In recent years, the Export-Import Bank of the United States (EXIM) has introduced new programs to better support American businesses looking to compete overseas. As part of the 2019 Reauthorization of EXIM, Congress authorized the China and Transformational Exports Program (CTEP). Focused on supporting exports in ten strategic sectors, including renewable energy and energy efficiency technologies, CTEP has become a centerpiece of EXIM’s efforts to level the playing field for American businesses competing against state-backed rivals abroad. In 2022, EXIM also launched the Make More in America Initiative (MMIA), which provides medium- and long-term loans, guarantees, and insurance to export-oriented domestic manufacturing projects.
Compared to other countries’ Export Credit Agencies (ECAs), however, EXIM does not mobilize as much export credit and is generally viewed as “uncompetitive.” As part of the Council’s effort to unpack the ECA competitive landscape, this blog examines one notable program used by a competing ECA to bolster its domestic firms: Bpifrance, France’s ECA and public investment bank, and its “Accelerator” program, which provides targeted support to strategic sectors.
Bpifrance and the Accelerator program
Bpifrance was formed in 2012 as a public investment bank following the merging of several existing French public financial institutions. It became France’s official ECA in 2017 but still retains its status as a public investment bank, as well as a Development Bank, Innovation Agency, and Sovereign Fund. Given its wide scope and toolkit, Bpifrance is able to support domestic-facing businesses in ways that EXIM cannot.
In 2015, Bpifrance launched its Accelerators, programs designed to “accelerate” the growth of small and mid-sized enterprises (SMEs) in strategic sectors. These Accelerators are intensive, non-financial support programs that provide individualized consulting, executive training, and networking opportunities for industry and business leaders. Bpifrance has so far launched over 270 Accelerators, some targeting domestic sectors and others supporting companies in different regions or around specific themes, such as decarbonization. Programs run for 12, 18, or 24 months and are co-funded by Bpifrance and the French government—typically through the Ministry of Economy or the General Secretariat for Investment—and operated by Bpifrance in partnership with industry associations and strategic sector committees.
As Bpifrance is a public investment bank in addition to an ECA, many of the accelerator programs are focused on domestic SMEs—supporting export capabilities tends to be a secondary benefit rather than the primary goal. However, several “International Accelerators,” such as the Africa and Franco-Italian Accelerators, are export-oriented and designed to help companies grow their international presence, demonstrating how the Accelerator model can be adapted to support exports specifically.
The Nuclear Accelerator
In June 2024, Bpifrance and the French General Directorate for Enterprise launched the Nuclear Accelerator with support from three French nuclear firms. The Accelerator was designed to help 30 French civil nuclear companies meet a unique set of challenges: adapting to rapidly changing market, reaching critical scale, improving operational performance, attracting and retaining talent, and integrating geopolitical and environmental factors into their business strategies.
Similarly to other accelerators, the Nuclear Accelerator ran for 18 months and offered participating companies strategic diagnosis and advisory modules tailored to each company’s size and growth priorities; seminars co-developed with academic institutions covering strategy, energy transition, financing, governance, and leadership; and sector networking days with access to Bpifrance’s broader accelerator network of 5,000 companies. The accelerator was so successful that a second cohort of 24 companies launched in March 2025.
The Nuclear Accelerator was launched to address growing demand for domestic nuclear energy, help mid-tier suppliers scale up fast enough to meet national goals, and position France to lead in European exports of nuclear equipment and services. France was Europe’s largest net exporter of energy in 2023 and 2024, thanks primarily to the renewal of its nuclear sector. France likewise exports reactors, fuel products, and services, which the Accelerator can also support, even with its domestic focus.
Sector-specific data for the Nuclear Accelerator’s impact is not yet available given how recently the program launched, but independent analysis of the broader Accelerator programs from 2015-2022 found that participating companies grew their annual sales by 5% and their workforce by 10% compared to companies that did not participate in an Accelerator, translating to roughly €761,000 in additional revenue per company.
The U.S. generates the most nuclear energy in the world and aspires to lead in the development and export of advanced nuclear technology. Policymakers have been considering policy solutions for supporting American nuclear development and deployment, including expanding CTEP’s covered sectors to include nuclear energy. Bpifrance’s Nuclear Accelerator offers a useful lens for thinking about different strategies for supporting key sectors in strengthening domestic supply chains and boosting their sales and exports.