EU Funding

Swiss funds for SMEs in Romania: how SME Eco-Tech works

Switzerland's contribution currently finances one instrument that reaches companies in Romania directly: SME Eco-Tech, where the grant is inseparable from an investment loan.

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.

Swiss funds are not part of the European Union's 2021-2027 financial framework. They come from the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme, coordinated in Romania by the National Coordination Unit within the Ministry of Finance and, on the Swiss side, by the Swiss Contribution Office at the Embassy of Switzerland. The component aimed directly at companies is the SMEs Programme: the official programme fiche records a Swiss contribution of CHF 39 million inside a total package of CHF 54,714,286 made up of Swiss funds and Romanian co-financing. The call is launched by the Romanian Ministry of Economy under the name SME Eco-Tech, expects more than 800 beneficiaries and runs through five commercial banks selected in a transparent procedure. The mechanics, verified on 30 July 2026 against the official programme fiche: a grant covering up to 40% of eligible project costs, at most CHF 50,000, with the remaining amount financed through a partner bank loan. Registration is open until 24 September 2026 at 20:00 and allocation follows the order of submission. Anyone looking for a subsidy paid without a loan is looking at the wrong instrument.

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How we help

The right vocabulary before the file

We show you which kind of instrument you are entering — grant, loan or combination — so the conversation with the bank and the consultant starts from the same premises.

A budget correlated with the 40% rule

We structure the costs so you can see which part the grant can cover, which part enters the investment loan and what remains your company's own effort.

Documented delivery for settlement

The invoice, the acceptance record and the technical documentation of the delivery are prepared in the form required when eligible costs are justified.

Swiss funds are not EU funds

The two sets of rules have different legal bases, different authorities and different submission procedures. An EU applicant guide does not describe the conditions of the Swiss scheme, and a consultant used to the Romanian MySMIS system does not automatically work with this programme's platform.

What they share is the aid regime: the support is granted as de minimis aid, so it consumes the EUR 300,000 ceiling over three years per single undertaking set by Regulation (EU) 2023/2831.

How the money reaches the company: grant plus loan

The official fiche puts it in one sentence: selected companies receive a grant covering up to 40% of eligible project costs, capped at CHF 50,000, with the remaining amount financed through a partner bank loan. The grant follows the loan, not the other way round.

That produces two successive filters rather than one. The first checks compliance with the programme procedure. The second is the bank's own credit assessment, which follows its internal criteria and can stop a file even after acceptance in principle.

The thresholds explain why project size matters more than the percentage: eligible costs must total at least RON 668,100, the grant is capped at RON 267,240, and the difference of at least RON 400,860 is contracted as an investment loan. Below RON 668,100 a project simply does not qualify.

What changed in July 2026

An order published in the Romanian Official Gazette no. 558 of 7 July 2026 removed the requirement that the financed activity be manufacturing: trade and services now qualify as well, except for the fields excluded by de minimis rules. Micro-enterprises were admitted at the same time, subject to registration by 31 December 2021 and a turnover of at least RON 2 million as at 31 December 2024.

The practical consequence: any list of eligible activity codes published before July 2026 describes a manufacturing-only programme and no longer reflects the fields admitted today. The current annex sits in the consolidated implementation procedure.

Where the software part stops

The programme's digital package covers a presentation website or an online shop, website promotion, an electronic signature, IT equipment and licences. Software needed to run the business, however, is eligible only up to RON 15,000 excluding VAT, and that ceiling applies to this line rather than to the whole package.

The second limit is structural: equipment for renewable energy, waste collection or recycling and resource saving must account for at least 40% of total eligible costs. A project built entirely around software does not fit.

Frequently asked questions

What exactly are the Swiss funds for SMEs?

They are the company-facing component of the Swiss-Romanian Cooperation Programme, with a Swiss contribution of CHF 39 million inside a total package of CHF 54,714,286. The call is named SME Eco-Tech, is launched by the Romanian Ministry of Economy and expects more than 800 beneficiaries supported through five commercial banks.

Can I receive the Swiss grant without taking the bank loan?

No. The official fiche describes the grant as covering up to 40% of eligible costs, capped at CHF 50,000, with the remainder financed through a partner bank loan. The bank runs its own credit assessment, so a file accepted in principle by the programme can still be stopped at that stage.

Is the scheme still restricted to manufacturing?

No. An order published in the Official Gazette no. 558 of 7 July 2026 opened the scheme to trade and services and admitted micro-enterprises registered by 31 December 2021 with a turnover of at least RON 2 million as at 31 December 2024. Eligible-activity lists published before that date are out of date.

Does production software qualify as a cost under this scheme?

Software needed to run the business is eligible up to RON 15,000 excluding VAT, so an ERP or an MES implementation does not fit inside that line. We draft the budget on the structure of the official procedure, so your consultant can validate each position quickly.