Regional Participation Fund: loans of up to €5 million with a 40% grant for SMEs

The Regional Participation Fund (FPR), managed by the Investment and Development Bank (BID), makes €233.35 million of EU funds from the regional programmes available to SMEs in the North-East, South-East and Bucharest-Ilfov regions. Companies can take out loans of up to €5 million per project, for a maximum of 84 months. 70% of the financing carries zero interest, and a 40% grant is awarded if the investment is completed on time. Applications are made through partner banks selected by BID. As of 2 October 2026, BID has not published the list of these banks.

In brief

• Programme: Regional Participation Fund for increasing SME competitiveness (FPR), funded from the North-East PR, South-East PR and Bucharest-Ilfov PR 2021–2027
• Authority: Investment and Development Bank (fund manager), together with ADR North-East, ADR South-East and ADR Bucharest-Ilfov
• Beneficiaries: SMEs, including micro-enterprises, operating in the three regions
• Total budget: €233.35 million (€122.03 million North-East, €58.81 million South-East, €52.51 million Bucharest-Ilfov)
• Value per project / intensity: loan of up to the lei equivalent of €5 million. 70% of the financing carries 0% interest, while 30% comes from the bank on market terms. The 40% grant is awarded once the investment is completed.
• Submission period: the instrument is available until 31 December 2029, with the possibility of extension
• Status: the state aid scheme was approved on 18 February 2026. The list of partner banks is not published on the BID page.

How does the loan with a grant work?

FPR is not a classic call for proposals with a call window and scoring. It is a financial instrument: the company applies for an investment loan from a partner bank, and part of the money comes from EU funds. According to BID, each financing has two components:

• 70% from the regional programme funds, as an interest-free loan. The 40% grant is awarded from this component as a "capital rebate", that is, a reduction of the principal.
• 30% from the bank's own resources, at market interest and on market terms.

The 40% grant applies as a reduction of the principal only if the project is completed within the originally agreed deadline. If the project finishes later, the company keeps only the benefit of the reduced interest, provided that the investment is completed by 30 September 2029. The loan is granted in lei, for a maximum of 84 months. The ADR North-East page mentions grace periods of 24 months for construction and 18 months for other costs.

Who can apply?

The conditions published by BID are as follows:

• the company is an SME under Commission Recommendation 2003/361/EC and operates on the Romanian market, with the investment located in the North-East, South-East or Bucharest-Ilfov region;
• the company is not insolvent and is not an undertaking in difficulty;
• the company falls within the de minimis aid ceilings, according to the BID page, and meets the bank's KYC requirements;
• the company complies with the communication and visibility rules for EU funds.

Fisheries and aquaculture, primary agricultural production, export-related activities and the steel, coal and lignite sectors are excluded. The regions covered include Bucharest and the counties of Ilfov, Iași, Bacău, Botoșani, Neamț, Suceava, Vaslui, Constanța, Vrancea, Galați, Brăila, Buzău and Tulcea.

Which costs can be financed?

The fund finances investments in tangible and intangible assets, for example equipment, machinery, construction or software. Refinancing is not eligible, so the loan must be new. The detailed list of eligible costs is in the state aid scheme "Productive investments for SMEs financed through Financial Instruments". The scheme was approved on 18 February 2026, following Competition Council opinion no. 1938/RG/17.02.2026, and is published on the BID website and the ADR websites.

Where and when do you submit the application?

The application is not submitted on MySMIS. The company submits it directly to one of the commercial banks selected by BID as financial intermediaries. BID had announced that it would select the banks through public procurement, initially by the end of 2025, then in the first part of 2026. On 2 October 2026, the product page does not contain a list of partner banks. For information, BID gives the address office@bidromania.eu. The fund remains available until 31 December 2029, with the possibility of extension.

What this means for your business

The recommendations below are our own analysis, not official conditions.

The calculation below is indicative. For a loan of €1 million, €700,000 comes from the fund interest-free, and €300,000 from the bank at market interest. If the investment is completed on time, 40% is written off the principal. The BID press release calculates the grant on the value of the financing, while the product page relates it to eligible costs. The exact basis of calculation should be checked in the loan agreement.

• Bankability matters more than scoring. There is no evaluation grid as in the regional calls. The bank's risk analysis decides, so prepare clean financial statements, a business plan with a realistic cash flow and the guarantees you can offer.
• The investment timetable is essential. You lose the grant if you exceed the agreed deadline. Set a deadline with a margin for deliveries and permits.
• Check the de minimis ceiling. Calculate the aid received over the last 3 years at the level of the single undertaking.
• Compare with the grant calls. For micro-enterprises in the North-East there is also the grant call of up to €300,000, but large amounts and medium-sized enterprises are a better fit for FPR.

You can quickly check your company's eligibility with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can I get a loan from the Regional Participation Fund now?

As of 2 October 2026, BID has not published the list of partner banks on the instrument's page. Without this list, it is not possible to confirm which bank to apply to. You can ask BID at office@bidromania.eu and prepare your documents in the meantime.

How much of the loan has to be repaid?

If the investment is completed within the agreed deadline, a 40% grant is awarded, applied as a reduction of the principal. The rest is repaid: 30% of the financing interest-free and 30% at the bank's market interest rate.

Can I refinance an existing loan through FPR?

No. BID states that the instrument finances new investments in tangible and intangible assets, without refinancing.

Are farms eligible?

Primary agricultural production is excluded, as are fisheries and aquaculture. Companies in other sectors, such as manufacturing, services or trade, may be eligible if they meet the other conditions.

What happens if the investment is delayed?

You lose the 40% grant, but keep the benefit of the reduced interest, provided that the project is completed by 30 September 2029.

Official sources

• BID – Regional Participation Fund (instrument page)
• BID – A new €233.35 million fund for SMEs (press release, 15 July 2025)
• BID – State aid schemes
• ADR North-East – Financial instruments for SMEs

Information checked on 2 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.