JUST TRANSITION PROGRAMME. SMEs development investments supporting sustainable growth and job creation. Projects with grant funding between €2 – 5 million in the counties of Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova and Mureș

JUST TRANSITION PROGRAMME

SMEs development investments supporting sustainable growth and job creation
Projects with grant funding between €2 – 5 million in the counties of Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova and Mureș

Consultative guide – 27^th April, 2023

Main objective
Supporting environmentally sustainable economic diversification, in particular of the small and medium-sized productive entrepreneurial sector, including female entrepreneurship, in order to increase the competitiveness and capacity of affected local economies to generate sustainable, secure and attractive wage employment.

Call
Competitive with submission deadline

Financial allocation
Indicative allocation (euro)

Gorj – 69,028,810 EUR
Hunedoara – 67,552,973 EUR
Dolj – 51,024,614 EUR
Galați – 31,596,670 EUR
Prahova – 39,022,805 EUR
Mureș – 31,324,062 EUR

Eligible beneficiaries 

• • The applicant is a small or medium-sized enterprise.
  • SMEs established no later than 31 December 2021 and which have not had their activity temporarily suspended at any time in the year of application and in the previous fiscal year (2022).
  • The company has recorded an operating profit in the fiscal year prior to the submission of the grant application (2022).
  • Applicants that fall under the category of micro-enterprises are not eligible.

Non-reimbursable financial aid

The funding is granted in the form of non-reimbursable grant, which constitutes regional and de minimis State aid

• • Minimum grant: EUR 2.000.000
  • Maximum grant: EUR 5.000.000

Maximum funding percentage  

Eligibility conditions

• • The production/service establishment financed must be in the area covered by the call. The area covered by the call is the administrative territory of the counties of Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galați, Prahova, Mureș.
  • The targeted area of investment must be included in the Annex “List of eligible areas of activity” to the Guidelines for Applicants.
  • At the time of submission of the application, the applicant must already have the project implementation site registered as the main or secondary location. By exception, in the case of an application for funding involving the establishment of a secondary site because of the implementation of the investment, the applicant will undertake to register the place of implementation as the main/secondary site by the end of the implementation of the project.
  • The investment should contribute to a just transition by creating and maintaining environmentally sustainable jobs, in particular for people affected by the process of transition to climate neutrality in the territory, as well as for those in the category of disadvantaged, severely disadvantaged and disabled workers.
  • The individuals concerned may be directly affected by the transition process through job loss or may be indirectly affected by the transition due to inadequate or insufficiently appropriate skills demand. In this respect, the grantee will be obliged to consult the AJOFM in the recruitment process with a view to hiring people affected by the transition process.
    • • The newly created jobs must be maintained for at least 3 years after completion of the investment in the area targeted by the call.
      • Depending on the amount of non-reimbursable funding requested, the minimum number of jobs that must be created will be determined.
  • The project provides for measures in line with environmental protection requirements to promote sustainable development.
  • The applicant has the financial capacity to ensure its own contribution to the eligible amount of the project and the financing of ineligible costs of the project, where applicable.

Types of eligible investments

Initial investments:

1. creation of a new unit
2. expansion of the capacity of an existing establishment
3. diversification of an establishment’s production into products/services not previously manufactured/supplied in the establishment

a) Investment in tangible assets

• • construction works, extension of production/service premises, including related general utilities (water supply, sewerage, natural gas supply, thermal agent, electric power). Modernization works can be considered eligible only to the extent that they relate to the initial investment proposed in the project
  • purchase of technological equipment, machinery, plant, furniture, equipment computer equipment, office equipment, fixed assets, with the exception of means of transport
  • the purchase of specific installations/equipment for the purpose of implementing measures related to contribution to sustainable development as identified in the technical and financial evaluation

b) Investment in intangible assets: patents, licences, trademarks, software, other rights and similar assets, used exclusively in the field of activity covered by the project

The eligible value of intangible assets may not exceed 5% of the eligible value of the tangible assets covered by the project.

Important!

• • Projects which include investments which have already started (i.e. construction work has started or a firm order for goods has been placed) prior to the submission of the application are not eligibile.
  • Investments consisting of the simple replacement of assets are not eligible.
  • Points are awarded for the creation of additional jobs in addition to the minimum mandatory ones.
  • Points will be deducted if the location of the applicant’s registered office is not in the area covered by the call.