EU funds for a fitness gym: the €300,000 North-East call and what comes next

As of 27 September 2026, the only launched call under which a fitness gym can apply for EU funding is "Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises – Call 2" under the North-East Regional Programme. The call offers grants of between €100,000 and €300,000, and applications are submitted in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+ between 28 September and 28 October 2026, so submission opens tomorrow. From what we track, in the rest of the country the regional calls for micro-enterprises are either closed or still in preparation. If your gym is not based in the North-East, now is the time to prepare your file for the calls that follow.

In brief

• Programme: North-East Regional Programme 2021–2027, Priority 1 – Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises, Call 2
• Authority: ADR North-East
• Beneficiaries: micro-enterprises incorporated under Law 31/1990, with their registered office in Bacău, Botoșani, Iași, Neamț, Suceava or Vaslui
• Total budget: €20,370,738.40 (ERDF and state budget)
• Value per project: €100,000–300,000 non-refundable, as de minimis aid; own co-financing of at least 10% of eligible costs
• Submission period: 28 September – 28 October 2026, in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+
• Status: call launched, with the guide published on 27 August 2026 and a minimum quality threshold of 70 points

Is there an open call for a fitness gym right now?

There is no programme dedicated to fitness gyms. The money comes from the general calls for micro-enterprises, which accept hundreds of fields of activity. The only call of this kind launched at present is the one in the North-East Region, with submission starting on 28 September 2026. ADR North-East specifies that the field in which you make the investment must appear in Annex 5, "List of eligible fields of activity". The annex is in the guide archive published on the programme's website. Before any other step, look there for the CAEN code of the fitness activity (9313, "Fitness centre activities"). If you cannot find it, the project is not eligible.

In the other regions, the situation of the SME modernisation calls we track is as follows:

• Bucharest-Ilfov, North-West, Centre, West and South-Muntenia: the calls for micro-enterprises and SMEs have closed;
• South-East: the call for micro-enterprises in the Danube Delta ITI and the call for SME digitalisation are in preparation. We will only know which fields will be eligible from the final guides;
• the Diaspora Investește Acasă programme, for new businesses of Romanians returning from abroad, is also in preparation.

Who can apply in the North-East call?

According to ADR North-East, the applicant must meet all of the conditions below:

• it is a company incorporated under Law 31/1990 and qualifies as a micro-enterprise;
• it has its registered office in the North-East Region and makes the investment in the same region, in an urban or rural area;
• it was established no later than 3 January 2025;
• it did not suspend its activity in 2025 and 2026;
• it made an operating profit (above 0 lei) in the 2025 financial year;
• it had an average of at least 1 employee in 2025.

So a gym opened in 2026, or one that made an operating loss in 2025, cannot apply. The same goes for a company with no employees in 2025.

What costs can the grant cover?

The call page divides eligible costs into four categories:

• tangible investments: construction, equipment and renewable energy systems. For a gym, this covers training equipment, fit-out of the premises and photovoltaic panels;
• intangible assets: patents, licences and software, for example software for managing memberships and access;
• marketing and branding services;
• digitalisation for selling products and services, such as online bookings or a members' app.

In the consultation version, the guide excludes motor vehicles and means of transport. VAT is eligible only if it relates to eligible costs. The de minimis ceiling of €300,000 applies to the single undertaking over three years. If the company has already received de minimis aid, the grant it can obtain is reduced accordingly.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted electronically in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+, between 28 September and 28 October 2026. The call is competitive: a project with 70 points passes the quality threshold, but projects are funded in order of score until the budget is exhausted. The self-assessment tool published by ADR North-East was available until 21 September 2026.

What this means for your business

Our recommendations, as consultants, for a fitness business:

• Check the CAEN code first, in three places: in Annex 5 of the guide, in the company's object of activity and in the authorisation for the address where you make the investment. If it is missing from any of them, the project may be rejected at the compliance check.
• Look at the operating profit in your 2025 financial statements. Net profit does not matter here. Many gyms end up with an operating loss because of rent and depreciation.
• Secure your right to use the premises. If you want fit-out works, the lease must cover the whole period during which the project has sustainability obligations. Check the exact requirement in the guide.
• Do not just buy equipment. A project that combines equipment, digitalisation, green energy and marketing looks better as a modernisation than a simple list of purchases.
• If you are in another region, prepare your financial statements, price quotes and business plan now, so you can submit in the first days after your regional call is launched.

You can quickly find out whether your company fits with the eligibility check. The details of the North-East call are on the programme page.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get EU funds to open a new fitness gym?

Not through the North-East call. It requires a company established no later than 3 January 2025, with an operating profit and at least one employee in 2025. For a new business, the start-up programmes remain, when call windows open. Check the official pages to see whether fitness activity is eligible.

How much must the company contribute from its own money?

At least 10% of eligible costs, plus all ineligible costs of the project. If VAT is not eligible in your case, it must also be covered from your own resources.

My gym is in Cluj or Bucharest. Can I apply under the North-East call?

No. The registered office and the place of the investment must be in the North-East Region. The similar calls in the North-West and Bucharest-Ilfov have closed. Follow the call calendar of the regional programme for your area.

Am I sure to get funding if I reach 70 points?

No. The 70 points are only the minimum quality threshold. Projects are funded in order of score, as far as the budget of €20.37 million allows.

Official sources

• ADR North-East – Modernisation of micro-enterprises (Call 2): the call page and the guide of 27 August 2026
• ADR North-East – eligibility conditions and the self-assessment tool
• ADR North-East – Applicant's guide, consultation version
• ADR North-East – public consultation for Call 2

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