2E requires, for a student, additional registration at the institution that holds the diploma.

SNEE application process

Obtaining the National Student-Entrepreneur Status takes place in six steps:

1. The interested student, bachelor's degree holder or recent graduate must first complete an application form on the national application platform set up by the MESR: https://snee.esr.gouv.fr/ ;
2. The MESR delegates to each Pepite the instruction of the file in order to deal with the SNEE application. An engagement committee is then organized locally. The jury of this committee is made up in equal numbers of the institutions members of the Pépite and actors from the territorial entrepreneurial ecosystem (consular chambers, support and financing structures for entrepreneurship, public or private);
3. The candidate is then invited to present their project and then answers questions from the jury, subject to specific contexts that may change the format or procedure. The jury first assesses the student's commitment and motivation, not the quality of the project's progress. The SNEE is precisely a facilitator for the student to commit to their project. Each SNEE request is examined neutrally and non-discriminatorily, and the committee informs each candidate of the procedure and the reasons for a possible refusal;
4. In the case of validation of obtaining the National Student-Entrepreneur Status, the engagement committee must also decide on a possible request for D2E; the D2E was initially created for graduates in order to re-enter in higher education and maintain student social status, however it can be accessible to students still in training and whose project maturity would require following the D2E;
5. If the student chooses to enroll in the D2E, they enrol in this training through the institution holding the D2E, paying additional tuition fees (variable according to institutions). For students under the age of 28, the MESR requires that registration fees do not exceed 500 euros. The D2E is aimed primarily at graduates. It can be conducted in parallel to studies but the risk is then not being able to register for this degree later to continue benefiting from SNEE, post-graduation;
6. The young graduate must register for the D2E after the Pépite has notified them of their acceptance into the SNEE, otherwise they will lose the SNEE.

Main advantages of SNEE

The essential services of the SNEE maturation path

• I must take the initiative to report to the Pépite team of any potential conflict of interest with other Student Entrepreneur projects in seminars or workshops so that measures can be taken (allocation to different groups...). I can refuse the assignment of a Mentor if I consider and can demonstrate that it creates a risk of conflict of interest.
• Support from a mentor through individual or group meetings, with a minimum of 3 meetings
• The possibility of requesting schedule adjustments from his/her institution and where possible
• Access to a co-working space provided by his/her institution
• The possibility to dedicate a period of professional development to his/her entrepreneurial project if the application of his/her diploma's knowledge and skills is validated by the academic department. mobilisation des connaissances et compétences de son diplôme est validée par la direction des études
• The possibility of requesting a semester or a gap year to develop his/her entrepreneurial project
• When compatible with the academic program, the possibility to undertake an intrapreneurial work-study contract within an existing structure (company, association, public administration, or local authority).
• Invitation to events organized or relayed by the Pépite
• Access to a shared activity management tool for all student entrepreneurs, fostering exchange within the community
• Access to the resource library dedicated to the SNEE maturation path
• The opportunity to apply for the Pépite Prize.

The key services of the SNEE transformation path

• The supervision of the Student-Entrepreneur's journey by a project manager from the team
• Dedicated support provided by a mentor through a minimum of 5 meetings.
• Access to the full training offer of the D2E program (seminars, workshops…)
• Access to a co-working space provided by the Pépite or its partners
• The possibility to apply for the Pépite France international mobility program
• Invitation to events organized or relayed by the Pépite
• The connection with the entrepreneurial ecosystem partners of the Pépite
• Assistance with the project's funding strategy
• Access to a shared activity management tool for all student entrepreneurs, fostering exchange within the community
• Access to the resource library dedicated to the SNEE transformation path
• The possibility for the Student-Entrepreneur to sign a Project Support Contract (CAPE) with a structure such as a business incubator or a cooperative of activity and employment (CAE) or another partner of the Pépite.
• The opportunity to apply for the Pépite Prize.