PR Bucharest-Ilfov 1.4: €10 million for innovation clusters, €0.3–2 million per project

The Managing Authority of the Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Programme 2021-2027 is preparing call PR BI P1/1.4/1/2026, with 10 million euro in non-refundable funding for innovation clusters that include SMEs and research organisations. Each project can receive between 300,000 and 2,000,000 euro, intended for the cluster's shared research and development facilities. The guide was in public consultation between 27 August and 21 September 2026. As of 3 October 2026, the call is still listed as "call in preparation", and the submission period has not yet been announced.

In brief

• Programme: Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Programme 2021-2027, Priority 1, Action 1.4 – Support for innovation clusters for the benefit of SMEs, including by stimulating interregional and international collaboration
• Authority: ADR Bucharest-Ilfov, as the Managing Authority of the PR BI
• Beneficiaries: cluster management entities (EMC), set up as associations, holding a European ESCA label (bronze, silver or gold)
• Total budget: €10,000,000, of which €4,000,000 from the ERDF and €6,000,000 from the state budget
• Value per project: between €300,000 and €2,000,000 in non-refundable funding
• Submission period: not yet announced
• Status: the public consultation closed on 21 September 2026; the call is listed as "call in preparation"

Who can apply?

According to the draft guide, the eligible applicant is the cluster management entity, legally constituted as an association. Companies do not apply individually: the project belongs to the cluster, and the member SMEs benefit from the shared facilities.

The main conditions in the guide put out for consultation:

• the cluster must necessarily include SMEs and research organisations;
• the management entity must have its registered office or a registered territorial structure in the Bucharest-Ilfov region;
• the applicant must hold a European ESCA excellence label (bronze, silver or gold level), which must be maintained throughout the implementation of the project.

Which costs are funded?

The money goes into the cluster's shared research and development infrastructure. The guide put out for consultation provides for:

• construction, modernisation or extension works on the premises for the shared research and development facilities;
• tangible assets, such as equipment and machinery, for these facilities;
• intangible assets, such as patents and licences.

The declared core activity must represent at least 50% of the project's eligible budget. At least one interregional, cross-border or transnational cooperation activity is also mandatory. The aid intensity and own contribution are set out in the guide and in the financial template (Annex 3.1). The values in the final version may differ from those in the consultation.

How and by when do you apply?

You cannot apply yet. The call has completed the public consultation stage (27 August – 21 September 2026), and comments were sent to helpdesk@adrbi.ro. The final guide, with the submission period, is to be published next. To date, neither the launch date nor the submission deadline has been announced.

Alongside the guide, the following were published as annexes: the implementation plan (Annex 3), the financial template (Annex 3.1), the technical and financial evaluation grid (Annex 10) and the summary table for cost justification (Annex 19). All are available in PDF and editable formats.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: clusters that do not yet have the ESCA label face the biggest time problem. Without it they cannot apply, and obtaining the label takes time. If you are a member of a cluster in Bucharest-Ilfov, ask the management entity now whether it has the label and whether it is preparing the project.

For management entities, we recommend using the period before launch to:

• define the shared research facility and the concrete needs of the member SMEs, so that the project does not look like a mere equipment purchase;
• check the right to use the premises where the works will be carried out and prepare the technical documentation;
• choose the partner for the interregional or international cooperation activity, which is mandatory;
• fill in Annex 19 in advance, with price quotes to justify the costs;
• read the evaluation grid (Annex 10), so that the project is built around the scoring criteria.

The common pitfall: budgets in which the core activity does not reach the 50% threshold, or in which international cooperation is included only on paper, without real activities and costs. For an initial check you can use the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can an SME apply on its own under this call?

No. According to the guide put out for consultation, the eligible applicant is the cluster management entity, constituted as an association. SMEs benefit as cluster members, through the funded shared research and development facilities.

Is the call open now?

No. As of 3 October 2026, call PR BI P1/1.4/1/2026 appears on the ADR Bucharest-Ilfov website as a "call in preparation". The public consultation closed on 21 September 2026, and the submission period has not been announced.

How much can you obtain per project?

Non-refundable funding is a minimum of €300,000 and a maximum of €2,000,000 per project, from the call's total budget of 10 million euro. The share of costs covered will be set out in the final guide and in the financial template.

Is the ESCA label mandatory?

Yes. The draft guide requires the applicant to hold the European ESCA excellence label, at bronze, silver or gold level, and to maintain it throughout implementation.

What kind of investments are funded?

The call funds the construction, modernisation or extension of premises for the cluster's shared research and development facilities, as well as equipment, machinery and intangible assets (patents, licences) for these facilities. The project must include at least one interregional, cross-border or transnational cooperation activity.

Official sources

• ADR Bucharest-Ilfov – Call PR BI P1/1.4/1/2026: Support for innovation clusters for the benefit of SMEs (guide and annexes in consultation)
• ADR Bucharest-Ilfov – list of PR BI 2021-2027 calls and their status

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