VAPRO

The Ministry of European Funds has launched the second call for proposals “Professional Romania – Competitive Enterprises” through which LARGE companies can finance their training for managers and HR personnel.

The projects can be submitted in the period: 30 July – 31^st of October 2018

The tender is dedicated to the improvement of LARGE enterprises’ management and human resources management through: training, coaching, seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures, etc.

Total call allocation:

• 14,378 mil. euro

Maximum eligible project value:

• 500.000 euro, of which: 50% non refundable (or maximum 60% if the training is addressed to disabled or disadvantaged employees) but not more than 250.000 euro.

Project implementation:

• maximum 12 months;

Eligible applicants:

Employers (large enterprises):

• from economically competitive sectors identified by Romania’s National Competitive Strategy: tourism/ ecotourism, textiles/ leather, wood/ furniture, automotive and components for automotive, IT and communications, beverage/ food processing, energy/ environment, health/ pharmaceutical, bio-economics/ bio-pharmaceuticals/ bio-technologies, creative industries

Employers may have their headquarter in any development region of Romania (including Bucharest-Ilfov), as long as the projects are implemented in the territory of a less developed region of Romania (at headquarter / place of business / agency / branch / subsidiary of the applicant).

Employees that can be targeted by the project (target group):

• management & leadership positions;
• human resources departments staff;

Persons from the target group must have their work place located in one of the less developed regions of Romania (outside Bucharest-Ilfov).

Minimum target group: 50 persons;

For more information click here.

The guide for a new type of financing through Operational Program of Competitiveness: Action 2.2.1 “Support for adding value generated by ICT and innovation field by developing clusters” has been published for debate and will be launched in the next period.

Main details about this call:

A project is eligible for financial support under this action only if at the end of the implementation will have as a result at least one innovative ICT application / product / service.

Eligible applicants:

• Enterprises (micro/small/medium-sized enterprises) operating in Romania, focused on ICT or who operates as members of clusters focused on ICT;
• Partnerships between micro/small/medium-sized enterprises operating in Romania, members of clusters focused on ICT.

The support will target the development of innovative ICT products / services / applications through:

a)  Investments in tangible and intangible assets within an initial investment;
b)  Investments in industrial research and experimental development;
c)   Investments in projects for innovation of SMEs;
d)   Investments in projects regarding process and organizational innovation;
e) Minimis aid: market research expenditure, information and publicity, consultancy, notice, authorizations, training, audit, management, subscriptions, etc.

The amount of non-reimbursable funding is: between 500.000 euro and 2.500.000 euro

Financing percentage:

• For activities from a) to d): between 20% and 80% of total eligible costs, differentiated according to project activities, the size of the company and the region where it is being implemented.
• For minimis aid – point e): 100%, maximum 200.000 euro and no more than 20% of the total eligible costs of the project.

Project duration: maximum 36 months.

Find more details here.

Innovation Norway, as Fund Operator, launched on 24 May 2018 the first call under the “SMEs Growth Romania” Program. The program, funds initiatives to increase competitiveness and profitability of Romanian enterprises, with an emphasis on innovation in the field of services and technological processes.

Call budget:

• Approx. 21 mill. Euro, of which:
  • 15 million for individual projects;
  • 6 million euro for small grants;

Maximum amount of non-refundable aid:

• Individual projects: min. 200.000 euro and max. 2.000.000 euro;
• Small grants: min. 50.000 euro and max. 200.000 euro;
• The non-reimbursable aid, for both types of projects, can vary from 10% up to 80% of the total eligible project value, depending on the type of state aid granted, the size of the applicant, the development region and other elements included in the program.

Eligible applicants and partners:

• SMEs and large companies – for individual projects
• SMEs and NGOs engaged in economic activities – for small grants
• Eligible partners: Partnerships are not mandatory, but projects with partners from donor states (Norway, Iceland and Liechtenstein) are strongly encouraged.

The investment should target one of the areas:

• Development of ICT products / processes / solutions;
• Developing, implementing and investing in innovative green technologies/ ecological products and services/greener production processes, in industry;
• Sustainable development of the marine and maritime sectors;

Eligible expenditure:

• Salaries of the staff involved;
• Transportation, accommodation, daily allowance;
• Equipment – full cost or depreciation during project implementation;
• Consumables and raw materials;
• Contracts made in order to implement the project;
• Real estate and land – max. 10% of the eligible project value and with the approval of the Authority;
• Indirect / administrative costs;

Deadlines:

• For projects submission – 1 November 2018, 13.00
• For project implementation – April 30, 2022

For a more detailed description click here.

In the next period, the Ministry of Public Finance is intending to update the GD 807/2014 state aid scheme and to open a new session of project proposals.

According to the Government’s statements, “the state aid scheme will have a total budget of 1 billion euro over a 5-year period and hopes that by the end of June the legislative framework will be adopted so that companies can submit their projects.[…] Among the innovative elements of the new scheme will be: differentiation of the scheme into two categories: investments under and over 10 million euro. The areas of interest will be: production, innovation and research.”

We remind you of the most important details of this financing opportunity
(according to the latest launch of the scheme from 2016):

Eligible applicants are companies (large and SMEs), including start-ups (the subscribed capital is of minimum 100.000 lei), from all economic sectors, except companies activating in areas such as: aquaculture, primary production, processing and marketing of agricultural products, steel, coal sector, shipbuilding, production of synthetic fibers, transportation and energetic sectors and all sectors listed in Annex 1 to GD 807/2014.

Eligible expenditure:

• Costs excluding VAT, related to the realization, respectively the acquisition of tangible and intangible assets, and the expenses related to the renting of the constructions related to the initial investment
  • Tangible assets: construction, technical installations, machinery and equipment;
  • Intangible assets: depreciable assets associated with the initial investment, such as patents, licenses, know-how, etc.

