Financial, technical support for 15 social entrepreneurship initiatives from left bank of Dniester River

Fifteen social entrepreneurship initiatives from the left bank of the Dniester River will benefit from financial and technical assistance totaling 105,000 dollars for the purchase of equipment and services necessary to launch or expand businesses with social impact in local communities. The initiatives were selected through a competition by the Social Entrepreneurship Association, within the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP) project, Developing Export Capacities on the Dniester Banks, (AdTrade).

Five of the winning projects will receive 15,000 dollars each, from funds provided by Sweden and the United Kingdom, while ten other initiatives will benefit from up to 3,000 dollars, thanks to the financial support of France.

The selected initiatives operate in such fields as recycling, organic production, social services, local craftsmanship and integration into the labor market for individuals from vulnerable groups.

In addition to financial support, the 15 entrepreneurs will benefit from training, personalized mentoring, study visits and assistance in developing marketing strategies, energy efficiency and financial planning, aiming to create at least one job within each business.

The initiatives were presented on June 27, 2025, at the Social Entrepreneurship 2025 Awards Gala, organized in Tighina (Bender). The event also included awarding prizes for outstanding contributions in social entrepreneurship, in five categories.

The event brought together over 200 participants, including social entrepreneurs, NGOs, development partners and experts from both banks of Dniester.

The UNDP/AdTrade project supported the creation of the Social Entrepreneurship Association in 2022, which currently has 53 active members and facilitates the exchange of experience among social entrepreneurship initiatives in the region. To date, UNDP has provided mentoring and consultancy to over 50 social entrepreneurs from the left bank of Dniester, five of whom also received equipment for business development.