€2B in Grants for Start-Ups, AI, Green Energy, and Tourism in Q1 2025

The beginning of 2025 comes with allocations of over 2 billion euros in the form of non-reimbursable funds for investments in start-ups, as well as in technology, innovation and AI, green energy, agriculture, tourism and more, according to a REI Grup analysis, one of the most active consulting companies specialized in attracting non-reimbursable funds through European funds or state aid in Romania.

From the much-awaited “Start-up Nation” program, to the Regional Programs aimed at stimulating SME investments in various fields or the “Modernization Fund”, with generous allocations for investments in renewable energy, the first quarter of this year brings to the market no less than nine funding programs, aimed at raising the standard of living in most regions of the country.

„The authorities are preparing the launch of more than 15 separate funding lines, with allocations ranging from €50,000 to €57M for each individual project. Interest in these funding programs remains very high, as many of them were postponed from the end of last year to the beginning of this year. There are also funding programmes whose submission period closes in less than a month, and for these a number of important preparations are needed, which is why we have been working since the first days of the year to finalize them and to ensure our clients all the necessary support in their successful submission”, Roxana Mircea, managing partner at REI Grup stated.

Funding programs in Q1 2025 

1. Modernization Fund – EUR 150M for investments in new renewable electricity generation capacity for self-consumption in agriculture and processing of agricultural products

➡️ Contracting authority: Ministry of Agriculture

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: micro-enterprises, SMEs, large enterprises in the agricultural and food industry sector, including Authorized Individuals, Sole Proprietorships or FIs

➡️ Eligible NACE classes:

• NACE 01 – Agriculture, hunting and related services
• NACE 10 – Food industry
• NACE 11 – Beverage production

➡️ Financing:

For wind energy:

• 700,000 Euro/MW – for installed capacity below 1 MW, inclusive;
• 700,000 Euro/MW – for installed capacity of more than 1 MW;

For solar energy:

• 650,000 Euro/MW – for installed capacity below 1 MW, inclusive;
• 550,000 Euro/MW – for installed capacity of more than 1 MW;

The maximum amount of funding is EUR 20M / project.

➡️ Allocation: EUR 150M (2025)

➡️ Status: call opened on 24.12 until 28.02.2025

2. Modernization Fund – around EUR 300M for investments in new renewable electricity generation capacity for self-consumption in non-agricultural activities

➡️ Contracting authority: Ministry of Energy

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: micro-enterprises, SMEs, large enterprises in non-agricultural sectors

➡️ Financing:

For wind energy:

• 700,000 Euro/MW – for all installed capacity

For solar energy:

• 450,000 Euro/MW – for installed capacity below 5 MW, inclusive;
• 360,000 Euro/MW – for installed capacity of more than 5 MW;

For hydro energy:

• 1,805,000 Euro/MW – for all installed capacity.

The maximum amount of funding is EUR 20M / project.

➡️ Allocation: ~ EUR 300M (2025)

➡️ Status: call to be opened in Q1

3. Modernization Fund – EUR 150M for investment in developing electricity storage capacity (batteries)

➡️ Contracting authority: Ministry of Energy[1]

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: micro-enterprises, SMEs, large enterprises

➡️ Financing: max. 100,000 EUR / MWh of installed storage

The maximum amount of funding is EUR 10M/ project.

➡️ Allocation: EUR 150M (2025)

➡️ Status: open call until 17.02.2025

„Key Program 1: Supporting investments in the development of electricity storage capacity supports investments in batteries to be linked to a renewable energy source, whether solar, wind or hydro. We encourage companies that have developed photovoltaic parks or investments in large energy capacities to also turn to storage solutions, as they play a key role in energy efficiency”, Roxana Mircea added.

4. Modernization Fund – €150M for energy efficiency in industrial installations (steel, cement, oil, gas, cement, oil, natural gas, etc.)

➡️ Contracting authority: Ministry of Energy[2]

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: companies and autonomous entities that can prove that they are covered by the greenhouse gas emission allowance trading scheme (EU-ETS)

➡️ Financing: max. EUR 30M / project

➡️ Allocation: EUR 150M (2025)

➡️ Status: call to be opened in Q1

5. Start-up Nation 2025 – Up to €50.000 for young entrepreneurs at the beginning of their venture

➡️ Contracting authority: Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism[3]

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: young people aged 18-35, entering entrepreneurship for the first time / people of any age from the Diaspora

➡️ Financing: EUR 50.000 / minimum 20% own contribution / negative balance of trade balance

➡️ Allocation: EUR 445M (2025)

• Pillar 1 – EUR 295M – young people aged 18-30
• Pillar 2 – 150 mil. EUR – disadvantaged young people aged 30-35, persons of any age returning from the Diaspora after 12 months of residence

➡️ Status: call opening soon

➡️ Recommended areas for funding: bakery production, confectioners, patisseries, fitness centers, sports clubs, recreational activities – photo/video/audio, kindergartens, afterschools, construction equipment, etc.

The Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (MEET) will launch the fourth edition of Start-up Nation, one of the most successful support programs for young entrepreneurs in Romania.

„The scheme has been divided into two sub-programs – one dedicated to young people under 30 and the second – for people aged between 30 and 35 or people who are looking for a job. A condition for enrolment will be that young entrepreneurs wishing to access the funds made available by MEET must attend 40 hours of entrepreneurship courses offered by specialized firms, which will be paid for by the state. Only after completing the mandatory courses will applicants be able to submit their project for funding”, Roxana Mircea added.

6. Horizon Europe – €300M to invest in innovation and technology

➡️ Contracting authority: European Commission

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: SMEs

➡️ Financing: between 0 and EUR 30M / project

➡️ Allocation: EUR 300M (2025)

➡️ Status: call open until 16.12.2025

Companies with SME status can apply for funding for technology investment projects with amounts between €10M and up to €30M[4].

The Horizon Europe program was launched at the end of last year in Romania and has a budget of €300M for investment in:

• Digital technologies and technological innovations: semiconductors, AI, quantum technologies, robotics, etc.;
• Net-zero technologies: solar, onshore wind and offshore renewables, energy storage, heat pumps, alternative fuels, circular economy technologies, etc.;
• Biotechnology – including DNA/RNA, cell engineering, bioinformatics and nanobiotechnology.

The submission period is throughout the year 2025, but no later than 17:00 on 16.12.2025.

7. State aid for the manufacturing industry – GD 300/2024 – EUR 150M

➡️ Contracting authority: Ministry of Finance

➡️ Eligible beneficiaries: start-ups, SMEs, large enterprises, from NACE sectors 10, 13, 14, 15, 17, 19, 22, 23, 24, 25, 27, 28, 33, 38

➡️ Financing: max. EUR 57M / project, projects of at least €10M

➡️ Allocation: EUR 150M (2025)

➡️ Status: call opening soon

8. Regional Programs 2021-2027[5] – SME investments financing – EUR 310M

➡️ RP West – SME digitization  

• Call status: to launch Q1 2025
• Allocation: EUR 15M

➡️ RP North-East  – Investments for sustainable SME growth  

• Call status: open, session 6.01.2025 – 31.03.2025
• Allocation: EUR 30M

➡️ RP South-East  – Investing in innovation and making SMEs more competitive

• Call status: estimated launch April-May 2025
• Allocation: EUR 87M

➡️ RP Center – From idea to market – support for SMEs  

• Call status: open session until 16.06.2025
• Allocation: EUR 9M

➡️ RP Bucharest-Ilfov 

Support for sustainable growth and technological modernization of micro-enterprises

• Call status: opening soon, session 27.01. – 10.02.2025
• Allocation: EUR 75M

Support for the development of new or significantly improved products/processes

• Call status: estimated session – June 2025
• Allocation: EUR 60M

Support for advanced digital transformation of SMEs

• Call status: estimated session – May 2025
• Allocation: EUR 35M

9. National Strategic Plan 2023-2027^[6] – EUR 340M

➡️ RD 16 – Investments in the vegetable and/or potato sector

• Call status: estimated session – March 2025
• Allocation: EUR 150M
• Financing: max. EUR 2M / project
• Eligible applicants: farmers, excluding individuals, etc.

➡️ RD 23 – Investments in bakery, agricultural products, processing

• Call status: opening soon, estimated session – February 2025
• Allocation: EUR 150M
• Financing: max. EUR 10M / project
• Eligible applicants: SMEs, large enterprises

➡️ DR 24 – Purchase of agricultural machinery for forestry sector   

• Call status: opening soon, estimated session – February 2025
• Allocation: EUR 40M
• Financing: max. EUR 10M / project
• Eligible applicants: SMEs, large enterprises

[1] https://energie.gov.ro/sprijinirea-investitiilor-in-dezvoltarea-capacitatilor-de-stocare-a-energiei-electrice-baterii-cu-finantare-din-fondul-pentru-modernizare-program-cheie-1-surse-regenerabile-de-energie-si/

[2] https://energie.gov.ro/anunt-consultare-publica-schema-de-ajutor-de-stat-si-ghidul-solicitantului-privind-sprijin-pentru-modernizarea-la-nivel-bat-cu-scopul-cresterii-eficientei-energetice-a-instalatiilor-inclu/

[3] https://economie.gov.ro/start-up-nation/

[4] https://eic.ec.europa.eu/news/european-innovation-council-new-eu300-million-step-facility-open-submissions-eu30-million-2024-11-26_en

[5] https://mfe.gov.ro/programe-regionale-21-27/

[6] https://www.madr.ro/planul-national-strategic-pac-post-2020.html