Welcome to France

The reverse journey, condensed. We run this as a workshop twice a year, and this page is the handout.

Why France

Last reviewed: November 2026

France has been the top European destination for foreign direct investment for several years running, and the tech ecosystem is the reason a growing share of UK companies look south.

• Talent. Strong engineering schools, and the largest pool of AI and maths graduates in continental Europe.
• Access. A single market of 68 million, and a two-hour train from London to Paris.
• Support. Choose France, Business France, and the regional agencies all compete to attract UK companies. Use them, they are free.
• The BPI factor. Public investment bank funding that has no real UK equivalent.

Read the official investment case at Choose France and Business France. Treat the marketing with the usual caution, and the substance is real.

Setting up a company

Last reviewed: November 2026

• Structure. SAS is the default for startups: flexible, investable, familiar to French VCs. SARL is cheaper but harder to fund.
• Speed. Registration is now largely online and takes days, not months. The bank account is usually the slowest step.
• Banking. A French business account is still painful to open. Start it before you need it, and consider a neobank for the first months.
• Accounting. French accounting is prescriptive. A local expert-comptable is not optional, and their fees reflect it.
• Subsidiary or branch. Most UK companies set up a subsidiary (filiale) rather than a branch, for liability and clarity with French clients.

Hiring

Last reviewed: November 2026

• CDI is the norm. Permanent contracts are the default. Fixed-term and freelance arrangements are more constrained than in the UK.
• Notice and severance. Longer notice periods and mandatory severance scale with tenure. Budget for it in your headcount model, not after the fact.
• Works councils. Once you pass 50 employees, social and economic committees (CSE) become mandatory. Plan the threshold crossing.
• Payroll. Employer contributions are high, and the payslip is complex. Use a local payroll provider from hire one.
• Stock options. BSPCE are the startup-friendly instrument, but the rules are specific. Get advice before promising options to French hires.

Finding customers

Last reviewed: November 2026

• Relationships first, contracts second. French enterprise sales cycles are longer and more relational than in the UK. Budget the time.
• Speak French, or hire someone who does. English works in tech, but procurement, legal and finance run in French.
• Grands comptes are a different sport. Public tenders, reference clients and consortium partners matter more than product features.
• Use the Chamber. The Franco-British Chamber runs introductions and events on both sides of the Channel.

Where to meet people

Last reviewed: November 2026

• La French Tech Paris and the regional hubs. The same network in reverse. Ask us for an introduction to the right chapter.
• VivaTech. The largest European tech event, in Paris each June. Half trade show, half reunion.
• Station F. The largest startup campus in the world, and a useful first stop for a UK company landing in Paris.
• Our own events. Several members run French operations themselves. Join the community and ask.

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