Q&A of Junior-Enterprise

Do you want to use an EJ but are still hesitating? Here are 6 good reasons to call on us. 

• Quality : the “Junior-Enterprise” label is a real brand controlled by a national body. Each Junior-Enterprise has a heavy set of specifications, a guarantee of quality and efficiency, which is controlled every year during an audit. Some of them go even further, like ESCadrille, by passing certifications like ISO9001! In addition to this, each service offered is linked to the teachings of a higher education school (such as TBS, Top 10 business school in France, Top 50 worldwide). Thus, calling upon a JE also means benefiting from the entire faculty and academic quality of the school.
• Innovation : because they are student associations, you benefit from a fresh perspective on your project. At ESCadrille we carry out strategic monitoring of sectors (aerospace, robotics, etc.) or new themes (data science, industry 4.0, etc.) and even offer a digital transformation service.
• Availability and flexibility : with teams ranging from 20 to 80 people, the JEs have the resources to be available for their clients and to listen to their problems. Moreover, ESCadrille prioritises quality by assigning a different consultant to each study, so that the latter is 100% dedicated to the client.
• Network : the movement gathers nearly 200 associations, such an expansion that allows to benefit from several fields of expertise in a single study through inter-EJ subcontracting. ESCadrille’s additional asset is its international reach, with 7 exclusive partners across Europe through J7.
• Motivation : the only ambition of the JEs is to add educational value, i.e. to gain experience and put their theoretical knowledge to good use. Remember, these associations are economically oriented, but not for profit, and the dynamism shown by the students is unique to them.
• Attractive prices : considering our associative status and the fact that the studies are carried out by students, the studies are offered at much more competitive prices than those offered by professional consultancies.

There are four fundamental texts constituting the basis of the legal framework of the Junior-Enterprise :

• Waldeck-Rousseau Law of July 1st 1901 : which stipulates the most primary rules for an association and on which the CNJE bases itself to elaborate the “Junior-Enterprise” standard and the regulations applying to the movement.
  

  The association is the agreement by which two or more persons put in common, in a permanent way, their knowledge or their activity for a purpose other than to share profits.

• Bérégovoy’s letter (1984) : formalises the fiscal framework of the JE. As the Juniors provide paid services, they carry out an economic activity and make profits. In this context, they must be subject to VAT and have an intra-community VAT number issued by the Tax Centre. The remuneration paid is qualified as fees and the J.E. must complete the DAS2 (declaration of fees exceeding €1,200 net over a calendar year and fees exceeding €1,200 including VAT).

• The ministerial letter and decree of 1988 : which follows the trials of Mines Etudes et Projets (Junior-Enterprise of the Mines of Saint-Etienne) with the URSSAF. These texts specify the social framework of the Juniors. The Juniors must be established in a higher education institution and the studies carried out must be pedagogical (and thus in conformity with the teaching provided in the institution). Also, students must be affiliated to the Student Social Security Scheme (RSSE). The Junior, registered with URSSAF, also benefits from a specific contribution base for contributions (excluding AGS and unemployment). The unit of invoicing is the “Jour Etude Homme”.

• The ACOSS letter (2007) : which specifies that it is possible to carry out phases “without added educational value” provided that they are essential to the completion of a study (for example, the administration of questionnaires for a demand study). The pedagogical added value is then considered at the level of the whole movement and not at the level of the Junior Enterprises themselves.

   

The CNJE then uses these texts to adapt the laws and criteria to the “Junior-Enterprise” standard. Finally, the Juniors have to respect a code of ethics, which defines the fundamental rules. The respect of this code is checked during the annual audits. It is based on five points:

• 1. The members of a Junior Enterprise provide services in order to implement the lessons taught in their institution.

• 2. The lessons taught in the school result in a tangible and quality deliverable.

• 3. The administrators of the Junior ensure that the consultants and clients are accompanied in the course of the assignment in order to guarantee the successful completion of the assignment.

• 4. The documents relating to the students of the school taking part in an assignment are in order.

• 5. The Junior respects the opening rate in order to show the disinterested management of the association.

