Bike purchase grant in Nantes Métropole in 2026: up to 90% of the price depending on your family quotient

Checked on 16 October 2026 on Nantes Métropole's official "Aides à l'achat de vélo" page (last updated 16 March 2026) and the grid published on that page.

Nantes Métropole has chosen a different approach from most big French cities: instead of a small flat sum for everyone, a very strong "solidarity" grant for low incomes, calculated on the *family quotient (quotient familial, QF) used by the French family benefits office (CAF). The result: up to 90% of a bike's price covered, up to €800 for an e-bike and €1,500 for a cargo bike. And for the lowest QFs, the Métropole can advance the money directly to the bike shop*. The flip side: above a QF of 900, there's nothing.

Who can claim it?

• Adults living in the Nantes metropolitan area.
• Whose family quotient is 900 or less.
• One individual grant every 3 years.

The QF is the one shown on your CAF or MSA certificate. If the CAF doesn't know you, the Métropole calculates it from your latest French tax notice. Also accepted: the disabled adult allowance (AAH) certificate and the certificate giving access to reduced public transport fares.

The scale

The grant is a percentage of the price of bike + lock + marking (if bought at the same time), capped according to your QF:

Purchases must be made after 1 January 2023. Including the lock and marking in the base is a real plus: a good D-lock or chain at €80-120 is funded at the same rate as the bike, which hardly exists anywhere else. To choose one: our lock comparison.

Which bikes?

• New or used, but bought from bike professionals.
• E-bikes, cargo bikes, front-loaders, trikes, standard bikes and "special" (adapted) bikes.
• Approved conversion kits fitted by a professional.
• NF EN 15194 certificate required for e-bikes, folding bikes, electric cargo bikes and trikes, and kits; standard EN ISO 4210-2 for folding bikes.

Speed bikes are mopeds, not e-bikes: see our 25 vs 45 km/h article.

The advance to the bike shop: the really good idea

If your QF is 500 or less, you can get an advance paid directly to a partner bike shop of the Métropole. You only pay the difference, instead of paying the full price and waiting for reimbursement. That's exactly what other cities' grants lack, where a low-income household has to find €1,500 before receiving anything.

The list of partner bike shops is published as a PDF on the Métropole's page. If you want the advance, start there: a non-partner shop can't offer it.

Worked examples

For a household in the lowest QF band, a decent entry-level e-bike from a bike shop therefore costs a few hundred euros, lock included.

Step by step

1. Check your eligibility on aides-velo.nantesmetropole.fr (simulator and application).
2. If your QF is ≤ 500 and you want the advance, choose a partner bike shop.
3. Buy the bike (and the lock, the marking) from a professional, with a paid, named invoice less than a year old. A till receipt isn't enough.
4. Gather: ID, proof of address in the metropolitan area less than 3 months old, CAF/MSA certificate with your QF (or tax notice, AAH certificate, reduced-fare certificate), bank details (RIB), type-approval certificate.
5. Apply online. Dedicated helpline: 02 14 40 41 50, Monday to Friday 9am to 2pm (excluding public holidays).
6. The grant is paid by bank transfer once your file is approved.

All documents must show the same name and address: otherwise, rejection.

For professionals

Delivery riders, couriers, craftspeople, shopkeepers, repairers and home-care professionals working in the metropolitan area can get 30% of the price incl. VAT, up to €600 per bike and up to 10 bikes (notably cargo bikes with or without motor). Documents: SIRENE record or URSSAF certificate less than 3 months old, type approval.

Above a QF of 900?

Nothing from the Métropole. What remains:

• your employer's sustainable mobility allowance (forfait mobilités durables: €600 a year tax-free, €900 combined with the Naolib transit pass);
• possible grants from your town or the Pays de la Loire Region, which we couldn't verify for 2026;
• a well-chosen used bike, which often beats any grant: our 7 checks before buying a used e-bike.

The national context is summed up in our 2026 grants overview: no State bonus since February 2025.

What about electric two-wheelers?

Nantes Métropole's page offers no grant for individuals' electric scooters or motorbikes.

Choosing your bike

With a grant of up to €1,500, Nantes is one of the few metropolitan areas where a family cargo bike becomes affordable for a modest household: compare in our cargo bike guide and small front-load bikes. For solo use, the best city bikes of 2026.

Key points

• Solidarity grant reserved for QF ≤ 900: 30 to 90% of the price (bike + lock + marking).
• Caps: €150 (standard), €800 (e-bike or kit), €1,500 (cargo, trike, special).
• New or used from a professional, invoice less than a year old, one grant every 3 years.
• QF ≤ 500: direct advance to the partner bike shop.

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The Nantes grant accepts used bikes from a pro: if you're selling your current bike to trade up, value your bike first.