Companies and local public authorities have access to over €8 billion in EU funds and State Aid designed for investments in manufacturing, green energy, energy efficiency, and infrastructure in the coming period, according to a REI Grup analysis. While these funds were initially scheduled for release during the summer, the majority of the programs have been rescheduled for launching this autumn.
The funding is split across two main vectors: private companies can access grants for regional development, manufacturing, transport, logistics, and decarbonization, while local public administrations can submit projects targeting renewable energy and storage, energy efficiency, seismic retrofitting of buildings, education, digitalization, and industrial parks.
“We are facing a generous period of non-reimbursable funding, heavily focused on development, manufacturing upgrades, and energy efficiency. Over €4 billion in State Aid schemes and European funds will be available to both business and public authorities this autumn, complemented by an additional €4 billion through Romania’s economic recovery mechanism. With access to traditional financing becoming increasingly constrained, the availability of these grant funds provides a vital lifeline for entrepreneurs, municipal authorities, and county councils alike,” stated Roxana Mircea, Managing Partner at REI Grup.
In total, 13 major funding programs with allocations exceeding €4 billion are currently open or scheduled for launch in the coming period:
- State Aid Scheme – Manufacturing Industry – Reducing the Trade Deficit
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Finance
- Total budget: €1,05 B
- Average Annual Budget: €150 million
- Objective: To provide investment grants/tax credits to support the production of goods with a significant trade deficit in the manufacturing sector, with the aim of promoting regional development through investments that help balance Romania’s trade balance
- Eligible applicants: startups (minimum of €100,000 in subscribed share capital), micro-enterprises, SMEs, and large profitable companies;
- Project submission: 15.10.2026 – 25.11.2026
- Minimum investment: €10 M
- TechUp Romania – State Aid Scheme for R&D Investments in Next-Gen Technologies and Downstream Production Capabilities
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Finance
- Annual Budget: RON 759 million (€145 million)
- Program Duration: 2026–2032
- Project Eligibility: Investments valued between RON 5 million and RON 50 million
- Component I (R&D): Funded by the state budget, paired with a 200% tax deduction for R&D expenditures;
- Component II (Manufacturing): Grants targeting initial investments in manufacturing facilities through tangible and intangible assets.
- Eligible Sectors: Digital (advanced computing, microelectronics, etc.), Life Sciences (biotechnology, agri-tech, precision healthcare), Energy (clean energy, storage, climate technologies), Mobility & Space (autonomous systems and space technology), Industry 4.0 (advanced materials and modern manufacturing).
- The purchase of zero-emission vehicles for road and rail freight transport, as well as for maritime and inland waterway passenger and freight transport
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
- Total budget: €299 M (50% of the budget in 2026; the remainder in 2027)
- Eligible applicants: existing road and rail freight transport operators, as well as maritime and inland waterway passenger and freight transport operators, including micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises, as well as large enterprises
- Project submission: 14.09.2026 – 16.11.2026
“Projects can be completed within 30 months from the date of submission; therefore, companies facing short-term financial constraints can defer their investments to 2028 or early 2029. Electric vehicles yield a significantly faster ROI if transport operators or companies in retail, baking, and construction install photovoltaic panels, storage batteries, charging stations, and transformer substations across one or more locations to power their own fleets. This is achievable under Sub-measure 2 ‘e-Move,’ where we anticipate lower competition and where funding is awarded through a competitive bidding process. We estimate that roughly 60–70% of applicants will be able to secure financing from the €92 million allocation. The fact that we will submit hundreds of projects under the ‘e-Move’ scheme – a priority axis we have been preparing for since 2025 – will allow us to advise clients precisely on optimal request thresholds to secure funding, as we will possess a comprehensive market overview”, Roxana Mircea noted.
- e-MOBILITY RO – Development of electric vehicle charging infrastructure along the national network of highways, expressways, and national roads TEN-T
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
- Total budget: €299 M
- Eligible applicants: micro-enterprises, SMEs, large enterprises (excluding startups)
- Investment Eligibility: The network of motorways, expressways, and primary national roads managed by the National Road Infrastructure Administration Company (CNAIR)[3]
- Call launch: September – October, 2026
- Sub-measure 1 (€66 million): Targets exclusively the installation of charging stations and grid connection works – for both public use and internal fleets;
- Sub-measure 2 (€92 million): Targets the installation of charging stations, photovoltaic panels, energy storage batteries, and grid connection works – strictly for the self-consumption of internal fleets;
- Sub-measure 3 (€104 million): Targets the installation of charging stations, photovoltaic panels, energy storage batteries, and grid connection works – for both public access and internal fleets.
