A new initiative launched in 2025 is trying to solve a basic problem in French Guiana: entrepreneurs can’t find the right funding programs, and funders can’t easily see what local projects exist.
The effort, called Guyane Smart, is led by SAS Création Smart, a company active since April 4, 2025. It is run by president Lynda Rosalie Dijoux from Saint-Denis, and it is built around a simple pitch—directly connect project leaders with financing sources in a territory where information is scattered and infrastructure needs are huge.
French Guiana, an overseas department of France on South America’s northeast coast, has challenges that don’t look like most of mainland France. About 90% of the territory is still covered by virgin rainforest, according to Le Figaro Économie. The Guiana Space Center in Kourou operates alongside isolated areas that still lack reliable access to electricity or digital connectivity—making access to financing a structural issue, not just a startup hurdle.
A region short on infrastructure, but with tax tools to attract investment
French Guiana benefits from the Girardin program, a French state tax incentive designed to accelerate investment in overseas territories. The mechanism allows investors in mainland France to reduce part of their tax bill by financing local projects—an indirect but meaningful source of capital for entrepreneurs on the ground.
On the energy side, one high-profile example is HDF Energy. The Bordeaux-based company has secured multi-year European financing of €169 million (about $183 million) and plans to bring its first solar-and-hydrogen power plant in French Guiana online sometime in 2026, after cutting costs and dropping a third of its international projects. The plant, tied to a photovoltaic solar park, is presented as both a technology showcase and a message to investors that French Guiana can host large-scale projects.
What funding programs are on the table for overseas entrepreneurs
For entrepreneurs in French Guiana, the financing landscape remains fragmented. Several national programs apply in the territory, including the Projet Initiative Jeune (PIJ), available to 18- to 30-year-olds in France’s overseas departments. The program can provide up to €9,378 (about $10,100) to start a business.
| Dispositif | Montant ou taux | Bénéficiaires |
|---|---|---|
| Projet Initiative Jeune (PIJ) | Jusqu’à 9 378 € | 18-30 ans en Guyane, Guadeloupe, Martinique, Réunion, Mayotte |
| Chèque TIC Guadeloupe | 80 % des dépenses, jusqu’à 10 000 € | TPE en transition numérique |
| ARICE Guadeloupe | Jusqu’à 40 % des investissements, plafond 32 000 € | Projets de création d’emplois |
| Prêt d’honneur (réseau Initiative, Occitanie) | Jusqu’à 30 000 € | Porteurs de projets |
Source : Les Echos Solutions
One tool highlighted in the article is the “prêt d’honneur,” an interest-free loan. Its appeal is leverage: on average, every €1 granted generates €8.5 in additional bank lending, according to the Initiative network. For an entrepreneur in French Guiana trying to convince a bank, that ratio can materially change how a file is viewed.
Pourquoi connecter entrepreneurs et financeurs en Guyane
Women-led entrepreneurship, and what the numbers show
Création Smart is also positioned within a broader push around women’s entrepreneurship in France’s overseas territories. Le Figaro Économie points to the example of Manick, a psychologist and entrepreneur who won the Prix Innovation Outremer and was named a Be a Boss Antilles-Guyane laureate in 2024. Her project aims to make Caribbean culture more accessible through stories told in sign language.
Data cited in the article suggests women-led businesses supported through structured programs can be especially durable. The 2025 Baromètre France Active and FBF found that 93% of women entrepreneurs supported by France Active were still operating three years after launch, compared with a 75% national average—an outcome that, the article argues, raises questions about how lenders assess risk.
Bpifrance Création and France Active are among the organizations that steer entrepreneurs toward appropriate programs. Networks including Sista, Les Premières, and Pionnières are described as covering stages from company creation to financing and even career transitions.
Création Smart’s bet: direct connections in a fragmented market
SAS Création Smart remains a young organization. Official INSEE data has not yet listed its staffing levels. Founded in April 2025, it operates from Rue de la Guyane in Saint-Denis, with a straightforward wager: that direct matchmaking between entrepreneurs and funders can succeed in French Guiana where scattered information often doesn’t.
The energy timeline could give the model a near-term test. The expected 2026 commissioning of HDF Energy’s solar-hydrogen plant is projected to mobilize local contractors and create demand for engineering on the ground. For entrepreneurs able to position themselves, the article suggests, 2026 could open a window of opportunity.
Guyane Smart 2026 : les dispositifs de financement à connaître
- Création Smart a été fondée le 4 avril 2025 à Saint-Denis, dirigée par Lynda Rosalie Dijoux.
- HDF Energy prévoit la mise en service de sa centrale solaire-hydrogène en Guyane en 2026.
- Le PIJ permet aux 18-30 ans de toucher jusqu'à 9 378 € pour créer en outre-mer.
- 1 euro de prêt d'honneur génère en moyenne 8,5 euros de crédit bancaire complémentaire.
- 93 % des entrepreneures accompagnées par France Active sont encore actives trois ans après leur lancement.
Sources
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