Transport operator Go-Ahead Group has partnered with French firm Groupe Lacroix & Savac to target public transport contracts in Paris.
City authorities have started the process of putting routes out to tender as state-owned Epic RATP will lose its monopoly in 2025.
The move is part of Go-Ahead's The Next Billion Journeys growth plan which aims to achieve £4bn revenues, partly by replicating its successful bus business model in other markets.
Read more: go here for more North East business news
Christian Schreyer, group chief executive of The Go-Ahead Group, said: “Go-Ahead’s strength lies in running busy commuter transport services, and a key part of our strategy is to explore new opportunities in bus and light rail.
"With an outstanding track record and deep local knowledge, Lacroix & Savac is the perfect partner for us to work with in France.”
Lacroix & Savac is an established operator in the Ile de France region around Paris with more than 80 years’ experience.
Stéphane Guenet, president of Lacroix & Savac, said: "This partnership will allow us to benefit from Go-Ahead's expertise in mass transit and in entering urban areas that are newly open to competition.
"This will help us to adapt our offering for the Paris and suburban bus networks, which will be operated on behalf of Île-de-France Mobilités".