The first project calls launched under the Interreg NEXT Romania-Republic of Moldova Program closed on February 9th.

A total of 277 projects were submitted, targeting areas such as education, health, tourism, as well as investments in combating the effects of climate change, biodiversity, good governance, and border management. The non-reimbursable value of the projects submitted is 211 million euros.

Launched in August 2023, the call for standard projects (which include an investment component of at least 60% of the project budget) has an allocation of 40 million euros and will finance investments in preventing and combating natural disasters, education, health, tourism, and border management. Within this call, 167 projects were submitted, with a non-reimbursable value of 176 million euros.

The call for small-scale projects was launched in September 2023, with a budget of 19.4 million euros to finance activities for preventing and combating climate change, protecting biodiversity, education, health, and good governance. The 110 projects submitted total 35 million euros in non-reimbursable funds.

The projects were submitted by public authorities operating in the aforementioned areas, NGOs, or professional associations. Each project must have at least one partner from each participating state, with a maximum of 4 partners allowed in a project.

In the coming period, the projects will undergo the selection and evaluation process, and contracts will be awarded to those projects that best meet the requirements of the Applicant's Guide and contribute significantly to the development of communities in the border area.

The Interreg NEXT Romania-Republic of Moldova Program has a budget of 97 million euros in non-reimbursable funds, to which the national contribution will be added.

Projects that bring benefits to communities on the border, from the counties of Iași, Vaslui, Galați, Botoșani (Romania), and throughout the territory of the Republic of Moldova, will be eligible for funding.

The program focuses on the following areas: health, education, tourism and culture, adaptation to climate change, biodiversity, good governance, and border management.