The PDDTJ STEP scheme: €260.7 million in loans with a grant element for companies in 6 counties

The Ministry of Investments and European Projects (MIPE) has published for public consultation the draft state aid scheme for companies investing in STEP critical technologies in the counties of Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova and Mureș. The scheme is part of Priority 8 of the Sustainable Development and Just Transition Programme (PDDTJ) and has a financial instrument of 260,724,758 euro. The money is awarded as a loan: 70% of the amount carries zero interest, and once the investment is completed up to 50% of the loan can be written off (capital rebate). The document is still a draft, so applications cannot yet be submitted, and comments must be sent within 15 working days of publication.

In brief

• Programme: Sustainable Development and Just Transition Programme 2021-2027, Priority 8, Action 8.1 – STEP platform
• Authority: MIPE, through the PDDTJ Managing Authority; the administrator of the Just Transition Participation Fund is the Development and Investment Bank (BID)
• Beneficiaries: SMEs (including micro-enterprises) and large enterprises with their registered office or a place of work in Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova or Mureș
• Total budget: 260,724,758 euro, of which 188,731,176 euro is JTF public contribution and 71,993,582 euro is the private contribution of the financial intermediaries
• Value per project: loan of between 300,000 and 10,000,000 euro for SMEs and between 1,500,000 and 50,000,000 euro for large enterprises; capital rebate of up to 50% of the loan
• Submission period: not yet announced; the scheme applies from its publication in the Official Gazette until 29 March 2030
• Status: draft order under public consultation (15 working days from publication)

How does the funding work?

This is not a classic grant but a loan combined with a grant, awarded through a partner bank (financial intermediary) selected by BID. The draft provides for:

• 70% of the loan comes from the PDDTJ and carries 0% interest;
• 30% comes from the bank's own resources and carries market interest, set according to the company's rating;
• a maximum term of 144 months, with a grace period of up to 36 months;
• a capital rebate of up to 50% of the loan, granted only after the investment has been completed and validated, by reducing the principal, no later than 30 November 2030.

If the investment is not ready by the deadline in the contract, the company loses the grant. It may keep the reduced interest rate only on the basis of a well-founded justification approved by the financial intermediary, and provided the project is still completed and put into operation by 31 December 2030. Otherwise, the aid is recovered in full.

The total aid (subsidised interest plus rebate) is capped by regional intensity. For large enterprises, the ceiling is 70% in Gorj, Dolj and Prahova and 60% in Hunedoara, Galați and Mureș. Micro-enterprises and small companies have a ceiling of 75% in all six counties. Medium-sized companies have 75% in Gorj, Dolj and Prahova and 70% in the other three. The minimum own contribution is 25% of eligible costs.

Who can apply and in which fields?

Companies established under Law No. 31/1990, whether SMEs or large enterprises, that have their registered office or a place of work in one of the six counties by the first payment at the latest, can apply. The investment must develop or produce STEP critical technologies:

• digital and deep-tech technologies: microelectronics, artificial intelligence, cloud, robotics, telecommunications, cybersecurity;
• clean technologies: renewable sources and batteries, processing of critical raw materials, recycling, circular solutions;
• biotechnologies: medical technologies, vaccines, critical medical products;
• dual-use defence technologies, excluding military technologies to which Article 346 TFEU applies.

The project must create at least 2 new jobs (FTE) in SMEs and at least 15 in large enterprises. The investment must be completed by 30 September 2030. Excluded, among others, are fishing, primary agricultural production, steel, lignite and coal, transport, energy production and distribution, broadband, biomass energy, tobacco, fossil fuels, and companies in NACE section K or with a main activity in classes 70.10 and 70.22.

Which costs are eligible?

• land: up to 10% of the public contribution, or 15% for abandoned or former industrial sites that include buildings;
• buildings, construction works, land development and utilities;
• new equipment and machinery;
• intangible assets (patents, licences, know-how, software), up to 50% of eligible costs;
• miscellaneous and contingency costs, up to 10%.

The following are not eligible: second-hand equipment, leasing, rent, equipment powered by fossil fuels (only exclusively electric equipment is funded), salaries of new employees, costs incurred before the application is submitted, and recoverable VAT.

What will the submission steps be?

1. The company submits a project summary sheet to BID. It receives a preliminary response on compliance with the JTF and STEP objectives and on creditworthiness. The STEP check is carried out with the support of JASPERS/EIB experts.
2. The company submits the JTF aid application to BID, together with the technical documentation. This application proves the incentive effect, so works must not start beforehand.
3. The company chooses a financial intermediary from the list provided by BID and submits its funding application to it. The intermediary checks eligibility, calculates the aid and signs the loan agreement.

The financial intermediaries have not yet been selected, and the date from which the sheets can be submitted has not been announced. The scheme estimates 27 final beneficiaries.

What this means for your business

Our recommendation: the scheme suits companies that already have a concrete production project, from 300,000 euro upwards, and that can sustain borrowing. With only 27 estimated beneficiaries, projects will be large and selection strict. What you can prepare now:

• check whether your investment falls under a STEP technology and whether you can justify it technically. This is the first test, before any bank analysis;
• prepare the business plan, with the new jobs expressed in FTE, and the financial statements for the creditworthiness analysis;
• secure your 25% contribution from sources that do not involve public aid;
• do not sign orders or execution contracts before applying to BID, as the whole project would become ineligible;
• plan a realistic timetable: the grant depends on completion on time, and the 2030 horizon is short for an industrial investment.

If you are not sure whether your company qualifies, you can start with the eligibility check.

Frequently asked questions

Can you already submit projects under the PDDTJ STEP scheme?

No. The document published by MIPE is a draft order under public consultation. The scheme enters into force only after approval and publication in the Official Gazette. The financial intermediaries through which the loans are awarded must then be selected.

How much of the loan can become a grant?

The draft provides for a capital rebate of up to 50% of the loan value, applied after the investment has been completed and validated, no later than 30 November 2030. Total aid cannot exceed the maximum intensity for the county, between 60% and 75% depending on the county and the size of the company.

What interest is paid?

For the 70% of the loan coming from the PDDTJ, the interest rate is 0%. For the 30% financed by the partner bank, market interest is paid, set according to the bank's rating methodology.

Can a company without a registered office in the six counties apply?

Yes, if it registers a working point for tax purposes in Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova or Mureș by the first aid payment at the latest, and the investment is made there. The jobs created must be maintained in these counties for at least 12 months.

How can I send comments on the scheme?

Comments must be sent within 15 working days of the draft's publication on the MIPE website. The e-mail address is secretariat.dgpim@mfe.gov.ro. They can also be sent by post to the ministry's office at Șos. București-Ploiești nr. 1-1B, Victoria Office, Bucharest, sector 1.

Official sources

• MIPE – public consultation notice for the draft order on the STEP scheme, PDDTJ Priority 8
• Draft state aid scheme for the development of enterprises contributing to the objectives of the STEP platform (PDF)

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