EU Funding

Do digitalization grants without co-financing exist? The honest answer

The honest answer changed in 2026: a 100% aid intensity does exist, but only on two aid types inside a single call — and some amounts still come out of the company's own account.

Northdan Soft is a software supplier, not a funding consultancy, and is not affiliated with any managing authority or development agency. Programme information is indicative — always check the conditions in the programme's official applicant guide.

Section 3.4 of the POCIDIF Action 2.1 applicant guide, approved by ministerial order MIPE no. 965 of 23 June 2026, sets a maximum aid intensity of 100% for de minimis aid and 100% for aid to newly established micro and small enterprises. Regional aid under the same call runs between 40% and 75%, depending on the county of implementation and the size of the firm. The gate is narrow: only SMEs holding one of the nine ICT CAEN codes listed in the guide, authorised at the date of submission, may apply to this call, and a project starts at EUR 200,000 of non-repayable aid. Zero own contribution is therefore not a myth in Romania — it is a narrow exception with written conditions, and the de minimis ceiling from Regulation (EU) 2023/2831 still applies: EUR 300,000 over any three-year period per single undertaking. The other scheme currently accepting applications works the opposite way: SME Eco-Tech covers at most 40% of eligible costs, capped at CHF 50,000, and the remainder must be contracted as a loan from a partner bank. Verified on 30 July 2026 against the POCIDIF 2.1 guide and the official fiche of the Swiss programme for SMEs.

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How we help

The full amount, not just the headline percentage

Before submission you see everything that leaves the company account: the share not covered by intensity, the ineligible items, VAT, and the cash tied up until reimbursement.

A budget built on the evaluation grid

We separate eligible from ineligible line by line, because the grid scores exactly that ratio: under 10% ineligible costs earns 10 points, above 15% earns zero.

The offer stays separate from the file, on principle

We issue a technical offer only as a supplier, never for a dossier we also wrote — the guide penalises any suspicion of formal offers with zero points.

Intensity is read per aid type, not per project

The guide publishes three thresholds, not one. De minimis aid carries a maximum intensity of 100%. Aid for newly established enterprises carries 100% for micro and small firms. Regional aid runs from 40% to 75% by county and company size, so a project mixes intensities line by line rather than applying a single percentage.

The de minimis ceiling does not rise because the intensity is high — it is consumed faster. EUR 300,000 over three years per single undertaking applies regardless of the form of the aid or the objective pursued.

What the company pays even at full intensity

Ineligible costs necessary for sound implementation are borne by the beneficiary and are not counted when the non-repayable assistance is determined. Eligibility also depends on payment actually made during the implementation period, so the company funds its suppliers first and claims afterwards.

The guide additionally forbids full outsourcing of technical activities: at least 20% of the aid allocated to the core activity must go to the beneficiary's own staff, with a team of at least one technical coordinator and two technical experts.

The partial exceptions and how to read them

Under the SME Eco-Tech scheme the grant is inseparable from a bank loan: up to 40% of eligible costs, at most CHF 50,000, with the remainder financed through a partner bank. A minimum project of RON 668,100 in eligible costs implies a grant of at most RON 267,240 and an investment loan of at least RON 400,860.

The EDIH network is the closest thing to support that costs nothing, but the applicant is always the hub, never the company. What a firm receives is non-financial state aid granted under a contract — advisory, testing and training — and it is still state aid that must be declared.

Frequently asked questions

Is any 100% funded digitalization route available right now?

Yes, but only as an aid type inside POCIDIF Action 2.1, not as a standalone programme. The guide sets a maximum intensity of 100% for de minimis aid and 100% for aid to newly established micro and small enterprises, while regional aid under the same call stays between 40% and 75%. The route is reserved for SMEs holding one of the nine ICT CAEN codes authorised at the date of submission, so it is not open to every company.

What can I get for digitalization without paying anything?

Services, not money, and not by applying yourself: the EDIH hubs deliver subsidised advisory, technology testing and training, but the hub is the applicant and the company receives non-financial state aid under a contract. For actual software development an own-cost component always remains.

How do I reduce the own effort if I cannot eliminate it?

Not through a financing trick. The aid type follows the guide rather than a preference, and the POCIDIF guarantee instrument administered by FNGCIMM listed no partner credit institution when we checked on 30 July 2026, so that route cannot be contracted today. What is genuinely in your hands is the budget: stages that can each be accepted, two dated offers behind every eligible line, and ineligible items held under 10% of the requested eligible costs.