Health Programme: €21.73 million for medical genetics and rare disease centres, until 30 October

Public healthcare units that host regional medical genetics centres or rare disease centres of expertise can obtain grants under the Health Programme to extend, modernise, refurbish, build or equip these centres. The budget of the two competitive calls (PS/652 and PS/653) is EUR 21,725,121.07. Under Corrigendum No. 2, published on 27 August 2026, the submission deadline in MySMIS2021 has been extended to 30 October 2026, 14:30.

In brief

• Programme: Health Programme 2021–2027, Priority 3, calls PS/652 (less developed regions) and PS/653 (national coverage)
• Authority: Ministry of Investments and European Projects, through the Managing Authority for the Health Programme
• Beneficiaries: public healthcare units with regional medical genetics centres or rare disease centres of expertise, the local authorities (UAT) that manage them, the Ministry of Health and other central public authorities
• Total budget: EUR 21,725,121.07, of which EUR 11,698,275.29 for call PS/652 (less developed regions)
• Value per project (PS/652): between EUR 200,001 and EUR 1,949,712.55, including VAT
• Type of support: grant only, competitive call with a deadline
• Submission period: 30 June 2026, 17:00 – 30 October 2026, 14:30 (extended by Corrigendum No. 2)
• Status: open

Who can apply?

The guide for call PS/652 lists three categories of applicants:

• public healthcare units hosting regional medical genetics centres, under Order of the Minister of Health No. 1,358/2014, or rare disease centres of expertise, under Order of the Minister of Health No. 540/2016;
• administrative-territorial units that coordinate, oversee or manage these healthcare units (usually county councils and city halls of municipalities);
• the Ministry of Health and other central public authorities that coordinate or manage such units.

If the applicant is a UAT or a central authority, the healthcare unit hosting the centre must be included as a partner.

Corrigendum No. 1, of 24 July 2026, added an important condition: a public healthcare unit applying for funding for a rare disease centre of expertise must not be, and must not have been, a beneficiary of funding under the Health Programme within Priority 7 or Priority 1, component D. The rule is intended to avoid double funding. The Single Declaration (Annex 4) and the eligibility verification grid (Annex 11) were also updated at the same time.

What can be financed?

The call covers investments in the form of extension, modernisation, refurbishment, construction and equipping of the infrastructure of medical genetics centres or rare disease centres of expertise. For PS/652, the centres must be located in less developed regions. Call PS/653 has national coverage. Its detailed conditions, including the values per project, can be found in the guide published on the call page.

Unlike the 2024 call for regional genetics centres, which funded only the purchase of equipment, the 2026 call window also allows construction works. It is explicitly aimed at rare disease centres of expertise as well.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted exclusively in MySMIS2021. The system opened on 30 June 2026 at 17:00. The original deadline was 30 September 2026. Following Corrigendum No. 2, the system closes on 30 October 2026 at 14:30. The call is competitive, so projects are ranked by the score obtained rather than funded in the order of submission.

The final guide, the archive of corrigenda and the summary of observations from the public consultation can be downloaded from the official call page on mfe.gov.ro.

What this means for your business

The recommendations below are our opinion as consultants, not official conditions.

• First check the ineligibility rule from Corrigendum 1. If your project concerns a rare disease centre of expertise, check whether the hospital already has projects under Priorities 1 (component D) or 7 of the Health Programme. Many county hospitals do. Do this check before you invest in documentation.
• The technical documentation dictates the timetable. Refurbishment or extension works require the technical and economic documentation and proof of rights over the property, approved by council decision. In four weeks, only those who already have the feasibility study or DALI can realistically submit complete projects. For everyone else, the realistic option is an equipment-only project.
• The partnership must be formalised. If the county council applies, the partnership agreement with the hospital must be signed before submission.
• Mind the closing time. The deadline is 14:30, not 17:00 as at opening. The qualified electronic signatures of all partners must be prepared a few days in advance.

If you represent a local authority and want to know which other calls suit you, you can use the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still submit projects to the medical genetics and rare diseases call?

Yes. Under Corrigendum No. 2 of 27 August 2026, the deadline has been extended to 30 October 2026, 14:30, when MySMIS2021 closes. The original deadline of 30 September 2026 is no longer valid.

Can a county council apply instead of the hospital?

Yes. UATs that coordinate, oversee or manage the healthcare unit are eligible applicants. However, the healthcare unit hosting the centre must be included as a partner.

What is the maximum value of a project?

For call PS/652 (less developed regions), the value of a project is between EUR 200,001 and EUR 1,949,712.55, including VAT. For call PS/653 (national coverage), the values must be checked in the specific guide published on the call page.

Can hospitals that already have funding from the Health Programme apply?

For rare disease centres of expertise, healthcare units that are or have been beneficiaries of funding under the Health Programme within Priority 7 or Priority 1, component D, cannot apply. The clarification was introduced by Corrigendum No. 1 of 24 July 2026.

Does it fund construction as well, or only equipment?

Both are funded: extension, modernisation, refurbishment, construction and equipping of medical genetics centres or rare disease centres of expertise.

Official sources

• MIPE – page of calls PS/652 and PS/653: guide, corrigenda, submission period
• MIPE – announcement on Corrigendum No. 2
• ADR South-West Oltenia (Health Programme Intermediate Body) – announcement of call PS/652
• ADR South-West Oltenia – Corrigendum No. 1

Information checked on 3 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.