AD Normandie – the Economic Development Agency : your gateway to the Normandy region

To provide premium and personalized support to both local companies and foreign structures having investment projects in the region, the economic development agency AD Normandie provides several services to promote innovation and development for all economic actors. Foreign investors are a priority for the region, which deploys services designed to help and guide them at every step of their development. In 2020, a specific effort is being made in the agribusiness and hydrogen sectors towards Nordic investors.   

AD Normandie: the regional agency for economic development in Normandy  

The local repartition of competencies in France gives responsibility to the regions to promote the economic attractiveness of their territories. In that spirit, the Normandy Development Agency (AD Normandie) is a public agency in charge of supporting local businesses to thrive, in the region and beyond for their exportations. The agency is steered by the region and follows three axes for its strategy: development, innovation, and internationalization. AD Normandie proposes two types of services to companies:   

• A range of direct services to companies looking to further their presence in the region. It encompasses consulting services to upgrade innovation or exportations policies, help in finding appropriate offices or in the recruitment of new talents, or to support the sustainable transition of structures. Furthermore, the agency, through the regional investment fund Normandie Participations can also co-invest in partnerships meant to boost the creation or takeover of local businesses. 
• Building and fostering of a local network of economic development. AD Normandie is responsible for driving the economic and innovative ecosystems, which implement and promote new practices, but also for supporting the designing of local economic policies, at the municipal level, for example.  

One of the transversal aspects of the Agency is to support international companies to take a leap and launch a project in the region. This mission is concretely carried out through three main components:   

• Firstly, the region is responsible for granting a wide range of grants and aids to foreign companies settling in the region. A dedicated team is responsible for walking foreign partners through the processes at every turn of the company’s pathway. An example is the “Impulsion Innovation” which helps finance the research expenses, especially personnel costs and equipment.   
• Moreover, the region provides a Welcome Package to any foreign company arriving in the region. With the help of local partners and the agency experts, it applies to each step of setting up a business in Normandy, from administrative procedures to market information and project engineering.   
• Finally, the region proposes a Soft-Landing solution for investors who have chosen to set up a company in Normandy. This last range of services is tailored to the specific needs of each investor, be it banking solutions, fundraising, or local networking.   

Read more: AD Normandie, your business partner in Normandy

The Nordic countries are strategic partners for Normandy  

Some important Nordic companies have already invested in Normandy in the past and continue to trust the region with their projects today. One of the prime examples of that relationship is the Danish shipping company Maersk, which has a presence in the region’s maritime installations through APM Terminal France and DFDS.  

In the spirit of this renewed partnership, AD Normandie is launching a mission targeting two strategic sectors: agri-business and energy towards the Nordic countries. Two experts have been mandated by the region to help present the assets and provide guidance to Nordic partners and prospects. Feel free to contact them directly if you have any question regarding a project in Normandy:   

Read more: Visit the AD Normandie website and contact them for any project  

AD Normandie is also here to support businesses to face the Covid-19 crises  

The Normandy region, along with the French government, has implemented measures designed to support the local economic ecosystem, especially regarding funding and treasury issues. These measures are:    

• All the payments due concerning loans from the regional administration have been put on hold until October of 2020.
• The regional agency responsible for guaranteeing loans has loosened up their monthly or quarterly delays, in collaboration with banking institutions.
• The region has set up a “Covid-19 treasury” loan mechanisms, with a 10 million euros funding, taken from existing mechanisms.   

Read more:Emergency measures for Normandy businesses in response to COVID-19 (in French)

Contact AD Normandie for guidance in your investment project or to get support for Covid-19 related issues.