Biotech companies worried about an amendment suspending public aid

"A sudden questioning of public support would permanently weaken this ecosystem already subject to strong financial constraints," warns France Biotech in a press release, calling on parliamentarians "not to validate this amendment" to the State budget, tabled by Senator Jean-François Husson (LR) which proposes to suspend in 2026 the allocation of any new aid from the France 2030 plan.

"The 2025 exercise has once again demonstrated the government's difficulty in reliably and transparently managing the aid of the France 2030 plan, despite the crisis situation facing public finances," this amendment emphasizes.

France Biotech calls for "the withdrawal of this amendment or, at a minimum, the explicit exclusion of SMEs from its scope, in order to preserve the sustainability of innovation in health and national health sovereignty".

The association points out that "the projects supported in this context are part of long cycles of research, development and industrialization." Therefore, "any sudden interruption weakens projects already underway, sometimes at critical stages of their development," it warns.

France has around 2.700 health start-ups which represent around 75.000 direct jobs, according to France Biotech.

According to her, the suspension of France 2030 aid would have "a significant impact" on their already "particularly strained" financial health, marked by difficulties in finding funds.

By the end of 2024, €38 billion of the €54 billion planned under the France 2030 investment plan had been committed, in line with the plan's initial trajectory, according to France Biotech. SMEs and mid-sized companies accounted for more than half of the beneficiaries.

In its first reading, the National Assembly rejected the draft state budget for 2026, while the Senate adopted a revised version on Monday. Seven members of the National Assembly and seven senators are now scheduled to meet on Friday in a joint committee to try to reach an agreement.