VAPRO

The Ministry of European Funds launched under public consultation the Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions financed through POCU: “Outplacement measures – adaption to change of dismissed/ fired workers” – SO 3.9.

Eligible applicants:

• Employers;
• Accredited providers of specialized services for employment stimulation;
• Authorized providers of professional training;
• Associations and foundations;
• Chambers of Commerce and Industry;
• Trade union / employers organizations;

Applicants must be established for more than 1 calendar year.
Projects can not be submitted in partnership!
 
Maximum project value: 500.000 euro, from which non-reimbursable financial assistance: 100% for NGOs; 95% for private beneficiaries.

Project duration: maximum 24 months.
 
Target group:

• Workers with individual labor contract from “enterprises in difficulty” who will be dismissed / fired collectively or individually, with their domicile / residence in the development region where the project will be implemented (Bucharest-Ilfov region is exempted from funding);

Minimum target group: 200 persons;
 
Eligible activities:

• Identifying / contacting companies in difficulty who intend to dismiss / fire employees, individually or collectively;
• Active employment measures including outplacement (information and counselling services / work mediation);
• Support for employment (flexible forms of employment, innovative organizational models of work etc.);
• Promotion campaigns of various flexible forms of employment;
• Information and legal advice for the establishment of a company or Authorized person;

The Guidelines are under public consultation until 17.07.2017, and can be downloaded from here.

The Ministry of European Funds launched under public consultation two Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions financed through POCU:

1. “Professional Romania – Competitive enterprises” (SO 3.8):

The financing line is dedicated to the improvement of the management activity of human resources through: training, coaching, seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures, long-term strategic planning etc. 

Project duration: maximum 12 months.

Maximum project value: 300.000 euro, from which non-reimbursable: 95% from the expenditure that does not fall under the State aid scheme and 50% from the expenditure related to the State aid scheme.

Eligible applicants: Employers (large enterprises) which operates in:

• one of the economically competitive sectors identified according to the SNC and in correlation with one of the fields of intelligent specialization according to SNCDI, or
• intends to adapt its activity to these economic sectors / intelligence areas.

 Target group:

• Employees who ensure the strategic management of enterprises and who occupy management positions in enterprises;
• Employees from human resources departments;

Minimum target group: 150 persons;

2. “Professional Romania – Competitive human resources” (SO 3.8)

Within this call, the trade unions, employers’ associations and business associations can develop projects up to 500.000 euro (100% non-reimbursable) in order to organize accredited and informal training courses, coaching, seminars, workshops, conferences, lectures, etc. for managers, HR staff and SME entrepreneurs.

The Guidelines are under public consultation until 06.06.2017, and can be downloaded here.

A new type of financing through Regional Operational Program 2.1B “Business incubators” has an estimated launch in the next period, according the current official calendar.

Total call allocation: 117,65 mil. euro.

Eligible applicants:

• Founders of business incubators (local public authority, territorial administrative unit, research & development centers/institutes, Chambers of Commerce, companies etc.) or partnerships between business incubators founders.
• Joint ventures between a founder public authority and: companies, associations, foundations, associations of employers, trade unions, Chamber of Commerce etc.

Value of no reimbursable grant: min. 200.000 euro – max. 7 mil. euro.

Financing percentage:

• For regional aid component: up to 70% (depends on the dimension of the applicant and location of investment);
• For minimis aid component: up to 90% and within the minimis ceiling.
  The minimis component can not exceed 20% of the total eligible costs.

Types of eligible investments:

Investments financed through the regional state aid:

• Creation / expansion of business incubators, through construction, expansion of related areas;
• Equipping business incubators with tangible assets, intangible assets;

Investments financed through the minimis aid:

• Development of services provided within the business incubators.

For more details from the Applicant Guideline (consultative form) you can find here.

AFIR published the estimative calendar for launches and proposed allocations for 2017. According to the calendar, the main sub-measures for the private beneficiaries will be launched starting with April:

April:

• 4.1 “Investments in agricultural holdings” – vegetal component – 105 million euro;
• 4.1 “Investments in agricultural holdings” – zootechnical component – 80 million euro;
• 4.1.a “Support for investments in fruit-growing holdings” – 100 million euro;
• 6.2 “Support for the creation of non-agricultural activities in rural areas” – 18,3 million euro;
• 6.4 “Investments in the creation and development of non-agricultural activities” – 35 million euro;

May:

• 4.2 “Support for investments in processing / marketing and / or development of agricultural products” – 100 million euro;
• 4.2.a “Support for investments in processing / marketing of products in the fruit-growing sector” – 12 million euro;

To consult the estimative launching periods for the other sub-measures click here.

The Ministry of Regional Development, Public Administration and European Funds updated the Specific Guideline (IP 2.2, POR 2014-2020) regarding the call for SMEs for a financing up to 1.000.000 euro.

