South-West Oltenia PR: €24.1 million for county roads to the TEN-T, guide in consultation

The Regional Development Agency South-West Oltenia (ADR), the managing authority of the South-West Oltenia Regional Programme 2021–2027, published for public consultation on 15 October 2026 the applicant's guide for the second call for proposals "Regional connectivity and improved access to the TEN-T". The call has an allocation of 24,096,385 euro and is aimed at the county councils of Dolj, Gorj, Olt, Mehedinți and Vâlcea, for county road projects with an eligible value of between 5 and 20 million euro, including VAT. Comments on the guide can be sent until 6 November 2026.

In brief

• Programme: South-West Oltenia Regional Programme 2021–2027, Priority 5 – Accessibility and connectivity at regional level, Specific Objective 3.2, Action A – Regional connectivity and improved access to the TEN-T (call 2)
• Authority: ADR South-West Oltenia, as managing authority
• Beneficiaries: the county councils of Dolj, Gorj, Olt, Mehedinți and Vâlcea, individually or in partnership with other local public authorities
• Total budget: 24,096,385 euro
• Value per project: between 5 and 20 million euro, including VAT
• Consultation period: 15 October – 6 November 2026
• Status: guide in public consultation; the call has not been launched and the submission period has not yet been announced

What does the call fund?

According to the official announcement, the funds are intended for the construction, rehabilitation, modernisation and extension of county roads that provide a direct or indirect link to the trans-European transport network (TEN-T). This is the same type of intervention as in the first call under this action, hence the name "second call for proposals".

The key condition is the link to the TEN-T: the proposed county road must connect localities to the European transport corridors, either directly or via another road. Technical details on how to demonstrate this link, the minimum length or the result indicators are found in the guide and annexes published for consultation, which the managing authority may still amend.

Who can apply?

Eligible applicants are the five county councils of the region: Dolj, Gorj, Olt, Mehedinți and Vâlcea. They can submit projects on their own or in partnership with other local public authorities, for example with the town halls through whose territory the road passes, or with a neighbouring county council where the route crosses a county boundary.

The value thresholds are strict: a project must have an eligible value of at least 5 million euro and at most 20 million euro, VAT included. With an allocation of approximately 24.1 million euro, this means the call can fund between one and four projects, depending on their size. Each county council must therefore choose carefully the road section it proposes.

How and by when should comments be sent?

The applicant's guide and annexes are published on the ADR South-West Oltenia website, in the section on guides in consultation. Proposals and comments should be sent by 6 November 2026 to the e-mail addresses office@adroltenia.ro and help-desk@adroltenia.ro.

The next stage is the publication of the final guide and the launch of the call in MySMIS2021. The official announcement does not specify the launch date or the submission period; these will be set in the final guide. Until then, the conditions in the consultation version may change.

What this means for your institution

For the county councils of Oltenia, public consultation is a moment when conditions that do not match the reality on the ground can be corrected, not just a formality. We recommend three things over the next three weeks.

• Choose the road section now. Check which county roads in your investment portfolio have a demonstrable link to the TEN-T and fall within the €5–20 million range including VAT. A project of 4 million or one of 25 million does not qualify, however well prepared it is.
• Check how mature your documentation is. In road infrastructure calls, evaluation usually gives weight to the stage of the technical and economic documentation, the legal status of the land and the permits. If a feasibility study or technical design exists for the road in question, update it and check whether the cost estimate still matches current prices.
• Send specific comments. If a requirement in the guide is hard to meet, for example an indicator or a document that the council cannot obtain in time, now is the moment to flag it with arguments. Once the final guide is published, the room for negotiation disappears.

The common pitfall in calls like this is competition for a small allocation: 24.1 million euro shared among five counties means that not all proposals will be funded. A well-documented project, with a clearly demonstrated link to the TEN-T and advanced technical documentation, starts with an advantage. You can make an initial assessment of your project with the eligibility check on our website.

Frequently asked questions

Can town halls or towns in Oltenia apply for their own roads?

Not directly. The official announcement names the county councils of Dolj, Gorj, Olt, Mehedinți and Vâlcea as applicants. Town halls can take part only as partners of a county council, and the subject of the investment remains a county road, not a street or a communal road.

What does an "indirect" link to the TEN-T mean?

The announcement states that the county road must provide a direct or indirect link to the trans-European transport network. An indirect link generally means that the county road connects to the TEN-T via another road. The exact way of demonstrating this link is set out in the applicant's guide and may change before the final version.

Is the call open for project submission?

No. At present only the applicant's guide is in public consultation, until 6 November 2026. The launch of the call and the submission period have not yet been announced; they will be set when the final guide is published.

How many projects can be funded from the 24.1 million euro?

The call allocation is 24,096,385 euro, and each project must be worth between 5 and 20 million euro including VAT. In practice, between one and four projects can be funded, depending on the value of those selected. The exact number is not fixed by the guide.

What is the co-financing rate for the county council?

The official announcement does not mention the beneficiary's own contribution. The co-financing percentage from the ERDF, the state budget and the local budget is set out in the applicant's guide currently in consultation, and can be confirmed only in its final version.

Official sources

• ADR South-West Oltenia – press release: Over 24 million euro for the modernisation of county roads in Oltenia, applicant's guide in public consultation
• South-West Oltenia PR 2021–2027 – announcement of 15 October 2026 with the link to the guide and annexes
• South-West Oltenia PR 2021–2027 – list of guides in public consultation (P5, SO 3.2, 15.10–06.11.2026)

Information checked on 19 October 2026. Conditions may be changed by the managing authority — check the guide in force before you submit.