During January–February 2026, the Agricultural and Rural Advisory Center implemented the specialisation programme “Project Writing and Access to National and International Funding”.

The training was organised with the support of the OPTIM Project, funded by Switzerland (Swiss Cooperation in Moldova) and Helvetas Moldova, with the objective of strengthening the capacities of agricultural advisors in attracting financial resources for the development of agricultural businesses.

Throughout the programme, 30 agricultural advisors went through all stages of developing a project application — from identifying funding opportunities and formulating project ideas to structuring the budget and preparing the application file.

The training sessions were highly practical. Participants worked in groups and developed project proposals, which they presented to the trainers. These were evaluated based on criteria used in real funding calls, providing participants with hands-on experience closely aligned with the actual application process.

In the next stage, the acquired competencies will be applied directly in field advisory activities. Each agricultural advisor will provide practical support to farmers, advising at least four farmers in the process of developing and submitting projects to access available funding.