STEP-LLL: EUR 92 million for courses in critical technologies, submission until 30 September

The "STEP-LLL – Skills for the Future" call, under the Education and Employment Programme (PEO), has a budget of 92 million euro. The money funds adult training in critical technologies: digital technologies, clean technologies and biotechnologies. Authorised training providers, employers' organisations, trade unions, professional associations and training or research institutes can apply. A project can be worth between 201,000 and 5,000,000 euro, and submission in MySMIS2021 closes on 30 September 2026, after the original deadline of 28 August was extended.

In brief

• Programme: Education and Employment Programme 2021-2027, Priority 11 – STEP, Action 11.g.1, specific objective ESO4.7 (lifelong learning)
• Authority: Ministry of Investments and European Projects – Managing Authority for PEO
• Beneficiaries: authorised public and private vocational training providers, accredited employment services, trade union and employers' confederations and federations, sectoral professional associations, training or research institutes and centres
• Total budget: 92,000,000 euro
• Value per project: minimum 201,000 euro, maximum 5,000,000 euro, with a benchmark of 7,974 euro per participant
• Submission period: 29 May 2026 – 30 September 2026 (extended deadline), via MySMIS2021
• Status: call open, with a consolidated guide following the corrigendum

Who can apply and who can be trained?

The applicant must be an authorised training provider or form a partnership that includes at least one such provider, as leader or partner. The provider delivering the courses must demonstrate at least 12 months of experience in the STEP critical technology areas. Experience can be proven through projects, training programmes, workshops or practical sessions, with supporting documents. In a partnership, the leader must manage a larger budget than each of the other partners.

The target group consists of adults over 29, employed and/or unemployed. It is not mandatory to include both categories. Employees of the own staff of central or local public authorities are not eligible: ministries, prefectures, town halls, county councils and local councils. Projects may have national coverage or target at least two development regions.

Which activities are funded?

The only mandatory activity is A2, adult training programmes in STEP critical technologies. At least 50% of the eligible budget must be allocated to it. Each participant follows at least one of the two forms of support:

• A2.1 – level 4 qualification or retraining courses, specialisation or upskilling, authorised under OG 129/2000, or programmes with organisation-level or international recognition, where no occupational standard exists for the skills concerned;
• A2.2 – on-the-job training: apprenticeships, work placements or other forms of learning in real work settings, without simulated environments.

Activities A1 (information and counselling) and A3 (exchange of good practice and mentoring) are complementary and are open only to those who also follow the A2 training. The managing authority has clarified that general skills modules alone do not make a course a STEP programme. Examples are standard use of applications, introductory GDPR notions or data storage. Postgraduate programmes are not eligible. Workshops and conferences do not count towards the call's indicators.

Which costs are eligible?

• Level 4 qualification courses are reimbursed through a unit cost of 9,635.63 lei per participant. Special equipment for practical workshops is budgeted separately.
• Equipment and the adaptation of training premises are eligible only as an ancillary investment, justified by the courses. They comply with the ceilings in the PEO General Conditions Guide.
• For transport, the vehicle rental line is used. Purchasing vehicles through leasing is not accepted.
• Consultancy for preparing and submitting the funding application is not an eligible cost.

The call has no state aid scheme attached. The financial capacity of the applicant and the partners is checked according to the PEO General Conditions Guide.

How and by when do you apply?

Applications are submitted in MySMIS2021. The call opened on 29 May 2026, and the original deadline was 28 August 2026 at 16:00. In August, the managing authority published a corrigendum, and on 8 September it published the consolidated guide. The official call page now shows the deadline as 30 September 2026. Check the exact closing time in MySMIS2021 and do not leave submission to the last few hours.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation is a realistic one: with four days left until the deadline, the call is still accessible only to organisations that already have a partnership in place. They also need the curriculum aligned with Annex 7 and the evidence of STEP experience. Anyone starting from scratch now has a very small chance of submitting a compliant application.

• Authorised training providers should first check that the 12 months of experience is documented in a sub-domain from Annex 7. Failing to meet this leads to rejection at the preliminary evaluation.
• Companies that want to train their employees cannot apply directly unless they are authorised providers. They can work with a provider or a professional association. Beware of the trap: a target group made up mainly of the employees of a single company can raise state aid issues. The selection of participants must be open and transparent.
• Employers' organisations and sectoral associations can be partners even without delivering courses. They can handle recruitment, information, counselling or monitoring.

If you cannot apply in this call, it is worth preparing for future calls. Build up experience in the STEP areas and a portfolio of authorised programmes in good time. You can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can an ordinary company submit a project in the STEP-LLL call?

Not directly, unless it is an authorised vocational training provider. Eligible applicants are training providers, accredited employment services, trade union and employers' organisations, sectoral professional associations and training or research institutes. A company's employees can, however, take part in the courses as participants.

What is the value of a STEP-LLL project?

The minimum eligible value is 201,000 euro and the maximum is 5,000,000 euro. The maximum value is set according to the number of participants committed to, with a benchmark of 7,974 euro per participant.

What is the submission deadline for STEP-LLL?

The extended deadline shown on the official page of the Ministry of Investments and European Projects is 30 September 2026. Submission is made in MySMIS2021. The original deadline was 28 August 2026.

Can general IT or GDPR courses be included in the project?

Not as standalone STEP programmes. The courses must focus mainly on the principles, architecture and potential of the critical technologies in Annex 7. General or transversal skills do not qualify on their own as STEP projects.

Is consultancy for writing the funding application eligible?

No. The managing authority has clarified that consultancy services for preparing and submitting the funding application are not eligible costs in this call.

Official sources

• MIPE – STEP-LLL Applicant's Guide (call page)
• MIPE – STEP-LLL list of frequently asked questions and answers (PDF)
• MIPE – PEO updates the STEP-LLL Applicant's Guide (corrigendum)
• Oportunități UE – PEO publishes the STEP-LLL Applicant's Guide
• Oportunități UE – Consolidated version of the STEP-LLL Guide

Information checked on 26 September 2026. Conditions may be amended by the managing authority — check the guide in force before submitting.