Clustere Inovative
Funding for innovation clusters and SME support services in Romania's Centru Region.
The call funds investments in innovation clusters and activities supporting member SMEs across Alba, Brașov, Covasna, Harghita, Mureș and Sibiu counties — urban and rural.
What is Clustere Inovative?
An ADR Centru-managed funding line dedicated to the Centru Region that strengthens innovation infrastructure and accelerates competitiveness of member SMEs.
It targets cluster management entities and the SMEs that are part of innovative clusters across the six counties of the Centru Region.
Typical budgets allocate 60–70% to shared infrastructure (labs, equipment, digital platforms) and 20–30% to SME support services (mentoring, internationalisation, training).
Who is eligible?
Cluster management entity
The legal entity responsible for managing the innovation cluster, registered in the Centru Region.
Member SMEs
Small and medium enterprises that are formal members of an eligible innovation cluster.
Research & academic partners
Universities, R&D organisations and technology transfer offices supporting the cluster's innovation roadmap.
Centru Region scope
Activities and investments must be located in Alba, Brașov, Covasna, Harghita, Mureș or Sibiu — urban or rural.
How the programme works
- 1
Confirm cluster eligibility
Verify the cluster's legal form, governance, and Centru-Region scope against the call's eligibility checklist.
- 2
Design the investment plan
Specify shared infrastructure, equipment, digital platforms, and SME support services to be funded.
- 3
Engage member SMEs
Document SME needs and demand for the planned services so the proposal reflects real cluster activity.
- 4
Build the partnership
Onboard academic, research and technology-transfer partners to strengthen the innovation roadmap.
- 5
Submit between 6 July – 6 November 2026
Compile and submit the full application file through ADR Centru's electronic system before the deadline.
- 6
Implement & report
Run procurement, deliver SME services, monitor impact and report KPIs to ADR Centru throughout the project.
How CARO helps
From cluster idea to a funded Centru-Region project
CARO Business Ventures supports cluster management entities and their member SMEs to structure a competitive application aligned with ADR Centru's evaluation criteria.
- Cluster eligibility & governance review
- Investment plan & budget engineering
- SME demand mapping & service design
- Full application writing & document file
- Submission through ADR Centru's system
- Implementation & reporting support
Summary based on the public call documentation for the Innovative Clusters call managed by ADR Centru (Programul Regional Centru 2021–2027). Final terms are those published by ADR Centru. This page is informational and not a public offer.