Funding for new businesses and start-ups

GAL Tezaurul Câmpiei Mureșene — L805/L815 – Setting up non-agricultural activities by women and/or young people

GAL Tezaurul Câmpiei Mureșene funds non-agricultural start-ups run by women and/or young people: 320,000 euro allocated, max. 32,000 euro per project, 100% support. Online submission on afir.ro until 6 October 2026, 23:59.

until 6 October 2026

LAG Leader Colinele Moldovei — L805/L815 – Rural start-up

LAG Colinele Moldovei funds rural start-ups: 250,000 euro allocated, up to 50,000 euro per project, 100% support. Code L815 (economic operations with women and/or young beneficiaries). Online submission until 17 October 2026.

until 17 October 2026

LAG Podu Înalt Vaslui (GAL Podu Înalt Vaslui) — I1 – Setting up businesses in non-agricultural fields

Call 2/2026 for setting up non-agricultural businesses (I1) is open from 25 August 2026 to 23 October 2026, 23:59, after a 30-day extension. The allocation and the maximum amount are not stated in the announcement.

until 23 October 2026

LAG Țara Vrancei (GAL Țara Vrancei) — M3 – Short supply chains and local gastronomic points

Non-agricultural start-ups of local producers in the territory of GAL Țara Vrancei, funded with a lump sum of 30,000 euro on the basis of a business plan. Allocation of 150,000 euro, online submission until 28 October 2026, 23:59.

until 28 October 2026

EIC Accelerator 2026 — grant and investment for deep-tech start-ups and SMEs

EIC Accelerator funds deep-tech start-ups and SMEs with a grant of up to 2,499,999 euro (maximum 70% of costs) and an equity investment of 1–10 million euro through the EIC Fund. The 2026 budget is 634 million euro.

LAG Valea Prutului — Start-ups for young people and women in the LAG Valea Prutului territory

Open call for proposals from LAG Valea Prutului for start-ups run by young people and women in the territory. Submission deadline: 7 October 2026. Details are in the documents in the Active calls section.

LAG Ialomița de Jos (GAL Ialomița de Jos) — L805/L815 – Non-agricultural start-ups for young people and women in the LAG Ialomița territory…

GAL Ialomița de Jos is launching its call for non-agricultural start-ups (young people and women), with 70,000 euro allocated and 100% support. Online submission on afir.ro from 5 October 2026 to 3 November 2026, 23:59.

from 5 October 2026

GAL Vrancea Sud-Est — I.4 – Non-agricultural investments for women and/or young people (aged 18-30)

GAL Vrancea Sud-Est is opening I.4 (non-agricultural start-ups for women and/or young people aged 18-30): 96,634 euro, max. 50,000 euro per project, 100%. Online submission 21 October–19 November 2026.

from 21 October 2026

LAG Țara Zarandului (GAL Țara Zarandului) — L806 – Supporting rural businesses (with secondary coding L815)

GAL Țara Zarandului opens call L806 for rural start-ups on 22 October 2026, with 298,000 euro allocated and a maximum of 22,900 euro per project at 100%. Online submission closes on 20 November 2026, 23:59.

from 22 October 2026

Horizon Europe — "Proof of market": commercialisation of research results by start-ups and SMEs

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL4-2027-01-MAT-PROD-49 gives €200,000 to each small consortium of spin-offs, start-ups and SMEs that wants to commercialise results from Cluster 4 or Horizon 2020 LEIT projects. The total budget is €5 million.

from 13 October 2026

Diaspora Investește Acasă — BID grant and guarantee for new companies of Romanians in the diaspora

De minimis grant of up to 60% of the investment loan, maximum 200,000 euro, plus a BID guarantee of up to 80% of the loan, for companies less than 3 years old that are majority-owned by Romanians from the diaspora. The programme is currently being made operational.

EIC Pathfinder Challenges 2026 — grants for deep-tech research (Horizon Europe)

The European Innovation Council provides up to 4 million euro per project (100% of eligible costs) for high-risk research on three themes: energy harvesting, healthy ageing and cognitive AI. The budget is 96 million euro. The deadline is 28 October 2026, 17:00.

until 28 October 2026

PoCIDIF 2.1 — new digital services and products

Grants of 200,000–3,000,000 euro (hardware) or 200,000–1,500,000 euro (software) for ICT SMEs and start-ups developing innovative products. The budget is 48,813,278 euro, and submission in MySMIS2021 has been extended until 30 October 2026, 17:00.

