An entrepreneurs’ network in Lyon is an organisation that brings together business leaders from the metropolitan area to exchange ideas, receive training, defend their interests or refer business to one another. The landscape in Lyon comprises employers’ organisations, networks of business leaders, referral networks, support schemes for start-ups and neighbourhood clubs, each with its own audience, pace and rules.
This article lists the organisations in Lyon that we have been able to verify via their official websites and the information they publish about themselves, along with a guide to choosing the right one. It does not provide a ranking: a good network is one that meets your expectations.
What types of entrepreneurial networks can be found in Lyon?
Before comparing names, it is important to distinguish between different categories. They do not all serve the same purpose.
- Employers’ organisations represent businesses in dealings with public authorities, keep their members informed and organise meetings.
- Executives’ networks focus on the role of the executive: sharing experience, training and gaining perspective.
- Business referral networks have the explicit aim of generating turnover amongst members.
- Support networks help business founders and buyers, often by providing interest-free loans.
- Local business clubs bring together businesses from a particular district or business park.
- Institutional bodies, such as the Chamber of Commerce, offer events and services without being clubs in the strict sense.
Employers’ organisations: MEDEF Lyon-Rhône and Les Entrepreneurs du Rhône
MEDEF Lyon-Rhône describes itself as the ‘leading network of entrepreneurs in the department’. Its ‘Animer’ section outlines several types of meeting: a welcome breakfast for new members, lunches that ‘bring together around ten business leaders’ with the president and the chief executive, and ‘Entr’Adhérents’ evenings (source: MEDEF Lyon-Rhône website, accessed 22 October 2026). In addition, there are working groups and committees, which are useful for those wishing to get involved in local economic life.
The CPME changed its name in 2026 to become Les Entrepreneurs (source: CPME Auvergne-Rhône-Alpes, 2026). In the department, the organisation is now called Les Entrepreneurs du Rhône. It is aimed at micro-enterprises, SMEs, craftspeople, retailers, the self-employed and independent professionals, and claims to have carried out ‘667 initiatives benefiting nearly 5,900 business leaders’ in 2025 (source: LyonMag, 13 March 2026).
These two organisations are not business clubs: their core business remains representing and serving their members. However, their events are one of the simplest ways to meet business leaders from other sectors.
Executives’ networks: CJD Lyon Métropole and FCE Lyon-Rhône
The Centre des Jeunes Dirigeants (CJD), an association founded in 1938, has a Lyon Métropole branch, as shown on the map on its website. The organisation states that its 131 branches offer “a themed plenary session every month” and that membership requires an annual subscription fee, the amount of which is not published on this page (source: cjd.net, accessed 22 October 2026). An important point for anyone looking for clients: the CJD’s charter commits its members to “refrain from using the CJD network for commercial or financial purposes”. It is a place for professional development, not for canvassing.
The Lyon-Rhône branch of FCE (Femmes Chefs d’Entreprises) brings together female business owners and senior executives from the Rhône region. Its meetings are held monthly and focus on ‘a topical economic issue’; they also provide an opportunity to meet economic decision-makers from the Greater Lyon area (source: FCE France website, accessed 22 October 2026). The network promotes the representation of female leaders in economic bodies.
Business referral networks: BNI
BNI has a stated aim: “to help entrepreneurs and self-employed professionals grow their business” through referrals. Its rules are public: each group meets weekly, from 7.00 am to 9.30 am, all year round, and each member is the ‘sole representative of their profession’ within their group. The network claims to have over 17,000 members in France and French-speaking Belgium (source: BNI France, accessed 22 October 2026). Groups in Lyon can be found using the ‘Find a Group’ tool on the website, which displays a map of active groups, those being set up or those in the planning stage; we do not provide a specific figure for the groups in the metropolitan area, as the map is dynamic (source: BNI France, accessed 23 October 2026).
This format is suitable for those seeking a strong and regular commitment in exchange for a steady stream of referrals. It requires a weekly early-morning meeting in return.
Starting or taking over a business: Réseau Entreprendre Rhône
Réseau Entreprendre Rhône supports business founders and business takeovers through active business leaders, offering individual and group support and an interest-free loan of €30,000, increased to €60,000 for innovative projects. The association reports having supported 804 businesses since 1992 and has 281 volunteer business mentors and members (source: Réseau Entreprendre Rhône website, accessed on 22 October 2026). For an established business owner, it is also a way of joining a network by becoming a mentor.
