EU funds 27 September 2026 7 min read

EU funds for construction firms: the North-East call of up to €300,000 and what comes next

For construction micro-enterprises, the North-East PR call of €100,000–300,000 accepts applications from 28 September to 28 October 2026. The CAEN code must be listed in Annex 5 of the guide.

Todos & Company editorial team · EU funding consultancy since 2006

EU funds for construction firms: the North-East call of up to €300,000 and what comes next

As of 27 September 2026, the only call that is open or about to open and lets a construction firm buy machinery and equipment is call 2 for micro-enterprises under the North-East Regional Programme. The grant is €100,000–300,000, and applications are submitted in MySMIS2021 between 28 September and 28 October 2026. Construction is not a guaranteed field: the CAEN code of the investment must appear in Annex 5 of the guide, which you should check before any other step.

In the rest of the country there is currently no suitable open call for construction firms. Below you will find what is coming and what you can prepare.

In brief

Programme: North-East Regional Programme 2021–2027, "Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises – Call 2" (PR/NE/2026/P1/RSO1.3/2/1)
Authority: ADR Nord-Est, the managing authority of the programme
Beneficiaries: micro-enterprises with their registered office in the North-East region (Bacău, Botoșani, Iași, Neamț, Suceava, Vaslui) that invest in the region, in urban or rural areas
Total budget: €20,370,738.40
Value per project: grant of €100,000–300,000, with an own contribution of at least 10% of eligible costs
Submission period: 28 September – 28 October 2026, in MySMIS2021
Status: final guide published on 27 August 2026. The call is competitive, with a minimum threshold of 70 points

Which calls suit a construction firm right now?

1. PR North-East, micro-enterprises, call 2 (submission 28 September – 28 October 2026). The funded actions include buying technological equipment, machinery and working installations, as well as building, extending or modernising production or service premises. Renewable energy systems, intangible assets, digitalisation and marketing are also eligible. The main text of the guide does not say that CAEN section F (construction) is eligible. The field of the investment must appear in Annex 5 – List of eligible fields of activity, in the guide archive. You will find details in the call sheet.

2. PR South-East, Action 1.6, Operation A.1 – micro-enterprises in the Danube Delta ITI (under consultation). The guide was put out for consultation between 30 January and 27 February 2026. The budget is €4,818,066, and the grant per project is €20,000–200,000. It is aimed at micro-enterprises that have had their registered office or a fiscally registered work point in the Danube Delta ITI area for at least 2 fiscal years. The listed costs include machinery, technological equipment and working installations. The call has not been launched, and the submission date has not been announced. See the call sheet.

3. e-DRIVE (Modernisation Fund, Ministry of Transport) – in preparation. The scheme funds the replacement of vehicles in company fleets with zero-emission vehicles. It was amended by OMTI no. 817/2026, announced on 7 September 2026. The guide and the submission period have not yet been announced. The scheme covers vehicles, not construction-site machinery. See the Programme sheet.

What typical costs may be eligible for a construction firm?

In the North-East call, the following may be included, if they are linked to the eligible activity:

machinery and working installations, such as scaffolding, formwork, cutting and finishing equipment, and measuring and control instruments;
lifting and transport equipment: the guide makes an exception for class 2.3.6 "Machinery and installations for transporting and lifting" from the exclusion of means of transport;
building or modernising your own production or service premises, for example a workshop or hall;
photovoltaic panels and heat pumps for own consumption;
software, licences, digitalisation solutions and marketing.

For mobile machinery, the version of the guide put out for consultation on the ADR Nord-Est website excludes vehicles and means of transport, regardless of the field of activity. It also declares ineligible mobile construction machinery powered by fossil fuels, such as excavators, bulldozers, compactors and graders. Check whether the final guide keeps this wording. For an earthworks firm, this means that a diesel excavator, usually the biggest investment it wants, probably cannot be funded.

Who can apply in the North-East call?

micro-enterprises: fewer than 10 employees and annual turnover or total assets below €2 million;
with their registered office in the North-East region by the date of the first payment at the latest, and with the investment made in the region;
the version under consultation also required at least one completed financial year, activity not suspended in the current and the previous year, and operating profit greater than 0 lei in the fiscal year before submission;
the aid is granted as de minimis aid (Annex 14), so what de minimis aid the single undertaking has already received in the last 3 years also matters.

ADR Nord-Est offers a self-assessment tool. It uses ANAF data and what you enter (CAEN codes, number of employees, location of the investment, own contribution) to estimate the score. The result is indicative and does not replace the official evaluation.

Common mistakes made by construction firms

They do not check the CAEN code of the investment in Annex 5. What matters is the code for which the investment is made, not only the main code on the certificate of registration. If you have several codes, the dominant activity is determined by the value share of the investment.
They budget for ineligible machinery. For example, light commercial vehicles or diesel mobile machinery, which may be explicitly excluded.
They choose the investment location at random. The equipment must have an implementation location in the region. A machine that stays permanently on sites in other regions can cause you problems at monitoring.
They submit weak price offers. Evaluators check whether the prices are reasonable and whether the financial forecast is consistent with the firm's historical contracts.
They forget about co-financing and VAT. The contribution of at least 10% and the ineligible costs are paid from your own resources, and the bank will ask you for proof of them.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: if you are a micro-enterprise in the North-East, open Annex 5 of the final guide today and look for the exact CAEN class in which you will make the investment. If you find it, you have a month to apply. The call is especially worth considering for finishing works, installations, joinery, prefabricated elements or your own workshop, where the machinery is fixed or electric.

If your core activity is earthworks with heavy diesel machinery, the current regional calls will help you little. A more realistic option is to look at electric machinery or lifting equipment in class 2.3.6, but only after confirming them in the guide. Small and medium-sized enterprises (over 10 employees) have no suitable open call at the moment. Follow the regional calls for SMEs and e-DRIVE for the vehicle fleet. You can quickly check your fit with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Are construction firms eligible in the North-East call for micro-enterprises?

Only if the CAEN class of the investment is in Annex 5 – List of eligible fields of activity of the final guide published on 27 August 2026. The main text of the guide does not say that CAEN section F is eligible, so checking the annex is mandatory.

Can I buy an excavator or a backhoe loader with EU funds?

In the version of the North-East guide put out for consultation, mobile construction machinery powered by fossil fuels (excavators, bulldozers, compactors, graders) is declared ineligible. Check the wording in the final guide before putting them in your budget.

How much can I receive and how much must I contribute?

In the North-East call, the grant is between €100,000 and €300,000, and the own contribution is at least 10% of eligible costs. You pay ineligible costs in full.

What do I do if my firm is not from the North-East?

There is currently no suitable open call in other regions. In the South-East, the call for micro-enterprises in the Danube Delta ITI (€20,000–200,000) was under consultation but has not been launched. In the meantime, prepare your financial statements, price offers and proof of co-financing.

Can I fund the firm's light commercial vehicles?

Not through the North-East call, which excludes vehicles and means of transport. For zero-emission vehicles there is the e-DRIVE scheme of the Ministry of Transport, amended in September 2026. The guide and the submission period have not yet been announced.

Official sources

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