European Union supports entrepreneurs from both banks of the Nistru river

The European Union provided over 420,000 EUR to support competitive businesses on both banks of the Nistru river, within the European Union “Confidence Building Measures” programme, implemented by UNDP Moldova. A grants-awarding ceremony for two competitions conducted within the programme (“Mentoring in business – Start for the youth” and “Creating synergies for competitive business communities from both banks of the Nistru river”) took place on 18 May 2022.

Altogether 13 young people selected among 98 participants of the competition “Mentoring in business – Start for the youth” will benefit from grants of up to 15,000 EUR for starting or further developing their businesses. In addition to financial assistance, entrepreneurs will benefit from advice in the process of setting up or expanding their entrepreneurial activity. Supported businesses include production of artisanal cheese, eco wooden toys, a packaging line for dried fruits, biscuits, modernisation of equipment for producing apple vinegar etc.

The grant competition “Mentoring in business – Start for the youth” is at its fifth edition. Thanks to the grants offered by the EU in the framework of this competition, 57 new companies were created, and more than 300 jobs were generated on the left bank of the Nistru river and in the security zone.

“By supporting these business initiatives, we support new jobs creation, higher incomes, innovation, with positive impact on livelihoods in both banks of the river Nistru. Although the awarded proposals are addressing very different business environments, the winning ideas have in common a desire to work together in complementarity and exploit the win-win potential that underpins the cooperation across the riverbanks, which is the core of the European Union support to Confidence Building,”

said Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova.

Moreover, on 18 May, grant certificates were awarded to the winners of the competition “Creating synergies for competitive business communities from both banks of the Nistru river”, conducted within the framework of the European Union “Confidence Building Measures” programme, implemented by UNDP Moldova. Six projects will be supported with 40,000 EUR each, aiming to enhance cooperation of entrepreneurs on both banks of the Nistru river. Planned activities include boosting digitalisation and automation of administrative processes, development of digital skills for entrepreneurs in creative industries, tourism development, cooperation of beekeepers from both banks of the Nistru river.

“We are looking forward to seeing the products and services you will be developing and to meet people who will be onboarded on the jobs created. This is to also invite you to become users and beneficiaries of the research, development and digitalization activities that will be conducted by business support organisations through their grants,”

noted Dima Al-Khatib, UNDP Resident Representative to the Republic of Moldova, at the grants-awarding ceremony.

The European Union “Confidence Building Measures” programme has so far supported the development of business support associations and organisations in four areas: i) bee-keeping and honey production; ii) cultivation of medicinal and aromatic plants; cultivation of new varieties of stone fruit with export potential; iii) regional tourism, creative industries; iv) e-commerce, through development of local online markets or integration of local micro, small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) on both banks into the European Enterprise Network (EEN) for export promotion opportunities and international business exchanges.

The “Confidence Building Measures” programme, funded by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP, contributes to building trust between residents on both banks of the Nistru river, by involving them in joint development projects.