The "Osez l’IA" initiative was strengthened in July 2025 with two highly practical tools for businesses: the "Accelerate with AI" platform, which showcases already deployed use cases, and the Data AI Diagnostics, which help identify the right initiatives before you spend a dollar.
For an SME or mid-market enterprise, the idea is straightforward: don’t start from a vague statement like "we need to do AI," but from a specific business need. Automate back-office operations, reduce customer response times, better qualify sales opportunities, anticipate equipment failures, make production more reliable... that’s where ROI starts to show up.
The SME Opportunity: Fast, Low-Risk Scoping Focused on Results
The Data AI Diagnostic is designed for SMEs and mid-market enterprises with 10 to 2,000 employees registered with the French trade register. The format is clear: 8 person-days of support over a maximum period of 3 months. The theoretical cost is €10,000 ex. VAT, with 40% covered by France 2030, leaving €6,000 ex. VAT to be paid, subject to eligibility.
This is not an administrative gimmick. It is a structured launchpad to map your data, identify the AI use cases that truly matter, and prioritize the ones that can generate quick wins: productivity, reliability, service quality, fewer repetitive tasks, and better use of customer or operational data.
Another advantage: the "Accelerate with AI" platform lets you benchmark proven use cases already deployed in other SMEs and mid-market enterprises. The result: you avoid starting from a blank page and save time during the scoping phase.
The Caution: 8 Days Is Scoping, Not a Turnkey Delivery
The first trap is confusing diagnosis with execution. Eight person-days are enough for a high-level assessment, but not to design a full AI information system, integrate an ERP, connect a CRM, or deploy an AI agent in production. After the diagnostic, there will almost always be additional work on specification, architecture, and integration.
Second point: the quality of the deliverable depends heavily on the certified consulting firm handling the engagement. A diagnostic that is too generic can end up as a polished slide deck that is essentially unusable. You need a partner who understands your industry, your business flows, and your technical constraints.
Finally, the overall budget for diagnostics is limited. In other words: eligibility, timelines, and any regional quotas need to be checked. And don’t overlook hidden costs: integration, training, hosting, maintenance, change management, and everything that does not appear in the entry price.
The Compliance Angle
The program itself does not impose a specific standard, but the AI projects that come out of it will need to be framed carefully. If you process customer, HR, or operational data, GDPR may apply; if you operate in Switzerland or process data belonging to Swiss residents, the nFADP may apply as well. And for certain use cases such as scoring, generative AI, or decisions with a significant impact, you will also need to anticipate the AI Act framework.
In practice: data governance, clear purposes, retention periods, risk analysis, a possible DPIA, and hosting choices aligned with your compliance and reversibility requirements.
Conclusion & Cohesium Support
The "Osez l’IA" initiative is a real opportunity for leaders who want to move forward without burning through budget. But the real question is not whether to do AI: it is how to do the right AI, in the right place, with the right level of security and the right ROI.
Rather than improvising, Cohesium AI can support you with a "Pre-Diagnostic & Post-Diagnostic Osez l’IA" Package: a rapid assessment of your AI maturity, business priority framing, a critical review of the Bpifrance diagnostic, a 12–24 month roadmap, and the design of your first implementation scenarios (automation, RAG, AI agents, hosting, compliance, architecture).