Romania's Ministry of Agriculture Reports Progress on INVESTALIM Food Industry Support Program

The Ministry of Agriculture and Rural Development of Romania, through the Agency for Financing Rural Investments (AFIR), has announced significant progress in implementing the INVESTALIM national program for the development and support of the agri-food industry. The program, running between 2023–2026, was approved by Government Emergency Ordinance no. 65/2023.

As of now, 20 financing agreements have been signed under the scheme, representing a total investment value of over 3.69 billion lei (approx. €743 million), with state aid amounting to more than 2.18 billion lei (approx. €440 million).

• The first 8 agreements, signed in October 2024, accounted for investments of 1.32 billion lei, supported by 882.65 million lei in state aid.
• Another 12 agreements, signed between March and April 2025, brought in additional investments worth 1.49 billion lei, with 863.39 million lei in state support.

Currently, the first 8 beneficiary enterprises have entered the implementation phase, either having started construction work or signed binding legal contracts for the acquisition of processing equipment.

The funded projects aim to enhance Romania’s food processing capacity, covering a wide array of eligible activities, including:

• Meat, fish, fruit and vegetable processing and preservation
• Dairy production
• Grain milling and bakery operations
• Sugar production

About the INVESTALIM State Aid Scheme

INVESTALIM is backed by a total budget of €590 million, financed from the Romanian state budget for the 2023–2026 period.

Key features include:

• Maximum aid per enterprise: up to €57.75 million
• Aid intensity: between 30% and 70%, depending on the company’s size and the type of investment

Future funding agreements will depend on annual budget allocations and the approval of commitment appropriations under the state budget law.

More Information

The final list of eligible applications and additional details regarding the funding session are available on the official AFIR website: www.afir.ro

Commitment to the Agri-Food Sector