A program launched in mid -April, financed with about 450 million euros, offers the opportunity of those who have a business plan, but do not have the necessary funds, to access 50,000 euros. The course of entrepreneurship is mandatory.
Certain production activities are additionally punctuated photo: Pixabay
The Start Up Nation program, the fourth edition, has a budget of approximately 450 million euros, which can be accessed through the Education and Employment Program 2021-2027. From this money, entrepreneurship courses are financed for over 37,000 people, and of a total of only 7,500 students from those who register for financing their business idea will receive 50,000 euros each.
The program was launched in mid -April 2025, and for one of its components the places at the course have already been occupied.
Start Up Nation 2025 is carried out on two age categories: people up to 30 years old and people over 30 years old. In order to reach the financing of 50,000 euros/business, it is necessary primarily to register, go through and graduate an entrepreneurship course. The fewest places in the course were available for people over 30, 5,750 places initially available, who dealt in the first hours since launch.
For young people, on the other hand, who also had over 31,500 seats, about 19,000 seats were still available on Friday, April 25, April 25.
The registration in the program is done by the dedicated electronic platform – https://minimis.imm.gov.ro/. Here the future entrepreneurs can select their training supplier, from a list that includes 177 suppliers (validated by the ministry at a previous stage), and can also choose the way they want to participate in the entrepreneurship course: online or in physical format.
The complete list of suppliers contracted by the Ministry of Economy, Digitalization, Entrepreneurship and Tourism (mediated), together with details about the locations and modalities of the courses, is available in the computer application.
The electronic platform will remain active until the full occupation of the places available for courses, and a reserve list is also provided.
4 months intended for course
People who want to develop a business with money obtained through Start Up Nation are obliged to go through the entrepreneurship course that ends with an exam. The program stipulated four months for the courses (the course has a duration of 40 hours), after graduating (which can be done earlier than four months) the students can start at the Trade Register the procedure for setting up a commercial company (the one through which the business will be developed).
Apart from the age condition, there are other aspects that those who think of this opportunity to access a non -reimbursable financing must take into account. If you have graduated an entrepreneurship course funded by European funds you no longer have the opportunity to register in the Start Up Nation program, says the consultant Ion Păunel. What you also need to know is that in order to register in the program you need an electronic signature or to empower someone with electronic signature to make the registration for you.
It should be mentioned that each professional training supplier was assigned a number of available places for which the students can register for the entrepreneurship course, so if you consider a particular company and it does not have any available places you can take into account another training supplier.
However, the registration in the course does not equate with the financing of the business, because in the end it will be actually a project competition. Also, not all those who go through these courses are obliged to enter the competition for financing a business plan.
“My advice for young people is to try to enroll in such types of courses, especially since they have the opportunity to do these online courses. In life, any qualification takes good ”, the consultant believes.
Among the students who have turned 30 (for this category the places in the course, as mentioned, have been in charge of the day of launch, and if there will be seats as a result of the invalidation of certain registered candidates) will be financed, explains Ion Păunel, 2,550 companies. In the case of young people, the competition will be even higher, because only 5,250 businesses will be financed (related to over 30,000 students).
If you have money for co-financing you will have a higher score
If you have done well the entrepreneurship course and set up your company you can go to the next step, the business plan for which you request the financing. When drawing up this business plan, a consultant can help you, although after going through the most likely the course will be relatively easy to overcome this step. The business idea and how you think about putting it into practice will make the difference.
In order to have an eligible project it must gather at least 50 points (out of a maximum of 100). If you do not have any money to enter the business you will not receive additional score, but if you participate in your turn with a co-financing of at least 11% of the eligible value of the project you will be extra (you can, depending on your own amount put into play, from 10 to 20 points-the maximum score is granted for a 20%).
If you propose that from the total eligible expenses those related to the purchase of technological equipment (and expenses assimilated to the technological equipment) to exceed 40% more than 20 points (the decrease the weight of this type of expense, the lower the score).
If you and the associations in the company (if applicable) you are beginners in business you receive 10 points.
To receive the financing, one of the conditions is the establishment of at least two jobs, and they must be maintained at least 24 months. If you maintain new jobs through the program for a period of 30 months from the date of payment of non-reimbursable financial aid (so you are employed for an additional period of 6 months) you have an additional 10 points.
The field of activity of the company brings you between 10 and 20 points, the manufacture and processing of certain products being punctuated better than other fields of activity. All these details can be found in Annex 3 of the registration form for financing.
“Depending on the other criteria of the program, those who do not go on the activities that receive additional scores can go some 80 points. Of our analyzes, and at 70 points The financing can be obtained, ”said the consultant.
Important to enter the competition on business funding, Păunel points out, it is that the people really have a business plan, and the field in which they want to activate to be familiar to them. It has been proven, over time, that those who come to such courses in the hope that they will identify an idea that can be transformed into a business have not been very successful, even if, maybe, they have gained the stage of financing. It should also be known that, in principle, a whole list of expenses cannot be supported from the money that is received as non -reimbursable funding. The equipment is financed with equipment, instead the construction of buildings is not financed, for example, but all these are information that will also be at the entrepreneurship course.
“Another novelty element: after the project is submitted and is eligible and financing, they can request-it is the first time this happens-an advance of 50% of the financing. Longer, between 5 and 10 years old ”the consultant said.
The strengths of this Start Up Nation edition, the consultant believes, are these entrepreneurship courses, which although only 40 hours can prepare the future entrepreneurs at least for business debut, to which are added the fact that business can no longer be sold (accessing funds and subsequently selling the business had become a business). Also, the fact that it is necessary to create a minimum of two jobs but the number of jobs above the two compulsory jobs is not extracted, but the fact that you are committed to keep those jobs over the period of 24 months, is also considered a plus. In the past editions, says the consultant, it was observed that there were business plans in which dozens of jobs were presented, which brought additional score, but they were not able to be supported in the long term. The advantage of 50% of the financing can also be a good start, Ion Păunel believes, and the lending through partner banks will make it easier, which is another plus.
Also in this edition are found and punctuated superior and certain CAEN codes in areas adjacent to agriculture, which could be translated into several small business and processing types to be opened in the rural area.
