Training to be an entrepreneur: EDHEC at the service of tomorrow's entrepreneurs

This article was first published on the edhec.edu website - 27/01/2025 

EDHEC's new “Generation 2050” strategic plan positions entrepreneurship as a major priority, with an ambitious overhaul of its student programs. This strategy, unique in the Grandes Ecoles landscape, highlights entrepreneurship as an essential skill for transforming society and training leaders for change. 

L'étincelle, an immersive and certifying training program to democratize entrepreneurship

EDHEC is proud to launch its new pre-incubation program, L'étincelle.

With this new program, EDHEC demonstrates its leadership in democratizing access to entrepreneurial skills. The objective is clear: to offer every student the opportunity to transform their ideas into concrete achievements, whatever their year of study. This inclusive approach is based on an offer of excellence that is both accessible and experiential.

                          

Students of all backgrounds, selected on motivation criteria, can now join an intensive program free of charge, giving them access to:

• L’étincelle, our entrepreneurship certificate training course, created through a partnership between EDHEC and the successful podcast Génération Do It Yourself.
• Personalized support, with the help of a coach, events, masterclasses and co-development workshops led by experts.
• A dynamic community of student entrepreneurs to encourage the sharing of ideas.

To kick off this ambitious new program, two leading figures in the startup ecosystem have agreed to sponsor the first class of students: Matthieu Stefani, creator of the podcast Génération Do It Yourself, and Justine Soudier, Deputy Director of EDHEC's Centre For Responsible Entrepreneurship.

The Startup Challenge and CEO for 6 months, two key EDHEC pre-incubation events

Alongside the L'étincelle program, EDHEC is renewing two of its emblematic programs, designed as genuine springboards for our future student entrepreneurs:

• Startup Challenge: an intensive 4-month program during which 45 students benefit from the expertise of experienced coaches to transform their ideas into projects ready to be presented to a jury of experts in a pitch competition.
• CEO for 6 Months: a unique opportunity for selected students to work full-time on their entrepreneurial project, with tailored coaching and immersion in the EDHEC Entrepreneurs ecosystem.

Welcoming over 330 students since January, these intensive and immersive programs reaffirm EDHEC's commitment to making entrepreneurship a lever for leadership and societal transformation.

We look forward to seeing you on April 10 for an exclusive demoday, during which innovative projects from EDHEC's flagship programs will be unveiled.

                          

With our pre-incubation programs, we offer our students much more than just training. It's also about creating a first ecosystem, taking the plunge and accepting mistakes so as to dare to trust each other. The aim is to enable them to structure their ideas and talk about their project. By laying these first stones, they will build the victories of tomorrow.

Valentine Clément - Startup Manager Pre-incubation EDHEC

Entrepreneurship, a key competence for transforming the world

EDHEC doesn't just train entrepreneurs: it trains leaders of change. By making entrepreneurship a skill accessible to all, the school is redefining its ambition. It places its students at the heart of tomorrow's economic, social and environmental transformations. This unique positioning makes EDHEC a benchmark for responsible and inclusive entrepreneurship.

Turning an idea into a project through pre-incubation