EU Grants for Romania: Complete Funding Guide for Romanian Organizations [2026]

Romania sits in a structurally advantageous position for EU funding. As a designated Widening country in Horizon Europe, Romanian institutions compete in a smaller applicant pool for instruments explicitly reserved for them. At the same time, Romania receives €31.5 billion in Cohesion Policy funding and an additional €21.4 billion through the National Recovery and Resilience Plan for 2021-2027. This guide maps every major programme, the national support infrastructure, and the practical steps for Romanian organisations to access EU grants.

€31.5B

Cohesion Policy 2021-2027

Source: European Commission, July 2022

€21.4B

PNRR allocation

Revised plan, approved Nov 2025

18%

Horizon Europe success rate

Above the 17% programme average

Widening

Horizon Europe status

Exclusive instrument access

Romania's Widening Country Advantage in Horizon Europe

The EU designates 15 member states as "Widening" countries in Horizon Europe, based on lower R&D investment and research capacity relative to the EU average. Romania is one of them. Romania's R&D spending is around 0.46% of GDP, well below the EU average of 2.3%. Rather than a disadvantage, this classification unlocks a suite of instruments where Romanian institutions are mandatory coordinators and face a far smaller competitive field than in mainstream Horizon Europe calls.

Romania's Horizon Europe performance reflects the impact of this classification. According to Science|Business reporting, Romania and Bulgaria signed 25% more grant agreements in the first two years of Horizon Europe than during the previous three years of Horizon 2020. Romania now has an overall Horizon Europe success rate of 18%, one percentage point above the programme average of 17%.

Why 18% matters

The average Horizon Europe success rate across all countries is 17%. Romania exceeding this average despite spending less than a quarter of the EU average on R&D is a direct result of the Widening instruments, where competition is limited to institutions in the 15 Widening countries rather than all 27 member states plus associated countries.

The Four Widening Instruments Open to Romania

The Widening participation and spreading excellence work programme (also known as WIDERA) provides four dedicated instruments. Romanian institutions can coordinate all of them.

Instrument	What It Does	Typical Grant
Teaming for Excellence	Creates or upgrades a centre of excellence by partnering with a leading EU institution. Two-phase: feasibility study then full implementation.	Up to €15M (Phase 2)
Twinning	Networking and knowledge transfer between a Widening institution (coordinator) and two or more leading counterparts. No fixed research topic.	Up to €1.5M
ERA Chairs	Attracts an outstanding researcher to a Widening institution to build a research team and lift its research profile in a chosen domain.	Up to €2.5M
Hop On Facility	Joins a Widening institution as a new partner to an already-funded Horizon Europe project without a new competition.	Sub-grant (variable)

Widening instruments impose no thematic restriction. A Romanian university can propose a Twinning project on photonics, legal digitisation, or sustainable agriculture. The call requires only that the applicant institution is in a Widening country and that the partner institutions are from non-Widening EU member states with established research track records in the same domain.

UEFISCDI: Romania's National Contact Point and Research Agency

The Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) is Romania's central research funding body and hosts the national contact point (NCP) unit for Horizon Europe. Its NCP service at ncp.uefiscdi.ro covers every Horizon Europe programme area and is free for all Romanian applicants.

UEFISCDI is also one of Romania's strongest direct Horizon Europe performers, with 22 contracted Horizon Europe projects, more than any other single Romanian institution. The University of Bucharest and Polytechnic University of Bucharest follow with 19 and 16 projects respectively.

Free proposal review and eligibility checks before submission

Consortium partner search assistance via NCP WIDERA.NET network

Horizon Europe info days for WIDERA calls (January and October 2026 sessions)

Guidance on the Hop On Facility and how to express interest in ongoing projects

Support for PIC (Participant Identification Code) registration on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal

Post-rejection debriefs using evaluator score sheets

13 university research support centres

Romania used European structural funds to establish 13 university-based research support centres specialising in EU grant access. These centres sit within universities and provide institutional proposal support, complementing the national NCP service at UEFISCDI.

Horizon Europe Standard Calls: Romania as Partner or Coordinator

Beyond the Widening instruments, Romanian institutions are fully eligible for all mainstream Horizon Europe calls. Romanian organisations can participate as consortium partners or, increasingly, as project coordinators in standard Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA), and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Most Relevant Horizon Europe Pillars for Romanian Applicants

ERC Grants

Researchers at Romanian institutions are eligible for ERC Starting, Consolidator, and Advanced Grants. The principal investigator must hold their primary appointment at an EU host institution, but can relocate to Romania with the grant.

