Francois-Xavier Testard-Vaillant

After university training in computer science (AI) (doctorate then accreditation to supervise research), after about ten years at the Ecole Normale Supérieure de Saint Cloud, then another ten years at the Quai d'Orsay as Scientific Attaché in Tokyo and then in Washington, I spent 20 years in EDF's R&D in France (economic intelligence), in China (investment and innovation) and finally in Brussels (with the community institutions).

During this last mission, I was in charge of processing and developing grant applications, whether at the European level (Horizon 2020 then Europe, LIFE, ERDF, etc.) or national level (ANR, BPI, etc.).

In 10 years, I helped secure several tens of millions of euros in grants for the EDF group.

Concurrently, as an evaluator for the European Commission within the framework of the Horizon program, I was able to analyze and process several hundred grant applications from SMEs and start-ups.

Since 2023, I have been Secretary General of the Manufacture Circulaire du Cotentin, a non-profit association aimed at promoting and implementing the upcycling of textiles, particularly professional clothing. In this context, I have contributed to the development of several grant applications.

Through these experiences, I have acquired solid know-how and significant experience ranging from identifying funding sources to developing a grant application, including building a consortium of partners when necessary.

Regardless of the context, I can work either with a fixed fee, or with a fixed fee associated with a success bonus, or finally, after analyzing the file, with remuneration exclusively based on obtaining the sought-after grant (a percentage of the grant amount).