Eastern European Foundation, with the support of the European Union and Sweden, offers 10 grants totaling 375,000 euros for the creation or development of 10 social enterprises in the Republic of Moldova, including the Transnistrian region. The grant certificates were handed over today, June 13, 2023, during a public event.
Facilitating the creation and development of social enterprises is the main focus of the project “Harnessing the Potential of Civil Society for the Promotion and Development of Social Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova,” implemented by the Eastern European Foundation in partnership with Contact Center and Keystone Moldova, with financial support from the European Union and co-financing from Sweden. The project aims to empower civil society organizations (CSOs) in the Republic of Moldova to engage in creating and developing social enterprises that will contribute to sustainable economic growth in communities.
During the grant certificate handover ceremony, Jānis Mažeiks, the Ambassador of the European Union to the Republic of Moldova, mentioned, “The development of social entrepreneurship is crucial for both local communities and the economy as a whole. Today, we continue to support the development of social enterprises by granting ten new grants. We are pleased that through these grants, we will be able to provide support in various fields, from ice cream and toy production to the development of digital literacy services or kinesiotherapy services, which will undoubtedly contribute to improving the quality of life at the local level.”
Katarina Fried, the Swedish Ambassador to Chișinău, reiterated Sweden’s commitment to supporting the Eastern European Foundation in promoting social entrepreneurship “to promote the inclusion of the most vulnerable groups and contribute to the promotion of their civil, political, social, and economic rights.” The ambassador also congratulated the grant beneficiaries and wished them success in implementing their important initiatives, reaching as many people in the country as possible to improve their lives and bring positive changes to their communities.
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Sorin Mereacre, the President of the Eastern European Foundation, provided a brief overview of the results achieved so far in the development of social entrepreneurship in Moldova and expressed confidence that through the investments made in this regard, they will achieve a more prosperous, inclusive society that cares for the environment. “Starting today, social enterprises that will provide new jobs for disadvantaged individuals: young employees, people with special needs, Roma people, refugees, the elderly, women with multiple children—people who will benefit from good jobs with proper remuneration—are being funded. This project aims to develop an ecosystem for social entrepreneurship. These efforts are made in collaboration with our partners—Contract Center and Keystone Moldova. Together with them, we will engage in advocacy activities, promote social entrepreneurship, and provide training in various areas necessary for enterprise development. Additionally, there are planned actions to inform and promote social entrepreneurship among the population.”
The grant certificates were handed over to the following organizations:
- NGO “ECO-RĂZENI”
- NGO “PAIDEIA” NGO
- Federation of Families for Unification and Peace in the World from Moldova
- Regional Development Agency of Tiraspol
- Regional Center for Social Initiatives and Sustainable Development
- NGO “PINO – Crafting Toys from Nature”
- NGO “Association for the Development of Professional Skills”
- Training and Personal Development Center “ANIMA”
- NGO “INVALIFE”
- NGO “POSITIVE INITIATIVE”
According to the grant competition conditions, the total allocated amount is 375,000 EUR. The maximum amount offered per project is 37,500 EUR. The project implementation period for the grants awarded within this competition is a maximum of 18 months.
Since January 1, 2022, the Eastern European Foundation, in partnership with Keystone Moldova and Contact Center, has been implementing the project “Harnessing the Potential of NGOs for the Promotion and Development of Social Entrepreneurship in the Republic of Moldova.” The 36-month project aims to empower NGOs to engage in creating social enterprises that contribute to sustainable economic growth in communities. The project proposes a capacity-building program, particularly in terms of business and financial management, both for social enterprises and regional social business centers, which will further guide social enterprises. With the support of the project, NGOs will empower disadvantaged individuals (young people, people with special needs, immigrants, Roma, the elderly, etc.) to be socially and economically included in the labor market. Within the project, a favorable ecosystem has been created for the development of social enterprises through access to professional consultations at the regional level and increasing awareness of social entrepreneurship at the national level through a media campaign.