Ten women entrepreneurs will launch innovative businesses and contribute to stimulating the local economy, thanks to assistance from Sweden, the United Kingdom under the UNDP Project "Advanced Cross-River Capacities for Trade" (AdTrade).

These women entrepreneurs were selected from participants in a dedicated competition, which included women returning migrant and women from rural areas. Each will receive non-reimbursable financial assistance of up to US$15,000 for the purchase of essential goods and services such as equipment, IT solutions, and marketing and branding services. In addition to financial support, the winners will benefit from business mentorship and free access to thematic workshops for 15 months.

These businesses will create over 20 permanent and seasonal jobs, including for vulnerable groups. The assistance provided through the AdTrade project will help entrepreneurs better navigate current economic challenges, adopt innovative practices for business development, and significantly contribute to the economic growth of communities on both banks of the Nistru river while promoting social inclusion in the region.

The ten selected proposals cover a variety of fields, including organic agriculture, green energy, and sustainable tourism. Funded initiatives include establishing an export-oriented organic beekeeping business and opening a guesthouse that will offer electric boat rentals powered by solar panels.

"Thanks to the assistance received through the AdTrade project, we will purchase an electric motorboat powered by renewable sources to ensure sustainable and eco-friendly navigation on the Nistru river. It’s an alternative to traditional tourism, where boats run on fossil fuels. I want to demonstrate that you can enjoy the beauty of nature without harming it. Additionally, our business will create jobs in local tourism and support the economies of communities along the Nistru river," said Victoria Mușinschi from Molovata Nouă village, Dubăsari district, during the award ceremony.

Also supported by the AdTrade project, a textile printing center will be launched using natural dyes instead of chemical ones, along with a cosmetology center offering facial and body treatments. A themed café will be equipped with energy-efficient appliances, and a hazelnut cultivation business will benefit from a solar-powered drip irrigation system to address climate change. Plans are also in place to open a green energy-based cold storage facility for processing and storing its own fruit harvest.

To date, 77 entrepreneurs from both banks of the Nistru river have benefited from mentorship and financial assistance under the UNDP/AdTrade project, contributing to job creation and providing quality products and services in both the Moldovan market and abroad.

Supporting entrepreneurial initiatives for the creation and development of businesses on both banks of the Nistru river is a core component of the UNDP Project "Advanced Cross-River Capacities for Trade" (AdTrade). Additionally, the project provides assistance for establishing long-term commercial partnerships between entrepreneurs on both banks of the Nistru river, enhancing their export potential, and creating conditions for them to benefit from opportunities in external trade agreements. The AdTrade project also contributes to increasing the competitiveness of companies on both banks of the Nistru river to promote the export of goods and services.