EU Funding

The online store as a grant-funded investment

E-commerce appears on the cost lists of most digitalization schemes — but between a site with a shopping cart and a store that actually sells lies a distance the budget has to cover.

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.

When a company writes online store into a budget, the evaluator wants to understand what is actually being bought: how many products, which payment processor, what courier integration, how orders are administered, who updates stock. Historically, e-commerce featured explicitly on the list of the C9 digitalization call under PNRR, Romania’s National Recovery and Resilience Plan — closed since 2023, with payment claims running to 30 October 2026. As of 30 July 2026 the one open national call that lists an online store explicitly is SME Eco-Tech, open until 24 September 2026, with a grant of at most 40% capped at 267,240 lei and a minimum eligible project of 668,100 lei; the Comert programme has no published procedure or submission date yet. Northdan builds online stores with payments, courier services and stock management integrated, and — just as important for a dossier — writes the specification and budget in verifiable terms. On this page: which functionality is worth specifying, how the budget is structured and what the reimbursement officer will look for once the platform is live.

Let’s talk about your project

Message us on WhatsApp or send an email — you talk directly to a developer.

Message us on WhatsApp Send an email

office@northdan.com · +40 752 070 247

How we help

A complete e-commerce specification for the dossier

We list the negotiable and the mandatory functionality — payments, courier, invoicing, stock — with a price for each, so the budget holds up under any check.

Integrations that remove manual work

We connect the platform to the payment processor, couriers, electronic invoicing and existing stock management, so an order flows from customer to waybill without human intervention.

A live platform at reimbursement time

We hand over the store populated with real products and working end to end, with evidence of test orders — exactly what a payment officer wants to see.

Which programmes support an e-commerce project

The PNRR C9 call for SMEs was the scheme that funded online stores at scale — it is closed, and whoever holds a contract there is now focused on the reimbursement file, due by 30 October 2026. SME Eco-Tech is the open route today, and since the order published in Monitorul Oficial no. 558 of 7 July 2026 it admits trade and services, not only manufacturing. Its entry threshold is steep, though: a project of at least 668,100 lei in eligible costs, a bank investment loan of at least 400,860 lei, and at least 40% of total eligible costs in renewable-energy, waste-collection or resource-saving equipment. A project built around an online store alone does not clear that last condition.

Whatever the programme, the evaluation logic is shared: the platform must be tied to the company's revenue. A retailer with a physical shop argues channel extension; a start-up builds its whole model on it. The guide of each call remains the arbiter of eligibility.

The specification and the proof that it works

A fundable specification covers the catalogue (number of products, variants, prices), the cart and online payments, integration with one or more couriers, automatic invoicing, customer accounts, the administration panel, mobile optimisation and interface accessibility. Each element gets its own price in the budget.

At reimbursement, evidence that the store is alive is usually required: the public address, orders processed, a settled test payment, a generated waybill. We recommend a real launch before the payment request — a store with sales is the most convincing supporting document there is.

Under the SME Eco-Tech implementation procedure, VAT, training, commissioning, assembly and labour are not eligible, so the implementation effort around a platform is budgeted from the company's own funds.

Frequently asked questions

Which programmes can finance an online store?

As of 30 July 2026, the open national route is SME Eco-Tech, until 24 September 2026. The PNRR C9 digitalization call is closed, with payment claims due by 30 October 2026, while the Comert programme has no published procedure or submission date.

Which functionality goes into the specification of a funded online store?

At a minimum: product catalogue, cart and online payments, courier integration, invoicing, customer accounts, order and stock administration, mobile version. Specifying them individually, with prices, separates a credible budget from one that attracts clarifications.

How do I demonstrate at reimbursement that the e-commerce platform works?

With the store live: a public link, a test order processed with payment and waybill, screenshots from the administration panel, the invoice issued automatically. We deliver this evidence together with the acceptance protocol, ready for the payment request file.

Can I use subscription SaaS platforms in a funded project?

Where the call finances investment in intangible assets, a monthly hosted subscription does not qualify as an amortisable asset, while a multi-annual licence or bespoke development does. Check the wording in your call's guide before choosing the platform.