ADR București-Ilfov (Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Development Agency) has launched the public consultation for the Proof of Concept call guidelines, offering grants between 50,000 and 200,000 euros provided entirely as non-reimbursable funds. The submission opening is estimated for September 2026.
The call, coded PR BI P1/1.1/1/2026, has a total budget of 5 million euros, of which 2 million come from the European Regional Development Fund and the remainder from the state budget.
The most attractive element is the absence of co-financing. The funding is 100% non-reimbursable, meaning the company does not have to invest its own money into the project. This is a rare exception in the landscape of regional calls, where the standard is a minimum contribution of 10%.
The concept of proof of concept refers to the technical and commercial validation of an idea before industrialization. Essentially, the call funds the stage between the laboratory and the market: building a functional prototype, testing it, and obtaining initial validations from potential customers.
Eligible entities are micro-enterprises and SMEs with a maximum of 249 employees from Bucharest and Ilfov county, with projects in the region's smart specialization fields. Grants range from 50,000 to 200,000 euros.
The public consultation took place between June 4 and July 4, 2026. The calendar updated on July 13, 2026, estimates the opening of submissions in September 2026 and the closing in November. With a budget of only 5 million euros and grants of up to 200,000, the call will fund around 25-40 projects, so competition will be intense.
The smart specialization fields for the Bucharest-Ilfov region are defined in the regional strategy and primarily include information and communication technology, health and biotechnology, creative industries, energy and environment, as well as bioeconomy. A project that does not fit into one of these fields is rejected during the administrative check, regardless of its quality.
The absence of co-financing makes this call a rare opportunity for small firms in the capital, which are usually disadvantaged by Bucharest's status as a more developed region. In most programs, this status translates into smaller allocations and less favorable co-financing rates than in the rest of the country. A call with full funding partially compensates for this structural handicap.
Key Information
- Budget: 5 million EUR
- Grant: 50,000 - 200,000 EUR, 100% non-reimbursable funding, zero co-financing
- Eligible: Micro and SMEs with a maximum of 249 employees from Bucharest and Ilfov, in smart specialization fields
- Estimated opening: September 2026, closing November 2026
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