News - Swiss

Strengthening the research excellence and innovation capacities of Romanian research organisations and universities with the support of Swiss contribution

Ministry of Finance, as the National Coordination Unit for the Swiss contribution, and the Ministry of Research, Innovation and Digitalization (MCID) signed on Friday, December 20, 2024, the Support Measure Implementation Agreement for the "International Research Cooperation Programme “. MCID will act as Program Operator and the implementation will be carried out by the Executive Agency for Higher Education Research and Innovation Funding (UEFISCDI) and by the “Horia Hulubei” National Institute for R&D in Physics and Nuclear Engineering– (IFIN-HH), in partnership with the Swiss partner, “Paul Scherrer” Institute (PSI).

The objective of the Program is to contribute to the economic growth and competitiveness of Romania by strengthening the research excellence and innovation capacities of Romanian research organisations and universities and by facilitating the research and innovation cooperation with international partners.

The program will run until May 2029 and has a budget of 15,294,118 CHF (approximately 81,130,707.75 RON), out of which 13,000,000 CHF (the equivalent of 68,961,100 RON) represents the Swiss contribution.

Further details will be published on the official website of the involved entities.

A new program to improve access to the subway network in Bucharest supported by the Swiss contribution

The Ministry of Finance, as the National Coordination Unit for the Swiss contribution, and the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration (MDLPA) signed on Friday, December 20, 2024, the Support Measure Implementation Agreement for the "Program to improve access to the metro network in Bucharest". MDLPA will act as Program Operator and the implementation will be carried out by "Metrorex" S.A. The objective of the Program is to identify solutions to improve access to the subway in Bucharest, so that it meets the needs of all passengers, especially those with reduced mobility, as well as increasing the capacity of Metrorex S.A. to respond to the specific needs of this category of passengers and for a better intermodal integration of the metro network with other means of transport.

The program will run until December 2028 and has a budget of 13,494,761 CHF (the equivalent of 71,577,561.82 RON), out of which 9,700,000 CHF (the equivalent of 51,449,770 RON) represents the Swiss contribution.

Information regarding the implementation of the Program will be published on the websites of the Ministry of Development, Public Works and Administration and Metrorex.

A New Program to Support SMEs in Romania

Under the second Swiss Contribution to Romania, funding has been allocated for a new program aimed at driving the green and digital transformation of small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the manufacturing sector.

At the beginning of December, the Ministry of Finance, acting as the National Coordination Unit for the Swiss Contribution, signed the Implementation Agreement for the "Program for Strengthening SMEs through Improved Access to Financing" with the Ministry of Economy, Entrepreneurship, and Tourism (MEAT). MEAT, as the Program Operator, will implement the initiative in collaboration with selected banking institutions.

The program will run until June 2029, providing financial support totaling 53,924,286 CHF (approximately 289 million RON), of which 70% is covered by the Swiss Contribution and 30% by MEAT through the state budget.

Interested SMEs can receive grants of up to 50,000 CHF (approximately 268,000 RON), covering a maximum of 40% of eligible investment project costs. In addition, they can access a market-advantageous bank loan covering at least 60% of the investment value.

Further details will be published on the official website: https://www.economie.gov.ro/
.