CPF, apprenticeships, Impulsion IA: what the 2027 budget changes for training providers

The 2027 finance bill, tabled on 1 October 2026, reforms the CPF (France's personal training account) and apprenticeship funding. A week earlier, the Ministry of Labour launched Impulsion IA, a 12-measure plan to train the workforce in artificial intelligence. For training providers and CFAs (apprentice training centres), both texts point the same way: fewer funded courses, better targeted.

CPF: what Article 89 provides

Since 2 April 2026, anyone using their CPF pays a mandatory co-payment of 150 euros (decree no. 2026-234 of 30 March 2026). Article 89 of the 2027 finance bill creates a surcharge on this co-payment by amending Article L. 6323-7 of the Labour Code.

The surcharge does not apply to jobseekers. For other account holders, it does not apply either when the training falls into one of these cases:

1. Co-funding. Some courses funded by a third party, for at least the amount of the co-payment.
2. Certain non-training actions. Notably the validation of prior experience (VAE) and skills assessments.
3. A career transition. Courses taken as part of a professional transition project.
4. A shortage occupation or a priority sector. Certifications leading directly to an occupation facing recruitment shortages, or to a priority sector: defence, industry, food sovereignty, ecological transition, digital, health and social care. The course must also match the professional project declared by the account holder.

A decree will set the criteria, and an order of the minister in charge of vocational training will publish the list of eligible certifications. The amount of the surcharge is not written into the law: it will be set by regulation. According to Les Echos, it could reach 350 euros.

The explanatory memorandum describes the mechanism. Before using their CPF, account holders will fill in a training project questionnaire: objectives, job prospects, link with their career, funding. If the project is well defined and targets a shortage occupation or a strategic sector, nothing changes. Otherwise, they may be referred to a career guidance adviser (CEP), or pay a higher co-payment.

The budgetary stake is explicit. The CPF reform and the change in France compétences' missions are meant to cut the operator's spending by 667 million euros in 2027, including 350 million from the CPF. The State will pay no grant to France compétences in 2027. To limit anticipatory purchases, some provisions would apply retroactively from 1 October 2026.

Apprenticeships: what Article 88 provides

Article 88 reorganises the supplementary funding of CFAs:

• A national CFA support fund. Run by the State and funded by France compétences, it will intervene in a targeted way when a CFA in difficulty delivers priority training for a region or a sector. A decree will set the criteria.
• The end of the regional skills investment pacts (PRIC). No new commitments from 31 December 2026.
• The removal of regional operating and investment envelopes for CFAs. They amounted to 33 million euros in 2026.
• A single digital platform. It will receive apprenticeship and professionalisation contracts, and will also be used to detect fraud.

Per-contract funding, paid by the skills operators (OPCOs), remains the foundation of the CFA model.

Impulsion IA: AI becomes a CPF priority

Presented on 22 September 2026, Impulsion IA 2027 commits more than 80 million euros for the coming year. The plan aims to reach more than 30 million people. According to the ministry, AI use by French companies tripled between 2023 and 2025, yet only 21% of employees have received AI training in a professional setting.

Four measures directly concern training providers:

• AI becomes a CPF priority. Co-funding options for AI training will be extended.
• A national State certification in AI, developed with Afpa and ANSSI.
• Ready-made pathways for CFAs and apprentices, with new financial support for CFAs to train in AI-related skills.
• A public platform, Explore IA, open to all, for introduction and further learning.

What this changes for a training provider

Our reading of the texts, for training providers and CFAs:

1. A catalogue is judged by the certification it targets. A certifying course leading to a shortage occupation or a priority sector keeps the standard price for the learner. Others will cost them more. The list published by order becomes a strategic document.
2. Co-funding becomes a sales argument. A course partly funded by the employer or another third party escapes the surcharge. Offers built with companies and sectors gain weight.
3. The professional project matters as much as the course. With the preparation questionnaire, a provider that helps candidates state their project and checks the fit of the course secures its enrolments.
4. Introductory AI training will be covered by the public offer. With Explore IA and ready-made pathways for CFAs, a provider's value shifts to job-specific uses and to certification.
5. CFAs depend more on per-contract funding. Without PRIC or regional envelopes, the only supplementary support will be the national fund, reserved for priority training.

How to prepare

1. Map your catalogue. For each course, note the target certification (RNCP or Répertoire spécifique), the occupation, the sector and the possible co-funding.
2. Follow the decree and the order. They will set the criteria, the list of eligible certifications and the amount of the surcharge.
3. Build co-funded offers. With companies, sectors and skills operators.
4. Equip the start of training. Measure each candidate's skills and project before enrolment, and keep a record.
5. Reposition your AI offer. Move from general introduction to certifying job-specific uses, and follow the future State certification.
6. For a CFA, measure your dependence. Assess the share of your resources coming from PRIC and regional envelopes.

Key takeaways

• The 2027 finance bill has not been voted yet: its content may change during the parliamentary debate.
• Article 89 adds a surcharge to the CPF co-payment, except for jobseekers, co-funded courses, career transitions and certifications linked to shortage occupations or priority sectors.
• The amount of the surcharge will be set by decree; Les Echos mentions 350 euros.
• Article 88 creates a national CFA support fund and ends PRIC and regional envelopes.
• Impulsion IA makes AI a CPF priority and creates a national State certification.

How Mentivis can help

Mentivis is a consulting and implementation firm specialising in vocational training and education. In response to these reforms, we work on five areas:

• Catalogue review. We assess each course against shortage occupations, priority sectors and possible co-funding, and prioritise the changes.
• Certifications. We design and register your certifications with the RNCP or the Répertoire spécifique: RNCP certification.
• Corporate offers. We build co-funded offers and corporate academies: corporate academy.
• CFAs and quality. We support CFA creation and Qualiopi certification.
• AI and skills measurement. We integrate AI into your pathways: AI in training. Our platform MentivisOS measures each candidate's skills at entry and generates an individual pathway. You document the fit between project and course, and produce evidence for Qualiopi and funders.

To review your catalogue, contact us.

Sources

• 2027 finance bill, no. 3210, Articles 88 and 89 and explanatory memoranda (National Assembly, 1 October 2026)
• Decree no. 2026-234 of 30 March 2026 on the mandatory co-payment for CPF-eligible training
• Service-public.fr, CPF: the mandatory flat-rate co-payment increases (updated 2 April 2026)
• Ministry of Labour, Impulsion IA: 12 measures (22 September 2026)
• Les Echos, CPF: employees will pay a surcharge of up to 350 euros (23 September 2026)

Further reading: creating a CPF-eligible course and training market figures.