Colaj Media is a women business that was founded in 2008 in Chisinau.
The company owns and operates cinema complexes that house several screening rooms, comfortable lounge areas with coffee and snack facilities, catering for families and people of all ages.
Movie theatre visits as a leisure time activity have decreased in popularity over the past years, mainly due to increased competition from streaming services and the comfort of home viewing. This situation was exacerbated by the COVID-19 pandemic, which shifted audience habits and reduced theatrical release windows. Other factors include the cost of tickets and concessions and a perceived lack of interest in available films. Although the decline was significantly accelerated by the pandemic, attendance is recovering, albeit remaining below pre-pandemic levels.
The movie theatre industry in Moldova is no exception, facing low cinema attendance. But efforts are underway to increase domestic audience engagement through the creation of a more exciting experience and enhancing the in-theater encounter with premium formats, such as IMAX or 4D, and upgraded amenities like comfortable seating and better drinks and food options.
Colaj Media embarked on a path improving both, an upgrade of drinks and food options by introducing, for example, premium coffee drinks prepared by a skilled professional barista but mainly by investing in four new projectors that upgrade the in-theatre experience.
To finance the new projectors, Colaj Media took a loan under the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, using the fast-track LET process. This process is particularly useful for companies investing in standard equipment included in the facility’s List of Eligible Equipment. No detailed technical assessments are required as all items listed were selected to fulfill the criteria of the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line.
After the successful implementation and verification of this project, the company received 15% of the loan value as an investment incentive, funded by the European Union.
With the implementation of this project, the company now meets several European standards, including:
In order to strengthen its position in the Moldovan market and to develop a long-term relationship with agricultural producers in Moldova, the company developed two investment projects with the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line, focusing on increased competitiveness. The first project was implemented in 2019 and focused on the creation of a new showroom, office and a workshop for repair services.
With the second investment, WT Agroprofi SRL focused on energy efficient equipment: Podem MT308 3.2 ton crane, lighting/security systems and sandwich panels for its warehouses, resulting in improvements of the occupational health and safety aspects related to distribution, service and warehousing processes. The investment also improved service quality and safety and ultimately enables the company to meet the highest customer requirements.
Apart from the EU4Business-EBRD Credit Line loan, the company received free-of-charge technical support from the team of international experts. After the successful project verification, the Company received 15% of the loan amount as a grant cashback, funded under the EU4Business initiative of the European Union.
Loan amounts: | € 303,000 |
Grant amount: | € 45,450 |
Invested in: | 4 BARCO – Cinema |
Energy savings | 2,864 MWh/year |
EU Directives met | Electromagnetic Compatibility Directive |
