PR Sud-Muntenia SME innovation: €30,000–150,000 grants, questionnaire extended to 20 November

ADR South-Muntenia (Regional Development Agency) has extended to 20 November 2026 the deadline for completing the pre-selection questionnaire for the pilot innovation call aimed at micro-enterprises and SMEs in the region. The call has a budget of approximately 29 million euro, and the grants are 30,000–150,000 € per project, with funding of 100% of eligible costs and no own contribution. The questionnaire is completed online, outside MySMIS, and is the only way to enter the call.

In brief

• Programme: South-Muntenia Regional Programme 2021-2027, Priority 1, call PRSM/1083/PRSM_P1/OP1
• Authority: ADR South-Muntenia (Regional Development Agency), as managing authority, in partnership with the World Bank Group
• Beneficiaries: micro-enterprises and SMEs with at least one full fiscal year, with the project results located in the South-Muntenia region
• Total budget: approximately 29 million €
• Value per project / intensity: 30,000–150,000 €, 100% of eligible costs
• Submission period: the pre-selection questionnaire can be completed between 20 July and 20 November 2026
• Status: pre-selection open; the funding application is submitted later in MySMIS, only by the selected companies

What has changed?

On 20 October 2026, ADR South-Muntenia announced the extension of the deadline for the questionnaire dedicated to innovation in SMEs. The completion period is now 20 July to 20 November 2026. The conditions of the call were not changed by the announcement; only the deadline was.

The call is an experiment: it is part of the European Regional Competitiveness Policy Lab, at the invitation of DG Regio of the European Commission, to measure the effect of funding on entrepreneurship, innovation and competitiveness. For this reason, pre-selection is not based on scoring but on the randomised controlled trial method (Randomized Controlled Trial).

Who can apply?

According to the official page of the call, micro-enterprises and SMEs that meet the following conditions can take part:

• they are registered in Romania;
• they have at least one full fiscal year of activity;
• they are not insolvent and have no outstanding debts to the budget;
• they do not exceed the ceiling of 300,000 € de minimis aid over the last three years;
• the project results are located in the South-Muntenia region: Argeș, Călărași, Dâmbovița, Giurgiu, Ialomița, Prahova or Teleorman.

The company must have an authorised CAEN code (Romanian NACE code) from division 72 (research and development), as a main or secondary activity, or apply in partnership with a partner that holds this code, or acquire the technology through a technology transfer contract. The project must have a technology readiness level above TRL 4 and fall within an RIS3 smart specialisation domain: machinery, agriculture, tourism, bioeconomy, smart settlements, high-tech industry, ICT or health.

Which costs are eligible?

The call page lists equipment, licences, materials, consultancy and staff vocational training, as well as the salaries of researchers, technicians and auxiliary staff. Projects must be implemented by 30 September 2029.

How does the selection work?

1. Pre-selection: you complete the questionnaire online. It has five short modules; the first asks for contact details, participation agreements and a signature.
2. Verification: eligibility is assessed solely on the basis of the answers, without on-site visits.
3. Random selection: eligible companies are chosen by randomisation.
4. Submission: the selected companies submit the funding application in MySMIS, where the actual evaluation follows.

Eligible companies that are not selected receive a benchmark report free of charge, that is, a comparison of the company with the other participants. How many companies will be selected out of all those eligible has not been announced.

What this means for your business

Consultant's recommendation: if you already have CAEN 72 registered and a product or process beyond the laboratory stage, it is worth completing the questionnaire. It costs you nothing but time, and 100% funding is rare for innovation projects. The main risk is that the questionnaire answers are the only basis for the eligibility check. A wrong financial figure or an overstated TRL level can knock you out of the call or cause you problems later, at the MySMIS evaluation.

What to prepare now:

• check with the Trade Register whether a CAEN code from division 72 appears in your object of activity; if not, adding it takes time;
• calculate the de minimis aid received over the last three years, including through smaller facilities and schemes;
• describe concretely, with documents, where your technology stands on the TRL scale;
• sketch a budget within 150,000 €, with justified equipment and research hours.

Random selection means that even a very good project has no guaranteed place. Do not put off other funding sources just for this call. You can quickly check whether your company qualifies with the eligibility check, and the details of the call are summarised on the programme page.

Frequently asked questions

Until when can the pre-selection questionnaire be completed?

Until 20 November 2026, according to the ADR South-Muntenia announcement of 20 October 2026. Without a completed questionnaire, you cannot subsequently submit the funding application in MySMIS.

Do I have to contribute my own money?

No. According to the official page of the call, the grant covers 100% of eligible costs, between 30,000 and 150,000 € per project, with no own contribution.

If I am selected, is my funding guaranteed?

No. Random selection only gives you the right to submit the funding application in MySMIS. There the project goes through the usual evaluation and may be rejected.

Can a company based outside the region apply?

The company must be registered in Romania, and the project results must be located in the South-Muntenia region, that is, in one of the region's seven counties. Check the pre-selection methodology to see how this condition is demonstrated before you complete the questionnaire.

What happens if I am not selected?

Eligible companies that are not selected receive a benchmark report free of charge, which compares them with the other participating companies. They do not receive funding from this pilot call.

Official sources

• ADR South-Muntenia – extension of the deadline for completing the questionnaire dedicated to innovation in SMEs (20 October 2026)
• Page of the pilot innovation call for SMEs in South-Muntenia
• Summary of call PRSM/1083/PRSM_P1/OP1 – methodology and pre-selection questionnaire
• ADR South-Muntenia – start of pre-selection for the pilot innovation call

Information checked on 24 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.