DR-17 AFIR table grapes: up to €1 million with 65% support, call not yet launched

The DR-17 intervention in the CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, table grape component, offers farmers that are legal entities, cooperatives and producer groups up to 1,000,000 euro per project, with non-refundable support of up to 65%. The funds are for the conditioning, storage and processing of grapes at farm level. AFIR put the guide out for public consultation on 9 January 2026, but as of 3 October 2026 the submission window is not open and has no official launch date yet.

In brief

• Programme: DR-17 "Investments in the hop and/or table grape sectors", table grape component (CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027)
• Authority: Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development, through AFIR (Agency for the Financing of Rural Investments)
• Beneficiaries: farmers (excluding natural persons), agricultural cooperatives, cooperative societies, producer groups and organisations
• Value per project: maximum €1,000,000; maximum €300,000 if the project includes only purchases of agricultural machinery and equipment
• Intensity: up to 65% of eligible costs
• Key condition: a holding with an economic size of at least €4,000 SO
• Submission period: not yet announced
• Status: the guide was in public consultation in January 2026; the final guide and the call have not been published

What has happened so far?

On 9 January 2026, AFIR published the consultation version of the applicant's guide for DR-17, table grape component. Comments could be submitted for 10 calendar days. Since then, AFIR has moved the document to its archive of consultation guides withdrawn from debate. The agency's portal shows no open DR-17 call window and no launch announcement.

In short, we have a draft guide, not an open call. The conditions below come from the consultation version and may change in the final guide, which will be approved by order of the minister. The budget allocation for the call window does not appear in the AFIR announcement, so we will only learn it from the launch notice.

Who can apply?

According to the AFIR announcement, the following can apply:

• farmers, except natural persons;
• agricultural cooperatives and cooperative societies;
• producer groups and organisations constituted under national legislation.

The consultation guide requires the holding to have an economic size of at least €4,000 SO, calculated using the farm category table in the guide. In addition to marketing the produce, the consultation guide also includes investments in establishing and/or replanting table grape plantations.

Which investments are funded?

The AFIR announcement lists three types of investment:

• establishing, expanding and/or modernising conditioning and/or storage units at farm level;
• establishing, expanding and/or modernising on-farm processing units, as a secondary part of the project;
• establishing and/or modernising irrigation equipment, also as a secondary component.

The consultation guide adds an important condition: more than 50% of the products processed, stored or conditioned must come from your own holding (for associative forms, from the members' holdings). A cold store sized far above the farm's output and intended for grapes bought from others risks being ineligible.

How much can you receive and how is it calculated?

Support is up to 65% of eligible costs, with a maximum of €1,000,000 per project. If the project includes only purchases of agricultural machinery and equipment, the ceiling falls to €300,000. As a worked example: for a project with eligible costs of €800,000, the grant would be at most €520,000. The remaining €280,000, plus VAT and ineligible costs, is covered by the farmer from own funds or a loan.

What this means for your business

The recommendations below are our opinion as consultants, not official conditions.

• Prepare the technical documentation in good time. A store or conditioning unit requires a feasibility study, an urban planning certificate and sometimes environmental permits. All of this takes months. Anyone who starts only after the launch will be pressed by the deadline.
• Check your economic size and legal form. Natural persons are not eligible. If you currently operate as a natural person, the switch to a PFA (sole trader), II or SRL and the updating of your details with APIA must be completed before submission.
• Size the investment to your own output. The rule of more than 50% from your own production must be met after implementation as well, not just at submission.
• Secure your co-financing. At least 35% of eligible costs, plus VAT, remains your responsibility. Talk to your bank early about an investment loan or a bridging loan.
• Follow the final guide. Between the consultation version and the final one, the selection criteria, ceilings or list of eligible costs may change. Do not buy equipment or start works before the funding contract is signed.

For smaller farms that do not need a conditioning unit, an alternative that is open now is DR-14 for small farms, with call windows active until 31 October 2026. You can quickly find out where you fit with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can projects be submitted now under DR-17 for table grapes?

No. As of 3 October 2026, AFIR has not launched the submission window. The guide was only in public consultation in January 2026, and the launch date has not been officially announced.

Can I apply if I am a farmer who is a natural person?

No. The AFIR announcement explicitly excludes natural persons. Farmers with a legal form (for example a PFA, II, family business or company), agricultural cooperatives, cooperative societies and producer groups or organisations can apply.

What is the maximum support under DR-17?

Up to €1,000,000 per project, with an intensity of up to 65% of eligible costs. For projects that include only purchases of agricultural machinery and equipment, the ceiling is €300,000. The values come from the consultation version and may be changed by the final guide.

Does it fund the establishment of table grape plantations?

The AFIR announcement does not mention plantations among the investments listed, but refers to the consultation guide for the full list. The consultation guide includes establishing and/or replanting table grape plantations among eligible costs: planting material, land preparation, planting, irrigation and support systems, and anti-hail and anti-frost protection. Check whether this provision is kept in the final guide.

What can I do before the launch?

You can check the economic size of your holding (minimum €4,000 SO), your legal form and your source of co-financing. It is also worth starting the technical documentation: feasibility study, urban planning certificate and price quotes. When the call launches, AFIR will publish the final guide, which must be read in full before you submit.

Official sources

• AFIR — Public consultation launched for table grape investments (9 January 2026)
• AFIR — DR-17 applicant's guide, consultation version
• AFIR — Public debate (archive of consultation guides 2024–2026)
• AFIR portal — active call windows

Information checked on 3 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.