XL Entrepreneur – Impact Innovation
XL Entrepreneur supports Excelia Business School students who want to turn an idea into a project, from the first coaching session through to setting up a business.
The XL Entrepreneur initiative
XL Entrepreneur is Excelia Business School's scheme for supporting young entrepreneurs, open to all students, from the idea through to setting up a business. "Impact innovation" gives the scheme its name and refers to projects capable of changing the world: it is the guiding thread of the support, from idea to creation, through to accelerating responsible projects. Access to this scheme goes through an official gateway: obtaining the national student entrepreneur status.
In concrete terms, the support is built around five levers, which you draw on according to how far your project has progressed:
- personalised coaching sessions, to refine your project at your own pace
- tailor-made workshops, to work on the skills you still lack
- mentoring provided by entrepreneurs, who share their hands-on experience
- entrepreneurial events, to meet other project leaders
- access to Excelia Business School's professional networks, to find your first contacts
XL Entrepreneur is one of the other forms of student engagement offered by the school, with its own particular focus: supporting a project, not simply engagement with a student society.
How to join XL Entrepreneur
Once admitted to Excelia Business School, you can contact the XL Entrepreneur team, who assess the relevance of your project and then support you towards the national student entrepreneur status (SNEE): this passport opens up the scheme to you.
Haven't set up your business yet? That is not what is assessed: the team looks at the consistency and soundness of your idea, which makes the scheme accessible from the very first inklings of a project.
This assessment is made on a case-by-case basis, and if you would like an opinion on your own situation before getting started, you can discuss the relevance of your project with an adviser.
Once you have obtained the SNEE, you can also work towards the university diploma for student entrepreneurs (D2E), which allows you to develop your project with a secure framework and greater visibility, alongside your course at Excelia Business School.
From idea to creation: pre-incubation
In 2018, the Excelia group launched La Serre aux entrepreneurs, a pre-incubation scheme that hosts project leaders and supports them for eight weeks, combining dedicated accommodation with close follow-up.
This stage takes over from Excelia Business School's XL Entrepreneur initiative when your project is ready to reach the next level, before, where applicable, the actual creation of your business.
Some programmes build this entrepreneurial culture directly into their curriculum. The Master in Management (Programme Grande École) thus offers a pathway dedicated to entrepreneurship at Master's level. If you are aiming for an additional level of expertise, our Master of Science (MSc) programmes in entrepreneurship allow you to go further academically. And if your goal is instead to build a salaried career, the support towards employment meets needs different from yours.
Frequently asked questions about XL Entrepreneur
- What is the national student entrepreneur status (SNEE)?
The SNEE is an official status that allows students with an entrepreneurial project to develop it alongside their studies, with arrangements adapted to their dual activity. At Excelia Business School, it is the entry passport into the XL Entrepreneur initiative.
- Who can join the XL Entrepreneur scheme?
The scheme is open to all Excelia Business School students, once admitted to the school, regardless of their programme or how far their project has progressed.
- What is the university diploma for student entrepreneurs (D2E)?
The D2E is a university diploma that allows you to develop your entrepreneurial project with a secure framework and greater visibility, alongside the course followed at Excelia Business School.
- What is La Serre aux entrepreneurs?
La Serre aux entrepreneurs is a pre-incubation scheme launched by the Excelia group in 2018. It hosts project leaders and supports them for eight weeks, from idea to business creation.