![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wpdi.org\/app\/uploads\/1f411092-d402-4f29-80f5-cbb83ab2f5bd.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n<\/p>\n
(Version fran\u00e7aise ci-dessous)<\/i><\/b><\/p>\n
April 23, 2026 –<\/b> WPDI France is proud to join CONNECT, a European Union initiative working to strengthen support for migrant entrepreneurs and build more inclusive economic ecosystems across the North-West Region of Europe.<\/span><\/p>\n Migrant entrepreneurs launch businesses at significantly higher rates than the general population. Yet too often, they are unable to fully realize their potential. Fragmented support systems, limited access to finance, and structural discrimination continue to create barriers that restrict growth and opportunity. As a result, many regions miss out on powerful drivers of innovation, job creation, and local development.<\/span><\/p>\n WPDI France\u2019s Community Learning Center is based in Aubervilliers, a city just outside Paris with a strong immigrant presence. The community is rich with entrepreneurial ambition, yet many residents still face barriers to accessing funding, networks, and long-term business support. WPDI works to close this gap by equipping entrepreneurs with the resources, guidance, and sustained support needed to build and scale sustainable businesses.<\/span><\/p>\n Through CONNECT, WPDI moves beyond one-off start-up support to embrace a long-term, ecosystem-based approach. The project aligns local and regional systems with the needs of migrant-led businesses, ensuring that support is accessible, coordinated, and built to last.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cThe CONNECT project highlights WPDI\u2019s strong local presence in Seine-Saint-Denis,\u201d<\/span><\/i> said Gr\u00e9gory Lepionnier, WPDI France\u2019s Country Manager. <\/span>\u201cTogether with 13 European partners and<\/span><\/i> the Seine-Saint-Denis Department, we are adopting an action-research approach to<\/span><\/i> help local ecosystems better meet the needs of migrant entrepreneurs.<\/span><\/i> CONNECT acts as a catalyst for social and societal change within local<\/span><\/i> communities. Its goal is to develop shared resources, enhance coordination among<\/span><\/i> various stakeholders (including entrepreneurial, social, and government entities), and empower entrepreneurs to act effectively.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Implemented across key regions in North-West Europe, including \u00cele-de-France, Bremen, North Rhine-Westphalia, West Flanders, Wallonia, Ireland, South Holland, and Overijssel, CONNECT brings together partners to collaborate across borders and share solutions. At the core of the project is a Train-the-Trainer initiative, currently in development, aimed at equipping professionals with the tools to better support migrant entrepreneurs, including access to finance, mentorship, and anti-discrimination practices.<\/span><\/p>\n In February, WPDI France\u2019s Country Manager, Gr\u00e9gory Lepionnier, and Business Trainer, Elaia Guecamburu, traveled to Essen, Germany, to meet with CONNECT partners from across Europe. The exchange provided an opportunity to share best practices, co-develop tools, and align on the design of the upcoming Train-the-Trainer program.<\/span><\/p>\n Reflecting on the visit and the future of the partnership, Elaia Guecamburu shared: <\/span>\u201cDuring the meeting with our partners, we worked to establish shared definitions and develop a common methodology for mapping stakeholders supporting migrant entrepreneurship. These insightful exchanges, carried out in a spirit of co-construction, have allowed us to begin implementing the project within our respective territories and move forward together at the local level.\u201d<\/span><\/i><\/p>\n Coordinated by the Institute for Work and Technology (IAT), the project runs for 36 months and is co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund under the Interreg North-West Europe program. Through CONNECT, WPDI continues its commitment to ensuring that all entrepreneurs have the opportunity to succeed, regardless of their individual and professional backgrounds.<\/span><\/p>\n VERSION FRAN\u00c7AISE<\/b><\/p>\n 23 avril 2026 \u2013 WPDI France est fi\u00e8re de rejoindre le projet CONNECT, une initiative europ\u00e9enne ambitieuse qui vise \u00e0 renforcer l\u2019accompagnement des entrepreneurs issus de l\u2019immigration et \u00e0 d\u00e9velopper des \u00e9cosyst\u00e8mes \u00e9conomiques plus inclusifs en Europe du Nord-Ouest.<\/span><\/p>\n Les populations migrantes cr\u00e9ent plus d\u2019entreprises que la population g\u00e9n\u00e9rale. Pourtant, trop souvent, elles ne parviennent pas \u00e0 r\u00e9aliser pleinement leur potentiel. Des syst\u00e8mes de soutien fragment\u00e9s, un acc\u00e8s limit\u00e9 au financement et des discriminations structurelles continuent de cr\u00e9er des obstacles qui freinent la croissance et les opportunit\u00e9s. En cons\u00e9quence, de nombreuses r\u00e9gions passent \u00e0 c\u00f4t\u00e9 de puissants moteurs d\u2019innovation, de cr\u00e9ation d\u2019emplois et de d\u00e9veloppement local.