PR South-East 5.2 ITI Danube Delta: €4.91 million for schools, up to €1 million per project

On 4 September 2026 the ADR South-East (Regional Development Agency) published the guide for call PRSE/5.2/ITI/1/2026 for public consultation. The call has a budget of EUR 4,910,453 for primary and lower secondary schools in the ITI Danube Delta area. Town halls, local public institutions and state educational institutions can request up to EUR 1,000,000 per project, a sum that includes VAT. The consultation closed on 25 September. The launch date and the submission period have not yet been announced.

In brief

• Programme: South-East Regional Programme 2021-2027, Priority 5, Action 5.2 – Developing educational infrastructure at primary and secondary level, ITI Danube Delta
• Call code: PRSE/5.2/ITI/1/2026
• Authority: ADR South-East, the managing authority of the PR South-East
• Beneficiaries: local authorities (UAT), local public administration institutions, state educational institutions and partnerships between them
• Total budget: EUR 4,910,453 (ERDF and state budget), of which EUR 2,755,866.48 from the ERDF
• Value per project: maximum EUR 1,000,000 in non-refundable funding, including VAT
• Call type: competitive
• Submission period: not yet announced
• Status: guide in public consultation (4–25 September 2026); the final guide had not been published by 28 September

Who can apply?

According to the ADR South-East announcement, the following can submit projects:

• administrative-territorial units (local public authorities);
• local public administration institutions with legal personality under the coordination of local councils;
• state educational institutions at primary and secondary level;
• partnerships between these entities;
• partnerships with intercommunity development associations, for activities funded by the ESF+ and for social inclusion.

Projects can be carried out in both urban and rural areas, but only within the ITI Danube Delta area. The eligible levels of education are primary (preparatory class and grades I–IV) and lower secondary (grades V–VIII).

What is funded?

The main component, funded by the ERDF, covers:

• construction, extension and equipping of educational institutions;
• physical education facilities: sports grounds and sports halls;
• adapting buildings for access by people with disabilities.

The project may also include an ESF+ component of no more than 15% of the total eligible value. It funds measures for access to education, reducing early school leaving and social inclusion: better nutrition for children, educational support, counselling and specialised assistance, and school desegregation actions. ESF+ activities must complement the investment in the building and are aimed at pupils, parents and teachers in the school receiving the funding.

How does it relate to the regional call that is open now?

For the rest of the region, on 30 May 2026 the ADR South-East launched call PRSE/5.2/1/2026. It has EUR 40 million, EUR 8 million for each of the counties of Brăila, Buzău, Constanța, Galați and Vrancea, and up to EUR 2 million per project. Submission opened on 30 June 2026 at 10:00 and closes on 30 December 2026 at 14:00. That call explicitly excludes the ITI Danube Delta area. Schools in the ITI area must therefore wait for the dedicated call, which has a per-project ceiling half as high.

When and how do you apply?

Projects will be submitted electronically in MySMIS2021 after the official launch. For now the ADR South-East has not announced the launch date, the submission period, the percentage of own contribution or the maximum implementation period. These will be set in the final guide. So far, the only official document is the guide under consultation, published as a .zip archive on the call page. The final guide may differ from the consultation version, including in the eligibility conditions and the scoring criteria.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation for town halls and schools in the ITI Danube Delta area:

• Prepare the technical documentation now. In a competitive call with EUR 4.91 million, the budget covers roughly five projects at the maximum ceiling. Projects with advanced technical and economic documentation and land or buildings free of legal problems have a real advantage.
• Check whether your project fits within EUR 1 million including VAT. A new building with a sports hall may exceed the ceiling. The beneficiary covers the difference, so the local budget must be planned in good time.
• Do not treat the ESF+ as a formal add-on. The component of up to 15% must be tied to the school being funded. A partnership with an ADI or with a provider experienced in educational activities takes a few weeks to build, not the last few days.
• Compare the consultation guide with the final guide as soon as it appears and adjust your project to any changes.

If you are not sure whether your locality or institution qualifies, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can you already submit a project under call 5.2 ITI Danube Delta?

No. On 28 September 2026, call PRSE/5.2/ITI/1/2026 was still at the stage of a guide in public consultation, with the consultation closed on 25 September. Submission in MySMIS2021 starts only after the final guide and the submission period are published.

How much can a school in the ITI Danube Delta area receive?

The maximum non-refundable funding is EUR 1,000,000 per project, and the sum includes VAT. The total budget of the call is EUR 4,910,453, of which EUR 2,755,866.48 from the ERDF.

Can schools in the ITI area apply to the regional call of EUR 2 million per project?

No. The regional call PRSE/5.2/1/2026, open until 30 December 2026, explicitly excludes the ITI Danube Delta area. Schools in this area have the dedicated call PRSE/5.2/ITI/1/2026.

Are high schools eligible?

The ADR South-East announcement lists primary (preparatory class and grades I–IV) and lower secondary (grades V–VIII) as the eligible levels of education. The exact conditions for each type of educational institution should be checked in the final guide.

What non-construction activities can be included?

Through the ESF+ component, of no more than 15% of the total eligible value, you can fund children's nutrition, educational support, counselling and specialised assistance, as well as school desegregation actions, for the pupils, parents and teachers of the funded school.

Official sources

• ADR South-East – Call under consultation 5.2, primary and secondary educational infrastructure, ITI Danube Delta (4 September 2026)
• ADR South-East – Launch of call 5.2, primary and secondary educational infrastructure (PRSE/5.2/1/2026)

Information checked on 28 September 2026. Conditions may be amended by the managing authority — check the guide in force before submitting.