A Junior-Enterprise is an association entirely managed by students. They are therefore composed of a board (president, treasurer and general secretary at least) and of poles composed of managers and task managers, and with a specific activity. In the case of a big structure, the Junior-Enterprise may hire a person, for example for the administrative management. Each Junior-Enterprise has a different way of working : it is linked to the history of the Junior-Enterprise, to its environment (especially the pedagogical model of the school where the Junior-Enterprise is located), to its ambitions…

We can use the organisation of ESCadrille as an example. We are composed of 6 functional divisions (commercial division, communication division, audit & quality division, digital strategy division, international development division and treasury division) in addition to the office.

• The team is made up of students in Licence 3 and Master 1 who come exclusively from the Programme Grande Ecole (PGE) of Toulouse Business School. Each year, the team is renewed during the recruitment process in September/October, followed by an intense training period that lasts until January.
• Then, the “interviewers” (administration of the questionnaires) are recruited from among the school’s students.
• Finally, the consultants, who carry out the analysis phases of the studies, are TBS students who go through a recruitment and training process.

Several large companies support Junior-Enterprises and their Junior-Entrepreneurs in their activity and training. We distinguish premium partners from business partners. The CNJE has 4 premium partners :

• BNP Paribas, European leader in banking and financial services and one of the strongest banks in the world according to Standard & Poor’s, it is the oldest partner since it joined the CNJE in 2005.

Presides over the jury of the Prix d’Excellence, which rewards the best company in France ;
Partner of the Best Entrepreneur Support Award.

• ALTEN, world leader in engineering and technology consulting, is the second historical partner of the CNJE.

Presides over the jury for the Prix d’Excellence, which rewards the best company in France ;
Partner of the Best Engineering Study Award, which rewards the best engineering consulting approach ;
Partner of the Best Commercial Approach Award, which rewards the best commercial approach.

• EY, one of the world’s leading audit firms and a member of the Big Four, became a partner of the NCJE in 2014.

Presides over the jury of the Prix d’Excellence, which rewards the best company in France ;
Partner of the Best Consulting Study Award.

• ENGIE, the world’s third largest energy group, is the 4th partner of the CNJE.

Presides over the jury of the Excellence Award, which rewards the best company in France ;
Partner of the Commitment Prize..

And a business partner, Saint-Gobain, a historical French company with a 350-year history, which decided to get involved with Junior-Enterprises in 2016. This partnership takes a new turn in 2020 and becomes a «Partenariat Avenir».

The prizes are awarded by the CNJE and its partners at the National Winter Congress (in November) and the National Summer Congress (in May) and reward each of the processes or approaches of a Junior. 

Awards presented at the National Winter Congress :

• Alumni Award
• Best Business Approach Award
• Commitment Award
• CSR Award
• Business Development Award

Awards presented at the National Summer Congress :

• Award of Excellence
• Best Consulting Study Award
• Best Engineering Study Award
• Best Communication Strategy Award
• Best Entrepreneurial Support Award
• Best Newcomer Award

The competitions generally consist of the submission of a dossier and then a grand oral during the congress. In total, almost 200 organisations compete for these awards.

Every year a list of the 30 best Junior-Enterprises (the “L30”) is established by the CNJE. This list is based on the annual audit and thus gathers the structures with the most viable, solid and innovative processes.

• ESCadrille is a member of the L30 list every year since 2009.

The members of this list can then present the Excellence Award. The first test is the production of an activity report of about 15 pages in which the ambitions of the last mandate, the results of the current mandate and the future perspectives are presented. On the basis of this report, the 6 best Junior-Enterprises (the “L6”) are selected by the CNJE’s partners (BNP Paribas, Alten, EY, Engie).

The second test is then “the diagnosis”: the jury of the Excellence Award visits the premises of each Junior-Enterprise of the L6 to test it and evaluate the quality of its processes and studies. Four finalists (the “L4”) are then selected to take part in a “Grand Oral” in Paris. This last test aims to decide between the last 4 candidates and to name a finalist.

