The call session for investment grants dedicated to Romanian SMEs started on December 3, at 10:00 AM.

Eligible recipients can obtain state financing of between EUR 50,000 and EUR 200,000 for investment projects.

The total budget allotted for investment grants amounts to EUR 350 million.

Unlike the other categories of grants awarded to entrepreneurs, namely the EUR 2,000 microgrants and the working capital grants, when the applications in the first hours were in the range of thousands, about 210 companies registered for investments on the Economy Ministry's platform in the first two hours after the session's opening. However, while the distribution of microgrants and working capital grants followed the first-come-first-served principle, the selection process for investment grants is based on scoring.

Romanian SMEs can apply for investment grants by January 29, 2021, 20:00. The grants will be disbursed by December 31, 2023, according to the Economy Ministry.

The first company to sign up for an investment grant was Ara View, a meat producer from Ucea de Jos, Brasov County. The company, founded in 2014, had a turnover of RON 36.2 million (EUR 7.78 mln) in 2019, down 5% compared to the previous year.

andrei@romania-insider.com

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