MySMIS2021 step by step: account, qualified signature, single declaration and the 30-day appeal

MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+ is the IT system used to submit funding applications for the 2021-2027 cohesion funds. It covers the regional programmes, PoCIDIF, PEO, PoIDS, the Health Programme and the other programmes managed by the Ministry of Investments and European Projects (MIPE). SMEs, NGOs and town halls all follow the same steps: personal account, electronic identification with a qualified certificate, registration of the legal entity, completing the application, the single declaration and submission. If the evaluation outcome is unfavourable, the appeal must be filed within 30 calendar days.

In brief

• What it is: the unified system for the electronic exchange of data between beneficiaries and authorities for the 2021-2027 period, managed by MIPE and built in accordance with Article 69 of Regulation (EU) 2021/1060.
• Address: https://mysmis2021.gov.ro/ (the Front Office interface for applicants).
• Legal act: OUG no. 23/2023 on simplification and digitalisation measures for the 2021-2027 cohesion policy funds, as subsequently amended.
• Signature: uploaded documents are signed with a qualified digital certificate. The single declaration is signed electronically by the legal representative or their authorised representative.
• Appeal: 30 calendar days from notification of the result. The committee also resolves it within 30 calendar days.
• Contracting: the required documents must be submitted within the deadline set in the applicant's guide, on pain of rejection. No more than 180 calendar days may pass from the closing of the call to the signing of the contract.

Step 1: the user account and electronic identification

The account is personal and belongs to an individual, not to the company. On the login page click “Create account”, enter your e-mail address and password, then tick the Captcha. According to the MIPE manual, the password must have at least 8 characters, including at least one digit, one lowercase letter, one uppercase letter and one special character. You will receive a confirmation link by e-mail, valid for 30 minutes.

After your first login, complete your identification, correspondence and contact details. The manual warns that these details must be identical to those on your identity document, otherwise the application will not validate them.

Electronic identification is mandatory. From the user menu choose “Electronic identification” and download the certificate registration form. Sign it with your qualified digital signature, then upload it back. The application rejects it if it is not signed, if it does not match the generated document or if it is not the most recently downloaded form. Note the general rule from the manual: all documents uploaded to MySMIS must be signed with a qualified digital certificate held by the user. When the certificate expires, renew it from the same page using the “Add” button.

Step 2: registering the company or town hall

From the “Legal entities” menu click “Register”. Choose the type of entity (public law, private law, commercial, etc.) and search for it by CUI (tax ID). Then complete three blocks:

1. identification details (name, registration number, type of organisation, main CAEN code (Romanian NACE code), VAT registration);
2. registered office;
3. legal representative.

When registering, state whether you are the legal representative or an authorised representative. The registration form generated by the application is signed with a qualified signature and uploaded. The person who registers the entity becomes the “Owner”: they can see and modify all sections (bank accounts, financial years, state aid, document library).

Colleagues or the consultant join through enrolment: they receive the entity's enrolment code from the legal representative, outside the system, and the representative accepts the request in the application. An enrolled user cannot modify the entity's details. They can, however, upload documents to the library, and on the project they receive only the rights granted by the representative. The application logs you out automatically after 15 minutes of inactivity, so save often.

Step 3: the funding application, section by section

From the “Projects” module click “Add” or “+” next to the call. Select the entity, give the project a title and choose the call. The project receives a unique SMIS code and has the status “Draft”. In the list of calls you can see the closing date and time, after which projects can no longer be submitted.

The sections of the application depend on the call. In the ADR North-East instructions they include, for example: applicant, project manager, attributes, capacity, location, objectives, justification and relevance, sustainability, risks, target group, horizontal principles, indicators, procurement plan, activities, budget, self-assessed evaluation criteria and the single declaration.

Partners join through association. The lead partner finds the association code on the project's main page and gives it to the partner. The partner sends the request, and the lead accepts it from the “Association requests” section.

The annexes required by the guide are uploaded in PDF format, digitally signed. Handwritten or technical documents (for example, the technical and economic documentation) are scanned, saved as PDF and signed. The instructions recommend descriptive file names and saving after each field is completed.

