DR-14 AFIR: up to 50,000 euro for small farms, applications until 31 October 2026

AFIR (Agency for the Financing of Rural Investments) is accepting funding applications for intervention DR-14 "Investments in small farms" until 31 October 2026, 16:00. The budget for the call window is 108 million euro, split across four components. Farmers organised as a PFA (sole trader), individual enterprise, family business or company can receive up to 50,000 euro per project, which is at most 85% of eligible costs.

Since October, the monthly quality threshold has dropped from 80 to 40 points, so projects with a lower score can now enter selection. However, submission may close before the deadline if a component is oversubscribed.

In brief

• Programme: CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, intervention DR-14 "Investments in small farms", funded from the EAFRD
• Authority: Agency for the Financing of Rural Investments (AFIR), on behalf of the Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development
• Beneficiaries: farmers, other than natural persons, with holdings between 4,000 and 11,999 euro SO (lower minimum thresholds for some sectors)
• Total budget: 108,000,000 euro: 30 million euro for livestock, 30 million euro for vegetable growing, 30 million euro for other sectors and 18 million euro for simple purchases
• Value per project / intensity: maximum 50,000 euro, at most 85% of eligible costs
• Submission period: 1 September 2026, 09:00 – 31 October 2026, 16:00, online
• Status: call window open. The minimum selection threshold is 40 points, and the monthly quality threshold is 40 points in October

Who can apply?

Farmers can apply, except unauthorised natural persons. The applicant's guide accepts the following forms of organisation: authorised natural person (PFA), individual enterprise, family business, SNC, SCS, SA, SCA, SRL and privately owned commercial company. Farmer status is checked in the IACS – APIA database.

The main condition is the economic size of the holding, expressed in Standard Output (SO) and calculated using the SOC 2020 coefficients:

• between 4,000 and 11,999 euro SO, as a general rule;
• between 2,000 and 11,999 euro SO for livestock farms with native breeds and for flowers, aromatic, medicinal and ornamental plants;
• between 2,300 and 11,999 euro SO for vegetable-growing holdings.

Companies in liquidation, merger, division, judicial reorganisation, insolvency or bankruptcy are not eligible. Only one project is awarded per beneficiary under the intervention. If an application is withdrawn, the applicant can no longer submit another under DR-14 in the same call window.

Which component does your project fall under?

The applicant can submit under only one component. The classification is based on the sector that generates the largest share of the holding's SO on the date of submission. The project must also include investments in that sector.

• Livestock and vegetable growing: for holdings whose SO is mainly in these sectors;
• Simple purchases: for projects that propose only simple purchases, regardless of sector;
• Other sectors: for projects that do not fit the other components, including those dedicated to potato growing.

Investments are eligible only in sectors where the holding has SO on the date of submission. For example, a farm with SO exclusively from livestock can invest in the crop sector only for fodder supply.

Which costs are eligible?

AFIR lists the following among eligible investments:

• construction or modernisation of agricultural buildings;
• manure management installations;
• on-farm conditioning, storage and processing units, including for marketing products;
• specialised agricultural machinery and equipment;
• connecting the farm to utilities;
• irrigation and water storage installations, as a secondary component of the project.

Funds are paid by reimbursement: the beneficiary pays the costs and AFIR repays them afterwards. Proof of private co-financing, by bank statement or loan agreement, must be submitted within 6 months of approval of the selection report.

How and by when do you apply?

The funding application is submitted exclusively online at www.afir.ro. A qualified electronic signature is required, applied using an application that can sign smart PDFs, such as Adobe Reader. AFIR states that remote signing services that work by uploading the document to a web page do not work for its forms.

The official deadline is 31 October 2026, 16:00. According to the launch announcement, submission stops if the projects submitted under a component reach at least 150% of its allocation. The exception is the first 5 calendar days of each stage, when applications can be submitted regardless of the ceiling. The available values are updated on the AFIR submission platform.

How are projects scored?

For each component, the minimum selection threshold is 40 points. For the livestock component, the guide awards, among other things:

• 15 points for investments in mountain areas;
• up to 20 points for breeding native breeds;
• 20 points for more than 7 years of experience in agriculture and 15 points for 5–7 years;
• 15 points for members of cooperatives or producer groups or organisations;
• up to 15 points for owned agricultural land.

The full criteria for each component are in the applicant's guide and in evaluation sheet E 1.2.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation is to calculate your score first and only then think about which equipment to buy. With the monthly threshold lowered to 40 points, October is the chance for farmers with an average score. However, many projects may be submitted in the same month, so a component may reach the 150% ceiling before 31 October.

The pitfalls we often see:

• differences between the areas or animals in the project and those in APIA/ANSVSA records, which force the SO calculation to be redone;
• classification under the wrong component, because the project does not include investments in the sector with the majority SO;
• underestimating co-financing: at least 15% of eligible costs, plus all ineligible costs;
• leaving the electronic signature until the last day.

The intervention suits family farms already registered with APIA that want to mechanise, build a storage space or process their products on the farm. If you do not know which SO range you fall into, start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can an unauthorised natural person apply for DR-14?

No. Eligible beneficiaries are farmers, other than natural persons. The applicant must be organised at least as a PFA, individual enterprise or family business, or as a commercial company.

What is the maximum funding under DR-14?

Non-refundable support is at most 50,000 euro per project and a maximum of 85% of eligible costs. The remainder, at least 15%, plus ineligible costs, is covered from your own contribution.

Until when can DR-14 projects be submitted in 2026?

Until 31 October 2026, 16:00, online at www.afir.ro. Submission may close earlier if the value of projects submitted under a component reaches at least 150% of its allocation.

What minimum score must the project have?

The minimum selection threshold is 40 points for each component. The monthly quality threshold was 80 points in September and is 40 points from 1 to 31 October 2026.

Can I apply under two DR-14 components?

No. The applicant can submit only one project, under one of the four components: livestock, vegetable growing, simple purchases or other sectors.

Official sources

• AFIR – Project submission windows (DR-14 call announcement)
• AFIR – DR-14 details and annexes (Applicant's guide)
• AFIR – Statement on DR-14 access conditions
• AFIR – DR-14 and DR-18 project submission windows
• AFIR – CAP Strategic Plan submission platform, list of call windows

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