EU funds for online shops: the €300,000 North-East call and what comes next in the South-East

As of 27 September 2026, there is no funding call in Romania dedicated exclusively to online shops. The best-suited option open now is call 2 for micro-enterprises in the North-East Region: grants of €100,000–€300,000, with submission between 28 September 2026, 14:00, and 28 October 2026, 14:00. Here, online selling can only be included as part of a larger investment. A digitalisation call for SMEs is being prepared in the South-East, which explicitly mentions websites and online sales tools, but its applicant's guide has not yet been published.

In brief

• Programme: North-East Regional Programme 2021–2027, Priority 1, "Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises", call 2
• Authority: ADR North-East (Regional Development Agency), the Managing Authority for the PR North-East
• Beneficiaries: micro-enterprises with their registered office and investment in the counties of 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 (de minimis), with an own contribution of at least 10%
• Submission period: 28 September 2026, 14:00 – 28 October 2026, 14:00, in MySMIS2021
• Status: competitive call opening tomorrow. The South-East digitalisation call is still in preparation

Which calls suit an online shop right now?

PR North-East, micro-enterprises (call 2). It funds the development of production or service capacity, new technologies, IT equipment, software and licences, marketing and branding services, as well as digitalisation activities for marketing products and services. The guide does, however, set an important limit: projects containing only intangible assets, only marketing or only renewable energy are not eligible. A project that amounts to just a new website and promotional campaigns does not meet this condition. The online shop must accompany a real investment, for example production, packaging, storage or service-delivery equipment.

PR South-East, Action 1.3 "Digitalisation of SMEs". On the official Priority 1 page, the indicative activities include promoting products and services, building websites, online sales tools, tangible and intangible assets for digitalisation, and cybersecurity audits. The action has an allocation of €10.66 million (ERDF and state budget) and is aimed at micro-enterprises and SMEs in the counties of Brăila, Buzău, Constanța, Galați, Tulcea and Vrancea. The values per project, co-financing, CAEN codes and timetable have not yet been announced and will be set out in the applicant's guide.

What does not suit an ordinary online shop: PoCIDIF 2.1 is aimed at IT companies developing digital products and closes on 30 September. SME Eco-Tech concerns the manufacturing industry. A manufacturer that also sells its goods online may be eligible, but a trader that only resells is not.

Who can apply to the North-East call?

The conditions below come from the applicant's guide published by ADR North-East:

• a micro-enterprise established under Law 31/1990, with fewer than 10 employees and a turnover or assets of no more than €2 million;
• at least one full fiscal year. For submissions in 2026, the company must have been established no later than 3 January 2025;
• operating profit above 0 lei in the fiscal year preceding submission;
• activity has not been suspended in the past year;
• if the company has 0 employees at submission, it must hire at least one person through the project.

The eligible fields of activity are set out in Annex 5 – List of eligible fields of activity, in the guide archive published by ADR North-East. On the official pages we reviewed, there is no mention of the eligibility of retail trade or internet sales. Check the CAEN code of the investment directly in this annex before starting the project.

Which typical e-commerce costs can be funded?

In the North-East call, the cost categories that cover an online shop are:

• IT and technological equipment, furniture;
• intangible assets: software, licences, trademarks;
• marketing and branding services: sales promotion, distribution, social media, brand strategy and identity;
• digitalisation activities that increase digital intensity and support marketing and sales;
• the mandatory information and publicity activities.

For the South-East call, the indicative list on the official page explicitly includes presentation websites and online sales tools. The ceilings per category will only be set in the guide.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications for the North-East call are submitted in MySMIS2021 between 28 September 2026, 14:00, and 28 October 2026, 14:00. The call is competitive: projects are ranked by score, and the minimum threshold is 70 points. ADR North-East has also published an online self-assessment tool. For the technical details of submission, see our guide to the call for micro-enterprises in the North-East.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation for an online shop is to first ask whether the project has a productive investment component. If the company produces, packages, customises or provides services, the online shop and marketing can complement a North-East call project well. If the company only resells online, its chances depend entirely on Annex 5 and the future South-East guide.

The pitfalls we see most often:

• The "just a website and ads" project, rejected outright under the North-East call.
• An operating loss in the last fiscal year. Check your balance sheet before investing time in the project.
• A CAEN code that is unregistered or not authorised at the implementation site. Check it against the CAEN Rev. 3 classification currently in force, not the old codes.
• The de minimis ceiling: the grant adds up with your other de minimis aid from the past three years. Details in our guide to de minimis aid.

For South-East companies, a good time to prepare is right now, before the guide appears: an inventory of the processes that can be digitalised, quotes for a platform, ERP or CRM, and a digital maturity audit. You can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Is there a funding programme only for online shops?

No. As of 27 September 2026, no call dedicated exclusively to e-commerce is open. Online selling appears as an eligible activity in broader calls for the modernisation or digitalisation of SMEs, and the conditions differ from one region to another.

Can I receive money solely for creating an e-commerce website?

Not under the call for micro-enterprises in the North-East. The guide states explicitly that projects containing only intangible assets or only marketing are not eligible. For the South-East digitalisation call, the rules are not known until the guide is published.

How much can I receive in the North-East and how much do I contribute?

The grant is €100,000–€300,000, awarded as de minimis aid. The own contribution is at least 10% of the eligible costs, plus all ineligible costs.

My company was established in 2025. Can I apply?

For submissions in 2026, the North-East guide requires the company to have been established no later than 3 January 2025, to have a full fiscal year and an operating profit in the year preceding submission. A company established after this date does not meet the condition.

When does the South-East digitalisation call open?

The date has not been officially announced, and the applicant's guide had not been published as of 27 September 2026. Follow the Priority 1 page on regiosudest.ro.

Official sources

• ADR North-East – P1 Investments for the modernisation of micro-enterprises, call 2
• ADR North-East – the call page, with the guide, annexes and de minimis scheme
• ADR North-East – applicant's guide, micro-enterprises, call 2
• ADR South-East – Priority 1, Action 1.3 Digitalisation of SMEs

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