PoCIDIF 2.1: grants of up to €3 million for IT SMEs, call closes on 30 September

The PoCIDIF call for Action 2.1, "Development of new services/applications/products through innovation and the adoption of advanced technologies", closes on Wednesday, 30 September 2026, at 17:00. There are three days left. The call has a budget of 48,813,278 euro and funds ICT SMEs developing innovative hardware products or software solutions. The grant per project is a minimum of 200,000 euro and can reach 3 million euro.

To date, the official call page shows no extension of the deadline. If your project does not already have its application nearly ready in MySMIS2021, your real chances of submitting by the deadline are slim. In that case, it is more useful to prepare for a possible next call window, for which there is not yet an official timetable.

In brief

• Programme: Smart Growth, Digitalisation and Financial Instruments Programme (PoCIDIF) 2021-2027, Priority 2, Action 2.1
• Authority: Ministry of Investments and European Projects (PoCIDIF Managing Authority). The scheme is administered by the Authority for the Digitalisation of Romania, through OIPSI
• Beneficiaries: SMEs and newly established enterprises in the ICT sector, alone or in partnership with other SMEs
• Total budget: 48,813,278 euro
• Value per project: between 200,000 euro and 3,000,000 euro for hardware products, and 1,500,000 euro for software solutions, including de minimis aid
• Submission period: 30 June 2026, 15:00 – 30 September 2026, 17:00, in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+
• Status: call launched, closing in 3 days. The official page shows no extension

Who can apply?

Under the scheme approved by MIPE Order No 875/15.06.2026, micro-enterprises and small and medium-sized enterprises that have their registered office or a work location in Romania and operate under at least one of the following CAEN codes can apply:

• 2611, 2612 and 2630: electronic components, modules and communications equipment;
• 5821 and 5829: publishing of games and other software products;
• 6210, 6220, 6290 and 6310: custom software, IT consultancy, other IT services, data processing and web hosting.

Projects must fall within the smart specialisation subdomains: microelectronics for smart products, networks of the future and IoT, XR technologies, artificial intelligence, traceability, robots and cognitive agents. Important conditions include:

• positive operating profit in the last financial year (not applicable to companies established in the year of submission);
• no net tax debts;
• the project's CAEN code being authorised at the date of submission;
• only one project per applicant and, for a group of companies, only one project per group.

Partners must be SMEs, but they cannot be newly established enterprises.

How much is funded and which costs are eligible?

The scheme combines four types of aid, each with its own intensity:

• Regional investment aid for ICT hardware, equipment, software, licences and cloud or AI services that can be recorded as fixed assets. The intensity ranges from 40% to 75%, depending on the county and the size of the company. Your own co-financing is at least 25%.
• Industrial research: 70% for micro-enterprises and small enterprises and 60% for medium-sized enterprises. The ceiling rises to 80% and 75% respectively if the results are widely disseminated.
• Experimental development: 45% and 35% respectively. With dissemination, the ceiling rises to 60% and 50% respectively.
• Aid for newly established enterprises (micro-enterprises and small enterprises no more than 5 years from registration): up to 100%.
• De minimis, 100%, for preparing documentation, marketing, project management, technical audit and security, publicity and accessibility. The ceiling is 300,000 euro per single undertaking over 3 years.

Assets must be new. Second-hand equipment is not eligible. The project must be implemented within 24 months of signing the contract and no later than 31 December 2029. The investment must be maintained for 3 years after completion.

How and by when do you apply?

The application is submitted exclusively electronically, in MySMIS2021/SMIS2021+, by 30 September 2026, 17:00. The guide was approved by MIPE Order No 965/23.06.2026. The call page also publishes clarifications (questions and answers) from July and August 2026, as well as a note on Annex 18, concerning the independence of the expert. Read them before submitting, as they may change how you interpret certain requirements.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation, depending on how advanced your project is:

• If your application is nearly complete: do not wait until the last day. Upload the documents at least 24 hours before the deadline. Check the electronic signatures, the CAEN code fit and the intensity calculation for each aid component. The latter is the most frequent source of errors in schemes with several types of aid.
• If you are only now learning about the call: an R&D&I project of up to 3 million euro cannot be built credibly in three days. Use the time for a future call window:
• • define the product and its level of innovation relative to the market;
  • clarify whether the result is hardware or software, as the ceiling depends on it;
  • check the operating profit in the latest balance sheet;
  • prepare proof of co-financing.
• Common pitfall: companies in the same group cannot submit separate projects, because the "one project per group" rule also applies to partners.

The call is best suited to IT companies that already have a development team and their own product at prototype stage. For an initial check you can use the eligibility check, and the programme is also described on the page PoCIDIF 2.1 — new digital services and products.

Frequently asked questions

Can I still submit a project in the PoCIDIF 2.1 call?

Yes, until 30 September 2026, 17:00, in MySMIS2021. The official call page shows no extension. In practice, only applicants whose documentation is nearly finalised can submit in time.

What is the maximum grant?

The maximum grant is 3,000,000 euro for projects resulting in an innovative hardware product and 1,500,000 euro for software solutions. The amount includes de minimis aid. The minimum grant is 200,000 euro.

Can an IT start-up apply?

Yes. Unlisted micro-enterprises and small enterprises registered for no more than 5 years that meet the conditions for a newly established enterprise can receive aid at an intensity of up to 100% of eligible costs. However, newly established enterprises cannot take part as partners.

Is it known when there will be a new call window?

No. As of the date of checking, the managing authority had not officially announced a next call window for this action.

Official sources

• MIPE – PoCIDIF call page, Action 2.1 (guide, annexes, clarifications)
• MIPE Order No 875/15.06.2026 – State aid and de minimis scheme
• MIPE Order No 965/23.06.2026 – approval of the Applicant's Guide
• MySMIS2021 platform

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