DR-23 Intervention: European Funds worth 165 million euros

• The period has been announced during which entrepreneurs from all over Romania will be able to request aid of up to EUR 10 million for bakeries or a maximum of EUR 3 million for breweries or dairy factories, as well as for other businesses in the food processing sector, through the DR-23 intervention financed by European funds.

The project submission session on the AFIR website will open between December 15, 2025 and February 16, 2026, under the DR-23 funding line – announced Agency for the Financing of Rural Investments.

The funds available for DR-23 are 164.929.100,00 Euros, divided as follows:

– establishment component – ​​82.464.550,00 euros;

– modernization component – ​​82.464.550,00 euros;

According to the official funding launch announcement, the available allocation for the monthly submission stage I represents 100% of the component allocation if the submission session closed in the first monthly stage and 50% of the component allocation if the submission session closed in the second monthly stage.

The available allocation for the monthly deposit stage II represents 50% of the component allocation, to which is added the unconsumed allocation from the monthly stage I, if the deposit session goes through the two stages.

The estimated number of enterprises that will benefit from financial support under the DR 23 Scheme is a maximum of 130.

The maximum intensity of state aid granted to companies will not exceed 65%.

To guarantee that the investment is viable, the beneficiary must make a financial contribution from its own or attracted resources, unaffected by public aid elements, of at least 35%, depending on the maximum intensity of aid granted in the county where the investment is located.

The maximum amount of aid granted cannot exceed the maximum ceiling/project, including for a large investment project, as follows:

10. a) maximum 10.000.000 euros/project for start-up investments in the bakery sector;
11. b) maximum 3.000.000 euros/project for other types of investments.

Eligible beneficiaries are microenterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), large companies, cooperatives, producer groups and organizations, as well as authorized natural persons (PFA) and family and individual enterprises active in the field of agricultural product processing.

The financing aims at establishing, expanding and modernizing processing units, purchasing modern equipment and technological lines, arranging storage and conditioning spaces, as well as developing marketing capacities – from own stores and food trailers to online platforms. At the same time, investments oriented towards digitalization and energy efficiency are supported, in line with the sustainability objectives of the Common Agricultural Policy. Priority will be given to projects that emphasize added value, quality and innovation – traditional, mountain, organic or protected geographical indication products – as well as projects proposed by cooperatives and associative forms.

ELIGIBLE INVESTMENTS AND EXPENDITURES

Investments in tangible assets:

1. a) Establishment/development of agricultural product processing capacities by expanding production capacity, diversifying activity, diversifying production, fundamental change;
2. b) Establishment/development of conditioning and storage capacities for processed raw materials/finished products resulting from processing, as a secondary component of the project;
3. c) Establishment/development of the marketing component, as a secondary component of the project;
4. d) Investments related to the use of digital solutions in conditioning, processing, marketing and management, necessary for carrying out the activity targeted by the project, etc.

Investments in intangible assets:

1. a) Organization and implementation of quality management and food safety systems, if they are related to the tangible investments of the project;
2. b) Acquisition of technologies (know-how), patents and licenses to prepare for project implementation;
3. c) Purchase of software, identified as necessary in the technical and economic documentation of the project;
4. d) Marketing of the products obtained.

The specific eligible expenses relating to initial investments in new tangible assets refer to the following:

1. a) construction, extension of buildings, including internal infrastructure and utilities;
2. b) expenses generated by investments related to the use of digital solutions in conditioning, processing, marketing and management, necessary for carrying out the activity targeted by the project;
3. c) expenses for ensuring compliance with hygiene conditions and technological flow.

The assets purchased must be new, etc.

Eligible expenses relating to initial investments in intangible assets:

1. a) acquisition of technologies (know-how), patents and licenses to prepare for project implementation;
2. b) purchase of software, identified as necessary in the technical and economic documentation of the project;
3. c) marketing of the products obtained, etc.

Article source: AFIR announces the launch of the session for agricultural product processing – DR 23 – AFIR Portal – PS 2027 information and Online project submission

Article written by Gabriela Dan, Editor-in-Chief Arta Albă

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