- e-DRIVE – Sprijinirea investițiilor destinate achiziției de vehicule cu emisii zero pentru transportul rutier de pasageri
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
- Total budget: €50 M
- Eligible applicants: passenger road transport operators (with the following eligible NACE codes: 4932 — Occasional passenger land transport, 4931 — Scheduled passenger land transport, 4933 – On-demand passenger land transport with driver-operated vehicles;
- Eligible vehicles:
- M1 category – vehicles in the M category with no more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat;
- M2 category – vehicles in M category with more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat and with a maximum mass not exceeding 5 tons;
- M3 category – vehicles in M category with more than eight seats in addition to the driver’s seat and a maximum mass exceeding 5 tons.
- Project submission: 11.09.2026 – 6.11.2026 (or until the funds are fully allocated).
- e-MOVE RO – Promoting infrastructure for zero-emission mobility to support businesses and communities
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
- Objective: To implement investment projects that support the development of a modern and efficient infrastructure for charging electric vehicles in Romania by encouraging investment in charging stations designed for both corporate fleets and public use;
- Total budget: €250 M (€125 M – average annual budget)
- Eligible applicants: micro-enterprises, SMEs, large enterprises, and autonomous public utilities (excluding startups)
- Call launch: September – October, 2026
“We strongly advise companies applying strictly for charging stations under Sub-measure 1, those requesting funding for internal fleet charging under Sub-measure 2, as well as landowners with sizeable, well-positioned intra-urban plots (5,000–10,000 sq m) looking to develop an integrated charging network business, to apply urgently for urban planning certificates and grid connection approvals (ATR) so they can submit projects with fully determined connection conditions right from the start. REI maintains an in-house technical team—including architects and structural engineers—to manage these projects end-to-end, through to the monitoring phase”, Roxana Mircea added.
- Replacing underperforming machinery and equipment in the naval and air transport sectors with zero-emission alternatives, as well as replacing vehicles providing ancillary services to rail and naval transport to qualify as zero-emission vehicles
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Transport and Infrastructure
- Total Budget: €299 M
- Eligible Applicants: Economic operators performing port activities within ports, in the proximity of ports, or in areas with special legal status; companies/corporations/autonomous regies (regii autonome) in the air transport sector—including micro, small, medium (SMEs), and large enterprises; as well as economic operators whose scope of activity includes ancillary services for land transport or ancillary services for water transport, under eligible NACE codes.
- Call launch: Q4 2026
- MF STORAGE
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Energy
- Total Budget: €150 M
- Eligible Applicants: Micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs), and large enterprises (including start-ups) engaged in the production and sale of electricity, corresponding to Division 35: “Electricity, gas, steam and air conditioning supply”
- Project submission: 01.09.2026 – 31.10.2026
“Under this priority axis, we project that available funds will be fully absorbed by 10 large operators or, at most, 20 companies requesting €5,000–€10,000, capped at €15,000 per MWh. Consequently, we advise applicants with smaller projects (10–20 MWh) to pursue financing through commercial bank loans or equity”, added Roxana Mircea.
- State Aid Scheme – SME Investments through Financial Instruments
- Type of Support: Subsidized interest rate loan with a 40% capital rebate
- Total Budget: €306 M
- Target Audience: Financing for public institutions in the North-East (NE), South-East (SE), and Bucharest-Ilfov (BI) regions
- Call Launch: Q4 2026
- Supporting investments in developing new electricity storage capacities from renewable energy sources for public entities
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Energy
- Total Budget: €150 M
- Eligible Applicants: Territorial-administrative units (UATs) and their subdivisions; units and subunits within the national defense, public order, and national security system; prison system administration units; fully publicly funded hospitals; public institutions.
- Project submission: 28.09.2026 – 20.11.2026 (or until the funds are fully allocated).
- Supporting investments in new solar-generated electricity production capacities, with integrated storage capabilities, for self-consumption by public entities
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Energy
- Total Budget: €500 M
- Eligible Applicants: Territorial-administrative units (UATs) and their subdivisions; prison system administration units; fully publicly funded hospitals; public institutions.
