+Plus Budget // 200 million lei to repair canteens in over a thousand schools

+Plus Budget project provides for an additional allocation of 200 million lei for the renovation of canteens in all schools in the Republic of Moldova and the creation of conditions to ensure free meal provision for students in secondary classes starting from 1 September 2025. Minister of Education and Research Dan Perciun explained today how the funds will be allocated and for what types of expenses they can be used.

Thus, the 200 million lei will be used for the renovation of canteens in over 1000 schools across the country. Half of this amount will be distributed to schools in the capital, while the other half will go to schools in the districts.


“100 million lei will go to schools in Chișinău, for equipment within 110 school canteens, which are set to feed over 42,830 students. Another 100 million lei will be allocated for school canteens in the rest of the country. 901 institutions in the country and 114,000 students are set to benefit from these investments,” said Dan Perciun.


The minister explained that the resources were allocated according to a special formula, based on two parameters. More precisely, for institutions in the capital, a minimum fixed amount of 200,000 lei per school was set, with additional resources added based on the number of students.

At the same time, for schools in the country, a minimum fixed amount of 20,000 lei per institution will be allocated, with an additional allocation of 713 lei per student. Based on this formula, some schools in the country could receive up to half a million lei for canteen modernization, depending on the number of students.

The funds are provided for several types of expenses that school administrations can incur.


“We are talking about infrastructure modernization where the resources provided are more significant or about preparation for food preparation and serving, purchasing certain equipment, furniture, or digitizing food management systems,” the minister explained.


The +Plus Budget is expected to be approved this week in the second reading by Parliament, and thereafter the financial resources will become available, with subsequent steps involving local councils meeting to amend the local budget by distributing the resources to educational institution budgets. After this procedure, schools will conduct a procurement process to purchase furniture, equipment, or repair services for canteens, ensuring that the works are completed by 1 September 2025, when the free feeding process for students is launched.

In late February, the government approved a decision whereby students in grades V-IX in Moldovan educational institutions will benefit from a free breakfast from 1 September. This measure refers to about 153,000 students and represents an expansion of the free meal program.