ESA France I²FA Scholarships 2027–2029 Open: Company-Sponsored Master’s for 14 Countries
A career in food production can begin in a laboratory, on a farm or inside a processing plant. ESA’s I²FA Company-Sponsored Master’s Programme 2027–2029 offers a route that brings technical study and company training together in France, with scholarship sponsorship covering tuition and other essential costs. Recruitment is now advertised for applicants from 14 specified countries.
The opportunity at École Supérieure des Agricultures in Angers is built around a future role with a sponsoring business. That makes your country, subject background and career plans especially important. This guide explains the sponsorship, maps the current recruitment options and walks you through preparing an application that makes sense to both ESA and an employer.
01 What would you be signing up for with I²FA?
I²FA prepares international graduates for technical and managerial work linked to a French company’s activities in their home country. ESA’s company-facing programme description explains this return-home career model. Consider whether that direction fits the work you want to do after graduation.
Under ESA’s published sponsorship arrangements, the company pays tuition, health insurance, travel to France at the beginning and home at the end, and transport to and from company training. Living expenses are supported up to an amount set by the company. There is no universal published monthly stipend.
I would ask for the living allowance, housing arrangements and post-study employment commitments in writing before accepting. This is practical offer-review advice: the sponsor’s detailed terms determine what the support means for your own budget and career.
Back to the I²FA application guide
02 Find the recruitment route that matches your background
Your background must match an advertised country route. The 2027–2029 recruitment notice groups the current openings as follows:
| Recruitment countries | Profiles currently requested |
|---|---|
| Australia, Brazil, Canada, Colombia, Croatia, Czech Republic, Germany, India, Italy, Mexico, South Africa and USA | Food science, microbiology, chemistry or related fields |
| Romania | The profiles above, plus animal production, veterinary sciences or related fields |
| Slovenia | Animal production, veterinary sciences or related fields |
Applicants need a relevant BSc or MSc representing at least 180 ECTS and must be under 28 on 1 September 2027, meaning born after 1 September 1999. A broadly relevant degree does not create an opening for an unlisted country.
B2 English is assessed in interviews. French is not required when applying: intensive preparation precedes the French-taught master’s. Be ready for both the language learning and the company-based training.
Back to the I²FA application guide
03 Build one application for the school and the sponsor
Apply through ESA’s I²FA route, preparing evidence of both academic readiness and professional direction. A food-science project, laboratory assignment or production experience can give you something concrete to discuss; explain your contribution and what you learned.
ESA’s general document guidance provides the preparation baseline below. The actual I²FA form determines the compulsory uploads:
- Academic records: degree certificates and transcripts covering your latest qualification.
- Application narrative: a CV and tailored cover letter; prepare recommendation letters and any language evidence requested by the form.
- Translations: arrange certified translations where required. After final selection, the I²FA call specifically requires the highest diploma and latest transcripts in French, translated by a sworn translator.
My recommendation is to build the cover letter around one relevant example and a realistic career goal. Our motivation-letter guide and examples can help you organise those ideas; adapt the content to company-sponsored training rather than copying a generic scholarship statement.
- Register for the correct campaign. Use the OLAGE registration page and select “I²FA – Company-sponsored international Msc program (2027-2029)”.
- Activate the account. Open ESA’s activation email, including checking your spam folder, then sign in to begin the application.
- Complete and submit the file. Answer the programme questions, upload the required attachments and follow any payment instructions displayed for this campaign. Keep ESA’s email acknowledgement.
- Prepare for selection. Explain your subject knowledge, career plans and readiness to learn French. Final admission requires selection by both ESA and the sponsoring company.
- Review the offer and final documents. Resolve the sponsor’s financial and employment terms, then provide the required sworn French translations and follow ESA’s enrolment instructions.
Back to the I²FA application guide
04 Three assumptions to leave out of your application
A strong application needs to reflect the actual programme and the offer being made. These distinctions are worth keeping clear:
- Company funding is not a fixed stipend: do not budget using an allowance quoted for another sponsor or scholarship.
- French preparation is part of the commitment: applying without French does not mean the degree is taught in English.
- A generic letter can weaken the application: ESA explicitly rejects generic cover letters. Use your own experiences and explain why this particular programme fits your plans.
ESA’s cover-letter instructions ask you to connect your background, professional plans and reasons for choosing the programme. Treat that connection as the main argument of your letter.
Back to the I²FA application guide
05 Practical questions before pressing submit
Can my CV and cover letter be written in English?
Yes. ESA accepts these documents in English or French and asks applicants to use the Europass CV model. Its CV and letter guidance distinguishes application language from the language of the degree.
Does company sponsorship mean applying is definitely free?
The public I²FA recruitment notice does not specify an application-fee amount or exemption. Tuition sponsorship alone does not establish that submitting the application is free; follow the campaign’s payment instructions.
Why is the application’s submit button missing?
ESA says missing compulsory answers or uploads can prevent submission, often a recommendation letter. Review the official submission troubleshooting advice and complete the required fields before treating your file as submitted.
Back to the I²FA application guide
06 When should you submit your I²FA application?
ESA has not published a single closing date for the I²FA 2027–2029 recruitment campaign. Its deadline guidance says timing depends on the country. Recruitment is currently advertised for the routes listed above.
The programme describes French preparation from March to August before the master’s starts in September. Prepare promptly rather than borrowing another ESA programme’s deadline. For your country’s exact cutoff, contact [email protected] and name the I²FA 2027–2029 campaign.
