Non-reimbursable funds represent direct financial aid from public funds for the realization of activities and specific results. These activities contribute to the implementation of actions and programs of public interest.
The non-reimbursable financing represents a way of stimulating the public and private sector in order to implement public policies undertaken at national or European level.
In the usual language, the non-reimbursable funds are also called “grants”. Depending on the origin of the funds, the state aid (funds from the Romanian Government), or structural and cohesion funds (funds from the European Union budget) can be distinguished.

Given the intentions of the  authority which grant the funds (funding certain areas of public and private sector), grants may be awarded to both public institutions and private entities (companies), regardless of their size or legal structure.
In the private sector, grants may be offered for entrepreneurs, start-ups, SMEs, micro-enterprises, or large enterprises. The programs can also be addressed to NGOs, clusters or other associations.

The consultants are hired by the beneficiaries to provide expertise and to help companies obtain the grants, due to their experience in the field of non-reimbursable financing. The role of a consultant is a complex one, given that it has to cover a wide range of skills and competences (economic, financial, legal, marketing, administrative, communication, public procurement). The financing programs are structured in the form of project competitions and, in order to obtain financing, a competitive application is required whereby the needs of the project correspond to the needs and requirements of the company, applicable in the context of the program. Most companies have a well defined internal staffing scheme and all human resources are allocated to a specific activity. Therefore, the role of the consultant in this context is to take over the burden of developing and implementing the application and to guide the beneficiaries during all stages of the project.

State aid is any measure of support granted by the state or by the administrative-territorial units, from local or state resources, which favors certain activities, productions or goods, or the delivery of certain services, which affect the exchange between Romania and the Member States and it is considered incompatible with a normal competitive environment. Providing these types of aid, in accordance with European Union legislation, is intended to reduce market inequalities or disparities in certain sectors and to stimulate the development of strategic areas (stimulating the main strategic investments, the development of SMEs, etc.). The main difference between state aid and European Funds is represented by the source from which the funds come from (national sources for state aid and from the state budget and the European Union budget for European Funds).

This type of aid is a support measure for companies, regardless of their size, without exceeding 200,000 Euro over a period of 3 consecutive fiscal years. This type of aid can be granted by different public institutions, usually at national level. In most cases minimis aids cannot be offered to businesses operating in a certain area, such as transport of goods, companies from the agricultural sector or export activities.
Prior to submitting the application for the minimis financing, the beneficiary must verify whether it meets the financing terms and conditions.

In the moment, in Romania there are several grants available for several types of private beneficiaries (SMEs, large companies, public institutions, NGOs, etc.).
We cannot make a complete list of these types of funds, given their dynamism, which can lead to closure or expansion, depending on the level of acquisition of the objectives of the financing programs. Therefore, in Romania we currently have: European funds, state aid schemes, minimis schemes, grants from the European Environment Agency and Norwegian grants, Swiss Funds, funds directly financed by the European Commission, cross-border cooperation programs , etc.

Not all areas of activity are eligible to receive grant funding. As a rule, certain areas such as: transport, shipbuilding, primary agricultural production, metallurgical sector, are excluded from financing. The eligibility of the sectors must be carefully checked for each funding program.

Beneficiaries of European Funds can be public or private organizations, profit or non-profit organizations, from almost all sectors, micro-enterprises and NGOs, from newly established companies to multinational companies, universities, authorities or public institutions.

 

First of all, in order to obtain European Funds, you must have a good project and hold the necessary capital to start the investment. The expenses are subsequently reimbursed by the managing authorities and the European Commission. Successful projects are those that include a mix of experience, marketing knowledge and an overview of the business idea.

Several funding programs are available for the 2014-2020 funding period. To submit an application, the financing call must be opened. Usually calls are open at preset times, when requests can be loaded. For details on the status of available funding programs, please access the “News” section of our site and sign up for the newsletter.