Press releases

Moldovan small and medium-sized enterprises, which want to digitalise their businesses in order to strengthen and unleash their potential in domestic and foreign markets, will be supported by a new State Programme.

Today, the Organisation for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises Sector Development (ODSME) launched Digital Transformation Programme for Small and Medium-sized Enterprises through which domestic companies will be able to access non-repayable financial support of up to RON 500 thousand for the digitalisation of production and service processes.

The launch event of the Programme was attended by: Prime Minister Natalia Gavriliță, Minister of Economy Sergiu Gaibu, representatives of international development partner organisations and diplomatic missions, central public authorities, business support institutions/organisations and company managers.

Present at the event, Prime Minister Natalia Gavrilițastated that despite the regional crises and the difficult economic situation in the country, the Government had identified the necessary resources for policies to support entrepreneurs and approved the Programme, which, in addition to access to grants, would facilitate the transfer of expertise and best practices to beneficiaries. Thus, the Programme will provide an integrated approach to support SMEs, by introducing digital tools, in order to develop the productivity and competitiveness of local businesses. According to the Prime Minister, as a result, the volume of investment in the national economy will increase, external financial means will be attracted and the business in the Republic of Moldova will be transformed on the European model.

“Now that we have obtained candidate status and are not only neighbours of the EU, but future members, we have the task of becoming more competitive and modern. Let’s get EU countries into our economic development and show that we can not only benefit from membership, but also contribute to the development of the European Union as a whole. In doing so, we count on achieving all the objectives of the Programme, creating new jobs, increasing the productivity of the beneficiaries and assure you that we will continue with the funding of such positive practices. We will only be able to successfully emerge from crises if we invest in our economic agents, digitalise their business and develop new practices. Working, investing and integrating together in the EU”he said Natalia Gavrilița.

Present at the event, Minister for the Economy, Sergiu Gaibureiterated the importance of digitalising the economy and the support provided by the state to entrepreneurs intending to digitalise their businesses.

“Accelerating the digital transformation remains one of the highest priorities for the Republic of Moldova and the Ministry of Economy alike. The development of digital skills is essential for both citizens and businesses. And our country has all the resources to create a digital future at home. The Ministry of Economy aims to further advance the digital transformation of SMEs by removing existing barriers in terms of policies, finance, skills and innovation. The programme launched today confirms this support. This is why we are empowering entrepreneurs to benefit from the conditions of the programme, to access the funds made available and to grow and digitalise their business”stated: Minister Gaibu.

Jānis Mažeiks, Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova stated:

“The European Union has supported the Digital Transformation of SMEs programme since its inception in 2020. EU funding has helped around one hundred SMEs in rural areas to digitalise. The pandemic, high energy prices and the disruption of value chains due to the Russian aggression in Ukraine added further constraints for SMEs. Digitalisation has proven to be an effective tool to overcome many of these constraints. It is therefore of key importance that the accelerated digital transformation continues and expands. We are confident that the digital transformation programme for SMEs will free up more support from the European Union. We stand ready to continue supporting the programme that aims to promote the digital and ecological transformation of Moldova’s economy and society to the benefit of its population across the country. Together – we are stronger!”

Scott Hocklander, Head of the USAID Mission to Moldova welcomed the initiative to support the digitalisation of business.

‘This programme will improve business efficiency and productivity in the Republic of Moldova and reduce the cost of access to new markets. Grant grants from the United States of America, the European Union and the Government of the Republic of Moldova will support at least 150 Moldovan businesses.’

According to ODIMM Acting Director Dumitru Pînteathe Covid pandemic has increased digitalisation trends in developed countries. At EU level, public policies aim for economic recovery on a sustainable basis, including reforms and investments in digitalisation. Moldova has aligned itself with these objectives and this programme aims to increase the recovery and resilience capacity of the national economy, increase competitiveness and interaction with external economies.

“The Digital Transformation Programme is a complex and different backstop to what our institution has been used to until now. Its implementation requires particular expertise on the IT dimension, not only for the implementing organisation but also for the potential beneficiaries of the programme. We therefore come up with a different implementation mechanism that ensures not only the award of grants but also advice in identifying the digitalisation and writing needs of the investment project, as well as mentoring actions for entrepreneurs in the post-funding period.”

The programme offers an integrated approach to support HLF through the introduction of digital tools, with the aim of developing the productivity and competitiveness of local businesses.

Beneficiaries of the Programme may be SMUs that:

✔ carries out its entrepreneurial activity on the territory of the Republic of Moldova.

✔ has been active for at least 12 months on the market until the date of submission of the file to the Programme, and submitted to the National Bureau of Statistics the financial statements (shortened, simplified or complete in accordance with the National Accounting Standard) for the last year of activity;

✔ have no arrears on the national public budget;

✔ have staff with the necessary skills to implement the investment project, confirmed by appropriate acts/certificates.

The deadline for implementing the Programme is 36 monthswith the possibility of extension on the basis of the additional financial means available.

The implementation of the Programme’s actions is financed from the state budget and supported through the Future Technologies Project, financed by USAID and the Swedish Government.

The Future Technologies in Moldova project, funded by USAID and Sweden, supports the development of the digital, creative and environmentally friendly economy in Moldova. The project, with a budget of USD 32,8 mln and an implementation duration of 5 years (2021-2026), promotes, in team with key partners, innovation and new technologies in the following strategic sectors for Moldova – Information and Communication Technology (ICT), engineering, light industry, creative and digital media industries – to increase their competitiveness and integration in the global market.

The registration of companies interested in this Support Programme is done on a continuous basis by filling in the form on the website: https://bit.ly/3yh88n0

Video footage of.eu: https://bit.ly/3tZyfwx