• Find below the program of financing schemes for 2025 for investments, energy and digitalization.
START-UP NATION program
Managed by the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism, this program has a budget of 446 million euros and runs between May and June 2025.
- Pillar 1: 295 million euros for young people between the ages of 18 and 30.
- Pillar 2: 150 million euros for people between 30 and 35 years old, disadvantaged groups and those returning from the diaspora after at least 12 months of residence. (Bucharest-Ilfov is excluded).
- Financing of 50.000 euros/grant, with the obligation to create two jobs and a minimum own contribution of 20%.
- Eligible fields: Bakery production, cakes, pastries, fitness centers, sports clubs, recreational activities, photo-video, kindergartens, afterschool, construction equipment.
Modernization Fund in Romania
This funding scheme is managed by Ministry of Energy.
- Key program 1: (March – April 2025)
- Supporting investments in renewable sources for self-consumption.
- Budget: 300 million euros.
- Funding: 60-70% grant, max. 20 million euros per company.
- Eligible fields: Wind, solar, hydro energy.
- Applicants: SMEs, large enterprises, including start-ups, autonomous regies.
- Key program 7: (Quarter I, 2025)
- Energy efficiency in industrial installations included in the EU-ETS.
- Similar conditions and budget to Program 1, with funding for wind, solar and hydropower.
State aid scheme for granting grants in the manufacturing industry
The program is managed by Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship and Tourism.
- Period: March – April 2025.
- Total budget: 447 million euros.
- Eligible fields: Investments in eligible NACE sectors: 10 (food industry), 13-15 (textile industry), 17 (paper processing), 19 (refineries), 22-25 (metal and machinery production), 27-28 (electrical equipment), 33 (repairs and maintenance), 38 (recycling).
- Eligible applicants: SMEs, large enterprises, including start-ups.
Regional Programs 2021 – 2027
- West PR: (March – April 2025)
- SME digitalization.
- Budget: 15,38 million euros.
- North-East PR: (January 6 – March 31, 2025)
- Investments for sustainable growth of SMEs.
- Budget: 30 million euros.
- South-East PR: (April – May 2025)
- Innovation and competitiveness for SMEs.
- Budget: 86,725 million euros.
- PR Center: (December 16, 2024 – June 16, 2025)
- Support for SMEs in the transition from idea to market.
- Budget: 8,748 million euros.
- Eligible fields: Microenterprises, expenses for premises, equipment, software.
- Targeted benefits: development and technological modernization of SMEs, growth of dynamic SMEs oriented towards smart specialization sectors, increase in productive investments in SMEs, increase in technological capacities, acquisition of specific skills.
Funds for zero-emission trucks
- Period: August 2025.
- Budget: Up to 15 million euros.
- Eligible activities: Replacing diesel trucks with electric vehicles.
Just Transition Program
- Period: April – May 2025.
- Budget: Between 50.000 and 300.000 euros.
- Eligible fields: Investments in tangible and intangible assets, certification and consultancy in the counties of Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova and Mureș.
National Strategic Plan 2023-2027
- DR-16: (March 2025)
- Investments in the vegetable and potato sector.
- Budget: 151 million euros.
- Funding: 2 million euros/project for investments, 300.000 euros for the purchase of agricultural machinery, 500.000 euros for machinery dedicated to potatoes.
- Eligible applicants: Farmers, agricultural cooperatives, producer organizations.
- DR-23: (April – May 2025)
- Processing and marketing of agricultural products.
- Budget: 150 million euros.
- Funding: 10 million euros/project for bakery, 3 million euros for other types of investments.
- Applicants: SMEs and large enterprises.
- DR-24: (2024 - 2025)
- Investments in forestry technologies.
- Budget up to 500.000 euros for economic operators.
FM Agri Call 2
- Support for renewable energy production capacities in the agricultural and food industry sectors. Budget: EUR 150 million, deadline March 31, 2025.
Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor-in-Chief Arta Albă
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