Funding for Agri-Food SME Value Chain Development (Moldova)

The call focuses on increasing competitiveness, sustainability and efficiency of SMEs in the agri-food sector, strengthening functional value chains through cooperation and association, reducing economic fragmentation, optimizing costs, supporting market integration and collective functioning, creating and strengthening up to five value chain initiatives, investing in common infrastructure, implementing standardization and collective promotion processes, improving governance mechanisms, developing members’ capacities, prioritizing the seed sector, integrated production systems and organic farming, and enhancing the attractiveness and integration of SME members within associative structures.

The agricultural sector in the Republic of Moldova faces significant structural challenges, including the impact of climate change, recurrent droughts, extreme weather events, soil degradation, and market volatility, all of which threaten food security and rural economic stability. In response, this call under the “Sustainable Agri-food Systems – Business” component, managed by Solidarity Fund PL in Moldova, aims to promote sustainable and climate-adapted solutions by strengthening SMEs through collaborative approaches.

The call is open to two categories of applicants, including commercial SME associations that carry out direct economic activities and generate income, and professional or representative SME associations that provide support, coordination, and training services without engaging in direct commercial activities. Priority is given to initiatives related to the production, multiplication, processing, and marketing of seeds such as maize, sorghum, industrial hemp, and cover crops, as well as projects focused on integrated production systems and organic agriculture.

The total budget allocated for this call is EUR 250,000, with a maximum grant of EUR 50,000 per project. The funding is intended to support investments that strengthen cooperation among SMEs, improve infrastructure, and enhance market positioning through collective action.

Eligible applicants must be associative structures of SMEs in the agri-food sector that meet specific criteria, including operating within the seed sector or organic farming, having a minimum of five economically active members, and maintaining financial and legal compliance. Applicants must not have outstanding debts to the national public budget, must not be in insolvency or liquidation, and must not have received funding for the same costs in the previous management year. Professional associations, federations, and non-governmental organizations applying under the second category must also demonstrate their role in providing sectoral support and coordination.

For more information, visit European Union.