1. SME grants of EUR 200,000-8 million in just transition counties in Romania

Micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in 6 counties affected by the reduction of polluting industrial activity will be able to obtain grants of 200,000-8 million euros per project, in the form of regional state aid and de minimis aid.

The project submission session for the "Development of Enterprises and Entrepreneurship" action - component "Investments for the development of SMEs supporting sustainable growth and job creation" started on December 20, 2023 and remains open until March 20, 2024, 24:00: 00, through the MySMIS2021 online portal.

The total budget for the 7 calls is 775 million euros.

• SMEs from counties eligible for the Just Transition Program are targeted, which finance the transition from polluting industry to less polluting activities: Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova, Mureș, to which integrated territorial investments are added ( ITI) Jiului Valley.

2. Aid of EUR 50,000-200,000 each for micro-enterprises, in 6 counties in Romania

Separate from the larger scheme for SMEs, micro-enterprises in the 6 counties covered by the Just Transition Program (PTJ) will be able to obtain new grants of EUR 50,000-200,000 each, through another line of European funds.

The "Support for the sustainable growth of micro-enterprises and job creation" scheme has a total budget of more than 200 million euros, divided as follows:

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 1 Gorj: EUR 49,306,293

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 2 Hunedoara EUR 38,601,700

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 2 Hunedoara, ITI Valea Jiului: EUR 9,650,423

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 3 Dolj: EUR 36,446,155

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 4 Galati: EUR 22,569,050

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 5 Prahova: EUR 27,873,431

• Support for the development of micro-enterprises, PTJ - Priority 6 Mureș: EUR 22,374,330

The intensity of the grant is 90%, which means that entrepreneurs will provide at least 10% of the value of eligible expenses, plus all non-eligible expenses from the projects.

The Ministry of Investments and European Projects estimated that the session would open in February, but it is possible that it will be delayed a little longer.

3. Funds through regional programs: micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized companies in Romania

In the new 2021-2027 programming period, each of Romania's 8 development regions has a regional program. All Regional Development Agencies (RDAs) have introduced financing for SMEs in their programmes. Some have already closed, but others are yet to open.

Here are some examples of regional funding for 2024:

• In the Bucharest-Ilfov Region, the "Support for sustainable growth and technological modernization of micro-enterprises" financing scheme is foreseen with a total budget of 75.2 million euros. In July 2024, the project submission session would open in the MySMIS2021 system, according to the latest ADR BI indicative Calendar.

• Center Region (Alba, Brașov, Covasna, Harghita, Mureș, Sibiu counties). Through funding 1.4.1 Technological investments in SMEs, SME grants of 250,000-1.5 million euros per project will be given. The project submission session started on December 11, 2023 and remains open until February 12, 2024 at 12:00, in the MySMIS2021 system.

• Also in the Central Region there are grants for SME digitization, of 15,000-200,000 euros per project. Registrations are made between 15.12.2023 – 15.05.2024 at 12:00.

• Also in the Center Region, micro-enterprises at the startup or scale-up stage will be able to obtain new grants of 25,000-200,000 euros each, for IT businesses, accommodation, car washes and services, medical offices and other activities. The project submission period is 20.02.2024 at 12:00 – 20.05.2024 at 12:00, for Intervention 1.4.2: Scale up for start-ups and micro-enterprises, within the Center Region Program 2021-2027.

• North-West Region (Bihor, Bistrița-Năsăud, Cluj, Maramureș, Satu Mare, Sălaj counties). Measure 131.A - Innovative productive investments for micro-enterprises is to be opened in the MySMIS2021 system from 1 February 2024, 10:00 a.m. to 28 March 2024, 10:00 a.m., with grants of €20,000 and €200,000 for micro-enterprises.

• Also in the North-West Region we have "Digitalization of SMEs", scheduled for February 1, 2024, 10:00 a.m. - April 11, 2024, 10:00 a.m. SME grants of EUR 10,000-100,000 per project are promised, to invest in the digitization of activities.

• In the West Region (Arad, Timiș, Hunedoara, Caraș-Severin counties), there will be Regional Intervention 1.3 B - Support for SMEs (PRV/1.3B/1), with SME aid of max. 4 million euros for production companies and max. EUR 1 million for service companies. It remains to be seen when ADR Vest will launch the registration session.

• In the South-East Region (Brăila, Buzău, Constanța, Galați, Tulcea, Vrancea counties) several lines of European funds for SMEs are scheduled, from the third quarter of 2024, according to the latest indicative calendar for the launch of ADR SE calls. Among other things, micro-enterprises will receive aid of 20,000-200,000 euros through a call aimed at increasing the competitiveness of these firms.

• In the North-East Region (Bacău, Botoșani, Iași, Neamț, Suceava, Vaslui counties) some financing was already launched last year, but the indicative calendar of ADR NV also has SME opportunities scheduled in 2024. One of these is the financing "Sustainable growth of SMEs", with a budget of EUR 30 million in total. The session would open in October 2024.

• In the South-Muntenia region (Argeș, Călărași, Dâmbovița, Giurgiu, Ialomița, Prahova, Teleorman counties), we have two SME grant lines of 50,000-200,000 euros and 300,000-3 million euros per project. From March 15, 2024, registration for funds for micro-enterprises and small firms begins.

4. PNRR grants for SME digitization: max. EUR 3 million for non-IT-IT partnerships in Romania

Romanian micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized companies from various non-IT fields, in partnership with IT companies, will be able to obtain new aid, of 500,000-3 million euros each, for advanced digitization and research projects.

MIPE is due to publish the final Guide in January 2024, according to its indicative timetable, which has been extended several times. The project submission session in the PNRR electronic system would be open from 01.02.2024 to 29.03.2024.

The call for projects has an estimated total budget of 150 million euros (equivalent in lei).

5. European funds for farmers and entrepreneurs in the agri-food sector in Romania

• DR 22 intervention - aid for companies processing agri-food products. Maximum amounts of 3 million or 7 million or 10 million euros per project can be obtained, depending on the type of investment. Total budget available: EUR 210,300,000. The registration session for these European funds is open between December 20, 2023 and April 30, 2024, at 4:00 p.m.

• Intervention DR 20 - "Investments in the livestock sector" - European funds for farmers who raise animals. Maximum value of 2,000,000 euros/project. The registration session at AFIR takes place between: December 20, 2023 – April 30, 2024, 4:00 p.m. Budget: EUR 224,610,728.

• DR 26 - "Establishment of irrigation systems". Romanian farmers and their associative forms can obtain non-refundable funds of a maximum of EUR 500,000/beneficiary for the establishment of irrigation systems. Applicants will be able to submit projects online, on the AFIR website, between January 15, 2024, 09:00 a.m. - May 14, 2024, 4:00 p.m. The call has been allocated a total budget of EUR 102,421,176.

• DR-15-Investments in fruit farms. Budget: EUR 151.38 million. Project submission session: January 8 – April 30, 2024.

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