Second state aid program for startups in Romania kicks off this fall

This year’s Start-Up Nation program, which finances local startups with up to RON 200,000 (EUR 43,000), will start this fall, after most of the beneficiaries selected in last year’s program will have received their money, business environment minister Radu Stefan Oprea said on Thursday, July 26. However, he couldn’t say when exactly the program would start. Last year, a total of 8,444 projects were selected for financing within this program. “Today there are over 6,500 beneficiaries who have access to financing,” the minister said, quoted by Agerpres. He urged the other beneficiaries to go to the state agencies and partner-banks where the money is waiting for them. Oprea also said the ministry’s employees have learned from last year’s experience and the procedures have been improved. The minister also said that the Government can’t forbid the program’s beneficiaries to sell their projects. However, he pointed out that no such transaction has been closed, despite several projects being put on sale through classifieds platforms. Romanian govt. allots EUR 430 million for Start-up Nation program editor@romania-insider.com