Financing launch – 100.000 euro for companies from production sector!

August 1st, 2017

Starting with August 21st, 2017, projects can be submitted within the Micro-industrialization National Program. The call will be open for 10 calendar days from the start of the program.

Eligible beneficiaries: 
•    SMEs from all development regions 
and 
•    Microenterprises and SMEs from Bucharest-Ilfov region, not covered by the Regional Operational Program – POR

The grant value: up to 100.000 euro / project;
Financing percentages: up to 90% of eligible expenditures of the project;
Total budget allocated for 2016: 16,5 mil. euro (minimum 165 beneficiaries);

Eligible expenditures within the project: purchasing of technological equipment, measurement and control equipment, furniture, vans, patents, brands, e-commerce software, IT equipment, development of a website, work/production spaces, heating/air-conditioning installations, entrepreneurship training, consultancy etc.

More information you can find here.

Survey – POCU evaluation – Did you have a rejected project?

July 24th, 2017

Taking into consideration that:

  • The stage of administrative compliance and eligibility check-up has turned into an extremely dreadful process for POCU applicants. Rejection rates are over 50-70% (even 100% in the case of OS 4.1 call for Bucharest-Ilfov region) deplete the applicants and raise questions about the evaluation process among organizations that have submitted projects.
  • In March 2017, when AM POCU published the results on calls 4.1 & 4.2, both applicants and public opinion were taken by surprise by the extremely high rejection rates in the Phase 1 assessment. Beneficiaries accused, at that moment, the low quality of the evaluation process and the intransigence of the evaluators, and so that the available funds to not remain unused, the authorities decided to re-launch the calls.
  • The high rejection rate in the first phase of the evaluation has been kept also on the following calls. On Solidar (call for social enterprises), the Phase A rejection rate reached around 89%, and on the School for All and Motivated Teachers calls: 77-78%.

VAPRO Romania, together with the Structural Consulting™ Groupwww.fonduri-structurale.ro , intends to collect information regarding the entire evaluation process on POCU calls, analyzing the situation of rejected projects.

We invite you to get involved in this, completing the next survey!

100.000 euro grant for SMEs, including Bucharest and Ilfov!

July 20th, 2017

Starting with August, a new series of non-reimbursable financing will be available for SMEs (including Bucharest-Ilfov region), through the Micro-industrialization National Programme, managed by the Ministry for Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship.

Eligible beneficiaries:

  • SMEs from all development regions

and

  • Microenterprises and SMEs from Bucharest-Ilfov, region not covered by the Regional Operational Program – POR

The grant value: up to 100.000 euro / project.

Financing percentages: up to 90% of eligible expenditures of the project.

Total budget allocated for: 16,5 mil. euro (minimum 165 beneficiaries).

Eligible expenditures within the project: purchasing of technological equipment, measurement and control equipment, furniture, vans, patents, brands, software, IT equipment, development of a website, work/production spaces, heating/air-conditioning installations, entrepreneurship training, consultancy etc.

More information you can find here!

European funds for training for employees from SMEs

July 19th, 2017

The Ministry of European Funds will launch this month a financing line through which can be settled investments with training for managers and HR staff from SMEs.

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

How long does the project implementation last?

  • maximum 12 months, estimative January – December 2018

Which is the maximum grant for a project?

  • 500.000 euro, from which the non-reimbursable financing is 100% for NGOs and 95% for private beneficiaries.

Who can apply for funding?

  • Unions; Employers;
  • Business associations;
  • Accredited training providers (by ANC)*

*information provided by MFE representatives, after the publication of the draft guideline, at various public events.

Which are the employees that can be included into the project (target group)?

  • Employees who have management/leadership role;
  • Employees from human resources departments;
  • Entrepreneurs who manage their own businesses.

Minimum target group: 250 persons;

The target group must come from companies (SMEs) which activates in one of the economically competitive sectors identified according to the SNC: tourism/ ecotourism, textiles/ leather, wood/ furniture, auto and components, IT and communications, beverage/ food processing, energy/ environment, health/ pharmaceutical, bioeconomics/ biopharmaceuticals/ biotechnologies

For more information click here.