until 30 October 2026

Modernisation Fund — stand-alone battery storage installations

The Ministry of Energy is offering 150 million euro from the Modernisation Fund for new stand-alone battery storage installations owned by companies with CAEN code 35. The aid covers up to 100% of eligible costs, with a maximum of 69,000 euro/MWh and 15 million euro per company.

until 30 October 2026

State aid scheme for the purchase of zero-emission vehicles for road and rail freight transport, maritime and inland waterway transport (Modernisation Fund)

Grants from the Modernisation Fund of up to 18 million euro per undertaking, for transport operators replacing lorries, freight locomotives or vessels with zero-emission vehicles. Five calls are open in MySMIS 2021 until 16 November 2026.

until 16 November 2026

Digital Europe — cybersecurity (ECCC, call DIGITAL-ECCC-2027-DEPLOY-CYBER-11)

ECCC call under Digital Europe, with €96 million across seven cybersecurity topics. AI4SME has €20 million for AI solutions aimed at SMEs, with €3–5 million per project and 75% funding for SMEs. The deadline is 14 January 2027, 17:00 CET.

until 14 January 2027

Horizon Europe — Excellence Hubs 2027: regional innovation ecosystems in Widening countries

A €100 million Horizon Europe call for regional innovation ecosystems in Widening countries, including Romania. Consortia of universities, companies, authorities and civil society can receive €1.5–4.5 million per project (70%). Submission is open until 4 March 2027.

until 4 March 2027

IMM INVEST PLUS and IMM PLUS refinancing — 80% FNGCIMM guarantee for working capital loans

Companies with working capital loans under IMM INVEST PLUS or IMM PLUS can refinance their balance as at 31 December 2025, up to 5,000,000 lei, for a maximum of 36 months. FNGCIMM guarantees up to 80%, no more than 4,000,000 lei, with a fee of 1.7%–2.65% per year.

BID portfolio guarantees for SMEs — 70–80% guarantee for new loans of up to 10 million lei

BID guarantees 70% of SMEs' new bank loans for investment or working capital, up to 10 million lei per transaction. Start-ups, women-owned or women-led businesses, and innovation and sustainability projects receive 80%. You apply through the partner banks.

GAL Zona Luț, Șar, Câmpie — I3 – Encouraging young people and women to set up or diversify…

GAL Zona Luț, Șar, Câmpie is accepting projects for Intervention I3 (young people and women, new businesses), call window 1/2026, on gal.afir.ro, between 18 October 2026 and 16 November 2026. The allocation is not stated in the announcement.

from 18 October 2026

State aid scheme for products with a trade deficit in the manufacturing industry (HG no. 486/2026)

State aid from the Ministry of Finance, in the form of a grant or tax credit, for SMEs and large enterprises with initial investments of at least 50 million lei in the manufacturing industry. The first call window has 759 million lei.

from 15 October 2026

DR-12 AFIR — consolidation of holdings of established young farmers and farmers up to 45 years of age

On 6 October 2026 AFIR opens the DR-12 call window, with €169.59 million. Established farmers up to 45 years of age and former sM 6.1 beneficiaries can receive up to €200,000 per project, with 80% or 65% non-refundable. Applications can be submitted until 2 December 2026, 16:00.

from 6 October 2026

European Startup and Scaleup Hubs (Horizon Europe) — European networks of deep-tech hubs, pilot call

A €40 million Horizon Europe pilot call for two European networks of deep-tech start-up and scale-up hubs, €20 million each, with 50% co-financing. Each consortium has at least 10 hubs from 10 countries, of which at least two are from Widening countries.

from 6 October 2026

Horizon Europe Cluster 4 INDUSTRY 2027 — advanced materials and industrial production

Three Horizon Europe Cluster 4 INDUSTRY calls, with €310.8 million, for advanced materials and industrial production. Consortia of companies, SMEs, start-ups, universities and institutes receive between €200,000 and €12.5 million per project.

from 13 October 2026

Horizon Europe Cluster 4 — DIGITAL 2027 call (HORIZON-CL4-2027-04): AI, data, robotics and virtual worlds

The Horizon Europe call HORIZON-CL4-2027-04 "DIGITAL" has €272 million across 11 topics: artificial intelligence, data, robotics and virtual worlds. Projects receive €1.5–44 million. Single-stage submission opens on 17 November 2026 and closes on 18 March 2027.

from 17 November 2026

Modernisation Fund — new biofuel production capacity (bioethanol, SAF, HVO)

State aid from the Modernisation Fund (Key Programme 8) for companies building new bioethanol or SAF+HVO capacity in Romania. It covers up to 70% of eligible costs, and the estimated budget is 500 million euro.