Start-Up Nation 2022 – For small and medium-sized enterprises.

Small and medium-sized enterprises can benefit this year from non-reimbursable funds of up to 200,000 lei through the project implemented by the Ministry of Entrepreneurship and Tourism. The project was launched for public consultation in February this year, on 08.04.2022, the guide resulting from the public consultation was released, and recently the Minister of Entrepreneurship and Tourism announced the estimated launch date of this program. Here, in a nutshell, is everything you need to know about Start-Up Nation 2022.

Who is the program for?

All companies (micro, small, and medium-sized enterprises) that meet the cumulative conditions can apply for the Start-Up Nation Programme:

• They are established as of 01.01.2020, inclusive, and registered with the Trade Register Office;
• I am an SME[1] – have up to 249 employees and have an annual net turnover of up to €50 million;
• They are considered autonomous, related, partner or sole proprietorships;
• They are wholly privately owned;
• They have no debts to the general consolidated budget or local budgets.

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Attention!

• Cannot access funding with PFA, IE, NGO;
• Persons who are partners/shareholders or directors in more than one company may apply with only one company;
• The Programme cannot be accessed if the company, or another company in which the same shareholders/partners are involved, has received Start-up Nation/Working Capital Grant/HORECA funding in the past;
• It does not matter whether the project will be implemented in rural or urban areas;
• Beneficiaries who are in the diaspora and want to return to Romania to start a business have a special budget for the Start-up Nation Diaspora program;

Amount granted:

• Up to 100,000 lei/beneficiary for applicants who undertake to create and maintain a single job;
• Up to 200.000 lei/beneficiary for applicants who undertake to create and maintain two jobs;

The amount granted may represent a maximum of 95% of the eligible expenditure.

Eligible NACE codes

Funding can only be requested for one CAEN code, which must be eligible under the program, as shown in the table below – see here.

The production/trading of arms, ammunition, explosives, tobacco, alcohol, fishing, aquaculture, and agricultural activities are expressly exempted from the program.

Evaluation criteria

Following the public debate, the final selection grid has been published, including criteria:

1. Field of activity – the score for each eligible CAEN code has been established according to the share of production and creative industries activities in the total turnover, as reported by ONRC;
2. Amount of own contribution – mandatory between 5-15% of the eligible project value;
3. Investment-related criteria – the share of investment in technological equipment and expenditure related to technological equipment is relevant[1];
4. Criteria were related to the sustainable development component – whether or not the project has a sustainable development component;
5. Entrepreneurial training course criteria – the company’s shareholder/partner must have attended entrepreneurial training and will be awarded extra points;
6. Criteria related to digital skills courses – points are awarded if the partner/shareholder of the company has attended a digital skills course or provides proof of completion by the time of settlement;
7. Criteria related to the start of the business – it is preferable that the partners/shareholders have not been partners/shareholders in another company before the company they are applying with is established;
8. Criteria related to the innovation component of the project – maximum points are awarded if the investment is based on a patent.

Each criterion is assigned a score, with a maximum score of 100 points and a minimum score of 50 points for access to the program. See below for the list of scores:

Projects will be selected in descending order of score, with equal scores prevailing:

– the score obtained for the criterion relating to the field of activity;

– the score obtained for the investment criterion;

– the score obtained in the entrepreneurial training courses criterion;

– the score obtained in the digital skills course criterion;

– the score obtained in the criterion relating to the start in business;

– the score obtained for the criterion relating to the innovation component of the project;

– the exact amount of the percentage of the investment in equipment;

– date and time of enrolment in the program.

Eligible expenditure

• Technological equipment – all tangible assets in the category of fixed assets described in groups 2.1,2.2,2.3 of GD 2139/2004, except those exempted – and similar technological equipment – tangible assets in the category of fixed assets for playgrounds, gyms, fitness, drones, x-body and strength, equipment, respectively specific systems for the purpose of achieving energy savings, systems using renewable energy sources for the efficiency of the activities for which funding is requested, as well as 100% electric vehicles;
• Workspaces, production spaces and spaces for services and trade;
• Office equipment and systems for the protection of human and material values, according to group no. 3 of GD 2139/2004;
• Salaries, utilities (electricity, water, gas, sanitation, telephone and internet subscriptions), accountancy services and expenditure on rents for work premises, production premises or premises for the provision of services and commerce
• Digital package (digitization voucher), containing at least a website to present the activity or online shop, domain registration costs without hosting, for economic operators who do not have another website;
• Means of transport, justifying the need for their purchase;
• Intangible assets related to patents, franchises, eco-labels;
• Entrepreneurial skills development courses – for associates/managers up to a maximum of 1000 lei/person;
• Non-deductible VAT for companies not paying VAT under the Tax Code;
• Consultancy services for business plan development and project implementation (limit 10.000 lei);
• Financial expenses related to loans/guarantees obtained for loans contracted by beneficiaries to carry out business plans;
• Two information plates worth a maximum of 500 lei.

Ineligible expenditure

• Purchase of leased or second-hand equipment;
• Mechanical, electrical, electronic gambling, pool tables, music machines;
• Mining/storage systems for cryptocurrencies;
• Expenditure on permits or other charges (excluding non-deductible VAT, green stamp, and electricity excise duty), packaging, transport, commissioning, training of staff in the use of the equipment/tools/software purchased.

Program status

On 08.04.2022, the guidelines resulting from the public consultation were published. The estimated launch date is 17.05.2022.

Call us!

Do you think you have an eligible project, or are you interested in applying? Contact us, and we will support you by assessing your project, providing advice, and drafting all the necessary documents, increasing your chances of being selected and getting funding.