PoIDS Valea Jiului: €6.73 million for centres and services for vulnerable children, deadline 27 November

The Social Inclusion and Dignity Programme (PoIDS) has launched the competitive call "Community infrastructure and services for vulnerable children – ITI Valea Jiului", with a budget of 6,730,796.47 euro. The funding is for building or modernising children's centres and for services that prevent children from being separated from their families, only within the ITI Valea Jiului territory. Local public authorities, DGASPCs, social service providers, NGOs, school inspectorates and educational institutions can apply, including in partnership. Projects must be submitted in MySMIS2021 by 27 November 2026, 16:00.

In brief

• Programme: Social Inclusion and Dignity Programme 2021-2027, Priority P05, Action 5.2 (ERDF) and Action 5.4 (ESF+)
• Authority: PoIDS Managing Authority, Ministry of Investments and European Projects
• Beneficiaries: UATs and other local public authorities, social assistance directorates / DGASPCs, social service providers, associations, school inspectorates, educational institutions, and partnerships between them
• Total budget: 6,730,796.47 euro, of which 5,721,177 euro from EU funds (ERDF and ESF+) and 1,009,619.47 euro from the national budget
• Co-financing: set for each type of applicant, in line with Tables 5 and 6 of the PoIDS General Conditions Guide
• Submission period: 28 September 2026, 16:00 – 27 November 2026, 16:00, in MySMIS2021
• Status: competitive call open, final guide published

What is funded?

The call combines investment in buildings and services for children within the same project. According to the document in which the PoIDS MA responds to comments from the public consultation, the final guide includes:

• From ERDF: construction, modernisation, extension or rehabilitation of buildings for centres or networks of multifunctional centres and centres with social, educational, sports, cultural or recreational facilities, plus their equipment;
• From ESF+: community services for children and families that prevent the separation of a child from their family. This includes support for daily activities and for school or socio-professional integration, accompanying vulnerable families (including material support) and training staff who work with children.

The target group is children at risk of poverty or social exclusion and of separation from their families, their families, and the specialists who work with them. Projects with activities outside the ITI Valea Jiului territory are rejected.

What conditions should you know about?

• Technical documentation: at submission, a feasibility study or DALI stage is sufficient. For works that do not require a building permit, simplified documentation is accepted. The technical design is not an eligibility condition.
• Minimum score: the criterion on project maturity and quality of technical documentation has a minimum threshold of 21 points. The MA refused to lower it.
• Implementation period: the project must be completed by 31 December 2029, the end date of the 2021-2027 period.
• New buildings: must meet at least the NZEB standard.
• Indicators: the guide sets minimum targets, including for the capacity of social assistance structures (indicator 6S8) and for trained staff (6S42). Children count towards the result indicator only if they have received support for at least 12 months, with justified exceptions.
• Sustainability: after the project ends, the beneficiary must take measures to ensure that the trained staff remain in post for at least 6 months.
• VAT: the 5,000,000 euro threshold is calculated on the total cost of the operation, including VAT and including salary costs.

You will find the exact indicator values and any per-project ceilings in the Applicant's Guide – Specific Conditions, published on the call page.

How and by when do you apply?

The application must be submitted in MySMIS2021 between 28 September 2026, 16:00, and 27 November 2026, 16:00. The call is competitive, so projects are assessed and ranked by score, not in order of submission. The period of about 60 days was requested during the consultation precisely to allow time to prepare the technical documentation for investments.

What this means for your town hall or organisation

Our recommendation: what decides whether the project makes the deadline is the technical documentation. A town hall in Valea Jiului that does not yet have an SF or DALI for the building needs all eight weeks for that alone.

• Form the partnership now: a UAT, a DGASPC or the local social service, a school and an NGO with experience working with children. The assessment covers the project as a whole, including the investments of all partners.
• Carry out the needs analysis using real data: how many children at risk there are in the area and which services are missing. The size of the centre must be justified by the identified needs.
• Check the licensing of the social service you will provide in the new or modernised building.
• Plan realistically up to 2029: public procurement for works and the construction schedule must fit within the deadline.

If you are not sure what type of applicant you are or which co-financing applies to you, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Who can submit projects in the PoIDS call for vulnerable children in Valea Jiului?

Local public authorities and UATs, social assistance directorates / DGASPCs, social service providers, associations, school inspectorates and educational institutions can apply, alone or in partnership. Activities must take place within the ITI Valea Jiului territory.

What is the deadline?

Projects must be submitted in MySMIS2021 by 27 November 2026, 16:00. The call opened on 28 September 2026, 16:00.

Can new buildings be funded, not just services?

Yes. The ERDF component covers the construction, modernisation, extension or rehabilitation of buildings for multifunctional centres and centres with social, educational, sports, cultural or recreational facilities, plus their equipment. New buildings must meet at least the NZEB standard.

Is a technical design required at submission?

No. The application can be submitted with a feasibility study or DALI. For works that do not need a building permit, simplified technical and economic documentation is accepted.

Official sources

• MIPE: launch of the call "Community infrastructure and services for vulnerable children – ITI Valea Jiului"
• EU Opportunities: call sheet
• MIPE: Applicant's Guide – Specific Conditions page (version put to public consultation)
• PoIDS MA responses to proposals from the public consultation

Information checked on 29 September 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before submitting.