Agriculture 27 September 2026 7 min read

Funding for beekeeping and small chicken and goat farms: DR-14 with up to €50,000

Beekeepers and small poultry or goat farmers can apply through AFIR DR-14 for up to €50,000 (85%) for farm investments, until 31 October 2026. Animals and bee colonies are not funded.

Todos & Company editorial team · EU funding consultancy since 2006

Funding for beekeeping and small chicken and goat farms: DR-14 with up to €50,000

For an apiary or a small chicken or goat farm, the only investment call currently open is the DR-14 intervention "Investments in small farms", managed by AFIR. DR-14 provides up to 50,000 euro per project, i.e. a maximum of 85% of eligible costs. Applications are submitted online by 31 October 2026. Sheep and goat breeders with at least 150 head have another option, DR-21 (biosecurity), but its guide is still in public consultation.

In brief

Programme: CAP Strategic Plan 2023–2027, intervention DR-14 – Investments in small farms (EAFRD)
Authority: AFIR
Beneficiaries: farmers organised as a PFA, an individual or family business, or a commercial company. Unauthorised natural persons are not eligible
Farm size: between 4,000 and 11,999 euro SO. For livestock farms stocked with native breeds, the minimum threshold is 2,000 euro SO
Value per project / intensity: maximum €50,000 non-refundable, up to 85% of eligible costs
Submission period: 1 September 2026 – 31 October 2026
Status: call window open, with the final guide published on 6 August 2026

Which programmes currently suit an apiary or a small livestock farm?

We have checked the programmes in our list. Three of them matter for this kind of business:

DR-14, for small farms (call window open). It funds investments in the farm holding: buildings, machinery, equipment, storage and on-farm processing. Programme sheet: DR-14 AFIR – small farms.
DR-21, for biosecurity on sheep and goat farms (in consultation). The guide was published for public consultation and announced on oportunitati-ue.gov.ro on 18 September 2026. The proposal provides for up to €50,000 per beneficiary, an intensity of 90%, a budget of €9 million for the call window and a minimum herd of 150 head. The holding must have an ANSVSA code. The call window schedule has not yet been announced. Sheet: DR-21 – sheep and goat biosecurity.
DR-12, for young farmers (in preparation). It is aimed at larger holdings. According to AFIR, a beekeeper needs at least 170 bee colonies here, equivalent to €12,000 SO. Sheet: DR-12 – young farmers.

Beekeepers can also separately access the sectoral beekeeping interventions funded by EAGF (IS-A-01 to IS-A-07), through APIA. These do not replace DR-14, but can be combined with it only under strict conditions, explained below.

What size must the apiary or farm be?

Under DR-14, eligibility depends on the economic size of the holding, expressed in Standard Output (SO). The final guide sets a general range of 4,000–11,999 euro SO. The threshold drops to 2,000 euro SO for livestock farms stocked with native breeds listed in Annex 14, proven by a zootechnical or origin certificate.

For beekeepers, AFIR stated in its press release of 20 May 2026 that DR-14 requires a minimum of 30 bee colonies, i.e. approximately €2,000 SO. When calculating, check in Annex 14 and in the SO table of the funding application which threshold applies exactly to your holding. If the farm is mixed, the sector with the majority of SO counts.

What must be in place before submission:

the holding registered with APIA or ANSVSA under the legal form with which you are applying for support;
for poultry and bees, the certificate from the district veterinarian, issued no more than 30 days before submission, stating the number of birds or bee colonies;
for apiaries, the ANZ certificate with the code of the apiary and of the hives, updated within the same 30 days;
the apiary site owned or used by you. Its land does not need to be registered with APIA.

Which costs are eligible and what is not funded?

The DR-14 guide lists the following, among others, as eligible:

construction or modernisation of farm buildings, including fencing and farm access roads;
platforms for managing manure;
new machinery and equipment, purchased outright or through finance leasing;
digital solutions and software. In its press release for beekeepers, AFIR gives as examples trailers for transporting hives, weight, temperature and humidity sensors, and GIS systems for mapping honey-bearing areas;
renewable energy, only for own consumption and only as a secondary component;
on-farm storage and conditioning, on-farm processing below 50% of the eligible value, plus farm-gate sales or sales via vending machines;
marketing, up to 5% of the eligible value.

The following are not funded:

the purchase of animals, so neither birds, goats nor bee colonies can be bought;
second-hand goods;
purchased land and buildings;
housing;
vehicles for transporting people;
costs incurred before the contract is signed, except those for project preparation.

How can DR-14 be combined with APIA beekeeping support?

The DR-14 guide allows simultaneous access to DR-14 and the EAGF beekeeping interventions, with one condition: the same cost cannot be claimed under both. APIA and AFIR carry out cross-checks.

If an item of equipment in the DR-14 project is reimbursed under the beekeeping interventions between submission of the application and completion of the project, it becomes ineligible under DR-14. The same equipment also cannot appear in the DR-14 feasibility study.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted online on the AFIR platform, by 31 October 2026. The call window has two monthly stages:

by 30 September: the quality threshold is 80 points;
in October: the threshold drops to 40 points, which is also the minimum threshold.

The platform does not accept the application if the self-assessment score is below the threshold for the current month.

The guide also requires economic viability. The operating result for the previous year must be positive, with the exceptions provided for the year of establishment, calamities and companies with no activity. Private co-financing is proved at contracting. Funds are reimbursed after you have paid the costs.

What this means for your business

The recommendations below are the consultant's, not official conditions.

Stop aiming for September. There are only three days left. A solid application, with all certificates valid, has a better chance in October, at the 40-point threshold, than a rushed one now.
Check the SO first. The most common mistake among apiaries and small poultry farms is that they do not reach the minimum threshold, or apply the native-breed threshold without the certificate that justifies it.
Do not put animals in the budget. You expand the herd or flock from your own funds. The project funds infrastructure and equipment.
Keep the lists of costs clearly separate. If you receive beekeeping support from APIA, keep a separate record of what you have claimed there.
Goats: if you have more than 150 head, follow the final DR-21 guide, which has a higher intensity (90%, in the proposed form).

If you do not know which programme you fall under, start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I buy bee colonies or chickens through DR-14?

No. The DR-14 guide lists the purchase of animals among the specific ineligible costs. It funds construction, new equipment, machinery, software and, as a secondary component, on-farm processing and sales.

Can I apply under DR-14 as a natural person?

Not as an unauthorised natural person. PFAs, individual and family businesses and commercial companies are eligible. The holding must be registered with APIA or ANSVSA under the legal form with which you apply, before the application is submitted.

How many bee colonies do I need for DR-14?

AFIR has communicated a minimum of 30 bee colonies, equivalent to approximately €2,000 SO. The final guide sets a general threshold of €4,000 SO and a reduced threshold of €2,000 SO for livestock farms with native breeds. The exact calculation must therefore be made using the SO table in the funding application.

Can I receive both APIA beekeeping support and DR-14?

Yes, but not for the same costs. If an item is reimbursed under the EAGF beekeeping interventions, it becomes ineligible under DR-14, and vice versa.

What if I have goats, but fewer than 150 head?

In its proposed form, DR-21 requires a minimum of 150 head. Below this threshold, the option available now remains DR-14, if the holding reaches the minimum economic size.

Official sources

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