MSCA Actions

Marie Curie Postdoctoral Fellowships, Doctoral Networks, and Staff Exchanges are open to Romanian researchers and institutions. The 2022 MSCA Staff Exchange success rate for Romania reached 28%, rising to 32% in 2023.

Pillar II Collaborative Projects

Romania's agricultural base, IT sector, and environmental context make it a natural partner in Cluster 2 (Culture and Society), Cluster 5 (Climate and Energy), and Cluster 6 (Food and Bioeconomy) consortia.

EIC Instruments

Romanian startups and SMEs are eligible for EIC Accelerator (up to €2.5M grant, plus equity), EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, and Eurostars. There is no additional advantage from Widening status for EIC calls, but Romanian companies compete on equal terms with all EU applicants.

Cohesion Policy 2021-2027: €31.5 Billion for Romania

The European Commission approved Romania's Partnership Agreement for the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy in July 2022, committing €31.5 billion across structural funds. This is the largest single EU funding envelope for Romania and covers regional development, social inclusion, employment, and environmental transition.

Fund	Allocation	Primary Focus
Cohesion Fund + ERDF (Transport)	~€7.2B	Multimodal transport, motorways, rail, sustainable mobility
European Social Fund+ (ESF+)	~€7.3B	Employment, youth, education, skills, social inclusion
ERDF (Smart Economy)	~€4.33B	Innovation, SME competitiveness, digital transformation
ERDF (Green Transition)	Included above	Energy efficiency, renewables, climate adaptation
Just Transition Fund (JTF)	Separate allocation	Coal region transition (Gorj, Hunedoara, Dolj, Galati, Prahova, Mureș)

Cohesion Policy grants are accessed through Romania's national and regional operational programmes, not directly through EU institutions. The Ministry of European Investments and Projects (MIPE) is the main national managing authority. Applications are submitted through the EU Funding Opportunities portal (oportunitati-ue.gov.ro), which lists all active calls under each operational programme.

Absorption rate: act early

As of mid-2025, Romania's absorption rate for 2021-2027 Cohesion funds was approximately 17%. With the programming period running to 2029 for spending (N+3 rule), there is still significant funding available, but calls open and close continuously. Organisations that have their documentation, financial certifications, and consortium agreements ready can submit faster when calls open.

Romania's PNRR: €21.4 Billion for Recovery and Modernisation

Romania's revised National Recovery and Resilience Plan was approved by the European Commission on 13 November 2025 with a total value of approximately €21.4 billion in grants and loans. As of late 2025, Romania had received around €10.77 billion in disbursements and submitted a fourth payment request worth €2.62 billion. The plan's spending deadline is August 2026 under the Recovery and Resilience Facility rules.

According to Romania's PNRR programme page, 41% of the plan's investment is linked to EU climate objectives, making clean energy, sustainable transport, and energy-efficient renovation among the largest funded areas.

€21.4B

Revised PNRR total

Approved November 2025; grants + loans

41%

Climate-linked investments

Renewables, energy efficiency, sustainable mobility

€10.77B

Disbursed by late 2025

€6.45B grants, €4.31B loans

5,372

Active PNRR investment contracts

Government-guaranteed as of August 2025

Key PNRR Investment Areas for Private Organisations

While much of the PNRR funds public infrastructure, several components are accessible to private companies, universities, and research organisations:

Digital transformation: Cloud adoption, cybersecurity, and digital skills programmes open to businesses and universities.
Energy transition: Investment in renewable energy, energy storage, and renovation of buildings. Private companies can access calls through national energy agencies.
Research and innovation: PNRR includes direct investment in research infrastructure, which often opens calls for university and private sector partners.
Investment funds: Two new investment funds activated in Romania in 2025 through PNRR financing provide equity and quasi-equity capital for innovative SMEs.

Top Sectors for EU Funding in Romania

Romanian organisations have the strongest positioning in these five sectors when applying for EU grants, based on national strengths, existing project track records, and strategic EU priorities aligned with Romania's economy.

Sector	Relevant Programmes	Romania Strength
Agri-food and Bioeconomy	Horizon Europe Cluster 6, EAFRD, PNRR	5th largest agricultural land area in EU
IT and Digital Services	Digital Europe, Horizon Europe Cluster 4, ERDF	Large IT workforce, growing tech startup ecosystem
Energy Transition	Horizon Europe Cluster 5, Innovation Fund, PNRR, JTF	Six coal transition regions, offshore wind potential
Health and Biomedical	Horizon Europe Cluster 1, EU4Health, PNRR	University medical centres in Bucharest, Cluj, Iasi, Timisoara
Transport Infrastructure	Cohesion Fund, CEF (Connecting Europe Facility), PNRR	Large motorway and rail gap to EU average

How to Apply for EU Grants as a Romanian Organisation

For Horizon Europe (Direct EU Funding)

Register on the EU Funding and Tenders Portal (ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders) and obtain your PIC (Participant Identification Code). Allow 2-3 weeks for validation.

