The Bureau for Diaspora Relations has announced a new round of grants within the Diaspora Engagement Hub (DEH) Program. This is a program of thematic grants intended for Moldovans who are abroad, whose goal is to support these in implementing their ideas in Moldova and to develop the human potential of the diaspora, IPN reports.

Diaspora Engagement Hub includes three subprograms. The first subprogram refers to regional thematic partnerships. This provides three grants of 93,900 lei each. The money is intended for diaspora associations for carrying out difference regional, community, socioeconomic, educational and health activities. The projects will be implemented by an initiative group that will consist of at least two diaspora associations from minimum two countries and an NGO from Moldova. Only activities staged on Moldova’s territory will be supported.

The second subprogram focuses on the empowerment of women from the diaspora. This offers five grants of 93,900 lei each for implementing projects to socially, civically, legally and economically empower women from the diaspora. There will be encouraged projects centering on the development of startups founded by women in Moldova.

The third subprogram concerns the professional return of the diaspora. The ten grants of 37,500 lei will be provided to professionals from the diaspora with the aim of encouraging the transfer of human capital and professional experience for the academic, social and economic development of Moldova. Only activities on Moldova’s territory will be supported.

The deadline for applications is February 28, 2018. The submitted projects will be assessed next March.

DEH is implemented with the financial support of the Swiss Agency for Development and Cooperation within the second phase of the project “Consolidating Moldova’s migration and development institutional framework”.