Support for export promotion: Bridge Export Programme, with budget of 60 million lei, launched in Chisinau

National companies will receive state support to access foreign markets through the Bridge Export Programme, launched in Chisinau today. The programme will be implemented during a period of three years, with a total budget of 60 million lei. Applications for participation can be submitted until March 15.

The goal of the programme is to increase the volume of Moldovan exports, to make domestic products and services better known on foreign markets and to help companies diversify their sales markets.

Eligible activities under the Programme include participation in international fairs, exhibitions, economic missions and other business events organized abroad, as well as feasibility studies and projects. Financial support will range from 100,000 lei to 2 million lei, and beneficiaries will be selected based on clear and competitive criteria, with support directed to enterprises that have real export potential.

At the programme’s launch, Deputy Prime Minister, Minister of Economic Development and Digitalization Eugeniu Osmochescu emphasized the need to promote exports and urged business associations to make full use of the opportunities offered by the new programme in order to achieve this objective.

“This is a long-awaited programme. We aim to increase exports through joint efforts by associations, partners and all those who care about our European path. We are already integrating into the European Union market, with 68 per cent of exports going mainly to EU member states, but we must do more to increase our exports, so that the balance is at least zero. Any programme, any instrument made available to us is very important and must be leveraged to the maximum,” said Eugeniu Osmochescu.

Director of the Investment Agency Natalia Bejan noted that, during the period 2022–2025, grants worth over 8 million lei had been provided to business associations. The new programme, however, comes with a much larger budget and a new vision. Through it, the authorities aim to create sectoral development visions for the priority areas of the Moldovan economy.

“A conceptually very different aspect of this programme is that we do not see business associations as beneficiaries of the programme, but as co-creators of it, with the final beneficiaries being the exporting companies of Moldova. Secondly, this time, business associations are required to represent not only their member companies, but the entire sector. Through the Bridge Export Programme, we want to create sectoral development visions and sectoral marketing strategies for the priority sectors of Moldova. We are no longer interested in going to just one fair or two fairs, or in organizing an ad-hoc business mission. Now we want to hear what the sector’s development vision is, which target markets you intend to enter, which sectors or even subsectors or very specific products you want to promote,” said Natalia Bejan.

According to data presented by the National Statistics Bureau, the export of goods from Moldova increased by 6.4 percent last year compared to 2024, reaching a total of 3.78 billion dollars. The European Union stays the main market for Moldovan products, accounting for 67.5 per cent of the overall exports.