Funding for car repair garages, car washes and MOT stations: the North-East call of up to €300,000

On 27 September 2026, the only open call suited to a car repair garage, a car wash or an MOT (ITP) station is the one for micro-enterprises in the North-East Region. The North-East Regional Programme awards between €100,000 and €300,000 in non-refundable funding per project, and applications are submitted in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+ between 28 September and 28 October 2026. In the other regions there is currently no suitable open call for these businesses. Below you will find which programmes are in preparation, which costs can be funded and where applicants most often go wrong.

In brief

• Programme: North-East Regional Programme 2021–2027, "Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises – Call 2"
• Authority: ADR North-East, the Managing Authority of the North-East Regional Programme
• Beneficiaries: micro-enterprises with their registered office in the counties of Bacău, Botoșani, Iași, Neamț, Suceava and Vaslui, which invest in the region, in urban or rural areas
• Total budget: €20.37 million (€20,370,738.40)
• Value per project: between €100,000 and €300,000 non-refundable; the own contribution is at least 10%, and the aid is granted as de minimis aid
• Submission period: 28 September – 28 October 2026, in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+
• Status: the final guide was published on 27 August 2026, and the call is competitive, with a quality threshold of 70 points

Is the CAEN code of a car repair garage or an MOT station eligible?

Since January 2025, companies have been using CAEN Rev.3, but many guides still publish their lists in CAEN Rev.2. According to the ONRC correspondence table, the old code 4520 "Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles" corresponds in Rev.3 to codes 9531 "Repair and maintenance of motor vehicles" and 9540. Code 9531 explicitly includes washing and polishing. Car washes therefore also fall under this code, not under a separate class.

Annex 5, published by ADR North-East on the consultation platform for Call 2, contains class 4520 "Maintenance and repair of motor vehicles" and class 7120 "Technical testing and analysis activities", which is where MOT stations usually fall. Class 2211, which includes tyre repair and retreading, also appears there. In its consultation responses, the authority states that the list "has been revised" for the final guide. Before submitting, check your code in Annex 5 of the final package downloaded from regionordest.ro. One more detail matters: the code must be authorised at the location where the investment is made.

Which costs can be financed?

According to ADR North-East, the call funds:

• building, extending or modernising production or service premises;
• equipment, machinery, installations, furniture and IT equipment;
• renewable energy: photovoltaic panels, solar thermal panels, heat pumps;
• patents, licences and software;
• marketing and branding;
• digitalisation solutions.

For a car repair garage, this usually means vehicle lifts, diagnostic equipment, wheel alignment stands, paint shop equipment, compressors, management software and online booking systems. A car wash may request washing and water treatment installations, while an MOT station can equip its inspection line. These are examples of how items may be classified, not an official list: each item of equipment must match the list of works, equipment and fittings in the final guide.

What is not funded

This is where most rejections occur. In its responses to the public consultation, the authority states that:

• motor vehicles and means of transport under Subgroup 2.3 "Means of transport" (HG 2139/2004) are not eligible, regardless of the field of activity. The exception is class 2.3.6 "Machinery and installations for transporting and lifting". Consequently, a tow truck or a company car cannot be included in the project;
• machinery with an internal combustion engine, regardless of fuel and whether or not it is registrable, is not eligible either;
• investments related to the production, processing, transport, distribution, storage or combustion of fossil fuels are not funded.

Who can apply, and by when?

According to the official consultation responses, a company submitting an application in 2026 must have been established no later than 3 January 2025. It must have had operating profit as at 31 December 2025 and must not have had its activity suspended in 2025 or 2026. Applications are submitted between 28 September and 28 October 2026. With one month available and a threshold of 70 points, the technical documentation for construction work and the quotes for equipment should already be in progress.

In the other regions, the regional calls for SMEs have closed, for example those in the West Region and Bucharest-Ilfov. In preparation are the call for micro-enterprises in the Danube Delta ITI and the one for the digitalisation of SMEs in the South-East. For these two calls, neither the final deadlines nor the final CAEN list have been announced yet.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: if you have a garage, a car wash or an MOT station in the North-East and you meet the age and profit conditions, it is worth checking your eligibility straight away. The minimum amount of €100,000 implies a substantial project, for instance modernising the workshop plus equipment, not just a single machine. Check the de minimis ceiling still available to your single undertaking. Be prepared to cover the 10% own contribution and the VAT from your own funds or from a loan.

Common pitfalls we see: companies that include a van or a tow truck in the budget; CAEN codes authorised at the registered office but not at the place of work; equipment with internal combustion engines; investments in rented premises without a sufficiently long contract. For MOT stations, RAR authorisation is a separate process and is not obtained through the project. Quickly check your eligibility with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I obtain EU funds for a car wash?

Yes, if the company is a micro-enterprise with its registered office in the North-East Region and meets the conditions of the call. Washing and polishing fall under code 4520 (Rev.2) or 9531 (Rev.3), and 4520 appears in the list published by ADR North-East for Call 2. Confirm the code in Annex 5 of the final guide.

Can a tow truck or a van be purchased through the project?

No. The authority states that motor vehicles and means of transport under Subgroup 2.3 of HG 2139/2004 are not eligible. The only exception is class 2.3.6, for machinery and installations for transporting and lifting.

How much do I have to contribute myself?

At least 10% of the eligible costs, plus the ineligible costs. The scoring grid awards extra points for a higher own contribution, and applicants with fewer resources can choose a contribution proportionate to their means and receive an intermediate score.

I have a garage in another region. What can I do now?

At the moment there is no suitable open call outside the North-East. Prepare the basic documents: financial statements, documents for the premises, quotes and a list of equipment without vehicles and without internal combustion engines. Keep an eye on the regional calls for micro-enterprises that are in preparation.

Official sources

• ADR North-East – announcement of the call "Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises – Call 2"
• Regio North-East – applicant's guide and call documents
• Summary of questions and answers from the public consultation (27 July 2026)
• Annex 5 – Indicative list of eligible fields of activity (version published for consultation)
• ONRC – correspondence between CAEN Rev.2 4520 and CAEN Rev.3

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