Participants in the BRIDGE Missions program may be required to demonstrate the effectiveness of state support
This is stipulated in the new draft program regulations developed by the Ministry of Economic Development and Digitalization. The new regulations will establish, for the first time, uniform rules for providing state support to Moldovan companies and industry associations for entering foreign markets. The document will establish the procedure for selecting funding recipients, criteria for reimbursement of expenses, and requirements for monitoring the use of funds. One of the key innovations will be a mandatory evaluation of the program's effectiveness: companies will be required to report on the results of their participation in international events. The conditions for providing financial assistance, however, remain the same. The maximum compensation will be up to €1,500 in the first year of program participation, up to €1,000 in the second, and up to €500 starting from the third year. State support will be provided to enterprises and industry associations participating in international exhibitions, fairs, forums, conferences, business missions, B2B meetings, competitions, training programs, and study visits. Compensation will cover the registration fee, economy class airfare, and accommodation in hotels rated up to 4 stars. Expenses will be reimbursed for a maximum of three representatives per beneficiary. Companies and business organizations from priority sectors are eligible to participate in the program: IT, creative industries, light industry, agrifood, winemaking, tourism, logistics, mechanical engineering, green economy, healthcare, cosmetics, and educational services. Mandatory conditions will include the absence of budget arrears and compliance with de minimis aid legislation. Applications for participation in the program will be accepted online on the bridge.invest.gov.md platform no later than 14 days prior to the event. A special commission will evaluate the documents. After participating in the event, beneficiaries will be required to submit supporting documents and an expense report. Over the following three reporting periods, they will be required to inform the Investment Agency about their achievements, including the number of business contacts, negotiations, contracts concluded, potential export volumes, and entry into new markets. The Investment Agency will publish an annual report on the program's implementation and post a quarterly list of recipients on its website, indicating the funding amount and the international events they participated in. As a reminder, the BRIDGE Missions program is administered by the Investment Agency, and it is planned to allocate 1 million lei annually for its implementation from 2026 to 2028. In 2025, the program was implemented with the support of EU4Innovation East, Innovate Moldova, and the Ukraine-Moldova American Enterprise Fund, with 222 Moldovan companies receiving support for participating in international business missions and entering foreign markets.// 21.07.2026 — InfoMarket
