Since 2002, the Talents des cités competition has given awards to 40 new businesses or business projects from the “hoods”. On the initiative of the Secretariat of State in charge of policy for cities in partnership with the Senate, the Inter-ministerial Delegation for Cities, the Caisse des Dépôts and the network of Small Business Promotion Agencies, it identifies two categories: Creation, for businesses and Emergence, for projects. Fadela Amara, Secretary of State for city policy in the Fillon government, sees it as a springboard offering, beyond a “different and positive vision of the suburbs”, help ” for local and social development” creating “a powerful and living network of professional sponsors”. After registration in the spring, the prizes are awarded at the French Senate in the fall: Regional “Creation” prize (€3,000) and “Emergence” prize (€1,500); National prizes: National prize (€7,000), Talents des Cités Grand Prize (€5,000), Special award for Talents des Cités (€5,000). Photographers and filmmakers, ecological construction companies and consultants in emerging tourism and cultural engineering have previous won awards. In November 2009, the ninth edition of Talents des cités will name its prizewinners.