Contact UEFISCDI's NCP unit at ncp.uefiscdi.ro to identify the most suitable open call for your organisation type and research area.

For Widening calls (Teaming, Twinning, ERA Chairs): confirm your institution qualifies as a Widening country coordinator and identify a partner from a leading non-Widening EU institution.

For standard Horizon Europe calls: build a consortium of at least 3 independent entities from 3 different EU countries with complementary expertise.

Submit your proposal via the EU Funding and Tenders Portal before the call deadline. Late submissions are automatically rejected regardless of reason.

After submission, the evaluation process typically takes 3-5 months. Use UEFISCDI's NCP services to prepare for potential clarification requests.

For Cohesion Policy and PNRR (Managed Nationally)

Monitor the national EU funding portal at oportunitati-ue.gov.ro for open calls under Romania's operational programmes.

Identify which operational programme covers your sector: Infrastructure (transport), Competitiveness (SMEs, research), Human Capital (employment, education), or Regional Programmes.

Contact the relevant managing authority or intermediate body for the specific call. Each operational programme has a designated contact point.

Prepare your eligibility documentation: legal registration, financial statements, VAT status, and project budget in the required format.

Submit your application through the national portal MySMIS2021+ (mysmis2021.mfe.gov.ro), which handles all 2021-2027 structural fund applications.

Language and bilingual applications

All Horizon Europe applications are submitted in English. Cohesion Policy and PNRR applications are submitted in Romanian via national portals. If your organisation lacks English-language proposal writing capacity for Horizon Europe, UEFISCDI's NCP unit can connect you with professional grant writing support and broker relationships with experienced proposal teams.

Key Romanian Support Contacts and Resources

UEFISCDI / NCP for Horizon Europe

National contact point for all Horizon Europe calls. Free pre-application advice, partner search, and proposal review.

ncp.uefiscdi.ro

MIPE / EU Funding Opportunities Portal

Romania's Ministry of European Investments and Projects manages all Cohesion and PNRR funds. The national portal lists all open national calls.

oportunitati-ue.gov.ro

MySMIS2021+ Application Portal

The national digital platform for submitting all structural fund applications in the 2021-2027 programming period.

mysmis2021.mfe.gov.ro

EU Funding and Tenders Portal

All Horizon Europe, EIC, ERC, MSCA, and other directly managed EU calls are submitted here. Required for PIC registration.

ec.europa.eu/info/funding-tenders

Practical Advice for Romanian Grant Applicants

Maximise the Widening Advantage

The most underused route for Romanian universities and research institutes is the Twinning instrument. With grants up to €1.5M and a competitive field limited to Widening country coordinators, Twinning success rates significantly exceed mainstream Horizon Europe calls. Any Romanian institution with expertise in a research domain and a relationship with one or two leading European institutions in that domain has the building blocks for a Twinning application.

For institutions ready to make a larger commitment, Teaming for Excellence can transform research capacity. The two-phase structure (Phase 1 feasibility study funded at up to €500K, Phase 2 implementation up to €15M) means institutions can test the concept before committing to a full application.

Stack Funding Sources

EU funding streams in Romania can be combined provided costs are not double-funded. A common approach for Romanian research organisations:

Use Cohesion Fund ERDF to build or upgrade research infrastructure.
Use ERA Chairs or Twinning to bring in international expertise and develop research capacity at that infrastructure.
Use the enhanced track record to apply for standard Horizon Europe collaborative calls as a competitive partner or coordinator.

This sequencing is explicitly encouraged by the European Commission as part of the Widening's long-term objective to lift research capacity in member states with lower R&D intensity.

Build the Track Record First

Mainstream Horizon Europe evaluators look for prior EU project experience in the consortium. Romanian organisations that start with Widening instruments, MSCA Staff Exchanges, or as junior partners in existing consortia build the track record needed to compete for larger RIA and IA grants later. UEFISCDI's 22 contracted projects demonstrate that this ladder approach works in practice.

Find EU Grants Matching Your Romanian Project

Identifying which of the hundreds of open Horizon Europe, Cohesion Policy, and PNRR calls best matches your project takes hours of manual searching. GrantsFinder uses AI to match your project description against live EU funding calls and returns ranked results with relevance scores in under two minutes.

Find Matching Grants Free EU Grants 101 Guide

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a Widening country in Horizon Europe, and why does it matter for Romania?

