Microenterprises from Bucharest-Ilfov storm the ROP 2021-2027: funding requests of 800 million lei

Financing microenterprises is an acute problem, if we take into account that only at the headquarters of the Bucharest-Ilfov Regional Development Agency (ADBRI) 960 requests for allocation of funds were received under priority 1 - Competitiveness through innovation, digitalization and dynamic enterprises - of the Regional Operational Program.

"The 960 funding applications submitted, of which 592 are micro-enterprises from Bucharest and 368 are economic agents from Ilfov County, concern projects worth a total of 799.95 million lei, which exceeds by 427.2% the allocation of 187.25 million lei received from Brussels for this priority of the ROP 2021-2027. Of the 960 applications, 330 have been evaluated so far, and most come from medical practices, especially dental practices, followed by micro-enterprises operating in the software industry, engineering, architecture and advertising. The applications will be evaluated until September, the month in which we will publish on our website (regiobucuresti-ilfov.ro) the projects that will be financed. Then there will be a period of appeals and possibly a discussion with officials from Brussels to supplement the initial allocation, if we find that among the 960 applications there are still projects that have a good score, that bring added value and that deserve to be financed. That is why I cannot estimate when the first contracts regarding this new priority of the ROP 2021-2027 for the Bucharest-Ilfov region will be signed, but we hope it will be as soon as possible”, said Simona Curpăn, Head of the Regional Promotion Service within ADRBI, yesterday, on the occasion of the press conference in which she presented the eight regional priorities for the 2021-2027 financing period.

The ADRBI representative also said that for the ROP 2021-2027 the Bucharest-Ilfov region has allocated 1.46 billion euros, on eight priorities: Competitiveness - through innovation, digitalization and dynamic enterprises, Digitalization of public institutions, Environmentally friendly region, High mobility, Accessibility, Modern educational infrastructure, Attractiveness and inclusiveness and Technical assistance. Unfortunately, the amounts allocated for most of the eight priorities are too small compared to the actual requests. For example, 66 applications were submitted for the energy efficiency of residential buildings, of which 61 are from Bucharest, the value of these projects being a total of 3.24 billion lei compared to the allocation of 485.15 million lei, i.e. 669.2% higher. The situation is the same for green spaces and green infrastructure projects. The 10 applications submitted for funding regarding projects with a total value of 320.4 million lei benefit from an allocation of only 111.98 million lei, i.e. 286.14% less than necessary.

Regarding the 11 county road rehabilitation projects submitted by the Ilfov County Council, their total value exceeds one billion lei, while the allocation from the ROP 2021-2027 is only 186.61 million lei, i.e. over 540% less than the amount necessary to finance the works.

So far, ADRBI has signed 63 financing contracts and wants to substantially increase this number by the end of 2025, so that, from the beginning of next year, the settlement of the amounts paid for the implementation of the respective projects can effectively begin.

We note that in all projects carried out under the ROP 2021-2027 in the Bucharest-Ilfov region, only 40% of the amount is allocated from European funds, the remaining 60% representing co-financing from the state budget, the budget of the administrative-territorial units or from the beneficiaries, because it is considered that the respective region is economically developed, compared to the other seven development regions in the country, and that it can thus afford a higher degree of co-financing unlike the respective areas.