Background

Emergency Ordinance no. 8 of 2026 on the establishment of measures for economic recovery, published in the Official Gazette no. 147 of February 25, 2026, provides for the granting of tax incentives that are introduced through state aid schemes, for investments with a significant impact on the economy or in certain sectors of activity. One of these state aid schemes is the one for advanced technologies (TechUp Romania), introduced in the legislation in August 2026.

In detail

Through TechUp Romania, there are supported technologies with high systemic impact that redefine the global economy and generate high added value, by providing state aid for research and development and regional state aid.

The state aid scheme applies to companies investing in areas of activity such as advanced computing, artificial intelligence, microelectronics, digital infrastructure, biotechnology, agritech, precision health, green energy, storage, climate technologies, mobility, space, autonomous systems, advanced materials, industrial manufacturing, cybersecurity and digital security.

The investment project comprises two components: component I investment in research and development and component II investment in production capacities / services.

State aid is granted in the period 2026-2032. The payment of the state aid is made in the period 2027-2041. And the period in which decisions to calculate the state aid can be issued in the form of a 200% deduction for eligible expenses with tangible and intangible assets for research and development activity is 2027-2040, based on the financing agreements.

The maximum budget of the scheme is 5.313 billion lei (approximately 1.05 billion euros). And the estimated number of companies to benefit from state aid is 350 companies for each type of state aid.

Eligibility criteria for investment projects

• the value of eligible costs, excluding VAT, of a minimum of RON 5 million and a maximum of RON 50 million;
• sectors of activity specifically listed according to the NACE code;
• the existence of a research and development component, with a value of eligible costs excluding VAT of at least RON 2 million, followed by a production/service provision component with a value of eligible costs excluding VAT of at least RON 3 million;
• documents attesting the level of maturity and the field/subfield of activity of the project proposed for financing;
• the business plan demonstrating the economic viability of the enterprise and the investment, drawn up for the period of implementation of the investment and 5 years from the date of its completion;
• own contribution - the resources of a strictly financial nature of the enterprise intended for the implementation of the investment project, obtained from its own sources and/or attracted - increase of subscribed and paid-up capital, reinvested profit, intra-group loan, bank loan, private capital from venture capital funds and/ or individual investors (business angels) - in a form that is not subject to any other public support;

Facilities granted

Component I of the project

• Grant for eligible expenses: personnel costs, expenses related to research; additional management expenses, in the form of a flat rate, as a percentage of the value of personnel expenses;
• Cumulative grant with 200% deduction for eligible expenses with tangible and intangible assets: costs of instruments and equipment or costs of their depreciation, as the case may be; intangible assets purchased or licensed from external sources at arm's length.
• Companies can invest in tangible assets (constructions of any type, i.e. expenses incurred with the realization of new constructions; technical installations, new machinery and equipment) and intangible assets (depreciable assets associated with the investment that do not have a physical or financial materialization, such as patent rights, licenses, know-how or other intellectual property rights).

Component II of the project

• Grant for salary expenses, recorded for a period of 2 consecutive years from the date of creation of the jobs or the costs without VAT related to the realization, respectively the acquisition, as the case may be, of new tangible and intangible assets. The state aid in the form of a deduction of 200% of the eligible expenses is computed after the eligible expenses related to the Research and Development Component I are incurred partially or totally and a State Aid Computation Decision is issued by 31.12.2040, for the companies that have received an agreement for financing.

The computation of the state aid in the form of a deduction of 200% of the eligible expenses is made by the Ministry of Finance within 15 working days from the date on which the application for payment of the state aid is considered complete and the on-the-spot verification was carried out.

After computing the state aid in the form of a 200% deduction of eligible expenses by the Ministry of Finance, the beneficiary company follows the the tax authorities’ procedures in order to deduct the eligible expenses, according to the legislation.

Within 45 working days from the entry into force of this decision, the Minister of Finance shall approve by order the Applicant's Guide and the Payment Guide.

These provisions were introduced by Decision 643/2026 published in the Official Gazette, Part I no. 699 of August 24, 2026.

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