Thus started a 4-year program financed by the European Union, which is aimed at strengthening the administrative capacity in the border regions of Moldova and Ukraine.
The EURoBRIDGE budget is 2 million euros. The program will contribute to the implementation of more than 100 joint projects aimed at stimulating the development of small and medium-sized businesses, supporting civil society initiatives and strengthening local authorities. In Chisinau, it will be implemented by the Municipal Center for Entrepreneurship Development (CMDA).
The project will cover the entire territory of Moldova and four regions of Ukraine – Odessa, Chernivtsi, Khmelnitsky and Vinnitsa, with the possibility of further expansion. 110 small grants of EUR 10 thousand each and 8 large grants of EUR 50 thousand will be allocated for cross-border initiatives.
Joseph Michalik, Program Manager at the European Commission, explained that the initiative is based on the model of Interreg programs. “This mechanism will give local actors the opportunity to learn how EU policies work and build strong partnerships. A steering committee composed of representatives from both countries will ensure transparent selection of projects and monitoring of their implementation,” the European official said.
In a video message, Higea Romania founder Ciprian Morkan told the partners, “There is no free money. On the other hand, there is funding that comes to support ambitious initiatives, accelerate processes and reduce risks. Cooperation between partners is at the heart of the project.”
The event ended with the symbolic signing of the first partnership agreements between local authorities of RM (Cantemir, Nisporeni, Taraclia district councils) and Ukrainian communities (Krasnoselca, Balta, Artsiz).
It should be noted that the Municipal Center for Entrepreneurship Development, created two years ago by the Chisinau City Hall, aims to support the local business environment through financing, consulting and training programs. To date, the center has provided more than 4.2 thousand consultations and supported more than 7.7 thousand beneficiaries through various initiatives.
