Bredin Prat advises the “Anne and Frédéric Potter Endowment Fund for Education” on its conversion into a “foundation recognised as being of public interest”

Bredin Prat has advised the “Anne and Frédéric Potter Endowment Fund for Education” (fonds de dotation), and its founders, in connection with its conversion into a “foundation recognised as being of public interest” (fondation reconnue d’utilité publique). Its status as a public-interest foundation was confirmed by decree issued by the French Prime Minister dated 24 March 2026.

As part of the transformation, the new foundation is introducing a strengthened governance structure with a board of directors comprising key qualified individuals, members representing institutional partners from the scientific and academic world, including engineering schools CentraleSupélec and ENS Paris-Saclay, and a government commissioner.

Established in 2019 by Anne and Frédéric Potter, the “Anne and Frédéric Potter Endowment Fund for Education” aims to promote equal opportunity in accessing higher education in science by supporting deserving students from modest backgrounds. The Fund awards personalised grants to cover students’ essential needs and supports its recipients throughout their academic journey.

The purpose of changing status to become a “foundation recognised as being of public interest” is to consolidate and ensure the long-term sustainability of the Fund’s missions, as well as to enhance its credibility through official recognition by the State. This new status will also facilitate the development of strategic partnerships with other organisations involved in missions of public interest.

Since its creation, the Fund has already supported more than 150 students, several of whom have gone on to study at leading French science and engineering schools, notably Polytechnique, CentraleSupélec, ENS Saclay, ENS Lyon, Telecom Paris, Mines de Paris, ENSTA and ENPC.

The Bredin Prat team advising the Endowment Fund and its founders included:

• Corporate: Olivier Assant (partner) and Guilhaume Agbodjan