Start-Up Nation 2024 – Secure top funding of up to 250,000 lei
The programme thus offers varied opportunities both to young people and to those seeking support in the labour market.
Todos & Company editorial team · EU funding consultancy since 2006
Start-Up Nation 2024: the perfect opportunity for Romanian entrepreneurs to obtain funding for innovative businesses.
How can you access the Start-Up Nation 2024 programme?
Access to the Start-Up Nation 2024 programme takes place in two stages:
First stage: Enrol on the entrepreneurial skills courses, which are also available online. You must take these courses, whether or not you already have an economics degree or have previously completed similar courses. The Ministry of Economy will provide an online platform where you can select your training provider. Second stage: Once the courses are completed, those who have graduated successfully will be able to submit the documents required to take part in the Start-Up Nation 2024 programme.
Who can access Start-Up Nation in 2024?
The Start-Up Nation 2024 programme is structured around two pillars, each with specific criteria:
Pillar 1: Activating the entrepreneurial potential of young people
- Eligibility: Young people under 30 years of age.
- Eligible regions: All regions of Romania – Bucharest-Ilfov, North-East, South-East, South-Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, West, North-West and Centre.
- Budget:
- EUR 29.75 million for the Bucharest-Ilfov region.
- EUR 266 million for the other regions of Romania.
- Note: Projects in Bucharest-Ilfov have a separate budget from the rest of the country.
- Entrepreneurship course: Completing an entrepreneurial skills course is mandatory under the Start-Up Nation programme.
Pillar 2: Support for developing entrepreneurship in target groups
- Eligibility:
- Young people under 35 years of age.
- People seeking employment.
- Unemployed or long-term unemployed people.
- Inactive people or people from groups disadvantaged on the labour market.
- People who have recently returned to the country.
- Eligible regions: North-East, South-East, South-Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, West, North-West and Centre. Note: The Bucharest-Ilfov region is not eligible for this pillar.
- Budget: EUR 150.43 million for the eligible regions.
- Entrepreneurship course: Completing an entrepreneurial skills course is mandatory under the Start-Up Nation programme.
The programme thus offers varied opportunities both to young people and to those seeking support in the labour market.
Eligibility conditions for the Start-Up Nation 2024 programme:
- The company must be established after completing the entrepreneurial skills course.
- The company's registered office and the place where the business is carried out must be in the same development region as the home address of the eligible individual under the programme.
- The company must qualify as an SME.
Ineligible activities:
- Processing and marketing of fisheries and aquaculture products, where the aid is calculated on the basis of the price or quantity of products purchased or marketed.
- Primary production of agricultural products.
- Primary production of fisheries and aquaculture products.
- Processing and marketing of agricultural products, where the amount of aid is set according to the price or quantity of products purchased from primary producers, or where the aid is conditional on being passed on, in whole or in part, to those producers.
- Production or marketing of weapons, ammunition, explosives, tobacco, alcohol, controlled substances, and narcotic or psychotropic plants and preparations.
- Production or marketing of energy products, in accordance with Law No. 227/2015 on the Fiscal Code, as well as leasing activities.
- Export activities to third countries or other Member States, namely aid for quantities exported, the establishment of a distribution network or other current expenses linked to exports.
- Aid conditional on the preferential use of domestic goods and services over imported ones.
All other activities are considered eligible for Start-Up Nation 2024.
- Depending on the trade balance, projects may receive additional points.
Evaluation grid for Start-Up Nation 2024
|
|
Criteria |
Score |
|
|---|---|---|---|
|
Amount of own contribution |
|||
|
A |
1 |
The own contribution is ≥ 20% of the project's eligible value |
20 |
|
2 |
The own contribution is ≥ 15% of the project's eligible value |
15 |
|
|
3 |
The own contribution is ≥ 10% of the project's eligible value |
10 |
|
|
|
|
||
|
B |
1 |
The company will make an operating profit ≥ 1 starting from the year following payment of the AFN |
20 |
|
2 |
The company will NOT make an operating profit ≥ 1 starting from the year following payment of the AFN |
0 |
|
|
Investment-related criteria |
|||
|
C |
1 |
Investment in technological equipment accounts for more than 40% of the value of eligible costs |
20 |
|
2 |
Investment in technological equipment accounts for more than 30% of the value of eligible costs |
15 |
|
|
3 |
Investment in technological equipment accounts for more than 20% of the value of eligible costs |
10 |
|
|
Job-related criteria |
|||
|
D |
1 |
The trade balance of the CAEN code applied under is negative |
10 |
|
2 |
The trade balance of the CAEN code applied under is positive |
0 |
|
Criteria related to the sustainable development component |
|||
|---|---|---|---|
|
E |
1 |
The project includes investments worth ≥ 15,000 lei in cost items relating to sustainable development |
20 |
|
|
The project includes investments worth ≥ 10,000 lei in cost items relating to sustainable development |
10 |
|
|
|
|||
|
Criteria related to starting a business |
|||
|
F |
1 |
The associates/shareholders have NOT previously been associates/shareholders in another established company of the SRL or SA type, up to the date of publication in the Official Gazette of the ministerial order approving the implementation procedure. |
10 |
|
|
2 |
The associates/shareholders HAVE previously been associates/shareholders in another established company of the SRL or SA type, up to the date of publication in the Official Gazette of the ministerial order approving the implementation procedure. |
0 |
Eligible costs under Start-Up Nation 2024:
- Technological equipment needed to carry out the activity.
- Systems and equipment intended for saving energy and using renewable sources for energy efficiency.
- Costs of setting up the company, with a maximum eligible value of 1,000 lei.
- Furniture, office equipment and protection systems for the safety of goods and staff.
- Costs of salaries, utilities, accounting services and rent for production premises, up to a maximum of 60,000 lei.
- Creating a showcase website or online shop, domain registration and online promotion.
- Software needed to carry out the activity.
- IT equipment and computing technology, including PCs, servers, printers, smartphones and tablets, together with the corresponding licences.
- Electronic signature needed to carry out the activities.
- Consultancy, with a maximum eligible value of 10,000 lei.
- Two mandatory information plaques, with a minimum value of 10 lei.
- VAT is not considered an eligible cost under this programme.
Consultancy services offered for Start-Up Nation 2024:
- Free assessment of your project's eligibility.
- Consultancy on accessing funding and drafting the funding application.
- Submission of the project and handling of requests for clarification.
- Consultancy on signing and implementing the funding agreement.
- Assistance with procurement, payments and submission of the reimbursement file.
