The Ministry of Economy and Infrastructure of the Republic of Moldova, in collaboration with the Small and Medium Enterprise Development Organisation, has elaborated the project plan for the START for YOUTH project, which aims to support young people in starting a business. The ‘START for YOUTH’ programme has been proposed for public consultations and is planned to run from 2018 to 2020.
The programme aims to integrate young people from the Republic of Moldova into the economic circuit by facilitating the launch and development of sustainable businesses. To achieve this goal, the project has set the following specific objectives:
- stimulating entrepreneurship among young people;
- developing entrepreneurial skills by providing information, advisory and educational support;
- financial support for young people to launch and develop a business with a strong focus on innovative businesses that are aligned or would contribute to sustainable development;
- facilitating the implementation of innovation, technology transfer and know-how;
- increasing the number of active enterprises and jobs in rural areas.
The European Union also supports business development in the Republic of Moldova through its EU4Business initiative, which seeks to provide SMEs with additional finance, skills, and access to export markets.