European Union supports 16 businesses in ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia District

The entrepreneurs were selected out of 87 participants in the second round of the business projects’ contest organized by the “Support for Agriculture and Rural Development in ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia District” (SARD) Programme, financed by the European Union and implemented by the UNDP.

The winning projects are diverse and cover a wide range of products: dairy and bakery products, agricultural waste-based briquettes, wood boxes and handicraft pieces, mushrooms’ growing, apiculture products. Also, new services will be created, such as: setup of a development center for children, development of an agro-touristic boarding house, establishment of a service center for agricultural machinery.

Tatiana Civirdjic, from Ceadir-Lunga town, one of the 16 winners of the grant contest, notes: "With the assistance of the European Union, I will be able to offer a wider range of apicultural products, of high quality and at affordable prices, given that there are many non-compliant apiculture products on our market. I will create at least 3 new jobs and promote a product that is so beneficial for the health but not yet very popular".

Besides the non-refundable financial support, selected entrepreneurs will benefit from technical assistance and consultancy over one year.

With the financial support of the European Union, Igor Jito will create in Musait village, Taraclia district, a mushroom farm: "In southern Moldova, we will be the first to implement this mushrooming technology and we are glad that the European Union has trusted and invested in our business idea. In a few months, we will be ready to offer fresh organic mushrooms to local consumers. On medium term, we hope to also sell preserved or dried mushrooms".

In March 2017, other 14 entrepreneurs benefited from similar grants from the European Union for launching and developing businesses in ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia District.

The support for local entrepreneurship initiatives is one of the three main components of the SARD Programme. It also includes activities for empowering communities, renovating infrastructure facilities and promoting inter-municipal cooperation in ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia District.

Financed by the European Union with 6.5 million Euro and implemented by the UNDP, the SARD Programme aims to boost collaboration between central and local authorities, as well as among regional organizations from ATU Gagauzia and Taraclia District in order to foster social and economic development in the region, in particular, and in Moldova in general.