Widening countries are EU member states with lower R&D investment and research capacity. Romania is classified as a Widening country because its R&D spending is around 0.46% of GDP, well below the EU average. This classification unlocks exclusive funding instruments: Teaming for Excellence, Twinning, ERA Chairs, and the Hop On Facility. These programmes require the coordinator to be from a Widening country, meaning Romanian institutions compete in a smaller pool with higher success rates than in standard Horizon Europe calls.

What is UEFISCDI and how does it help Romanian applicants?

UEFISCDI (the Executive Agency for Higher Education, Research, Development and Innovation Funding) is Romania's primary research funding agency and the national contact point host for Horizon Europe. UEFISCDI operates the NCP (National Contact Point) unit at ncp.uefiscdi.ro, which provides free advice on finding calls, building consortia, understanding evaluation criteria, and preparing proposals. UEFISCDI itself is one of Romania's most successful Horizon Europe participants, with 22 contracted projects.

How much Cohesion Policy funding does Romania receive for 2021-2027?

Romania receives €31.5 billion from Cohesion Policy instruments for 2021-2027. This breaks down as approximately €7.2 billion from the Cohesion Fund and ERDF for transport infrastructure, €7.3 billion from the European Social Fund+ (ESF+) for employment, education, and skills, and €4.33 billion from ERDF for smart economic transformation. These funds are managed through national and regional operational programmes and channelled via Romania's Ministry of European Investments and Projects.

What is Romania's PNRR allocation?

Romania's revised National Recovery and Resilience Plan (PNRR) has a total allocation of approximately €21.4 billion (revised from the original €28.5 billion after a downward adjustment). This is split between non-repayable grants and loans. As of late 2025, Romania had received around €10.77 billion in disbursements. The PNRR funds investments in digital transformation, green energy, transport, healthcare, education, and administrative reform, with a 2026 spending deadline under the Recovery and Resilience Facility.

What is Romania's success rate in Horizon Europe?

Romania has an 18% success rate in Horizon Europe, compared to the programme average of 17%. This improvement over Horizon 2020 reflects investment in university-based research support centres across Romania. For specific instruments like the MSCA Staff Exchange call, Romania's success rate has reached as high as 28-32% in recent rounds. Romania and Bulgaria together signed 25% more grant agreements in the first two years of Horizon Europe than during the last three years of Horizon 2020.

Can Romanian SMEs and startups access EU grants directly?

Yes. Romanian SMEs can apply for EIC Accelerator (up to €2.5M grant plus equity), EIC Pathfinder, Eurostars, and Horizon Europe cascade funding. Additionally, ERDF programmes under the 2021-2027 Cohesion Policy include innovation calls specifically for SMEs, administered through Romania's operational programmes. The PNRR also includes investment lines accessible to private companies. Romanian SMEs are also eligible for Widening instruments as partners in Teaming and Twinning consortia.

What sectors are prioritised for EU funding in Romania?

EU funding in Romania clusters around five priority sectors: digital transformation and IT (supported by both PNRR and ERDF), health and biomedical research, agri-food and bioeconomy (reflecting Romania's large agricultural base), energy transition and renewables, and transport infrastructure modernisation. For Horizon Europe specifically, any sector is eligible under standard calls, while the Widening instruments have no fixed topic restriction, allowing Romanian coordinators to propose their own research directions.

What is the Hop On Facility and how do Romanian organisations benefit?

The Hop On Facility allows Widening country institutions to join already-funded Horizon Europe projects as new partners, adding fresh research capacity without competing in a new call. Romanian universities and research institutes can use the Hop On Facility to enter ongoing consortia mid-project, receiving a direct sub-grant. This is particularly useful for institutions building their first Horizon Europe track record, as it lowers the barrier to participation compared to leading a new proposal.

Summary: Romania's EU Grant Landscape in 2026

Romania's EU funding position is stronger than most Romanian organisations realise. The combination of Widening country status in Horizon Europe, €31.5 billion in Cohesion Policy, and €21.4 billion in PNRR creates a dense funding landscape with multiple entry points for different organisation types and project stages.

The practical priority for Romanian universities and research institutes is the Widening instruments: Twinning, ERA Chairs, and Teaming for Excellence. For SMEs and startups, ERDF innovation calls under regional operational programmes and the PNRR investment funds provide accessible routes to capital. For organisations with existing EU project track records, standard Horizon Europe collaborative calls are fully competitive.

UEFISCDI's NCP unit is the right first contact for any organisation approaching Horizon Europe for the first time. For structural funds, the national portal at oportunitati-ue.gov.ro lists every open call with eligibility criteria and deadlines. For a broader overview of EU funding instruments, see our EU Grants 101 guide and the country-by-country guide for EU startup funding.