<\/span><\/p>\n Le Centre de formation WPDI France est bas\u00e9 \u00e0 Aubervilliers, une ville situ\u00e9e aux portes de Paris et caract\u00e9ris\u00e9e par une forte immigration. La communaut\u00e9 y est riche d\u2019un fort esprit entrepreneurial, mais de nombreux habitants se heurtent encore \u00e0 des obstacles pour acc\u00e9der aux financements, aux r\u00e9seaux et \u00e0 un accompagnement entrepreneurial sur le long terme. WPDI s\u2019efforce de combler cet \u00e9cart en dotant les entrepreneurs de ressources, de conseils et de soutien durable, autant d\u2019\u00e9l\u00e9ments n\u00e9cessaires pour cr\u00e9er et d\u00e9velopper des entreprises p\u00e9rennes.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00c0 travers CONNECT, WPDI d\u00e9passe le cadre du soutien individuel \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation d\u2019entreprise pour adopter une approche \u00e0 long terme fond\u00e9e sur les \u00e9cosyst\u00e8mes. Le projet vise \u00e0 aligner les syst\u00e8mes locaux et r\u00e9gionaux sur les besoins des entreprises dirig\u00e9es par des migrants, afin de garantir un accompagnement accessible, coordonn\u00e9 et durable.<\/span><\/p>\n \u00ab Le projet CONNECT est un marqueur fort de l\u2019ancrage local de WPDI France en Seine-Saint-Denis. Aux c\u00f4t\u00e9s de treize partenaires europ\u00e9ens et du D\u00e9partement de la Seine-Saint-Denis, nous sommes engag\u00e9s dans une d\u00e9marche de recherche-action visant \u00e0 aider les \u00e9cosyst\u00e8mes locaux \u00e0 mieux prendre en compte les besoins sp\u00e9cifiques des entrepreneurs migrants.<\/span><\/p>\n Malheureusement, ces entrepreneurs sont souvent exclus des dispositifs d\u2019accompagnement \u00e0 la cr\u00e9ation d\u2019entreprise, alors m\u00eame que les personnes issues de l\u2019immigration sont trois fois plus susceptibles de se tourner vers l\u2019entrepreneuriat que les populations \u00e9tablies. Pour beaucoup, l\u2019entrepreneuriat repr\u00e9sente une voie d\u2019insertion sociale et professionnelle. \u00bb<\/span><\/p>\n Mis en \u0153uvre dans des r\u00e9gions cl\u00e9s d\u2019Europe du Nord-Ouest, notamment en \u00cele-de-France, \u00e0 Br\u00eame, en Rh\u00e9nanie-du-Nord-Westphalie, en Flandre occidentale, en Wallonie, en Irlande, en Hollande-M\u00e9ridionale et en Overijssel, CONNECT r\u00e9unit des partenaires pour collaborer au-del\u00e0 des fronti\u00e8res et partager des solutions. Au c\u0153ur du projet se trouve une initiative de formation de formateurs (Train-the-Trainer), actuellement en cours de d\u00e9veloppement, visant \u00e0 doter les professionnels des outils n\u00e9cessaires pour mieux accompagner les entrepreneurs migrants, notamment en mati\u00e8re d\u2019acc\u00e8s au financement, de mentorat et de lutte contre les discriminations.<\/span><\/p>\n En f\u00e9vrier, le Responsable WPDI France, Gr\u00e9gory Lepionnier, et la Charg\u00e9e de mission entrepreneuriat et point focal du projet Interreg CONNECT, Elaia Guecamburu, se sont rendus \u00e0 Essen, en Allemagne, pour rencontrer les partenaires de CONNECT venus de toute l\u2019Europe. Cet \u00e9change a permis de partager des bonnes pratiques, de co-d\u00e9velopper des outils et d\u2019aligner les visions autour de la conception du futur programme Train-the-Trainer.<\/span><\/p>\n Revenant sur cette visite et sur l\u2019avenir du partenariat, Elaia Guecamburu a d\u00e9clar\u00e9 : \u201cLors de la rencontre avec nos partenaires, nous avons travaill\u00e9 \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9laboration de d\u00e9finitions communes et au d\u00e9veloppement d\u2019une m\u00e9thodologie partag\u00e9e pour cartographier les acteurs soutenant l\u2019entrepreneuriat migrant. Ces \u00e9changes enrichissants, men\u00e9s dans un esprit de co-construction, nous ont permis de commencer \u00e0 mettre en \u0153uvre le projet sur nos territoires respectifs et d\u2019avancer ensemble \u00e0 l\u2019\u00e9chelle locale.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wpdi.org\/app\/uploads\/33f34ad4-f1d2-4108-8d7a-d558275db6a6.jpeg\")
<\/p>\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/www.wpdi.org\/app\/uploads\/logo_connect-1-2.jpg\"){kind=logo}
<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"(Version fran\u00e7aise ci-dessous) April 23, 2026 – WPDI France is proud to join CONNECT, a European Union initiative working to strengthen support for migrant entrepreneurs and build more inclusive economic ecosystems across the North-West Region of Europe. Migrant entrepreneurs launch businesses at significantly higher rates than the general population. Yet too often, they are unable…