• ESCadrille, best Junior-Enterprise in 2011 and 2015
• ESCadrille, Best Business Junior-Enterprise in Europe in 2020 and 2021
• ESCadrille, Europe’s most committed Junior-Enterprise in 2021
• ESCadrille, best Communication Strategy in 2021

List of winners of the Excellence Award since 2010 : 

• 2010: Junior Supélec Stratégie (Supélec)
• 2011 : ESCadrille Toulouse Junior Conseil (Toulouse BS)
• 2012 : Skema Conseil Lille (Skema BS)
• 2013 : Centrale Lille Projets (Ecole Centrale de Lille)
• 2014 : Junior Supélec Stratégie (Supélec)
• 2015 : ESCadrille Toulouse Junior Conseil (Toulouse BS)
• 2016 : ETIC INSA Technologies (INSA Lyon)
• 2017 : Junior Supélec Technologies (Supélec)
• 2018 : ENSAE Junior Etudes (ENSAE ParisTech)
• 2019 : ETIC INSA Technologies (INSA Lyon)
• 2020 : Dauphine Junior Consulting (Paris Dauphine-PSL)
• 2021 : Junior CentraleSupélec (CentraleSupélec)

There is also the “J.E. of the Year” Award, given every year by JEE (Junior Enterprises Europe) and putting in competition every Junior-Enterprise in Europe (unlike the Excellence Award, exclusive to France). ESCadrille won this award in 2016, making it the best Junior Enterprise in Europe that year.

• Live a professional experience : the Junior-Enterprise is, without any doubt, the best way to boost one’s CV as soon as one arrives in a higher education school. Students have the opportunity to be trained by the associations (some of which have decades of expertise, such as ESCadrille which celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2018), but also by the partners of the movement during the different congresses and in the framework of partnerships.
• Being close to professionals : students have the opportunity to work for prestigious clients (such as Hermès, Zodiac Aerospace, CNES, GL Event… for ESCadrille’s Junior-Entrepreneurs) but also for local authorities, SMEs and entrepreneurs wishing to launch their project. 
• Go further in the teachings received in school : because studies give the possibility to put into practice the knowledge received even before having done internships or graduating. You can even go further by receiving training in specific areas not taught in school.
• Joining a competitive movement : everal times a year, JEs have the exciting opportunity to compete against others by presenting awards. There are national and international awards. It is also an opportunity to learn how to “sell” a structure, to pitch in front of full amphitheatres…
• Live a unique associative experience : joining a JE means joining the leading student movement in France, participating in regional, national and international events and congresses (and it is also an opportunity to travel!)
• Joining a big family : the association itself, but also the alumni network. Thus, joining ESCadrille means joining a family composed of more than 430 alumni still very much involved in the Junior.

Before starting a Junior Enterprise, you should make sure that no such structure exists in your higher education institution. Several structures operate in a similar way and provide the same type of service: they are called “non-movement” structures. The CNJE, in the framework of its 2020 strategy, aims to integrate them into the movement, so that they can benefit from the advantageous status of “Junior-Enterprise”.

It is advisable to get in touch with the “Integration” pole of the CNJE in order to receive the appropriate support (integration@cnje.org).

Then, there is a series of steps to climb which are represented by the different types of existing structures: the Junior-Creations, the Junior-Initiatives and the Junior-Enterprises. All these structures are registered trademarks at the National Institute of Intellectual Property (INPI):

• Junior-Création : this is the brand that groups all newly created structures. They are monitored by a project manager from the CNJE’s Integration Department who will accompany them in their development. Every 6 months (at the handover and mid-term) these structures receive a “Quality Visit”, carried out by an Auditor-Consultant who will advise them on their organisational and cash flow processes. They represented 25% of the movement in 2018.
• Junior-Initiative : which includes both Junior-Creations that have developed or Junior-Enterprises that have been demoted. Junior-Initiatives are also monitored by a member of the Integration Unit. The “Junior-Enterprise” brand transition is done at 12 months (i.e. one year during which the Junior has been “Junior-Initiative”) or 18 months. The Junior-Initiatives have to attend the Presidents’ General Assemblies (a gathering of all the Presidents of the French Junior-Enterprises which takes place five times a year), are audited during the handover, and are entitled to a quality visit at mid-term.
• Junior-Entreprise : last level, Junior-Initiatives have to perform an oral presentation in front of all Presidents during the General Assembly of Presidents (AGP) in order to obtain this mark in addition to a complete audit of their processes. This audit aims at controlling the respect of the rules applicable to Junior-Enterprises as well as advising them in their activity. The JEEs are no longer monitored by a member of the Integration Unit, and get the right to vote at the PGAs.

Following each audit, a sanction is issued (ranging from “Satisfactory” to “Deregistration”). It is the Trademark Committee, made up of members of the Board and the CNJE’s Audit Department, which awards the sanction, after consulting the grids and information gathered during the audit by the consultant auditors.