Are you primarily looking for clients or trusted service providers rather than mentoring? Create your account on MisterBridge: your profile is pre-filled by AI using data from your website, and you’ll be visible to businesses in your club and, with global access, across the entire platform, showcasing what you do best.
Local business clubs: districts and business parks
Lyon has business clubs operating at the borough level. CLE7, the Lyon Business Club of the 7th, is a non-profit organisation established in 2015 under the 1901 Act. It organises meetings, maintains a directory of its members, runs Mobility and CSR committees, and aims to ‘encourage mutual referrals’ between local businesses (source: CLE7 website, accessed 22 October 2026). Other arrondissements have or have had their own clubs: the local press mentions, for example, the CE9 in the 9th arrondissement, and registers of associations list clubs in the 3rd and 6th arrondissements. We have not found any up-to-date official websites for them: please check that a club is still active before contacting it (source: Le Journal des Entreprises, accessed 23 October 2026).
To the west, Techlid is the economic hub of western Greater Lyon, part of the Lyon Metropolis. It is not a club: it offers a business directory, an HR centre, a newsletter and an events calendar for businesses in its area (source: Techlid website, accessed 22 October 2026).
Finally, the Lyon Métropole Saint-Étienne Roanne Chamber of Commerce and Industry (CCI) is a public body: its events and services are aimed at all businesses within its jurisdiction. The partner clubs of the metropolitan area’s professional sports clubs are another point of entry, provided one becomes a partner.
Comparative table of entrepreneur networks in Lyon
| Organisation | Type | Target audience | Frequency of updates | Published membership fee |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MEDEF Lyon-Rhône | Employers’ organisation | Businesses of all sizes in the Rhône region | Breakfasts, lunches and evening events throughout the year | Not published |
| The Entrepreneurs of the Rhône | Employers’ organisation | Micro-businesses, SMEs, craftspeople, self-employed | Unpublished | Unpublished |
| CJD Lyon Métropole | Association of business leaders | Business leaders, commercial use excluded | Monthly plenary meeting | Annual, amount unpublished |
| FCE Lyon-Rhône | Association of female executives | Women business owners and senior executives | Monthly meeting | Not published |
| BNI | International referral network | Entrepreneurs, self-employed professionals | Weekly, 7.00 am – 9.30 am | Not published |
| Réseau Entreprendre Rhône | Support association | Start-ups, business takeovers; volunteer managers | Individual and group support | Unpublished |
| CLE7 | District club | Businesses in the 7th arrondissement | Events calendar | Not published |
| Techlid | Institutional | Businesses in western Lyon | Events calendar | Not applicable |
‘Not published’ means that the amount does not appear on the pages viewed: please enquire about it when you make contact.
How to choose your business network in Lyon?
- Define your objective. Clients, service providers, gaining perspective, representation, project funding: each type of network serves a different purpose.
- Assess the time you have available. A weekly meeting at 7 am does not come at the same cost as a monthly plenary session or a quarterly evening event.
- Read the rules. Exclusivity by profession, a ban on canvassing, compulsory attendance: these set out what the network expects of you.
- Ask about the total cost. Membership fees, admission fees, meals, events.
- Attend as a guest. Seeing a meeting from the inside is better than any brochure.
- Set yourself a milestone. Before renewing, take stock of what the network has brought you.
And between meetings, how do you find the right contact?
A network thrives above all between meetings: that’s when a member looks for a chartered accountant, a subcontractor or a specific client. Some networks have their own tools, whilst others rely on messages and word of mouth.
MisterBridge is an option for such occasions. The platform connects entrepreneurs’ clubs, professional networks and business sports clubs. You can search for businesses by skill and by town (within your club, or across the whole platform with global access); you’ll know who’s registered for an event once you’ve registered yourself; and you can post a request: companies with the relevant skills are notified, and you’ll receive up to five replies, including the name of the member who recommended the professional when they’ve been suggested. Posting a request only requires an account – you don’t need to be a club member; if your club is on the platform, you can join it using its code.
To get started, create your account or, if you already have one, log in. Discover MisterBridge for businesses too: the network of your networks, in Lyon and beyond.
