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This week, French government agency Business France and Alibaba have launched a partnership to promote French SMEs. Through this initiative, online merchants can more easily promote their products on a global scale. This will increase the amount of exporting companies in France.

Ecommerce giant Alibaba has launched a platform this week to help French small and medium-sized businesses (SMEs) digitalize and internationalize. It is part of the French government’s ‘Dare to export!’ initiative.

Increase exporting companies by 33%

Currently, around 150,000 French companies are exporting. The government wants to increase that number by 33 percent by 2030. In order to achieve that, it will promote French products abroad. This is where Alibaba comes in.

200 SMEs will be selected

Two hundred SMEs in France can get access to Alibaba’s B2B platform, which allows them to promote their products to 47 million buyers globally. Eligible companies get access to a ‘Gold Supplier’ account, which gives them the highest level of service by Alibaba.

Merchants get access to a Gold Supplier account at a negotiated rate.

The account will be available for 24 months, at a negotiated rate of 2,250 euros excluding tax. The original price is 14,000 euros. With that account, companies can launch a tailor-made online store, while also receiving marketing tools, a presence in Alibaba France’s showroom and personalized support from Business France and Alibaba.

Focus on sellers of local products

Not all online sellers are eligible for the program. It is evident that the focus is on sellers with local products. Merchants that want to apply need to be legally registered and produce their products in France. The company needs to be at least one year old and already have a cross-border turnover from the last financial year.

Companies are eligible if they produce their wares in France.

The merchant also needs to hold an intellectual property title over their products, and have at least 10 products to present. Additionally, the seller has to have at least one employee dedicated to export. They also need to actively participate on the platform.