Press releases

ODIMM supports Moldovan companies to adapt to the global demands and trends of the green economy. Thus, 17 Moldovan companies will receive non-repayable state funding for the application of green economy principles in business processes. A decision to that effect was taken today at the first meeting of the The Steering Committee of the Greening Europe Programme, where were examined and selected the companies that will benefit from small grants up to RON 200 thousand under Phase II of the programme.

Through this phase, the SMI will be financially supported for the implementation of low-value greening actions, which will constitute up to 70 % of the amount of the investment project excluding VAT, but will not exceed RON 200 000.

The non-repayable financial means will be transferred by the ODSME after the investment of the ENM’s own resources and the submission of supporting documents. The allocation of non-repayable financial means may be carried out in up to 2 instalments as follows: I tranche — 70 % of the grant amount is granted after the Beneficiary has invested its own contribution of 30 %, according to the investment project; II tranche – 30 % of the amount of the grant is transferred to the Beneficiary after the submission of the documents confirming that the investment was made from the first instalment granted by ODIMM, in accordance with the investment project.

Of the 17 companies selected for funding7 is active in the service sector, 8 is active in the industrial sector and 2 is in the agri-food sector.

The greening actions proposed by the companies selected for funding aim to: replacement of the conventional energy source by the installation of photovoltaic panels; reducing energy consumption through the implementation of thermal recovery systems; rainwater abstraction and utilisation; transforming organic waste into high-quality protein for the fisheries sector, livestock farming, water resource management through the installation of the treatment plant; the introduction of equipment enabling the recycling of textile waste raw materials; recycling of cold pressed oil filtering waste and use in cosmetology;recycling of waste from the process of restoring tyres and producing pavements, jetties, etc.

During the unwinding of the underlying instrument, 180 by HMM carried out the self-assessment of the degree of greening of the business; 107 companies have registered with the Programme, 80 company managers have received training on “Development and implementation of greening plans for HLF, and 48 companies applied the file for the Phase II Investment Projects Competition. Finally, 17 investment projects were eligible for financing and 11 investment projects were proposed to be placed on the waiting list.

State Secretary of the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure, Iuliana Drăgălin stressed that this tool provides companies with information support, advice, mentoring, coaching and environmental training. “The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure encourages and supports entrepreneurs in the country who want to reduce the environmental impact of economic activity and provide environmental services. Moreover, applying sustainable production and consumption patterns will help to make resource use more efficient, promote exports and create new jobs’, scored Chairman of the Programme Steering Committee, Iuliana Drăgălin.

ODIMM Director, Iulia Costinmaintains that the programme provides an integrated approach to support the HLF in introducing greening practices in two forms: non-financial and financial: ‘We seek to identify companies with growth potential that are in the priority areas of the economy, the aim of ODSMEs is to help them improve their production/service processes and at the same time to make their business more competitive. This programme will demonstrate to us that the focus on greening has a major impact on the economy, positioning HLF at an advanced stage and high level of competitiveness”.

The greening programme focuses on three key areas:

✔ energy and resource efficiency: responsible use of energy and resources along the value chain;

✔ circular economy: raw material and waste management, recycling and reuse, reducing losses of valuable resources and important business opportunities for SMEs;

✔ eco-innovation: creating business opportunities by integrating ‘green’ and circular business models, deploying green technologies in the production process of existing and future SMEs, which can create and sell certified products, services and ‘green’ solutions across all sectors of the national economy.

The LOW Greening Programme was approved by the Government of the Republic of Moldova by Government Decision No 592 of 27 November 2019, with a piloting period of 36 months, and implemented by ODIMM in coordination with the Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure. The implementation of the Programme’s actions is financed from the State budget and supported through the EU4Environment Project, funded by the European Union.

Within 7 working days, all 48 applicants to the Investment Project Competition will be informed in writing of the decision taken by the Steering Committee of the Greening Light Programme.

See list of selected companies, Phase II, Call I