Approval of training organisations for local elected representatives

Any public or private body, whatever its legal status — training provider, association of elected officials, consultancy, university — wishing to train municipal, inter-municipal, departmental and regional councillors.

What this scheme covers

• C.1The right to deliver training linked to the exercise of the mandate — the only training chargeable to local authorities' compulsory training budget.
• C.2Access to the individual training-rights fund for local elected officials (DIFE), managed by the Caisse des dépôts et consignations and drawn on by elected officials from their Mon Compte Élu account.
• C.3A national approval: it is valid throughout France, whatever the client authority and whatever the department where the file was processed.
• C.4A thematic scope: courses offered under the DIFE must relate to the eligible themes of the directory approved by the minister on the CNFEL's proposal.

The link with Qualiopi

The two schemes stack: the approval confers the right to train elected officials, while Qualiopi conditions public and pooled funding. An exemption exists for providers whose training activity is exclusively aimed at local elected officials and whose annual income from local authorities and the DIFE fund stays below 150,000 euros.

The process, summarised

1. 1.Assemble the approval application: presentation of the organisation and its articles, training programmes, teaching resources, and the qualifications and track record of the trainers.
2. 2.File the application with the prefect of the department where the organisation's main establishment is located; the prefect forwards it to central government for processing.
3. 3.Await the opinion of the CNFEL, which must be consulted on every application and renewal, then the decision of the minister for local authorities.
4. 4.Once the approval is notified, apply to the Caisse des dépôts for listing on Mon Compte Élu in order to offer DIFE-eligible courses.
5. 5.Apply for renewal at least three months before expiry: the first approval lasts two years and renewals four years; without an application the approval simply lapses.