Funding employee training in France: OPCO, CPF, retraining (2026)

Where does training money come from?

Every company pays a vocational training contribution (CFP). According to Urssaf, the agency that collects social contributions, the rate is 0.55% of pay for employers with fewer than 11 employees and 1% from 11 employees upward. A specific contribution also applies to employees on fixed-term contracts (CPF-CDD).

Since 1 January 2022, Urssaf (and the MSA for the agricultural scheme) has collected these contributions through the monthly payroll declaration (DSN), in place of the OPCOs. France compétences, the national funding and regulation body, centralises a large share of the money and redistributes it to fund the training of the working population. Since 1 January 2026, some branches have also asked Urssaf to collect their collectively agreed training contributions.

Paying the contribution does not create an equivalent "drawing right": what a company can get back depends on its size and on the scheme used.

What does the OPCO fund, and for which companies?

The OPCO manages three financial sections (Article L6332-3 of the French Labour Code): work-study contracts, skills development for companies with fewer than 50 employees, and retraining periods.

For a company with fewer than 50 employees, the OPCO can cover actions in the skills development plan (training fees, the trainee's pay, related costs), top-ups to CPF accounts and support diagnostics (Article L6332-17). Each OPCO's board sets the conditions and priorities for funding, so ceilings differ from one OPCO to another. The procedures and the list of the eleven OPCOs are covered in OPCO funding: procedures, conditions and the list of the 11 OPCOs.

From 50 employees upward, the skills development plan is funded from the company's budget, unless the branch has set up a collectively agreed contribution. The OPCO can still be used for work-study contracts and retraining periods.

One condition applies to OPCO, CPF and public funding alike: the training provider must hold the national quality certification (Qualiopi), under Article L6316-1.

How does the CPF work in 2026?

The CPF of an employee working at least half-time is credited with €500 a year, up to a ceiling of €5,000. The amount rises to €800 a year (ceiling €8,000) for employees without a CAP or BEP-level qualification and for certain groups, including disabled workers.

Since 2 April 2026, account holders pay a flat contribution of €150 per course (Decree No. 2026-234 of 30 March 2026), up from €103.20 on 1 January 2026. It does not apply to jobseekers, or when the employer tops up the account.

The 2026 Finance Act also restricted some uses: since February 2026, a light-vehicle driving licence can only be funded with a co-financing of at least €100 (except for jobseekers), skills assessments are capped at €1,600 of rights, and certifications in the "specific register" at €1,500, according to Service-public.gouv.fr.

The employer can top up an employee's CPF, under a collective agreement or on its own initiative. A top-up exempts the employee from the flat contribution. Top-ups are also mandatory in some cases, including the €3,000 top-up linked to the career review interview in companies with at least 50 employees (see Career review interview: obligations and risks).

What is the retraining period that replaces Pro-A?

Law No. 2025-989 of 24 October 2025 replaced retraining or promotion through work-study (Pro-A) with the retraining period, from 1 January 2026. Pro-A arrangements whose contract amendment was signed before that date remain under the old rules.

The retraining period leads to a recognised qualification, one or more skills blocks, or the core knowledge and skills certificate. It can be:

• internal: the employment contract continues, pay is unchanged, and a written agreement sets out the terms;
• external: the contract is suspended and the employee joins another company on a permanent contract or a fixed-term contract of at least six months, with a probation period and a right to return if not confirmed.

Training lasts between 150 and 450 hours over no more than twelve months; a company or branch agreement can extend this to 2,100 hours over thirty-six months. The OPCO funds training fees at the levels set by the branches, within the allocation paid by France compétences. With the employee's consent, the CPF can top up the funding: up to half of the employee's rights for an internal retraining period, without limit for an external one.

The career transition project

The career transition project (PTP, also called "CPF de transition") is an employee-led move to a new occupation. As a rule, it requires two years of salaried work, including one year in the company for a permanent contract. The funding request is examined by the regional joint interprofessional committee, known as Transitions Pro. The employer must answer the leave request within 30 days and can postpone the start by up to nine months.

Does FNE-Formation still exist in 2026?

FNE-Formation is State co-funding managed by the OPCOs, which examine the applications. The latest national framework we were able to consult is the instruction of 30 April 2024: priority to the ecological, digital, food and demographic transitions, with co-funding of 70% for a small company, 60% for a medium-sized one and 50% for a large one.

As of 10 October 2026, we found no official text opening an FNE-Formation round for 2026. Before building a funding plan on this scheme, ask your OPCO whether it has any budget for it.

What about artificial intelligence training?

No scheme is reserved for AI: AI training is funded under the same rules as any other training (OPCO for companies under 50 employees, CPF, retraining period), provided the provider is certified. Article 4 of the EU AI Act requires companies to take measures to develop their staff's AI literacy; its requirements are set out in AI Act Article 4: what your company needs to put in place.

Summary table

Scheme	For whom	Main condition	Who pays
Skills development plan	Company with fewer than 50 employees	Certified provider, OPCO criteria	OPCO, within its ceilings
Skills development plan	Company with 50 employees or more	No statutory OPCO funding	Employer (and any branch contribution)
CPF	Employee	€150 contribution unless the employer tops up	Employee's rights, possible employer top-up
Retraining period	Employee retraining internally or externally	150 to 450 hours over 12 months (extendable by agreement)	OPCO, with CPF as a complement
Career transition project	Employee changing occupation	Length of service, approved application	Transitions Pro
FNE-Formation	Company	No 2026 round identified	State via the OPCO (2024 framework)