EU funds 27 September 2026 7 min read

Funding for freight transport companies: €75 million for N2 and N3 electric trucks, deadline 16 November

Road freight hauliers can apply until 16 November 2026, from the Modernisation Fund, for funding for N2 and N3 electric trucks. The budget is €75 million, and the ceiling is €18 million per undertaking.

Todos & Company editorial team · EU funding consultancy since 2006

Funding for freight transport companies: €75 million for N2 and N3 electric trucks, deadline 16 November

For a road freight transport company, the funding open now is the state aid scheme under the Modernisation Fund for zero-emission vehicles, administered by the Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure. Two calls, with a combined budget of €75 million, fund the replacement of conventional trucks with battery-electric trucks in categories N2 and N3. Applications are submitted in MySMIS2021 between 14 September and 16 November 2026.

The money covers the price difference between the electric truck and a conventional one in the same category, not the full price of the truck. As a rule, the old truck must be scrapped. The guide below explains who can apply, how the aid is calculated and where applicants most often go wrong.

In brief

Programme: Modernisation Fund, state aid scheme for zero-emission vehicles in freight transport (guide approved by OMTI no. 824/2026, calls launched by OMTI no. 842/2026)
Authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure, through the General Directorate for European Transport Programmes
Beneficiaries: road and rail freight transport operators, as well as maritime and inland waterway transport operators, holding a transport licence or certificate; micro-enterprises, SMEs, large enterprises and new entrants
Budget for road transport: €22 million for the N2 call and €53 million for the N3 call
Value / intensity: up to 100% of eligible costs, i.e. of the price difference compared with a conventional vehicle; maximum €18 million per undertaking and maximum 10 vehicles per applicant
Submission period: 14 September – 16 November 2026, in MySMIS2021
Status: calls open

What exactly does it fund for a freight transport business?

According to the annex to OMTI no. 842/2026, the scheme has three sub-measures and five calls:

Sub-measure 1, road transport: the purchase of battery-electric vehicles in category N2 or N3 that qualify as zero-emission vehicles. There are two separate calls: replacement of N2 vehicles (budget of €22 million, i.e. 115,458,200 lei) and replacement of N3 vehicles (budget of €53 million, i.e. 278,149,300 lei).
Sub-measure 2, rail freight transport: zero-emission traction units, with a budget of €37.5 million.
Sub-measure 3, maritime and inland waterway transport: two calls, of €22 million and €15 million.

The total budget of the scheme is €299 million. Vehicles must be new. VAT is not an eligible cost.

How is the aid calculated? An example

The scheme funds the additional cost of the zero-emission vehicle. The eligible cost is the difference between the price of the electric truck and the price of a truck in the same category that complies with the applicable Union standards. The maximum aid intensity is 100% of this eligible cost. The ministry's clarifications of 16 September 2026 specify that the quotes for the conventional and the electric version (the counterfactual scenario) must come from the same manufacturer.

Illustrative example, with hypothetical prices: an electric N3 tractor unit costs €300,000, excluding VAT, and the equivalent diesel model from the same manufacturer costs €110,000. The eligible cost is €190,000. If you request 100%, the aid is €190,000, and you pay the remaining €110,000 and the VAT from your own resources. The figures in the example do not come from the guide; they only show the calculation mechanism.

Selection is competitive. Under the scheme, what matters most is the state aid requested per vehicle, and secondarily the share of kilometres driven on Romanian territory. An application with a lower aid amount per vehicle therefore has an advantage.

Who can apply and what conditions must be met?

Transport licence. The applicant must be an operator holding a transport licence or certificate, in accordance with the legislation in force. New entrants are also eligible.
Registration in Romania. The company must be registered with the National Trade Register Office no later than the date of the first payment of the aid.
The replaced vehicle. In the ministry's clarifications, the condition of ownership and operation for at least 12 months refers to the full calendar year before submission, i.e. 2025. If you do not yet own the vehicle to be replaced, you can conclude a bilateral promise of sale and purchase in authentic form, before a notary. The new registration certificate must be presented before the funding contract is signed. In any case, the vehicle must have been used in the economic activity for at least 12 months before submission.
Scrapping. Under the scheme, the old vehicle is scrapped within 60 days of receiving the new one.
Limits. The applicant may buy a maximum of 10 vehicles, in one or several procedures, and the aid cannot exceed €18 million per undertaking.
Sustainability. The investment must be maintained for 5 years after implementation is completed.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted in MySMIS2021 until 16 November 2026. The annex to the order does not specify the closing time, so do not leave your submission to the last day. The official timetable is:

techno-economic evaluation: 17 November – 17 December 2026;
score list: 18 December 2026, with appeals submitted between 21 December 2026 and 21 January 2027;
verification of administrative compliance and eligibility: 15 February – 16 March 2027;
final list of admitted and rejected projects: 20 April – 11 May 2027;
signing of contracts: 12–18 May 2027.

For the MySMIS account and the qualified signature, you can follow the steps in our guide on MySMIS2021.

Other programmes for transport companies

For road freight transport, we have not identified any other dedicated open call at this date. The e-DRIVE schemes (replacement of company fleets and passenger transport vehicles) and e-MOVE RO (recharging infrastructure) are being amended in 2026, through OMTI orders no. 817/2026 and no. 821/2026. We have not yet found a submission timetable for them, so we treat them as in preparation.

Regional programmes for micro-enterprises may have their own rules on transport CAEN codes and the purchase of vehicles. Check the guide for each call before relying on it.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the scheme suits hauliers that already have N2 or N3 trucks in their fleet used throughout 2025 and that run routes compatible with the range of an electric truck, such as regional distribution, urban transport or fixed shuttles between depots. For long international journeys, first calculate the total operating cost and charging access.

Request the paired quotes now. You need one quote for the electric truck and one for the conventional version, from the same manufacturer. Quotes from different manufacturers are a frequent mistake.
Weigh the score against co-financing. A lower aid amount per vehicle earns a better score. Requesting the maximum is not automatically the best strategy.
Document your kilometres in Romania for 2025: tachograph records, route sheets, CMRs.
Check that you fall within the €18 million ceiling at group level, if you have linked companies.
Plan your charging. The scheme funds the vehicle, not the charging station at the depot.

You can take the eligibility check or consult the programme sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Do I receive money for the full price of the electric truck?

No. The eligible cost is only the difference between the price of the electric truck and the price of a comparable conventional truck from the same manufacturer. The intensity can reach 100% of this difference. The rest of the price and the VAT remain the company's responsibility.

Can I apply if my transport company was recently established?

The scheme also admits new entrants. However, for replacement, the old vehicle must have been operated in the economic activity for at least 12 months, and the clarifications relate this condition to 2025. Check the exact conditions in the guide for your situation.

How many trucks can I buy through the scheme?

A maximum of 10 vehicles per applicant, in one or several procedures. Total aid is capped at €18 million per undertaking.

Do I have to scrap the old truck?

Yes, for the road sub-measure the scheme provides for replacing the old vehicle, which is scrapped within 60 days of receiving the new one. The exception announced by the ministry concerns only maritime and inland waterway transport, where scrapping is not required.

When will I find out whether the project is funded?

According to the official timetable, the score list is published on 18 December 2026, the final list of admitted projects between 20 April and 11 May 2027, and contracts are signed between 12 and 18 May 2027.

Official sources

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