The competition that reveals the most inspiring alumni entrepreneurs in the Pépite France network
Were you a student entrepreneur, but your adventure didn’t end when your National Student Entrepreneur Status (SNEE) expired?
Has your project grown, evolved, pivoted, rebounded… or have you built a new, even more ambitious one?
Then Pépites des Pépites 2026 is for you.
This competition highlights five exceptional career paths of alumni from the Pépite France network.
Not necessarily the most “tech-savvy,” the most well-funded, or the most publicized projects…
But the most inspiring, the most authentic, and the most entrepreneurial career paths.
If you have continued to move forward, to create, to understand, to learn… in short: to take action: you are exactly where you need to be.
⭐ This contest does not reward a project.
👉 It rewards you, your journey, your trajectory
This is essential.
You absolutely do not need to present the project you had during your SNEE.
You can apply if today:
- you are wearing a structure that did not exist at the time,
- you have completely pivoted,
- you have changed sectors or models,
- you tried several times… before finding the right one,
- Your career path has been marked by setbacks, boldness, and real entrepreneurial decisions.
🎯 It’s your growth that matters.
Your vision.
Your ability to transform a Pépite experience into a concrete, living, real project.
🚀 Why apply?
Because this contest can change your year and your trajectory.
Imagine:
- Your career highlighted at the national level
- A pitch on stage at the L’Oréal booth at VivaTechnology 2026
- High visibility thanks to the Pépite France network and its relays
- And, for some, up to €8,000 in funding
🏆 The 2026 Awards
✨ The 5 national winners
They benefit from:
- 🎟️ Access to VivaTechnology 2026
- 🎤 Pitch on stage at the L’Oréal booth
- 📣 Spotlight: videos, profiles, interviews, national broadcast
- 🤝 Exclusive opportunities offered by network partners
Your story, your energy, your vision… amplified.
💙 Banque Populaire Favorite Award
€5,000 including tax
Awarded at Banque Populaire’s discretion to one of the finalists.
🎨 WMH Project Award
€8,000 including tax
For a project in communications, events, or live performance.
👉 The two prizes cannot be combined: one winner = one prize.
🧩 Are you eligible?
You can apply if:
✔️ You have been a student entrepreneur in a Pépite network in France
✔️ You are no longer a SNEE holder
✔️ You created or took over a business more than one year prior to December 31, 2025
✔️ You have never won a previous edition
✔️ You are submitting a single application (teams are possible)
Nothing more.
🔍 The criteria that make the difference
- Innovation & creativity
- Deployment and results (growth, customers, milestones, etc.)
- Societal, environmental, or cultural impact
- Your entrepreneurial journey (setbacks, lessons learned, developments, etc.)
- Your storytelling & your pitch
You don’t need a “perfect” project.
You need a genuine, solid, inspiring journey.
📅 The 2026 calendar
📥 Application submission:
January 5 → February 6, 2026, at 12 p.m.
👉 Exclusively on Pépitizy
📣 Announcement of the 10 finalists:
March 23, 2026
🎤 Grand Oral in Paris (in-person attendance required):
April 1, 2026
➡️ Train/plane tickets covered for finalists outside the Île-de-France region
🎯 In summary
You don’t have to be the “best project.”
You have to be a journey that matters.
An alumnus who keeps moving forward.
A story that inspires.
What if it were you in 2026?
