PACT'Performance Maroc PME: 80% Consulting Grant for Moroccan SMEs
Comprehensive guide to the PACT'Performance grant by Maroc PME (2026): 80% co-financing for business consulting and expertise up to 1,000,000 MAD, eligibility and simulator.
The PACT'Performance programme is a premier Moroccan public grant administered by the National Agency for the Promotion of SMEs (Maroc PME) under the PACTE TPME framework (2026-2030). It provides an 80% non-reimbursable grant covering technical expertise and management consulting costs, capped at 1,000,000 MAD. Eligible beneficiaries include Moroccan-registered commercial companies with an annual turnover under 200 million MAD, as well as early-stage startup ventures under one year.
What is the PACT'Performance Programme?
PACT'Performance is the primary advisory grant in Morocco's national PACTE TPME 2026-2030 strategy. It is engineered to upgrade SME competitiveness by co-funding professional consulting missions in operational excellence, digital transformation, and financial structuring.
The programme does not provide bank loans or subsidize physical equipment. It strictly covers specialized technical consulting, strategic diagnostics, and process optimization.
Who is Eligible for the Grant?
According to Maroc PME regulations, eligible entities include:
- ✅ Moroccan commercial corporations: SARL, SARL-AU, SA, and SAS legally registered in Morocco.
- ✅ Production cooperatives: provided they conduct transformation and industrial processing activities.
- ✅ Established SMEs: generating an annual turnover (excl. taxes) up to 200 million MAD.
- ✅ Early-stage startup companies (< 1 year old): projecting an annual turnover ≤ 200M MAD over their first three operating years.
- ✅ Economic Interest Groups (GIE) executing a joint competitiveness programme.
Ineligible Profiles & Express Exclusions
- ⚠️ Auto-entrepreneurs: not eligible under current PACT'Performance rules.
- ⚠️ Unincorporated sole proprietorships and individuals.
- ⚠️ Subsidiaries of corporate groups with consolidated turnover exceeding 200M MAD.
- ⚠️ Agricultural, consumer, or service cooperatives without industrial transformation.
Eligible Advisory Domains
✅ Eligible Services (Advisory)
- Pillar 1: Investment project structuring and financial coaching for access to debt/equity.
- Pillar 2: Digital transformation, AI integration, ERP systems, and cybersecurity.
- Pillar 3: Productivity enhancement, lean manufacturing, and supply chain logistics.
- Pillar 4: Marketing strategy, commercial development, and export readiness.
- Pillar 5: Corporate governance and organizational restructuring.
❌ Excluded Expenses (Non-Eligible)
- Procurement of industrial machinery, equipment, or vehicles (capex).
- Real estate acquisition, construction, or civil engineering work.
- Working capital financing (BFR) or debt refinancing.
- Taxes, customs duties, and Value Added Tax (VAT).
PACT'Performance Grant Simulator (80%)
Simulate the 80% co-financing grant and the indicative company remaining share in real time.
Educational Scenarios (Calculated Examples)
Scenario 1: Established SME (SARL with 20M MAD Turnover)
Mature operating company (7 years old) requesting a 300,000 MAD consulting mission to digitalize shop-floor operations.
Scenario 2: Early-Stage Venture (< 1 Year Old, 10M MAD Projected Turnover)
New startup requesting 150,000 MAD financial coaching to structure its bank debt application.
An established company looking to scale… but conflating equipment finance with advisory grants
Initial Situation: A recurring scenario in our practice: an established operating firm wants to execute an internal transformation, digitize key workflows, and upgrade operations, viewing the entire project as a single, uniform financing need.
Mokawala Intervention: Our advisory starts by dissecting the capital requirement: identifying physical equipment versus consulting and technical expertise, isolating what qualifies for public grant support, and structuring what requires bank credit or equity. We then formalize the terms of reference (TDR), documentation, budget, and submission pathway prior to formal filing.
The objective of this engagement is to prevent founders from filing for the wrong programme, ensuring a structured, coherent, and defensible application for funding committees.
The essential question is never 'How much grant can I get?' but rather 'What specific components need financing, and what is the exact institutional tool suited for each?'
🛡️ Composite case based on real advisory files handled by the firm, with details modified to preserve confidentiality.
Application Route & Advisory Preparation
🏛️ Official Administrative Submission:
All dossiers must be submitted through Maroc PME's official portal: candidatures.marocpme.gov.ma. Contractualisation, evaluation, project delivery, and grant disbursement are strictly governed by official regulations and the approved grant agreement.
📋 Recommended Advisory Preparation (Mokawala Framework)
- 🔹 Internal Diagnostic: Identify precise operational bottlenecks prior to requesting quotations.
- 🔹 Terms of Reference (TDR): Draft comprehensive scope specifications with defined milestones and deliverables.
- 🔹 Consultant Vetting: Obtain quotations from proven consulting practices with verified references.
- 🔹 Legal & Fiscal Readiness: Assemble updated commercial register documents and clean tax clearance certificates.
Indicative Document Checklist
Indicative preparatory checklist; final mandatory documentation depends on formal portal requirements:
- 📄 Commercial Register extract (Modèle J) under 3 months old.
- 📄 Updated Articles of Association (Statuts).
- 📄 Certified financial statements for recent fiscal years (or forward business plan for early-stage ventures).
- 📄 Tax and social security clearance certificates (DGI / CNSS).
- 📄 Detailed Terms of Reference (TDR) and quotes from chosen consulting firms.
Common Rejection Causes & Operational Risks
⚠️ Statutory rejection criteria:
- • Turnover exceeding the 200 million MAD statutory limit.
- • Ineligible legal form (individual or auto-entrepreneur status).
- • Advisory scope falling outside approved thematic pillars.
⚠️ Operational pitfalls:
- • Generic TDRs lacking quantifiable deliverables or KPIs.
- • Inflated consulting quotations deviating from market rates.
- • Commencing consulting missions prior to formal approval and agreement execution.
“Adil Miftah’s view: before focusing on the 80% rate, separate physical investment from the advisory mission. PACT'Performance supports expertise and transformation, not machinery purchases.”
“In advisory work, the file becomes stronger when the company first defines the problem to solve and the result it wants, before selecting the consultant or programme.”
Alternative & Complementary Mechanisms
🔄 PACT'Qualité
Focuses on quality certification, food safety, and compliance standards (up to 400,000 MAD).
🔄 Moroccan Investment Charter
Co-finances physical capex, factories, and equipment investments exceeding 1M MAD.
🔄 Tamwilcom Guarantees
Provides public guarantees covering bank investment and working capital loans.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
Can early-stage ventures (Amorçage) access PACT'Performance?
Yes, according to official criteria: newly formed companies (< 1 year old) forecasting annual revenue under 200 million MAD in their 3-year business plan qualify.
Does the programme finance feasibility studies and financial coaching?
Pillar 1 explicitly covers project structuring and financial coaching for funding access. Specific feasibility studies or business plans must align with qualifying advisory scope and formal agency approval.
What is the distinction between PACT'Performance and PACT'Qualité?
PACT'Qualité finances quality certifications up to 400,000 MAD, whereas PACT'Performance focuses on operational productivity, digital transformation, AI, and financial engineering up to 1,000,000 MAD.
Are auto-entrepreneurs eligible?
No. Official criteria currently require registered corporate entities, production cooperatives, or economic groups. Auto-entrepreneurs and unincorporated individuals are not eligible.
Structure your PACT'Performance Dossier
Get strategic guidance on terms of reference and eligibility audit before formal submission.