Retailers, particularly small clothes shops, and transport companies are among the hardest hit, Jean-Eudes du Mesnil, secretary-general of the CGPME union, said.
"The government helped the banking system so it is not on that the banks make it harder for small companies to have access to credit," he said.
"The banks say they’re getting less demand from companies but when you see the figures (on demand) you know that something isn't working."
President Nicolas Sarkozy created two vehicles with a potential budget of €360 billion to help improve liquidity in the banking sector during the financial crisis. He also appointed a credit mediator, Rene Ricol, to make sure that the banks would pass on the financing to companies.
The European Central Bank has also poured money into the financial system. Late last month it lent €442 billion of low-interest one-year funds, its biggest ever cash injection.
But analysts say the additional liquidity does not solve the banks' underlying problems in lending, which relate to their continuing nerves over toxic assets on their books and rebuilding capital slashed by the credit crisis.
The banks also say they cannot be expected to cut back on the risks and expand lending during a recession. ECB officials have said they are worried stimulus is not making its way onto company balance sheets.
According to France's national statistics office INSEE, company failures increased 1.1% in January, the latest month for which data is available.
"It's often the very small companies: when they don't have €5,000 or €6,000, they have to shut the door," said du Mesnil. "They need money because one or two clients don't pay or ask for a delay which is happening more and more, so when the banks won't do it, they have no other choice but to close."
Companies which have seen a sharp fall in orders also need the cash until demand starts to pick up, he said.
"What we are scared of is in autumn lots of companies will have used their cash and they will still have falling orders which would be very bad for unemployment," he said.
Since the credit mediator, René Ricol, started his job last November, 66% of the 13,442 requests for help been successful, his office has said.
The CGPME wants Ricol's position, which was created for the financial crisis, to be made permanent. It also wants the job to have the power to force the banks to write to companies, explaining why particular loans have been refused.
(EurActiv with Reuters.)
