Events

According to the moderators, the total COSME budget for 2014-2020 is EUR 2.3 billion, with an allocation of EUR 275 million in 2014, gradually increasing to EUR 430 million in 2020. This means that opportunities for successful participation in COSME will increase over the course of the programme.

Iulia Iabanji, Director General of ODIMM, mentioned at the event that as a European Neighbourhood Policy (ENP) country, under the corresponding legal basis for participation in European Union programmes, the Republic of Moldova is eligible to participate in all COSME instruments, with the exception of financial instruments.

According to Yulia Iabanji, once the Government of the Republic of Moldova has signed the Participation Agreement in this Programme, the responsibility for its implementation and the use of its benefits remains with the SME support organisations.

The Director of ODIMM also said that the COSME programme is an unprecedented opportunity to promote the competitiveness of Moldovan enterprises by providing access to finance and framework conditions for starting and developing businesses. The COSME programme is intended for international industrial cooperation, education to develop entrepreneurship and internationalisation of enterprises through the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). ODIMM, together with its consortium partners – Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Innovation and Technology Transfer Agency and Technology Transfer Network of Moldova, assists Moldovan SMEs in accessing EEN funds, for the purpose of identifying the interested business partner.

At the event, CNTM President Terentie Carp reiterated that the partnership with ODSMEs will facilitate the promotion of youth entrepreneurship and stressed the need to actively involve all organisations on the ground. Oxana Paladiciuc, ODSME Programme Coordinator, presented the COSME Programme and the process of implementing financing projects, as well as the benefits of the Enterprise Europe Network (EEN). Vitalie Moraru, National Contact Point for SMEs in Horizon 2020, also presented the SME Instrument and the opportunities available under Horizon 2020.

The European Programme for the Competitiveness of Small and Medium-sized Enterprises (COSME) is a financial support instrument of the European Commission to support the competitiveness of SMEs. The budget of the programme amounts to EUR 2.5 billion and is to be implemented over 6 years. The programme provides support for 39 000 companies in Europe, which will be able to create or maintain 29 500 jobs and launch 900 new products, services or processes each year.

The Agreement on the participation of the Republic of Moldova in the Programme for the Competitiveness of Enterprises and Small and Medium-sized Enterprises 2014-2020 (COSME) was signed on 29 September 2014. The Republic of Moldova paid the participation contribution in the COSME programme for the years 2014-2015. The financial resources for honouring the contribution for the year 2016 are currently being identified.

24.5.2016