Sabrina Mostier opens her freezer with a smile. All the shelves are filled with pastries, which will soon be sold on the stalls of his bakery in Feuguerolles-Bully (Calvados), southwest of Caen. “Our old freezer was 25 years old. It had to be changed but the new equipment cost 20,000 euros. It was too much for us. We were able to do this thanks to the community of municipalities system,” explains the co-manager with her husband, Mickaël. Aid designed by the Orne and Odon Valleys, financed by regional funds and intended for local traders and craftsmen to support them in their work or investments.
“The system aims to support local businesses. We are aimed at those who have a public commercial space and who want to strengthen their production tool, whether it is the walls, the windows or even the equipment”, develops Vincent Joseph, the general director of services of the community of municipalities, who sees the grant as “a project accelerator”.
So, when Sabrina Mostier got her hands on a presentation booklet, she contacted the community at the beginning of the year. A quickly put together file later, the bakers received 10,000 euros, or half of the budget for the purchase of a freezer and two freezers, which have changed the life of the company since this summer: “In use, it there is no photo. It's more reassuring, easier to maintain, and you only turn on the freezer when you need it whereas before, it was always on. We have gained in operating comfort. »
This aid celebrates its first candle, even if the Orne and Odon Valleys have not yet been able to fully deploy it due to various obstacles behind the scenes, between local authorities. She hopes to reach more merchants based on the good feedback from the first concerned. Because, like the only bakery in Feuguerolles-Bully, it is the local economic fabric that the community of municipalities is targeting. A butcher's shop and a decoration store were, for example, supported.
The system provides for granting up to 60% of the total amount of work, with a ceiling of 23,000 euros. A determining amount, for small businesses. “We would have had to renew the equipment in stages, which would have been very restrictive, even unmanageable,” confides Sabrina. The community is investigating two new cases in this area on the outskirts of Caen, where the dynamism of town centers is an issue of attractiveness.
