Start-ups and diaspora 27 September 2026 8 min read

CAEN codes in Start-Up Nation: excluded activities and how to gain up to 20 points

Under the 2024 edition of Start-Up Nation, all activities are eligible, subject to the exceptions in the procedure. You apply for funding under a single CAEN Rev. 3 code, and production activities in Table No. 1 receive 10, 15 or 20 points.

Todos & Company editorial team · EU funding consultancy since 2006

CAEN codes in Start-Up Nation: excluded activities and how to gain up to 20 points

Under Start-Up Nation – România, 2024 edition (OG 29/2024), almost any economic activity can receive funding. The exceptions are those written into the implementation procedure approved by MEDAT Order no. 328/2025. A newly established company applies for aid of up to 250,000 lei under a single CAEN Rev. 3 code. The code must be authorised no later than the time of payment. Manufacturing activities listed in Table no. 1 of the procedure receive 10, 15 or 20 points, while other eligible activities receive 0 points under this criterion.

In brief

Definition: the CAEN code for which you request funding is the activity in the CAEN Rev. 3 classification that the project finances. All costs must be linked to this activity.
Legal acts: OG no. 29/2024; the procedure approved by MEDAT Order no. 328/2025 (Official Gazette no. 243 and 243 bis of 20 March 2025), subsequently amended by MEDAT orders; Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 on de minimis aid.
Basic rule: all sectors are eligible, with the exceptions in point 4.3 para. (1) and point 5.2 of the procedure.
A single code: funding is requested under a single CAEN code, which must be eligible and authorised by the time of payment.
Score for field of activity (criterion F): 20, 15 or 10 points for the classes in Table no. 1 (manufacturing) and 0 points for other eligible activities.
Scoring grid: a maximum of 100 points, with a minimum access threshold of 50 points.
Grant: a maximum of 250,000 lei, i.e. up to 90% of eligible costs. The own contribution is at least 10%.

Which activities cannot receive funding?

Under point 4.3 para. (1) of the procedure, no aid is granted for:

primary production of fishery and aquaculture products;
processing and marketing of fishery or aquaculture products, where the aid is determined on the basis of the price or quantity of the products;
primary production of agricultural products;
processing and marketing of agricultural products, where the aid is determined on the basis of the price or quantity purchased from primary producers, or where it must be passed on, in whole or in part, to them;
export-related activities: aid directly linked to the quantities exported, to a distribution network or to other current export expenses;
aid conditional on the use of domestic goods in preference to imported ones;
production or marketing of weapons, ammunition, explosives, tobacco, alcohol, nationally controlled substances, and narcotic and psychotropic plants, substances and preparations;
production or marketing of energy products as defined by the Fiscal Code, and leasing activities.

Point 5.2 adds further exclusions. Cryptocurrency mining or storage systems are not funded. Nor are costs for astrology and spiritism (including online), escort services, dating services, video chat, matrimonial agencies and matrimonial websites. On the list of technological equipment, the procedure excludes mechanical, electrical and electronic gambling machines, billiard tables and jukeboxes.

A company may also carry out activities in excluded sectors. In that case, point 4.3 para. (2) allows the other activities to be funded only if they are kept separate from the excluded ones, for example through distinct accounts.

How to check your CAEN code before applying

Use CAEN Rev. 3. The procedure refers to the classification updated by Order no. 377 of 17 April 2024 and requires the company's activity to be authorised under CAEN Rev. 3. Rev. 2 codes do not always match the new classes, so check the new code for your activity.
Read the class description, not just the title. The procedure requires every cost to be linked to the activities and sub-activities of the code, "as detailed" in the CAEN Rev. 3 classification. The only exceptions are the lump sum and mandatory costs.
Compare it with the exclusions above. If the activity is primary agricultural production or fishing, or relates to energy products, alcohol or tobacco, the code is not eligible.
Look up the class in Table no. 1. This tells you whether you receive 20, 15, 10 or 0 points.
Authorise the code in time. The code must be authorised with the Trade Register by the time of payment. The activity must be authorised at the registered office and at the work points, in accordance with Law no. 265/2022.

Which CAEN codes receive extra points?

Table no. 1 in Annex 3 contains only manufacturing classes, from 1011 to 3299. A few examples from the procedure published in the Official Gazette:

20 points: meat processing (1011, 1012, 1013), fish processing (1020), fruit and vegetable juices (1032), dairy products and cheeses (1051), grain milling (1061), pasta (1073), tea and coffee processing (1083), animal feed (1091, 1092), waters and soft drinks (1107), electronic components and subassemblies (2611, 2612), computers (2620), communications equipment (2630).
15 points: wood processing (1611–1628), including wooden doors and windows (1625), pulp, paper and cardboard (1711–1725).
10 points: bread and fresh pastry products (1071), ice cream (1052), textiles and clothing (13xx, 14xx), footwear (1520), plastics processing (22xx), metal products (25xx), electrical equipment (27xx), furniture (3100), jewellery (3212), dental medical devices (3250).

