EU4Innovation East has announced a new grant competition in Moldova, totaling €1 million, to strengthen the startup ecosystem
Specifically, EU4Innovation East has announced a project competition in Moldova, allocating €1 million in grants to strengthen the national startup ecosystem through incubation, acceleration, talent development, and investment readiness programs. The competition is designed for organizations registered in Moldova with a proven track record of supporting startups, startup founders, and aspiring entrepreneurs, contributing to Moldova's transition to a competitive, innovative economy. The competition aims to support the entire startup development process—from ideation and early validation to scaling and access to investment. Grants of up to €250,000 will enable local participants to implement incubation and acceleration programs, hackathons, bootcamps, mentoring initiatives, diaspora engagement events, and support for startups' investment readiness, thereby addressing gaps in Moldova's entrepreneurial landscape. EU Ambassador to Moldova Iwona Piórko emphasized that supporting innovation ecosystems in the Eastern Partnership region is a priority for the European Union. "Through the EU4Innovation East program, we strengthen local capacity, stimulate entrepreneurship, and create concrete opportunities for Moldovan startups to integrate into regional and international value chains," she said. Charles Mathiaux, Deputy Director of the EU4Innovation East project, added that this competition represents a strategic investment in the future of innovation in Moldova. "By empowering local organizations to implement high-quality startup support programs, we contribute to the creation of a sustainable ecosystem where ideas can develop into scalable enterprises with connections to European and global markets," he emphasized. The EU4Innovation East project plays a key role in the Eastern Partnership region, working to enhance startup competitiveness, improve access to finance and markets, and strengthen cooperation within the ecosystem. Funded by the European Union, co-financed by the Government of France, and implemented by Expertise France, the project supports Eastern Partnership countries through targeted grants, capacity building, and regional integration. In Moldova, the EU4Innovation East project focuses on strengthening local innovation capacity and developing the ecosystem. Over the past year, the project supported Moldovan startup founders, students, and innovators through talent development initiatives and entrepreneurship events such as GigaHack and startup bootcamps, facilitated connections between Moldovan startups and regional and European investors, and supported their participation in major international technology and innovation events. EU4Innovation East also contributed to the development of the national startup ecosystem by supporting a number of landmark tech events in Moldova (Startup Moldova Summit, TechVillage), stimulating collaboration between startups, investors, and other ecosystem participants and opening new opportunities for international recognition and sustainable growth. The current grant competition represents an important opportunity for Moldovan organizations to contribute to this positive momentum by leveraging regional expertise and translating it into local programs with long-term impact. For more information on the selection criteria and application process, interested organizations can refer to the official call for proposals documentation. // 29.01.2026 — InfoMarket