European funds for training for employees from LARGE companies

July 12th, 2017

The Ministry of European Funds will launch in the next period a financing line through which can be settled investments with training for managers and HR department  in LARGE companies.

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

How long does the project implementation last?

  • maximum 12 months, estimative January – December 2018

Which is the maximum grant for a project?

  • 300.000 euro, from which the non-reimbursable financing is between 50 and 95%, depending on the activities.

Who can apply for funding?
Employers (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, beverage/ food processing, energy/ environment, health/ pharmaceutical, bioeconomics/ biopharmaceuticals/ biotechnologies or
  • intends to adapt its activity to these economic sectors / intelligence areas.

Which are the employees that can be included into the project (target group)?

  • Employees who have management/leadership role;
  • Employees from human resources departments;

Minimum target group: 150 persons;

The draft Guideline can be downloaded here.

40.000 euro grants for young NEETs!

July 10th, 2017

The Ministry of European Funds launched under public consultation 2 Applicant Guidelines – Specific Conditions financed through POCU:

  • Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program NEETs I– SO 1.1&1.2 – Centre, South-Muntenia, South-East regions;
  • “Youth Entrepreneurship Support Program NEETs II” – SO 2.1&2.2 Bucharest-Ilfov, North-East, North-West, West, South-West Oltenia regions;

The financing lines are dedicated to encouraging entrepreneurship and self-employment of young NEETs through supporting the establishment of enterprises with non-agricultural profile in urban areas.

The project beneficiary shall ensure to the target group:

  • Entrepreneurship training programs, authorized by ANC;
  • Internships;
  • Advice on implementing the business plan;
  • A mentoring and business development program;
  • A micro-grant of maximum 40.000 euro / business plan;

Project duration: maximum 12 months.

Maximum project value:

  • 3.000.000 euro, with a contribution from the beneficiaries of: 0%/2%/5%/8%, according with the organization type.

Eligible applicants/partners:

  • Training providers; Providers of occupation/evaluation and certification of competences;
  • NGOs; Youth organizations
  • Accredited Universities;
  • Chambers of Commerce and Industry;
  • Professional associations; Employers organizations and Trade unions;
  • Ministry of Economy, Ministry of Business Environment, Commerce and Entrepreneurship and subordinated institutions / agencies / organizations.

Target group:

  • NEETs (Not in Education Employment or Training) aged between 16-24 years, who are resident or established in the eligible regions, registered and profiled by the Public Employment Service.

The Guidelines are under public consultation until 19.07.2017, and can be downloaded from here.

Outplacement measures for workers from “firms in difficulty”

July 6th, 2017

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.

Seminar dedicated to HR directors – european funds for training and coaching

June 22nd, 2017

We invite you to the event organized by CCIFER in partnership with NRCC, which will take place on 4th July 2017, 9:30 – 11:00, at CCIFER headquarter (Calea Floreasca, no. 240, 3rd floor, Bucharest).

The event is dedicated to discussions based on the POCU financing lines announced recently: “Professional Romania – Competitive Human Resources” and “Professional Romania – Competitive Enterprises” and will be moderated by: Vladimir Rovintescu – General Director (General Directorate of Human Capital European Programs) and Irina Zugravu (Managing Partner VAPRO Romania).

We will discuss about these calls for proposals and the participants will receive answers directly from the authorities involved in the management of these programs and also practical advice on the application, eligibility, budget and implementation.

At the end of the event are also provided 15 minutes B2B meetings between participants and the consultants from Vapro Romania.

For more information on the two funding lines, please visit: https://www.vapro.ro/romania-profesionala-ghiduri-consultative/

The access to the meeting will be made only on the basis of subscription and confirmation.

For further details about the conference participation conditions, event agenda and for subscription, please access the link.

Training for managers and HR in companies

May 29th, 2017

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;

  1. “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.

POR – financing for business incubators

March 23rd, 2017

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.

POR – financing for business incubators