Services do not appear in the table. They include IT programming, trade, construction, HoReCa and personal services. For them, criterion F gives 0 points, although the activities remain eligible. "IT" in Table no. 1 means the manufacture of electronics and computers, not software development.

Worked example: how much the CAEN code matters in the final score

The grid has six criteria:

A. Own contribution: 20 points for at least 20%, 15 for at least 15% and 10 for at least 11%.
B. Technological equipment: 20, 15 or 10 points, if it represents more than 40%, more than 30% or more than 20% of eligible costs.
C. Sustainable development: 20 points for at least 15,000 lei and 10 points for at least 10,000 lei.
D. Business start: 10 points.
E. Maintaining jobs for 30 months: 10 points.
F. Field of activity: a maximum of 20 points.

A services company that takes the maximum on A–E reaches 80 points. A bakery (1071) with the same choices reaches 90, and a mill (1061) reaches 100. All pass the 50-point threshold, but projects are selected in descending order of score. In the event of a tie, the scores for criteria A, B, C, D and E count in turn, followed by the exact percentages for equipment and own contribution and, finally, the date and time of submission.

Common mistakes and what the evaluators check

Costs unrelated to the code. Evaluators check the link between each asset and the activities of the CAEN code for which you are requesting funds. Equipment that does not appear in the workflow of the activity may be declared ineligible.
Code not authorised at the project location. The activity must be authorised where the project is implemented, in the region where the course graduate is domiciled.
Declared score not met. If the actual score turns out lower than the one generated by the application, the application is rejected.
The passenger car. Except for car rental, driving and piloting schools, and taxi activities, a passenger car is eligible for a maximum of 50,000 lei and only one per beneficiary.
Renting out assets. The funded assets cannot be rented out, except by beneficiaries applying under CAEN codes in group 77.
Consultancy. Consultancy is eligible up to 10,000 lei. The consultancy firm must have an activity authorised under division 70 of CAEN Rev. 3.
The asset threshold. The consolidated version of the procedure, as amended by Order no. 480/2026, requires tangible assets to have an individual value of at least 2,500 lei. Exceptions are the electronic signature, company set-up, tablets, phones and information plates.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: choose the CAEN code according to the activity you will actually carry out and can sustain for three years, not just according to the score. The 20 points help a great deal in the ranking, but a manufacturing activity also means authorised premises, permits and equipment that you must be able to justify. If you run a services business, compensate on the criteria you control: an own contribution of at least 20%, equipment above 40% of the budget, at least 15,000 lei for energy efficiency or renewables, and 30 months of job retention.

Before you apply, check your company's classification and eligibility with the eligibility check. Also read the consolidated version of the procedure: it has been amended several times by MEDAT orders, including on deadlines and on the rules for assets.

Frequently asked questions

Can I apply for funding under more than one CAEN code?

No. The 2024 edition of the Start-Up Nation procedure states that funding is requested under a single eligible CAEN code. The company may have other activities as well, but all the costs funded must be linked to the chosen code.

Do I need to have the CAEN code authorised when I apply?

The eligibility condition in point 4.2(d) requires an eligible CAEN Rev. 3 code that is authorised by the time of payment. To avoid problems at verification, we recommend that you have the code registered in the company's documents from the time you apply and authorised at the project location before reimbursement.

Is agriculture eligible under Start-Up Nation?

No. Primary production of agricultural products and primary production in fisheries and aquaculture are excluded. The processing of agricultural products is eligible, except where the aid depends on the price or quantity purchased from producers or has to be passed on to them. Many food processing classes even receive 20 points.

Is a CAEN code that is not in Table no. 1 ineligible?

No. Table no. 1 only gives additional points. Any activity that does not fall under the exclusions in the procedure is eligible, but receives 0 points under the "Field of activity" criterion.

What happens if the assets purchased do not match the CAEN code?

The implementation unit checks the link between the assets and the flow of activities of the CAEN code. Costs that do not match are not reimbursed. If, as a result, you no longer meet the score you committed to, the amount may be reduced or the application may be rejected.

Official sources

Information checked on 27 September 2026. Conditions may be amended by the managing authority — check the guide in force before submitting.