On 31 July, an agreement was signed between the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Latvia and the Latvian Rural Forum on the implementation of the project “Support to the growth of Moldova’s regions by enhancing their resilience to conditions in emergency situation and mitigating the long-term consequences of COVID-19”.

The project was implemented by Latvian Rural Forum (LRF) in a close cooperation with partners – the Ministry of Environmental Protection and Regional Development of the Republic of Latvia (MEPRD), the National LEADER Network of Moldova, the Northern Regional Development Agency and the Autonomous Territorial Unit of Gagauzia, as well as Local Action Groups from Latvia and Moldova, Vidzeme Planning Region and other other legal entities involved in the implementation, like experts of the, regional municipalities, small and medium entreprenuers and others.

The aim of the project was to support the Moldovan regions in overcoming the socio-economic challenges related to the Covid-19 crisis, incl. the development of public administration and capacity building, the development of entrepreneurship and the promotion of democratic participation, ensuring the activation and advancement of local economic resources, as well as the coordinated action of the parties involved in the development of the territory for effective crisis management.

During the project, a number of activities were implemented: “Development of a support system for the improvement of the local socio-economic situation”, which included training of local entrepreneurs, providing them with support for operating in the Internet environment and transferring the experience of Latvian entrepreneurs; “Exploring the Latvian experience”, where during the virtual visit Latvian entrepreneurs practically demonstrated their experience, their environment and offers, inspiring Moldovan entrepreneurs to work creatively; “Creation of a Digital Regional Platform for Entrepreneurship”, which renewed the Northern Moldova Platform for Entrepreneurship and the planning regions shared their experience in using digital tools, cooperation at different levels and improving planning; “Capacity building for day-to-day work and long-term adaptation activities” through a series of training and exchange webinars; The “Methodological Support for Effective Crisis Management in Gagauzia”, ​​including a webinar on the experience of municipalities in COVID19 and improving the efficiency of information dissemination, supported positive economic, social and environmental links between urban, peri-urban and rural areas by strengthening national and regional development planning.

As a result of the project, the Moldovan Northern Regional Administration acquired the website www.investnorth.md, which will become a useful and effective information and communication tool for interested foreign investors, entrepreneurs, local governments, regional development institutions, NGOs, journalists and anyone who are interested in information about the Northern Region. It should be noted that the main quality indicator has been achieved – to increase the development of the target audience’s capabilities. The gained experience will be used in the further activities of specialists.

In LEADER, Moldova, this project has significantly improved the visibility of the Facebook pages of 10 local action groups (LAGs). This has contributed to an increase in the number of people aware of the LAG and LEADER approach. The stores created on Facebook pages have already aroused interest and are expected to promote local products and increase sales of these products in the future. Employees who have acquired the skills of using digital commerce will be able to train other colleagues, as well as use the tools themselves for further development of Moldova LEADER.

In the current context of COVID-19 restrictions, stakeholders will be able to find information on local products at https://maps.leaderin.md/ro/. The created platform contains information (contact information, photos, product descriptions) about 50 producers in 10 LAG areas. A wide range of people here can learn about many folk craftsmen, dairy products, bee products, bakery products, decorative items, etc.. This has created a new sales channel that serves as a pilot project and this platform is a good start for a future online store for all LAG entrepreneurs. Other Moldovan LAGs have already shown interest in similar activities.

The implementation of the project activities was a big step in the development of the Moldovan partners. The foundations have been laid for expanding the network and supporting businesses in overcoming the COVID 19 crisis, establishing future cooperation, expanding the market for entrepreneurs and attracting investment in the northern region of Moldova.

The project received development cooperation financing from the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of Latvia in 2020.