VIDEO // Moldovan Labour Ministry launches small grants programme in active ageing field

The Ministry of Labour and Social Protection (MMPS) today launched the 2026 edition of the Small Grants Program in the field of active ageing. The competition is open to non‑profit organizations that implement projects and initiatives with an impact on promoting active ageing policies at national, regional and local levels.

Labour and Social Protection Minister Natalia Plugaru stressed that, this year, the programme would support such initiatives such: involving older people in volunteering activities, developing community programmes, training in the use of digital technologies and creating services for active and healthy ageing.

“Today, we are launching the 2026 edition of the Small Grants Programme in the field of active ageing. We invite all civil society organizations to apply with projects that contribute to involving older people in community development and creating age‑friendly services for them. At the same time, the MMPS will continue to support the University of the Third Age, in order to promote dialogue between generations. Thus, we encourage civil society organizations, as well as local partners to make use of this opportunity and to contribute to building a society in which each older person has an active role and is respected. Together, we can turn ageing into a stage of opportunities and engagement,” said Natalia Plugaru.

The projects are financed from the state budget. For this purpose, the authorities have allocated a total amount of 1 million lei. Applications can be submitted until 13 April 2026. The maximum implementation period for the initiatives is six months.

According to the National Statistics Bureau, there are 616.5 thousand people aged over 60 in Moldova, accounting for 25.9 per cent of the usually resident population. Approximately 371.4 thousand of them are women, and around 40 thousand are over 80 years old. Video: https://www.facebook.com/reel/1173840368161229/