EU funding for SMEs development in Romania

Funding program

• EU Funds - Regional Operational Program - Priority axis 2 - Improving the competitiveness of small and medium-sized enterprises - Investment priority 2.2 - Supporting the creation and expansion of production capacity and developing advanced services

Operator program

• Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration (MDRAP - AMPOR)

Program objectives

• Strengthening the market position of SMEs in competitive industries as identified by the National Strategy on Competitiveness and Regional Development Plans.

Eligible benefits

• All type SMEs (microenterprises, small and medium enterprises).

Applicant eligibility

1. The applicant is a company or a cooperative that can be categorized as a SME urban non-agricol company or medium-size rural non-agricol company.

2. The applicant has conducted business for at least one full fiscal year before applying in the field (CAEN) targeted by the investment, the activity had not been temporarily suspended and has been recorded operational profit (> 0 RON) in the fiscal year prior submitting the application.

3. The applicant recorded an average number of at least 3 employees in the previous fiscal year.

4. The applicant has the financial capacity to ensure:

   • His own contribution at the eligible value of the project

   • Funding the ineligible costs of the project, if needs

   • The funding resources that are necessary to an optimal project implementation

5. The location of the project's implementation

   • The location of the project's implementation is in:

     • Urban area for non-agricultural SMEs

     • Rural area for medium-sized non-agricultural enterprises

   • When submitting the application, the applicant must have the location of the project implementation registered as head or secondary office.

   • The applicant has one of the exposed rights on building:

     • For projects that include construction works that need authorization: the private property right, concession rights or the right of superficies

     • For investments that include only services and / or construction that do not require authorization: private property right, concession right, superficie right, the right of usufruct, the right to use free of charge or tenancy / lease right.

   • The applicant must prove the concession / usufruct / superfictie / use free of charge right for a period of minimum 3 years after the final pay from the Management Authority.

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Project eligibility

• The project activity must be eligible according to the list of eligible fields in the guideline here

• The grant value is between € 200.000 and € 1m.

• The implementation period for the project activities cannot exceed 36 months

• The project should aim at making an initial investment by one of the following types of investments:

  • Creating a new production / service provision in the field of activity (NACE class) targeted investment;

  • An extension of the capacity of an existing establishment, by increasing at least one product / service related field of activity (NACE class) targeted investment;

  • A diversification of existing production unit, the products / services that were not manufactured / provided earlier in the establishment activity (NACE class) targeted investment

• The implementation period cannot exceed 36 months.

• The regions within which the Priority Axis 2 funding can be requested are the following: North-East, South-East, South-Muntenia, South-West-Oltenia, West, North-West and Center.

Eligible costs

Categories of eligible costs funded by the regional state aid:

• Expenses related to land improvement

  • Land improvement - include cost incurred at the beginning of site preparation works, and consisting in demolition, dismantling, decommissioning, deforestation, discharges material results, etc.

  • Arrangements for environmental protection and bringing to its original state - includes costs incurred for works related to environmental actions

• Expenses related to objective's necessary utilities

  • Includes costs for enforcing the investment objective with necessary utilities

• Expenses related to the base investment

  • Constructions and installations - includes costs related to construction / extension / modernization activities of SMEs production / services spaces

  • Facilities - includes costs related to equipment and technologically equipment acquisition

  • Intangible assets - includes:

    • Costs for purchasing patents, licenses, brands, IT software, and other similar assets or rights

    • Costs for on-line commercialization instrument realization activities

• Other costs

  • Site organization

    • Construction and installation works related to site organization

    • Site organization related costs

  • Various, unforeseen costs are eligible only if properly detailed through supporting documents and only up to a limit of 10% of the costs for the execution of works related to the core investment

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Categories of eligible costs, funded by de minimis state aid:

• Design, technical assistance and consultancy:

  • Field      studies     -      includes   costs     for     geotechnical,  geological,   hydrological, hydrogeotechnical, photogrammetry, topographic and terrain stability studies

  • Permits, agreements, obtaining licenses

  • Design and engineering - includes costs related to the documentation required for obtaining agreements, permits and licenses related to the investment objective

  • Consultancy– includes costat relating to:

    • Preparing the funding application / the business plan

    • Investment execution management or administration contract execution consultancy services

    • Developing, organizing and carrying out procurement procedures consultancy

  • Technical assistance

• Other investment related activities:

  • Product, services, process certification activities

  • Management system certification activities

  • Internationalization activities, maximum RON 45,000 without VAT

• Mandatory infomrmation and publicity activities relating to the project in accordance with the funding contract provisions, up to a limit of 5,000 lei

• External financial audit - maximum RON 5,000 per quarter

Ineligible costs

• Costs foreseen in Art. 13 of HG. No. 399/2015 on the eligibility rules for costs incurred within projects financed by FEDR, FSE, FC 2014-2020

• Acquisition of land and / or buildings

• Operation, testing and maintenance costs

• Administrative costs

• Personnel costs

• Financial costs, including insurance premiums, taxes, commissions, interest rates on loans

• Contributions in kind

• Amortization costs

• Leasing costs

• Acquisition of motor vehicles and public transport costs

• Development of prefeasibility studies, feasibility studies, technical project costs

• Costs incurred before the submission of the application, excepting the expenses related to design, technical assistance and consultancy.

Budget program

• € 172.94 million for the February - August 2017 call

• Regional budget allocations

Development Regions         EUR million

North East                  30.28

South East                  25.70

South Muntenia               27.22

South West Oltenia            20.70

West                       20.36

North West                  24.78

Center                      23.90

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The  intensity  and volume of the grants

• The maximum grant value can be determinate by applying to the eligible costs funded by the regional aid, the maximum funding intensity, applicable to the SMEs category and region where the project is implemented according to the table.

SME category / Development regions        Medium-sized enterprises          Small and micro enterprises

North East                                      60%                          70%

South East                                      60%                           70%

South Muntenia                                  60%                          70%

South West Oltenia                               60%                          70%

West                                           45%                          55%

North West                                      60%                          70%

Center                                         60%                          70%

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• The grant value is minimum € 200.000 and maximum € 1m, RON equivalent.

• For de minimis aid component of the project, the contribution program that can be awarded to a single undertaking is not more than 90% of the eligible expenditure to be financed, but not more than EUR 200,000 over a period of 3 consecutive years.

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Call for submissions

• Call for submissions: on term;

• Call launch date: 23 February 2017;

• Call end date: 23 August 2017;

• Several cut off dates applicable with minimum score required:

  • 85 points / 100 points first 2 months;

  • 80 points on 3rd month;

  • 75, 70 ..., 50 points monthly cut off dates until the end of the 6 months of submission

Application file

• Standard formal / administrative documents

• Qualitative documents (business plan, application form)

• Submission via MySMIS on-line platform, electronic signature mandatory

Other relevant information

• Competition will run on regional budget breakdown