Step 4: the single declaration and submission

The single declaration is the central document under OUG 23/2023. By it, the applicant undertakes that they meet the administrative and eligibility requirements, without submitting all the supporting documents at the outset. The exception is documents that the applicant's guide explicitly requires. The application generates the declaration, and the legal representative or their authorised representative signs it with an advanced electronic signature (Article 8 of OUG 23/2023). In a partnership, each partner completes their own declaration.

Two technical rules that many applicants miss:

• the declaration is generated only after you have ticked all the mandatory eligibility criteria and completed the budget;
• any change to the budget after the declaration has been uploaded deletes it automatically. That is why it should be generated last, once the budget is final.

By signing the declaration, you acknowledge that at the contracting stage you must prove everything you have declared.

What comes next: compliance, clarifications, appeal, contracting

Compliance. Under Article 9 of OUG 23/2023, the compliance check is fully digitalised. MySMIS does it automatically, based on the single declaration, then sends you a notification that the application is moving to evaluation.

Clarifications. During the technical and financial evaluation, the committee may request clarifications through the application. The law prohibits limiting their number and requires a reasonable response time, set by the authority's procedures. If you do not respond, or the response does not clarify matters, the decision is taken on the basis of the information available.

Appeal. You can file an administrative appeal against the evaluation result within 30 calendar days of notification. The appeal must contain:

• the details of the applicant and of the legal representative;
• the subject of the appeal;
• the contested criteria and the detailed grounds for each;
• the signature.

The Appeals Resolution Committee decides within 30 calendar days of registration. The decision is communicated to you through MySMIS. You can also challenge the decision to reject funding within 30 calendar days.

Contracting. The required documents must be submitted within the deadline set in the applicant's guide, calculated from receipt of the request, on pain of rejection. For clarifications at the contracting stage you have a maximum of 15 working days. For calls with a deadline, no more than 180 calendar days may pass from the closing of the call to the signing of the contract.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: set up the account, electronic identification and entity registration at least two to three weeks before the deadline, not on the last day. The most common blockages arise right here:

• a qualified certificate that has expired or was issued to another person;
• account details that differ from those on the ID card;
• neither the legal representative nor their authorised representative has a qualified signature, even though only they can sign the single declaration.

Treat the single declaration as a statement made on your own responsibility. Everything you tick there must be proven at contracting, and an unsupported tick means rejection after months of waiting. In an appeal, argue each criterion in the evaluation grid, referring to the page of the application. A general appeal has little chance. If you are not sure whether your company or town hall qualifies for the call, start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I submit the project using the consultant's account?

The consultant can be enrolled with your entity and can be given rights on the project, but the single declaration must be signed electronically by the applicant's legal representative or their authorised representative. The entity is registered by the legal representative or by someone they have authorised.

What electronic signature do I need for MySMIS2021?

A qualified digital certificate issued in the user's name. It is used for electronic identification and to sign the documents you upload. OUG 23/2023 requires the single declaration to be signed with an advanced electronic signature by the legal representative or their authorised representative.

Why has the single declaration disappeared from the project?

The application deletes the single declaration if you change the budget after uploading it. It has to be generated, signed and uploaded again, which is why it is done last.

How long do I have to appeal against the evaluation result?

Within 30 calendar days of the result being communicated, under Article 10 of OUG 23/2023. The appeals resolution committee replies within 30 calendar days of registration, and the decision is communicated through MySMIS2021.

What do I do if I no longer remember the e-mail address I used to create my account?

The MIPE manual recommends contacting the SMIS and IT Coordination Directorate through the Helpdesk application at https://www.fonduri-ue.ro/container/logare-utilizator.

Official sources

• OUG no. 23/2023 on introducing simplification and digitalisation measures for the management of EU funds under the 2021-2027 cohesion policy (Legislative Portal)
• MySMIS2021 Front Office user manual – Authentication, version 3 (MIPE, DCSMISIT)
• Instructions for completing the funding application in MySMIS2021 (ADR North-East)
• The MySMIS2021 – Front Office application

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