The registration session for legal entities in the fourth edition of the Start-Up Nation program closed on May 29, 2026. The grant is up to 250,000 EUR per company, 100% non-reimbursable, and project evaluation takes place in August and September.
The 4th edition was regulated by OUG nr. 29 din 8 august 2024 (Emergency Government Ordinance no. 29 of August 8, 2024), and the electronic application for registering legal entities opened on October 1, 2025. The session remained open until May 29, 2026, with over 5,800 spots available.
The grant is up to 250,000 EUR, equivalent to approximately 50,000 euros, awarded entirely as non-reimbursable funds, without co-financing from the beneficiary. It is the best-known financing program for early-stage entrepreneurs in Romania.
The eligibility condition specific to this edition is completing the mandatory entrepreneurship courses organized within the program. Only newly established companies by graduates of these courses can apply for funding, which has significantly changed the applicant profile compared to previous editions.
The Ministry of Economy published the lists of registered legal entities on June 4, 2026. Project evaluation was scheduled for August and September 2026, with approvals and rejections estimated for September.
MEDAT announced the possibility of organizing a new session of entrepreneurship courses, which would pave the way for a second funding session. Entrepreneurs who missed the first round should follow the ministry's announcements, as course enrollment is a mandatory prerequisite.
The introduction of mandatory entrepreneurship courses was the most important change in the program's philosophy. In previous editions, Start-Up Nation attracted tens of thousands of applicants, a significant portion of whom abandoned the business after the mandatory maintenance period. Conditioning access on completing a training program aims to reduce this abandonment rate.
For entrepreneurs waiting for a possible second session, preparation begins with enrolling in courses, not with drafting the business plan. This is a reversal of the usual order and a frequent reason for missing deadlines: companies learn about the opening of the funding session but discover they cannot register because they did not complete the prior training stage, which has its own calendar.
Key Facts
- Grant: up to 250,000 EUR, approx. 50,000 EUR, 100% non-reimbursable
- Eligible: newly established companies by graduates of the mandatory entrepreneurship courses
- Session: October 1, 2025 - May 29, 2026, over 5,800 spots
- Evaluation: August - September 2026. Possible session 2, conditional on new courses
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