The young people who attended training courses staged by the Organization for the Development of Small and Medium-Sized Companies of Moldova (ODIMM) can apply to take part in the second stage of the National Youth Economic Empowerment Program that requires presenting business plans. The most successful projects will be selected by contest and will obtain financial support from the state, IPN reports.

“A sum of 48 million lei was earmarked in the 2013 budget for the purpose. We project to provide financial support to 260 new businesses,” said ODIMM director Iulia Iabanji. By up to 300,000 lei will be offered for a business, with a grant component of 40%.

The two-year National Youth Economic Empowerment Program was launched in 2008. In 2010 it was extended until the end of 2013, given its popularity. As many as 1,260 businesses in agriculture, industry, and the service sector have been started within the program since 2008 until present. The allocated financial recourses totaled 330 million lei, 132 million lei of which represented the grant component.