Simplified Approach

Simplified Approach for SPS and Food Safety

This is a simplified approach exclusively for investments aimed at achieving full compliance with EU SPS or Food Safety technical regulations and standards as set forth in the DCFTA/AA, with an investment value of up to EUR 300,000 and grant incentives up to 15%.

Typical investment Examples

Refurbishment of production and storage buildings  
Post harvesting storage facilities
 
Cold storage of perishable goods  
Process, packaging and labelling equipment  
Automated process control systems  
Laboratories  
Product and/or HACCP system certification costs

Grant Incentive

Application Procedure

Step 1

The applicant fills out an Application Form , which will be checked by the Project Consultant for SME eligibility.

Step 2

The Project consultant will support the applicant to prepare an alignment plan describing how the proposed investment will help them meet at least one requirement of the EU Directives and Norms, check the documentation and if necessary advise on any modifications needed. The consultant will also indicate the maximum size of the proposed investment.

Step 3

If the applicant meets the standard bank lending criteria, the applicant will be asked to sign a Letter of Engagement.

Step 4

As a next step the applicant should fill in a loan Application and attach an Investment Plan (IP) on the basis of a template provided by the project consultant. The project consultant simply checks the investment plan to ensure it complies with the very straightforward eligibility requirements and if necessary advises on any necessary modifications, or conditions. If all sides are now in agreement, the applicant signs the loan agreement with the Bank.

Step 5

Once the project is implemented, the borrower sends a filled Compliance Verification Request (CVR) to the Project consultant who forwards it to the Verification Consultant.

Step 6

The Verification Consultant checks that the project complies with the parameters specified in the Investment Plan, and if yes the incentive grant will be transferred to his account.

Eligibility Criteria

Application Forms

SPS Application Form

Project related criteria:

Meets one or more relevant EU Directives in the field of environmental protection, workers’ safety and product quality and safety, as listed in the Priority EU Directives, or
An EU Directive(other than a Priority EU Directive) which the Project Consultant has confirmed the Sub-borrower should comply with
The project should not benefit from another EU grant
The project should be outlined in an acceptable Investment Plan
prepared by the SME, with support from the project consultant
Individual SMEs are eligible for total aggregate loans of up to EUR 3 million (for complex projects)
The loan amount shall not exceed 100% of the investment cost of the relevant project (VAT Excluded)
Only expenditures incurred after the date of the Agreement between the company and the Partner Financing Institution will be considered as eligible investment and are eligible for a 15% grant incentive
Each project which the Verification Consultant has validated as having been successfully implemented or completed is eligible to receive an Investment Incentive payment of an amount equal to 15% of the financed amount

Company related eligibility requirements:

Eligible are all SMEs as per EU definition (fewer than 250 employees and a turnover of less than €50 M or less than €43 M of total Balance sheet, not more than 25% by shareholders that exceed the SME criteria), individual entrepreneurs and sole proprietors (a micro, small and medium size enterprise as such term is defined in the European Commission Recommendation of 6 May 2003 (EU recommendation 2003/361) concerning the definition of micro, small and medium-sized enterprises
(http://ec.europa.eu/growth/smes/business-friendly-environment/sme-definition_en and
http://ec.europa.eu/DocsRoom/documents/15582/attachments/1/translations)
The business must be registered in Moldova, operating primarily in Moldova, and operating in accordance with the laws of Moldova
At least 51% privately owned and privately run
Applicants must meet the Partner Financing Institutions’ usual
financing appraisal criteria
The applicant must comply with the EBRD’s full exclusion list