The Minister of Economy and Trade in Moldova, Mr. Igor Dodon, and the Project Director of SINTEF, International Operations,  Mr. Morten Muus Falck, signed the Memorandum. Photo: The Ministry of Economy and Trade, Moldova

The Memorandum was signed by the Minister of Economy and Trade Mr. Igor Dodon and the Project Director of SINTEF, International Operations  Mr. Morten Muus Falck.

The main objective of the Program is to create new places of work and to reduce the poverty through the development of SMEs sector in the Republic of Moldova.

The objectives of the projects are as follows:

1. Set up the institutional framework at all SMEs levels
2. Support the public-private partnership dialogue
3. Assure support in establishing new business incubators and support the existing ones

The Program will cover the period 2006-2010 and shall be divided in four stages:

I.  The first stage, 2006-2007 shall consist in preliminary preparation of the Program for its implementation. The main task is to establish the ENTRANSE office in Chisinau, the pilot business incubator, to visit all the existing business incubators and to prepare an assessment analysis of potential local communities with the favorable environment for setting up ENTRANSE business incubators.

II.  The second stage, 2007-2008, shall focus on setting up institutional framework and the basis for the full implementation of the Project.

III.  The third stage, 2008-2009, shall focus on further strengthening of established institutions, associations and their networks, establish the second incubator.

IV.  The last stage, 2009-2010 shall be the finalization period, the focus being on securing sustainability of the Program, as well as providing full support to Moldovan institutions to strengthen its links with international business network.

During the first stage (2006-2007) four main results shall be achieved:

1. Implementation of activities of strengthening the institutional framework for supporting small and medium-sized enterprises
2. Evaluation of the existing business incubators and establishment of the pilot business incubator
3. Preliminary evaluation for setting up the platform for the public and private partnership dialogue
4. Support in assuring the synergy in the donors’ activities.

The budget of the project amounts to 200 000 EURO for the first stage (October 2006 – May 2007). The Financier of the Project is the Ministry of External Affairs of Norway.