ADR Nord-Vest (North-West Regional Development Agency) has published the applicant's guide for call 961, dedicated to projects in the fields of strategic technologies for Europe. The budget is 20.95 million euros, and the submission window opens on August 28, 2026.
The consolidated guide was published on July 31, 2026, and the submission of applications is scheduled between August 28 and October 12, 2026. The call is part of Priority 9 of the North-West Regional Program, dedicated to the contribution to the STEP platform.
The total budget is 20,950,000 euros, coming from the European Regional Development Fund and the state budget. Eligible entities are companies registered in the North-West Region, namely in Bihor, Bistrița-Năsăud, Cluj, Maramureș, Satu Mare, and Sălaj.
STEP, standing for Strategic Technologies for Europe Platform, is the mechanism through which the European Union redirects existing funds toward three categories of technologies considered critical: digital and deep-tech technologies, clean and resource-efficient technologies, and biotechnologies.
For companies in the region, the call has a calendar advantage. Being one of the few regional calls with a published guide and a confirmed opening date, it offers predictability, unlike most calls in 2026, which are stuck in public consultation.
The grant value per project was not confirmed in the public sources consulted at the time of writing. Interested companies must directly consult the applicant's guide published on the ADR Nord-Vest website, as the submission window opens at the end of August.
The North-West region, with the Cluj-Napoca technology hub, likely has the highest concentration of companies capable of submitting credible STEP projects outside of Bucharest. The local IT ecosystem, technical universities, and the presence of multinational research and development centers create favorable conditions for partnerships between companies and the academic environment.
A calendar aspect worth anticipating is the overlap. The submission for call 961 runs in parallel with the deadlines for Eurostars, EIC Pathfinder Challenges, and Digital Europe. For a company with limited project writing resources, the choice between these opportunities must be made early, as attempting to cover them simultaneously usually leads to mediocre files on all fronts.
What you need to know
- Budget: 20,950,000 EUR, ERDF plus state budget
- Eligible: companies registered in Bihor, Bistrița-Năsăud, Cluj, Maramureș, Satu Mare, Sălaj
- STEP Domains: digital and deep-tech technologies, clean technologies, biotechnologies
- Submission: August 28 - October 12, 2026
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