The “flash fuel loan”, created at the beginning of April to support the cash flow of certain small businesses, will be extended to the construction sector, announced the Minister of the Economy Roland Lescure.
Publi-Information 
Until now reserved for farmers, fishermen, taxis and road hauliers, the “flash fuel loan” will now benefit construction and public works companies. A decision taken while the war in the Middle East continues to fuel energy tensions such as weakening sectors already under strong economic pressure.
Construction joins priority sectors in the face of the fuel crisis
The government finally opens the tap of aid to the construction industry
Guest of the show C à vous on France 5 this Monday, May 11, 2026, on Minister of Industry and Energy, Roland Lescureconfirmed theimminent expansion of the system to the construction sector.
According to him, the construction companies are also experiencing a sharp increase in their operating costsnotably through theincrease in fuel bills essential to the operation of machinery and construction sites. In fact, the “flash fuel loan”unveiled at the beginning of April, allows very small businesses and SMEs to quickly obtain financing ranging from 50,000 to 50,000 euros, with a rate set at 3.8% and without requiring a bank guarantee.
At this stage, the Ministry of the Economy indicates that 3.3 million euros have already been paid to companies in the sectors initially concerned. Several hundred additional files are currently being examined for a total amount of around 30 million euros.
Roland Lescure also announced that new aid for the month of June was in preparation and should be revealed in the coming days. © Magnific
Flash Fuel Loan: how it works
The mechanism has been accessible since April 13, 2026 via an online platform – the Flash digital platform – making it possible to quickly obtain financing without guarantee. Its main characteristics are as follows:
– loan amount between €5,000 and €50,000;
– Duration of 36 months with a capital repayment deferral of 12 months;
– Interest rate set at 3.8%;
– Payment of funds within seven days on average;
– No guarantee required from the borrower.
The loan will also be accessible in the Overseas Departments and Regions. © AC P.
Strict criteria to target the most fuel-dependent companies
THE Flash Fuel Loan is aimed exclusively at very small businesses and SMEs whoseactivity is strongly impacted by the increase in prices at the pump. To be able to benefit from it, companies must have been in existence for at least one year and be able to provide accounting documentation covering a minimum period of twelve months of activity.
The government is primarily targeting structures whose fuel expenses represent a significant part of their activitywith a threshold set at at least 5% of turnover.
Another condition imposed: companies must have a professional bank account and agree to give Bpifrance reading access to their latest bank statements in order to allow rapid analysis of the files.
The government is preparing a “scale” change in economic support
The executive now seems ready to considerably strengthen its arsenal of support in the face of a long-term energy crisis. Prime Minister Sébastien Lecornu must present this week new measures to support economic activity as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to fuel volatility in oil prices. Before the National Assembly, he had already warned that the government was going to have to “change magnitude and scale” in order to adapt support systems to the current economic situation.
In this context, the Ministry of Transport also announced the opening of a new aid window intended for public road transport companies in difficulty. This one-off subsidy will take the form of flat-rate aid per vehicle, between 70 and 500 euros depending on the categories concerned. Goods transport, passenger transport and even medical transport companies will be able to receive up to 60,000 euros in aid.
Charge deferrals and targeted aid
In addition to direct aid, the government points out that companies hardest hit by rising fuel prices can also benefit from deferrals of social security contributions and tax deadlines. The stated objective is clear: avoid a wave of economic weakening in sectors already facing a slowdown in activity and strong pressure on their margins.
For the construction industry in particular, where fuel represents an essential expense item for the daily operation of construction sites, theflash loan expansion appears to be an emergency measure intended to avoid a further surge in costs in a strategic sector for the French economy.
