At its meeting on September 17, the Cabinet of Ministers approved a new regulation to support small and medium-sized enterprises. The document introduces a simplified mechanism for submitting applications – “single window”. This format implies that access to state support will be based on a single business plan of the applicant and clear procedures for this purpose. The implementation of the regulations will be managed by the Organization for the Development of Entrepreneurship (ODA).
“SMEs are the backbone of the economy. They include more than 99% of companies registered in Moldova. Until now, support was provided through separate programs, with different procedures. Thanks to the new regulation, we are implementing a single system focused on entrepreneurs, simplifying and expanding access to financing, “ said Doina Nistor, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization.
The revision of the SME support mechanism aligns the national policy with the European principles of the Small Business Act in Europe. According to ODA Director Vadim Codreanu, the plan is to “increase the number of grant recipients by at least a third in 2025, especially taking into account the additional resources allocated for this purpose under the Budget Plus project.”
Over the past four years, the sectoral agency reports that the ODA has supported over 2,270 SME projects with grants amounting to 917 million lei. The support helped attract investments worth 2.1 billion lei and create thousands of jobs.
Among the achievements are also mentioned more than a thousand approved applications under the 373 Program, within which 5.3 billion lei were invested, and the allocation of more than 2 thousand credit guarantees to SMEs for projects worth 6.6 billion lei. Thanks to this support, the economy attracted investments worth over 14 billion lei during this period.
