The Pépite France network, a leading national player in student entrepreneurship, announces the signing of a strategic partnership with WMH Project, a European non-media communications group and mission-driven company.
Through this alliance, the two organizations are affirming a shared ambition. They want to support students and recent graduates in developing useful, sustainable projects that are rooted in society. This partnership therefore aims to connect innovation, research, local communities, and social engagement.
Pépite France: developing entrepreneurial spirit across the country
For more than 12 years, Pépite France has been supporting students and recent graduates who choose to become entrepreneurs. To do so, the network relies on 32 Student Centers for Innovation, Transfer, and Entrepreneurship (Pépite). It thus covers the entire country.
Today, Pépite France is recognized as a key player in the French innovation ecosystem. The network also serves as a vital link between higher education, research, and the socio-economic world. It is administered by FNEGE, which provides a structured and sustainable framework for its national activities.
Pépite France advocates a vision of entrepreneurship based on several key principles. First, the development of an entrepreneurial mindset based on commitment, openness, and experimentation. Second, learning by doing, which recognizes entrepreneurial projects as a genuine path to skills acquisition. Finally, the recognition of a diversity of forms and purposes. These can be economic, social, environmental, or cultural.
Pépite France supports business creation, intrapreneurship, business takeovers, and community involvement. In all cases, the goal remains the same: to enable students to transform an idea into a concrete project.
WMH Project: creating connections and meaning through communication
Founded 30 years ago, WMH Project is a European non-media communications group. It began as a collective entrepreneurial venture. Since then, the group has continued to grow while maintaining this spirit.
WMH Project operates in several complementary fields. It specializes in events, space design, business travel, and influence strategies. Today, the group has more than 500 employees in seven countries. Its revenue amounts to €240 million.
At the same time, WMH Project is a mission-driven company. As such, it has a clear social commitment enshrined in its articles of association. Its ambition is to promote lasting encounters and create projects that are meaningful for society and the economy. In concrete terms, this mission translates into actions that promote social cohesion, environmental responsibility, and more sustainable professional practices.
A strategic partnership serving student entrepreneurs
With this partnership, WMH Project becomes a strategic partner of Pépite France. It is thus making a long-term commitment to the network. Together, the two partners aim to strengthen their support for student entrepreneurs.
More specifically, this partnership aims to :
- contribute to promoting innovative student entrepreneurial projects;
- share WMH Project’s expertise in non-media communication, focused on experience, usage, and impact;
- promote encounters between student entrepreneurs, higher education institutions, businesses, and regions;
- support project leaders in taking into account issues of meaning, responsibility, and sustainability.
As Alain Asquin, from the Ministry of Higher Education, Research, and Space, points out:
“Student entrepreneurship is a tremendous breeding ground for innovation, collective intelligence, and boldness. Our collaboration with WMH Project should help project leaders better communicate the relevance and impact of their value proposition to their prospects.”
A shared ambition: working in project mode
Pépite France and WMH Project share a strong conviction. For them, entrepreneurship is not a static process. On the contrary, it is a living project that evolves through experimentation, encounters, and cooperation.
With this in mind, WMH Project aims to instill a project culture in student entrepreneurs. As Bertrand Biard, Vice President of Attractiveness & Commitments at WMH Project, explains:
“A business is above all a collective project that is constantly evolving. What we want to convey to student entrepreneurs is the desire to remain in project mode, to connect ideas with uses, and to ensure that innovation goes hand in hand with usefulness. It is essential to never lose sight of the purpose or the impact generated.”
By joining forces, Pépite France and WMH Project are affirming their shared commitment. Together, they aim to support the emergence of a new generation of socially engaged entrepreneurs. These entrepreneurs will need to combine academic excellence, innovation, economic viability, environmental sustainability, and social utility.
