Start-Up Nation 2018 kicks off in autumn, beneficiaries can sell winning projects (Minister)

The Start-Up Nation 2018 Programme will kick off this autumn, after the majority of last year's edition will have have received the money, so that the administrative process not be burdened, the Minister for Business Environment, Trade and Entrepreneurship, Radu Stefan Oprea, told a press conference on Thursday. 

"Today, there are more than 6,500 beneficiaries having access to financing, those who applied for funds through the partner banks and those who have direct access to financing. I want to tell the winners of the Start-Up Nation 2017 very clearly that the money is waiting for them in the accounts of the regional agencies and bank units and to ask them to come as quick as possible, so that their dream becomes reality. Start-Up Nation is meant to revive the entrepreneurial spirit in Romania," said Oprea. 

Oprea showed that he discussed about the sale/cession of the financing rights with the representatives of Romania's National Council of Small and Medium-sized Private Enterprises (CNIPMMR), to whom he explained that to forbid beneficiaries to cede the social parts of the winning projects goes against the "Business Angel" law, which aims precisely at drawing in new shareholders with enhanced financial powers. 

The 2017 edition of the Start-Up National had 8,444 winners. A newly established company can receive up to 200,000 lei in non-reimbursable funds under this programme. 

Two months ago, Oprea told AGERPRES that this year the total budget for the programme accounts for 2 billion lei, which is enough to create 10,000 new companies.