SDP Priority 2: €36.49 million for species and habitat conservation, deadline 30 November

On 21 September 2026, the Ministry of Investments and European Projects amended, through OMIPE No. 1462/2026, the applicant's guide for the call under the Sustainable Development Programme (PDD) 2021–2027 on maintaining and improving the conservation status of species and habitats. The call has a budget of EUR 36,493,238 and is open until 30 November 2026. The National Agency for Protected Natural Areas, administrators of protected natural areas with their own administrative structures, the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration and the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests may apply.

In brief

• Programme: Sustainable Development Programme 2021–2027, Priority 2, Specific Objective RSO2.7, Action 2.1 – Biodiversity conservation
• Authority: Ministry of Investments and European Projects, Managing Authority for the PDD
• Beneficiaries: ANANP, administrators of protected natural areas with their own administrative structures, ARBDD, MMAP
• Total budget: EUR 36,493,238 from the ERDF, for less developed regions
• Submission period: 9 March 2026 – 30 November 2026
• Status: call open; guide amended by OMIPE No. 1462 of 21 September 2026

What does the call fund?

The call funds projects that put into practice the conservation measures set out in the management plans of Natura 2000 sites and in species action plans. The aim is for species and habitats of Community interest to maintain or improve their conservation status, as required by the EU environmental directives.

Unlike earlier PDD biodiversity calls, which mainly funded the preparation of management plans and sets of conservation measures, this call is about putting them into practice on the ground. This means the area's management document must already be approved, or advanced enough to contain concrete measures. The exact list of eligible activities and costs, the minimum and maximum values per project and the co-financing rules are in the Applicant's Guide published by MIPE and are not summarised on the call page.

Who can apply?

The list of beneficiaries is short and closed:

• the National Agency for Protected Natural Areas (ANANP);
• administrators of protected natural areas that have their own administrative structures;
• the Danube Delta Biosphere Reserve Administration (ARBDD);
• the Ministry of Environment, Waters and Forests (MMAP).

The call page does not list town halls, county councils, NGOs without an administrator role or companies as eligible applicants. They can nonetheless play a part in projects: as owners or administrators of land within sites, as partners, if the guide allows partnerships, or as providers of studies, works and services contracted by the beneficiary.

What has changed and what is the submission deadline?

The final guide was approved by OMIPE No. 329 of 27 February 2026, following a public consultation that began on 29 January 2026. Submission opened on 9 March 2026. The deadline initially displayed was 30 September 2026. The order of 21 September amended the guide, and the official call page now shows 30 November 2026 as the submission deadline.

As of today, 5 October 2026, applicants have almost eight weeks left. The call page does not summarise the cut-off time or the other changes introduced by the order. Before submitting, read OMIPE No. 1462/2026 and the consolidated version of the guide in full.

What this means for your institution

Our recommendation for protected-area administrators:

• Start from the management plan. Every activity in the project must correspond to a conservation measure written into the approved plan or the species action plan. Evaluators check the direct link between the activity, the measure and the targeted species or habitats.
• Have baseline data. The initial conservation status must be documented through inventories, mapping and monitoring, so that results can be measured at the end.
• Clarify the land status now. Active measures, such as habitat restoration, invasive species control or facilities for species, require the consent of landowners and land administrators. Obtaining consents usually takes longer than writing the application.
• Do not wait until the last week. The extension came on 21 September, nine days before the old deadline. Do not count on another postponement.

For environmental consultancy, design, applied ecology or field works firms, the call means public contracts that will be launched after the funding contracts are signed. It is worth following, even though firms cannot apply directly.

Frequently asked questions

Can a town hall submit a project on its own in this call?

No, according to the official call page. Eligible applicants are ANANP, administrators of protected areas with their own administrative structures, ARBDD and MMAP. Town halls are not listed as applicants. For other forms of involvement, such as partnership, check the Applicant's Guide.

What is the new submission deadline?

The official call page shows a submission period of 9 March – 30 November 2026, following the amendment of the guide by OMIPE No. 1462 of 21 September 2026. The deadline initially displayed was 30 September 2026.

How much money is available?

The call is worth EUR 36,493,238 from the European Regional Development Fund, for less developed regions. Per-project ceilings are set out in the Applicant's Guide.

Is the preparation of management plans funded?

This call covers the application of conservation measures that already exist in the management plans of Natura 2000 sites and in species action plans. The preparation of the plans was funded through other PDD guides under Action 2.1, published separately on the MIPE website.

If you do not know which programme your institution or company falls under, you can start with the eligibility check.

Official sources

• MIPE – Applicant's Guide for maintaining/improving the conservation status of species and habitats through conservation measures (PDD, Priority 2)
• OMIPE No. 1462/2026 amending the Applicant's Guide
• MIPE – PDD guides for Action 2.1, Biodiversity conservation
• MIPE – Sustainable Development Programme guides

Information checked on 5 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.