The Organization for Enterprise Development (ODA) has launched a new grant program to support digital innovation and technology start-ups.
During the presentation of the program, Acting Director of the ODA, Dumitru Pintea, said that start-ups will be able to use grants of up to 500 thousand lei. At the same time, the grant amount will be able to cover up to 80% of the project costs, and 20% of the costs will have to be covered by the beneficiaries. The program is designed for 3 years with the possibility of its extension. 60 million lei will be allocated from the state budget for its implementation. The program is supported in particular by the Future Technologies project funded by USAID and the Swedish government. The Digital Innovation and Technology Startup Support Program will cover 3 areas: digital innovation, green technologies and sustainable production, and grants will be provided to start-ups in the following areas: ICT, digital media, manufacturing, education, health, financial services, creative industries, e-commerce, recycling. The beneficiaries can be start-up entrepreneurs who do not have debts to the national public budget, have a staff, and conduct their activities in the territory of Moldova. The grant can be used to cover the cost of purchasing software, obtaining licenses, and training staff. Grants can also be used to cover consulting services for the development of documents (only 10% of the grant amount can be used for this purpose), IT services (10%), employee salaries (20%). Dumitru Pintea emphasized that the grant cannot be used to cover the costs of: the purchase of equipment and goods, the cost of which is covered by other programs; losses associated with currency exchange; purchase of used goods; payment of taxes; transport services; payment of leases and loans; rent payment; Administrative expenses. Scott Hocklander, Head of Mission of the United States Agency for International Development (USAID) in Moldova, noted that the Future Technologies project is an important step towards creating a dynamic entrepreneurial ecosystem in Moldova. This initiative will provide funding and technical assistance to technology start-ups and SMEs to promote innovative capitalization and stimulate the use of green technologies and sustainable production in Moldova. It is worth noting that at present digital innovations form more than 3.1% of Moldova's GDP. Herewith, despite the increased attention of the authorities to this industry, its potential has not been fully utilized, and more than 80% of IT companies in Moldova work for outsourcing, offering solutions for foreign companies. Minister of Economy Sergiu Gaibu, who was present at the presentation of the program, noted that the creation of a mechanism for financial support of digital innovations would contribute to the development of the local IT market, develop the export of IT products and services, and increase added value in related industries. Scott Hocklander added that after 30 years of USAID-Moldova partnership, the Digital Innovation and Tech Startup Support Program has become a new example of the agency's assistance to our country, which opens up new opportunities for people and highlights the ingenuity and entrepreneurial spirit of Moldova. In turn, Thomas Alveteg, First Secretary for Market Development at the Swedish Embassy, noted that his country is pleased to launch this innovative program together with the Organization for Enterprise Development and USAID. Future Technologies aims to create a strong business environment in Moldova by stimulating the creation of jobs and new verticals in areas such as fintech, agritech and healthcare technologies. Recall that the project “Future Technologies in Moldova”, funded by USAID and Sweden ($52.8 million), is designed for 5 years (2021-2026). It promotes innovation and new technologies in the following strategic sectors of Moldova: information and communication technologies (ICT), mechanical engineering, light industry, creative industries and digital media. // 06.10.2022 — InfoMarket