The updated version of the guideline can be accessed here.

We remind you the main conditions:

The projects can be submitted in the period: 23.02.2017, 12:00 – 23.08.2017, 12:00.

 Eligible beneficiaries:

• SMEs (with up to 250 employees and up to 50 million euro turnover) from urban areas (including micro enterprises) and
• medium enterprises from rural areas.

It is required for a beneficiary to have at least 1 year of activity (established at 04.01.2016).

Eligible regions: North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-Vest Oltenia, North-West, Centre (Projects implemented in the Bucharest – Ilfov development region cannot be submitted);

Eligible investments:

1. Construction, extension of the production/ services areas;
2. Acquisition of tangible (equipment, tools etc), intangible assets (patents, licenses etc), including e-commerce tools.
3. Implementation of quality environmental or health management systems;
4. Participation to international fairs and exhibitions, trade missions etc.

Financing amount: minimum 200.000 euro and maximum 1.000.000 euro.

Non- reimbursable financing rate:

For investments mentioned at points a) and b):

• Small enterprises: 60% (from North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, North-West, Centre regions) and 45% (from West region), from the eligible expenses value;
• Small and micro enterprises: 70% (from North-East, South-East, South Muntenia, South-West Oltenia, North-West, Centre regions) and 55% (from West region from the eligible expenses value;

For investments mentioned at points c) and d): 90% from the eligible expenses value;

More information here.

In the next period, the Ministry of Public Finance is going to open a new session of project proposals for creation of new work places (state aid scheme GD 332/2014).

We remind you of the most important details of this financing opportunity:

Eligible applicants are companies (large and SMEs), including start-ups (the subscribed capital is of minimum 30.000 lei), from all economic sectors, except companies activating in areas such as: aquaculture, primary production, processing and marketing of agricultural products, steel, shipbuilding, production of synthetic fibers, transportation and energetic sectors and all sectors listed in Annex 1 to GD 332/2014.

The investment must meet the following conditions:

• it must be considered an initial investment: setting up of a new unit, expanding an existing unit, unit production diversification or fundamental change to the production process;
• leads to the creation of at least 10 new work places, out of which at least 3 for disadvantaged workers, for each investment location.

Eligible expenses: total salary costs related to the new work places created as a result of an initial investment, up to the average national income, calculated for 2 consecutive years.

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 North West, Center, North East, South East, South Muntenia, South West Oltenia Regions.

A new type of financing, for private companies, within the Operational Program of Competitiveness: “Innovative Technological Project” has an estimated launch in the next period (I-st Trim. of 2017, according the official calendar).

This type of financing is destined to projects that aim at products or processes innovation, based on exploitation and utilization of technical or scientific knowledge or based on intellectual property rights, with a total allocation of aprox 62 mil euro.

Eligible applicants:

• large enterprises and SMEs, with R&D activity, but not as main activity;
• The R&D component can be implemented individually by the applicant only or in a partnership with one or two research organizations;

Value of grant: up to 15.000.000 lei (aprox 3.3 mil euro);

Financing percentage:

• For companies, variable up to 70% of eligible expenses (depends on the type of activities included in the project, the dimension of the applicant and location if investment);
• The activities performed by the research institutions are financed with up to 100% of the eligible costs;

Types of eligible activities:

• Industrial research;
• Experimental development;
• Innovation services, obtaining and validating of industrial property rights;
• Expenses related to the introduction of the R&D results in production;

For more information please click here.

The Ministry of Regional Development and Public Administration launched the call for “Increasing the capacity of NGOs and social partners to formulate alternative public policies” (CP2 – POCA) in 9.02.2017.
The project proposals can be submitted until 30 March 2017, hour: 17:00.
 
This call finances projects that include measures to support NGOs and social partners such as:

• developing independent tools for monitoring and evaluation of public policies;
• developing tools to strengthen social and civil dialogue;
• developing actions to formulate and promote alternative proposals to public policies initiated by the Government;
• developing procedures and tools to support and promote initiatives to reform public administration and interaction with public administration authorities and institutions;
• development of social partners’ and NGOs’ capacity through training, joint activities, participation and development of local / national / European  thematic networks;
• developing civic responsibility and involvement of local communities to participate in the public life and decision-making processes, promoting equal opportunities, non-discrimination and sustainable development.

Eligible Beneficiaries: NGOs and social partners (employers unions, trade unions etc) in partnership with organizations of the same type and: accredited institutions of higher education and/or research, central public authorities and institutions and The Romanian Academy.
 
Minimum value for a project: 250.000 lei
Maximum value for a project: 1.000.000 lei
 
Beneficiary contribution: 2% of eligible costs of the project;
 
Project maximum duration: 16 months.