Moldova Fruct launches the competition for pre-selection of companies for Export Mentorship Program

Association of Fruit Producers and Exporters Moldova Fruct, in partnership with the USAID Project, Rural Competitiveness and Resilience in Moldova and Western NIS Enterprise Fund, announces the competition for pre-selection of companies interested in participating within the Export Coaching Program (ECP).The purpose of the program is to help domestic companies with increased export potential to expand their business in the European Union and other distant markets.

The Export Mentoring Program will be implemented over a period of approx.12-18 months (the duration will depend on the level of development of each individual company) and provides assistance in the following areas:

• Carrying out the company's export audit and developing the individual export plan;
• Individualized assistance in preparing the company for entering the EU market and Middle East countries;
• Personal export guidance provided by European experts;
• Customized training courses and export skills development for company staff;
• Assistance in implementing international certifications (GlobalGAP/GRASP/IFS/BRC/SMETA, others);
• Support for participation in an international exhibition (Fruit Logistica/Fruit Attraction);
• Assistance in establishing contacts and initiating sustainable partnerships with European buyers.

WHO IS ELIGIBLE?

Eligible products: fresh fruit and grapes

Requirements towards companies:

• It is a member of the Moldova Fruct Association;
• It has or is ready in the next year to implement relevant certificates (Global GAP/GRASP/IFS/BRC/SMETA);
• Has commercial volumes of products for export and willingness to comply with the market requirements of the EU and Middle East markets;
• Intends to export to EU and other markets;
• It is interested in developing commercial relations with international networks or importers;
• The company undertakes to delegate an employee who occupies a managerial or commercial position and speaks English at a B1 level;
• Commit to dedicating time (3-6 days/month) and necessary effort to participate in the educational activities of the program including the guided development of the personal export plan and to contribute with financial resources for the costs not covered by the development partners for the implementation of the export plan;
• Obliges to provide relevant information regarding the results of participation in the program: number of contacts established, value of products exported as a result of participation in the program, lessons learned/innovative ideas/suggestions for improvement that will be shared among producers in the sector within the framework of some shows TV, conferences or other events to which the beneficiary will be invited;
• Lack of financial arrears towards Moldova Fruct Association;
• The minimum share of domestic capital - 51%. The company belongs to the category of small and medium enterprises;
• Firm commitment of the company's management to participate in the Export Mentoring Program and its agreement to reimburse the costs incurred by Moldova Fruct in case of unjustified leaving the Program.

The pre-selected companies will be subjected to an export audit procedure by international experts, as a result of which the final decision will be made in order to select 10 companies that will be beneficiaries of the Export Mentorship Program. Moldova Fruct will contact the pre-selected companies in advance to set up the visits in order to carry out the export audit.

Priority will be given to: women, young people <=29 years old, producers prepared with commercial volumes to initiate exports, companies that have not benefited from support under other programs offered by Moldova Fruct.

Costs covered by the program:

• Educational program (organization of trainings, fees of international experts);
• Individual support from the international expert in the implementation of the export plan;
• Support in organizing participation in an international exhibition and B2B meetings;
• Accommodation and transport costs of international experts;
• Co-financing to the extent possible of the beneficiary's investments necessary to implement the export plan.

Costs supported by beneficiaries:

• Personal travel and accommodation costs to seminars, trainings and an international exhibition;
• Costs to implement the individual export plan;
• Costs related to investments in order to adjust the enterprise to the requirements of foreign importers.

Candidates interested in participating in the ECP are requested to complete the application form together with other required documents (indicated in the checklist of the application form – last page) and send them to the email address -abicu@moldovafruct.md - until February 19, 2024. For assistance in completing the application or other questions regarding the program Please contact Alexandra Bîcu, Moldova Fruit Marketing Specialist at phone number +373 68355770 or at the email address abicu@moldovafruct.md.

EVALUATION CRITERIA OF APPLICATIONS:

Applications will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Below you will find the detailed description of the mentioned evaluation criteria.

a. Management and programmatic capacity – 40 points

• Does the company have a person responsible for sales and marketing operations? Does the responsible person have the necessary basic skills, including knowledge of foreign languages?
• Are there established principles and procedures for making business decisions?
• Is the company's organizational structure suitable for starting export procedures?
• Is there a vision and willingness to adjust the company's human resources for export sales?

b. Financial autonomy and sustainability – 20 points

• How sustainable is the company's current financial situation?
• Are there assets belonging to the company, such as orchards, post-harvest infrastructure, etc.?

c. Commercial potential – 30 points

• Does the company have sufficient trade volumes for export sales?
• Do the varieties of fruit in the commercial offer correspond to the requirements of the modern market?
• Are there obvious and insurmountable obstacles to starting commercial export operations?

d. GESI component – ​​10 points

• Does the company create employment opportunities and/or professional development opportunities for women, young people and/or people with disabilities?
• Do the program participants belong to vulnerable social groups, including ethnic minorities, women, young people and/or people with disabilities?