Applications for grants for consultancy services can be submitted by March 1

A number of 210 companies so far have filed applications within the new co-financing component of the Competitiveness Enhancement Project financed by the World Bank. The deadline for submissions is March 1, 2011, Info-Prim Neo reports. The component is managed by the Chamber of Trade and Industry, which was selected by the World Bank at a tender contest. Within the new component, the companies get grants for accessing consultancy services for developing businesses. The financing represents 50% of the cost of these services, but not more than US$10,000 (about 130,000 lei) for a company. Sergiu Harea, the head of the Chamber’s Economic Development Division, said the 210 companies are from different districts of Moldova and work in different sectors of the national economy. The companies use consultancy services to work out viable business plans, carry out marketing studies, restructure unprofitable sectors or train the personnel. Four of the companies presented the confirmatory documents and received grants to the value of 130,000 lei from the World Bank. These are: Salcuta, Justar, GS Service, and IS Fiscservinform. Initially, the Competitiveness Enhancement Project had a budget of US$15 million. At the Government’s request, the WB Board of Directors late last year approved an additional US$24 million for this project. US$22 million represented a credit line to support the exporters, US$1.5 million – the co-financing component for companies that use consultancy services, while US$0.5 million was allocated for other activities. About 300 Moldovan companies are expected to benefit from grants for using consultancy services in business.