what you need to know about the support offered to companies

Bercy continues to hammer it: professionals should not hesitate to seize the aid systems put in place to support them in the current energy crisis. In order to guide them in their administrative procedures and their requests for assistance, many public interlocutors, who were already established in the regions before the surge in energy prices and whose presence is still reinforced, are at their disposal.

Here is the list of appropriate contacts depending on the situations encountered.

– Support for aid in the face of the energy crisis:

Websites www.economie.gouv.fr and impots.gouv.fr already make it possible to find information relating to aid systems: frequently asked questions, calculation simulators, document models, etc.

At the same time, entrepreneurs can turn to the departmental advisers on emerging from the crisisthe list and contact details of which can be consulted on the site of the General Directorate of Public Finance (DGFIP).

As their name suggests, they are present in each department, reachable on their landline and mobile phone numbers. Physical meetings can be organized with the prefectures which can call on other reinforcements. Their mission is to diagnose the company’s situation and offer it support from the State, such as the help desk for paying energy bills.

The Ministry of the Economy has also set up a telephone number dedicated to “general” questions and to understanding aid, how it works and how to obtain it: 0.806.000.245. He can be reached between 9 a.m. and 12 p.m., then between 1 p.m. and 6 p.m. Particular or even sensitive situations will be reported from the telephone platforms to the central services.

The instructing services of the DGFIP can also be contacted directly via the secure messaging of the professional space of companies. To do this, you must select the tab “I have another question / I have another request”, and start your message with the words “Help gas electricity” so that the request is processed more quickly.

The ministerial services and the prefectures also organize face-to-face presentation meetings and webinars with companies and professional federations. The Chambers of Commerce andindustry have advisers trained to call SMEs to inform them about aid, while the Chambers of Trades and Crafts do the same with craftsmen.

– In the event of commercial disputes:

A company can turn to the Business Mediator to settle a dispute with another company or an administration out of court. The procedure is free and conducted in complete confidentiality. To contact the competent services, you must go either through your Dreets (Regional Directorate for the Economy, Employment, Labor and Solidarity) or through the business mediation website.

Energy Mediation can be entered for free on his site by very small companies (less than 10 employees and less than 2 million euros in turnover) encountering a dispute with their energy supplierthe distribution network operator or their electricity purchaser in the event ofself-consumption individual. Be careful however, the National Energy Ombudsman must be seized between two months and one year after a written complaint to the operator.

A company encountering difficulties (financing, cash, etc.) with its bank can turn to Credit Mediation by filing a file directly online. Again, the service is free and confidential. Note: if the request concerns the restructuring of a PGE (loan guaranteed by the State) for an amount of less than €50,000, a specific procedure takes over. In all cases, the point of contact is the local branch of the Banque de France or the website of the Credit Mediator.

– In the event of tax or social security debts:

Companies encountering cash flow difficulties can contact the Commission des chefs des services financiers (CCSF) to request a spreading of their tax, social security and customs debts. For this, they must contact their departmental adviser at the end of the crisis. Confidential, this procedure makes it possible to establish a plan suspending the proceedings, canceling the registered privileges and giving access to the public markets.

The services of the Urssaf (Union for the recovery of social security contributions) also offer support for companies in difficulty to help them pay their tax and social security contributions. The solution may then consist in setting up an appropriate collection or payment schedule. The departmental adviser on emerging from the crisis is the person to turn to.

– Specific support for companies with more than 50 employees:

Industrial companies with more than 50 employees but less than 400 employees have the possibility of contacting commissioners for restructuring and the prevention of business difficulties (CRP), placed with the regional prefects. They accompany them as far upstream as possible to find solutions. “global and sustainable”.

Companies with more than 400 employees can, for their part, make contact with the Interministerial Committee for Industrial Restructuring, or Ciri. Alongside business leaders, the latter defines and negotiates a plan to transform their financing with stakeholders (shareholders, creditors, etc.). The request must be made by email to the address ci**@dg******.fr.