Project value: minimum 44 mill. lei (approx. 10 mill. euro). In the update version, two types of projects will be launched:

• For investments up to 10 million euro
• For investments of over 10 million euro

The grant awarded is differentiated according to the implementation region:

• up to 15% in the Bucharest Region;
• up to 35% in the West and Ilfov Regions;
• up to 50% in the rest of the regions (North West, North East, Center, South West, South, South East)

Under the POCU funding program, two calls for projects are expected in the near future, through which LARGE companies can reimburse their investments in training programs for their own employees:

Financing line 3.8: which aim investments in training of managers (any level – from top managers to line managers, team managers etc) and staff from HR department – minimum 50 persons;

• The call is expected to be relaunched in the next month and finances activities as: training, coaching, seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures etc.
• Duration of the project implementation period is maximum 12 months;
• Maximum eligible value is 140.000 euro/project, of which the non-reimbursable financing percentage is 50%

Financing line 3.12:  focusing on the training of directly productive / operational employees – minimum 50 persons;

• The call is expected to be launched in the next month and finances activities as:
  • professional training programs (qualification/ specializations / refresher courses) and also other informal courses;
  • learning and development planning;
  • evaluation / validation and certification of the competencies previously acquired (recognition at enterprise and / or national level);
  • development of an own training system at employer level;
• Duration of the project implementation period is maximum 18 months;
• Maximum eligible value is 500.000 euro /project, of which the non-reimbursable financing percentage is between 50% and 95%, according to certain activities.

 Who can apply?

• Large enterprises which operates in one of the economically competitive sectors identified according to the SNC: tourism / ecotourism, textiles / leather, wood / furniture, auto and components, IT and communications, food / beverage processing, energy / environment, health / pharmaceutics, bio economy / bio pharmaceutics / bio technology, creative industries AND have activity – headquarter or premises/ subsidiaries – in the country (employees working in Buc. Ilfov are not eligible).

For 3.12 financing line, in addition, are eligible also the areas: means of transport, infrastructure, chemicals, electrical machinery / appliances / equipment.

For more information click here:
POCU 3.8
POCU 3.12

AMPOCU launched under public consultation the Specific Guidelines for the financing line – “Innovation through training”, within which LARGE companies can reimburse their investment in professional training programs for employees, especially the directly productive ones.

The call is dedicated to human resource development through:

• professional training programs (qualification/ specializations/ short term programs/ informal courses/ workshop/ seminars); at least 60% of the employees should participate at qualification courses (level 2-4);
• learning and development planning;
• evaluation / validation and certification of the competencies previously acquired
  (recognition at enterprise and / or national level);
• development of an own training system at employer level – learning at workplace.

How long does it take to implement a project?

• maximum 18 months.

What is the maximum value of the project?

• 500.000 euro of which the percentage of non-reimbursable financing is 50-95% depending on specific activities.

Who can apply?

• Large enterprises with activity in priority sectors: tourism/ ecotourism, textiles / leather, wood/ furniture, auto and components, IT and communications, food/ beverage processing, energy/ environment, health/ pharmaceutics, bio economy/ bio pharmaceutics/ bio technology, creative industries, means of transport, infrastructure, chemicals, electrical machinery / appliances / equipment. See the list of eligible CAEN codes here.

The project can only be implemented in the less developed regions (Central, South-East, South Muntenia, North-East, North-West, West, South-West Oltenia) of Romania.
Large enterprises with headquarters in the Bucharest-Ilfov region are also eligible, only if their projects are implemented in the less developed eligible regions (within a place of business located in one of the eligible regions).

Which employees can be involved in the project (target group)?

• Employees seeking the development of their knowledge, competencies and aptitudes levels or who seek the certification/ validation of the competencies, especially in the priority economic sectors;
• Employees with present/ future activities in the priority economic sectors.

Minimum target group: 50 persons.

For more information click here.

AMPOCU launched on April 25, 2018 the call for projects “Student Entrepreneurship Scholarship”, dedicated to increase the participation of students from vulnerable categories to bachelor degree programs. The deadline for submitting projects is July 25, 2018.

Call budget:

• 71.091.764 euro.

Maximum project value:

• 1,7 mil. euro, with a contribution of 0%/2%/5%/8%, depending on the type of organization.

Eligible applicants:

• Public and private, accredited higher education institutions.

Universities from Bucharest-Ilfov region will be able to submit projects as applicants only in partnership with universities from one of the 7 less developed regions of Romania, to ensure the eligible target group.

Eligible partners:

• Public and private, accredited higher education institutions;
• NGOs, including student associations (only for the activities from point 1);
• Social partners from higher education or from public and private environments.

The maximum duration of the project implementation:

• 24 months

Target group:

• Pupils, students;
• Teaching staff in higher education;
• Staff involved in developing study programs in tertiary education.

The target group must have their domicile or residence in a less developed region of Romania.

Eligible activities:

1.Activities to increase participation in tertiary education (activities that can be done also by NGOs):

• integrated packages of educational assistance measures and financial support, ex. scholarships, mobility measures etc. Can be granted the STUDENT ENTREPRENEUR SCHOLARSHIP, maximum value: 300lei/month, during the last 3 semesters of bachelor studies;
• joint activities with pupils, students an teaching staff (ex. counseling, information, visits etc.) and awareness campaigns;
• other innovative actions.

2.Improving the level of competence of teaching staff from tertiary education (expecially in the field of entrepreneurship).

3. Diversification of educational offers from tertiary education, correlated with the needs of the labor market.

The guideline can be downloaded from here