1.3m euro program dedicated to supporting young agribusiness entrepreneurs

BUCHAREST:BCR Social Finance, in partnership with the Romanian Farmers’ Club for High-Performance Agriculture, launches Youth Agri Scaling, a program dedicated to supporting young entrepreneurs in agriculture and the agri-food sector, financed by a grant of approximately 1.3 million euros.

According to a press release from the IFN, the grant is awarded by the European Union, through the Council of Europe Development Bank, and aims to support entrepreneurs by facilitating access to financing and applied entrepreneurial education.

The Youth Agri Scaling program is open to young people between the ages of 18 and 35, who carry out activities in the field of agriculture or agri-food processing, from rural areas or small towns, with a turnover of less than 2 million euros.

‘The program is aimed at entrepreneurs at the beginning of their journey or in the consolidation phase, who want to develop their business and increase their competitiveness,’ the press release states.

The program developed by BCR Social Finance and the Romanian Farmers Club extends over a period of 12 months and includes: management courses for agribusiness and personalized financial education; group mentoring and individual coaching; study visits to high-performing farms; support for the development and structuring of the business plan.

‘For BCR Social Finance, the objective of this program is anchored in the development of a new generation of competitive agricultural businesses, connected to the market and technology. We provide young agribusiness entrepreneurs with concrete tools, from applied education and financing adapted to the realities on the ground, supporting them to generate economic value and trust in rural communities in Romania. We also thank the Council of Europe Development Bank for this blended finance instrument and the partners at the Romanian Farmers Club for their professionalism, support and motivation to grow sustainable businesses,’ said the general manager of BCR Social Finance, ?tefan Buciuc, quoted in the press release.

Youth Agri Scaling targets a group of 240 young agribusiness entrepreneurs, who will benefit from training, mentoring and coaching. At least 80 of the participants will also have access to subsidized interest microloans to support and develop their businesses.

The impact of this initiative is based on job creation, supporting the rural economy and reducing migration, as well as strengthening food security for local communities.

‘Generational transfer is one of the major strategic challenges of Romanian agriculture. In the next 10-15 years, over 60% of current farmers will exit the system, and without adequate training of the new generations, we risk losing both the accumulated expertise and the competitiveness of the sector. The YAS program, developed in partnership with BCR Social Finance, not only facilitates young people’s access to financing, but also builds an integrated ecosystem of entrepreneurial skills adapted to modern agricultural realities. We invest in young people who will transform Romanian agriculture into a competitive sector at European level,’ said, in turn, the executive director of the Romanian Farmers Club, Florian Ciolacu.

The project will be implemented between February 2026 and 2028, at national level, through dedicated regional series.

The initiative benefits from support from the European Union, within the InvestEU Fund and the ESF+ program.

BCR Social Finance is a non-banking financial institution (NFI), established in 2008 under the name good.bee Credit (GBC), with Erste Social Finance Holding GmbH (51%) and Banca Comerciala Româna (49%) as shareholders.

BCR Social Finance IFN is subject to specific legislation and regulations issued by and under the supervision of the National Bank.

BCR offers a full range of financial products and services, through a network of 20 business centers and 18 mobile offices dedicated to companies and 297 retail units located in most cities in the country with over 10,000 inhabitants, of which 73% are units where cash transactions are carried out only at equipment (cashless). Monitoring Desk