DR-12 AFIR: the final guide for young farmers, up to €200,000 per project

On 18 September 2026, AFIR published the applicant's guide for intervention DR-12 of the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027. The guide is aimed at established young farmers and farmers up to 45 years old who want to consolidate their holding. Non-refundable support reaches €200,000 per project, at an intensity of 80% or 65% of eligible costs. This is the final guide, but the call window, with its timetable and allocation, has not yet been announced.

In brief

• Programme: DR-12 – Investments in the consolidation of holdings of established young farmers and farmers up to 45 years old (CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, EAFRD)
• Authority: Agency for the Financing of Rural Investments (AFIR), together with the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
• Beneficiaries: holding managers who are young farmers aged 40 or under, former beneficiaries of sub-measure 6.1 of PNDR 2014–2020, and farmers up to 45 years old who were established no more than 5 years before submitting the application
• Value per project / intensity: maximum €200,000 per project; 80% of eligible costs for young farmers and 65% for the other categories
• Submission period: not yet announced
• Status: applicant's guide and annexes published on 18 September 2026; the call window has not been launched

Who can apply?

DR-12 is aimed at holding managers in three categories:

• young farmers who are 40 or under (have not turned 41) when the application is submitted;
• former beneficiaries of sub-measure 6.1 of PNDR 2014–2020, including from the transition period, who have completed the implementation of their business plan;
• farmers up to 45 years old when the application is submitted, who were established no more than 5 years before submitting the support application.

The official page of the intervention states that natural persons are not eligible. The holding must therefore be organised in a legal form accepted by the guide.

How much can you receive, and how much must the farmer contribute?

Non-refundable public support cannot exceed €200,000 per project. The intensity depends on the applicant's category:

• 80% of eligible costs for young farmers up to 41 years old, meaning 20% private co-financing;
• 65% of eligible costs for farmers up to 45 years old and for former beneficiaries of sub-measure 6.1, meaning 35% private co-financing.

The project must be implemented within three years at most and is followed by a five-year monitoring period. AFIR has not officially communicated the financial allocation of the call window. It will be set when the call window is launched.

Which investments are eligible?

The AFIR press release lists the main types of investment:

• construction or modernisation of agricultural buildings, including the related utilities;
• protected structures for agricultural crops;
• facilities for conditioning and storing farm produce;
• establishment and modernisation of fruit-growing farms;
• on-farm processing units, as a secondary component of the project;
• agricultural machinery, specialised trailers and high-performance equipment.

The full list of eligible and ineligible costs is in the DR-12 Applicant's Guide. The guide is published on afir.ro, under Funding, Agricultural holdings, DR-12, together with the funding application, the model contract and the intervention sheet.

How and by when do you apply?

As of 26 September 2026, AFIR has not announced the submission period. The guide is the final version, following the public consultation in spring. Only the announcement launching the call window is missing, which will set the submission period and the available amount. Funding applications are submitted online, through the AFIR portal, once the call window opens.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the interval between the publication of the final guide and the opening of the call window is the best time to prepare your file. AFIR call windows usually open shortly before submission, and the technical documents take several weeks.

• Check which category you fall into. The difference between 80% and 65% means 15 percentage points of co-financing. Your age on the submission date matters: if you are close to turning 41, the timing of the call window may change your category.
• Check your date of establishment. Farmers up to 45 years old must have been established no more than 5 years before submission. Prepare the documents that prove the date you were established as holding manager.
• Secure your co-financing. For a project with maximum support, your own share is calculated on the total eligible value. Talk to your bank in good time if you need a loan.
• Prepare the technical side. Price quotes, construction documentation and permits take time. For machinery, the investment must be justified by the real needs of the farm.
• Common pitfall: processing is eligible only as a secondary component. A project focused mainly on processing risks not matching the intervention.

If you are not sure which category you fall into, you can start with the eligibility check. You will find the programme details on the DR-12 page.

Frequently asked questions

Can projects already be submitted under DR-12?

No. As of 26 September 2026, AFIR has published the final guide and annexes but has not launched the call window. The submission period and the allocation will be set when the call window is launched.

What is the maximum support under DR-12?

Non-refundable public support is a maximum of €200,000 per project. Young farmers receive at most 80% of eligible costs, and the other categories at most 65%.

Can I apply for DR-12 as a natural person?

No. The official AFIR page for the intervention states that natural persons are not eligible, so the applicant must be organised in a legal form accepted by the guide.

I benefited from sub-measure 6.1. Can I access DR-12?

Yes, if you completed the implementation of your business plan under sub-measure 6.1 of PNDR 2014–2020, including from the transition period. For this category, the support intensity is a maximum of 65% of eligible costs.

How long does it take to implement a DR-12 project?

The project must be implemented within three years at most and is followed by five years of monitoring. During this period, the beneficiary must comply with the commitments assumed under the contract.

Official sources

• AFIR – Press release: Non-refundable funding for young farmers (18 September 2026)
• AFIR – DR-12: details, applicant's guide and annexes

Information checked on 26 September 2026. Conditions may be amended by the managing authority — check the guide in force before submitting.