Yes, your OPCO can fund AI training, usually through the skills development plan, with coverage of teaching costs that often reaches 100 % for companies with fewer than 50 employees. The catch: you must file the request before the start date and pick a Qualiopi-certified provider.
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AI training for businesses in France costs between €350 and €3,300 ex. VAT per person in 2026, with up to 100% OPCO funding for SMEs under 50 employees. Since August 2, 2026, the EU AI Act requires every company using ChatGPT, Claude, or Copilot to guarantee minimum AI literacy across its teams, with sanctions up to €7.5M or 1.5% of global annual turnover. Here is how to design a truly operational, funded, and compliant program.
Yes, your OPCO can fund AI training, usually through the skills development plan, with coverage of teaching costs that often reaches 100 % for companies with fewer than 50 employees. The catch: you must file the request before the start date and pick a Qualiopi-certified provider. Here is the step-by-step playbook, scheme by scheme, to turn a training budget into AI skills your teams actually use. This article complements our complete guide to AI training for business.
An OPCO, or skills operator, is the state-approved body that collects part of your training contribution and redistributes it as funding. Since 2019, France has had 11 OPCOs, each covering a set of professional branches: AFDAS for culture and media, ATLAS for banking, insurance and consulting, Constructys for construction, OPCO EP for local businesses, Uniformation for social cohesion and many non-profits, and so on.
Your OPCO is not a choice: it is set by your collective bargaining agreement, and therefore by your IDCC code. A communications agency falls under AFDAS, an accounting firm under ATLAS, a home-care association under Uniformation. To find yours in two minutes, locate your IDCC on a payslip, then match it against the correspondence table published by the Ministry of Labour. This is the OPCO that will fund, or not, your plan to upskill on generative AI.
For an SME, the simplest way to fund AI training is the skills development plan, managed directly by the employer, with no action required from the employee. The company decides to train one or more people, selects the provider, then requests funding from its OPCO. No personal account, no external employee validation is needed.
The skills development plan primarily funds the teaching costs of the training: trainer fees, materials, platform, support and assessment. For organisations with fewer than 50 employees, some OPCOs add partial coverage of employee pay during training time, along with ancillary costs such as travel or accommodation, according to each branch's own scales. This is the lever we use most often for our clients, whether for a two-day operational AI training or a broader programme.
The smaller your company, the higher the funding rate: businesses with fewer than 50 employees are the big winners under OPCO scales. Amounts remain capped by hourly ceilings set freely by each OPCO, generally between 18 and 45 € per hour and per participant. Above the ceiling, the excess stays with the company. The table below summarises the orders of magnitude we observe in 2026.
| Company size | Main scheme | Coverage of teaching costs |
|---|---|---|
| Fewer than 11 employees | Skills development plan | Up to 100 %, within hourly ceilings |
| 11 to 49 employees | Skills development plan | Often 50 to 100 %, depending on branch |
| 50 to 299 employees | Skills development plan or co-funding | Usually 30 to 70 % |
| 300 employees and more | Internal training budget | Residual or no OPCO coverage |
These ranges vary from one OPCO to another and from year to year, since each operator publishes its own scales by category of action. Before signing a quote, always ask your OPCO for the scale that applies to your branch for an AI action. To compare budgets, our article on the cost of AI training for business breaks down market prices.
To be funded, your AI training must be a legally defined training action, delivered by a Qualiopi-certified provider. Qualiopi certification is not optional: without it, no public or pooled funding is possible, OPCO included. It is the first filter to apply when comparing providers.
Beyond certification, the file must present a structured action: clear learning objectives, a detailed syllabus, assessment methods and a certificate of completion. A simple awareness talk or a self-service platform access rarely passes the filter. If you are weighing several providers, our nine criteria to choose an AI training provider will help you secure both quality and eligibility. Consider pairing the training with a prior AI audit, which makes the programme far more relevant.
The golden rule of OPCO funding fits in one sentence: the funding request is filed before the first day of training. OPCOs almost always reject files submitted after the fact. Plan ahead, because processing times range from 3 to 6 weeks depending on the operator and the time of year.
The typical journey unfolds in five steps:
On cash flow, most OPCOs pay the training provider directly, sparing the SME from fronting the money. Check this point from the quote stage, as some branches still work on a reimbursement basis.
OPCO funding is not the only lever: it combines with the employee's personal training account and, at times, with public or European co-funding. The skills development plan sits with the employer, while the personal training account belongs to the employee, who can use it on their own initiative for an AI certification. The two logics can complement each other within the same programme.
Take a concrete example. An SME with 8 employees trains 4 staff in operational AI, for a quote of 6,000 € excluding tax. Its OPCO covers teaching costs at 100 %, within a ceiling of 40 € per hour and per participant. Over two days, that is 14 hours, so the ceiling covers 14 x 40 x 4, namely 2,240 € for the reference group; depending on the calculation method used by the OPCO, the net out-of-pocket cost can fall to a few hundred euros, or even to zero. This kind of simulation, specific to each file, drives the decision: it is exactly what we cost out before every start. When funding covers most of the bill, the real question becomes the return on investment of AI and change management, not the cost.
Note that state schemes dedicated to the digital transition change regularly, and co-funding may be available through your OPCO. Check the current conditions directly with your operator and with the official France compétences resources, rather than relying on figures seen on unofficial sites.
Since February 2025, EU Regulation 2024/1689, known as the AI Act, requires any organisation deploying AI systems to ensure a sufficient level of AI literacy among its teams. This AI literacy obligation, set out in Article 4 of the regulation, turns training into a compliance matter, not just a productivity one. Funding AI training through your OPCO therefore addresses two goals in a single move: upskilling and documenting your compliance.
This is an angle most SMEs overlook. A traceable training action, with syllabus, attendance and certificate, is precisely the kind of evidence expected to show that your staff understand the tools they use. To go further on the strategic benefits, read our analysis of why you should train your teams in AI in 2026, and factor in the time it takes to embed practices for good.
Can my OPCO fund AI training at 100 %? Yes, it is common for companies with fewer than 50 employees, on teaching costs and within your branch's hourly ceilings. Above the ceiling, the excess is yours to cover.
How do I know which OPCO I belong to? Your OPCO follows from your collective bargaining agreement. Find your IDCC code on a payslip, then match it against the Ministry of Labour's correspondence table, or ask your accountant.
Does the provider have to be Qualiopi-certified? Yes, it is mandatory. Without Qualiopi certification, no OPCO funding is possible, whatever the scheme.
Can I request funding after the training? No. The request must be filed and approved before the first day. OPCOs almost always reject files submitted once training has started.
How long does it take to get funding approval? Allow 3 to 6 weeks of processing in general, depending on the OPCO and the period. File your request at least a month before your intended start date.
Can the CPF top up OPCO funding? Yes. The skills development plan sits with the employer and the personal training account belongs to the employee. The two can combine, especially when the training leads to a CPF-eligible certification.
Is AI training mandatory under the AI Act? EU Regulation 2024/1689 has required, since February 2025, a sufficient level of AI literacy for teams deploying AI systems. Traceable training is the simplest way to meet this obligation.
GrowthPerf is a Qualiopi-certified training organisation specialising in AI, no-code and automation for SMEs and non-profits in the Paris region. In practice, we identify your OPCO, cost out your real out-of-pocket amount, build the funding file and design an eligible, hands-on programme, from AI training for business to a dedicated track for associations. You keep control of the schedule, while we secure both the funding and the compliance.
Want to know, with the numbers, how much your OPCO will cover? Request your free OPCO funding simulation: we send back a clear estimate of your out-of-pocket cost within 48 hours, with no commitment.