- Project submission: 28.09.2026 – 20.11.2026 (or until the funds are fully allocated).
- National Program for the Retrofitting of High Seismic Risk Buildings (PNCCRS)
- Managing Authority: Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration
- Total Budget: €1B (2026)
- Eligible Projects: Buildings constructed before 1978, including schools, kindergartens, medical facilities, and residential apartment buildings, used buildings
- Application Procedure: The initial submission requires an energy audit and technical expertise report; following approval, the Technical Project (PT) is finalized and the financing contract is signed. Design costs are eligible, with the exception of the Approval Documentation for Intervention Works (DALI).
- Financing for sewerage and public lighting projects – UATs
- Managing Authority: AFM (Administration of the Environmental Fund)
- Total Budget: €500 M
“This autumn, we have access to non-reimbursable funding of up to 70–80%, levels that will no longer be available in the next programming cycle. Although we are passing through a period of instability, we advise companies to prepare their documentation now and implement projects later—even if this uncertainty persists into 2028–2029, depending on call requirements—in order to secure their grant funding today. Furthermore, to support businesses, REI Grup will submit projects under this autumn’s electric vehicle purchasing schemes with a zero upfront fee model. Diversifying into related fields, such as charging stations or innovation projects backed by up to 70% intensity, represents a unique opportunity for the entrepreneurial community. We strongly recommend preparing documentation 2–3 months in advance, accelerating the permitting process, and partnering with experienced consultants and technology specialists who contractually guarantee complete documentation and ensure project implementation without financial corrections”, Roxana Mircea, Managing Partner at REI Grup added.
Over €4 Billion to Drive Romania’s Economic Recovery: What Authorities Are Preparing
In early March, the Romanian Parliament adopted a series of measures aimed at revitalizing the country’s economy by stimulating investments in key sectors, where several state aid schemes are set to launch in the coming period.
Although this constitutes a multi-annual framework, the budgets for the financing schemes proposed by the Government exceed €4 billion, with allocations concentrated across multiple key pillars.
These involve six developmental strategic directions, each receiving varying levels of support to address highly elevated market demand. These five areas target:
- A state aid scheme for investments in competitiveness clusters and sectors manufacturing products with a trade deficit within the processing industry. This scheme would benefit from a €1.05 billion budget, with a minimum investment threshold of RON 50 million;
- A state aid scheme for investments ensuring the capitalization of mineral resources, particularly strategic and critical raw materials, for investments in the production of net-zero technology-based finished products and their core components. The total allocation for this state aid scheme also stands at €1.05 billion, with projects requiring a minimum investment of RON 75 million;
- A state aid scheme targeting investments in research and high-tech development sectors (allocation: €1.05 billion; investment range: min. RON 5 million – max. RON 50 million);
- A state aid scheme for investments in the defense industry sector to strengthen industrial capacities and promote defense capabilities (allocation: €200 million; minimum investment threshold: RON 10 million);
- A state aid scheme for investments driving increased competitiveness and regional convergence (allocation: €500 million; investment range: min. RON 7 million – max. RON 50 million);
- A state aid scheme (minimis) targeting investments made by newly established companies majority-owned by Romanian citizens from the diaspora (allocation: €100 million).
- Smart Growth, Digitalization, and Financial Instruments Programme – Support for Innovative Technological Projects (Research Organization–SME Partnerships) – 29.05.2026 – 30.09.2026, allocation: 53 mil. EUR)
What Other Financing Programs Are Available During This Period?
In addition to the ten major programs available during this period, alternative financing schemes with smaller allocations are at the disposal of companies and administrative-territorial units (UATs) in the coming period.
Over €250 million represents the total allocations for financing schemes targeting entrepreneurs and local authorities:
- North-East Regional Program – Energy Efficiency: Investments in residential buildings to increase energy efficiency (UAT county capital municipalities; January–September 2026; allocation: €37.19 M);
- North-East Regional Program – New European Bauhaus (NEB): Implementation of the NEB initiative in urban and non-urban areas (Urban UATs – Q4 2026; allocation: €55 M);
- Just Transition Program – Moderate or deep energy renovation of multi-family residential buildings for communities
- Managing Authority: MIPE – Managing Authority for the Just Transition Program and the Intermediate Bodies within the Regional Development Agencies
- Target Audience: UATs
- Budget: €160 M
- Project submission: 08.2026 – 03.02.2027
