About 100 entrepreneurs will be trained for a month to grow their successful online business. Digital education is carried out through the “Digital Upgrade” training program, implemented by ODIMM in partnership with Startup Academy.

From March 9 to April 2, business representatives who applied to the “SME Digitization Support Tool” will benefit from direct expertise to guide the process of migrating business online from mentors with experience in marketing, communication, IT, logistics, etc.

Iulia Costin, General Manager of ODIMM, highlighted the importance of training in the field of digitalization, given that it represents the future of business in the current conditions. “Digitization provides SMEs with important opportunities to improve the efficiency of production processes and the ability to innovate in terms of products and business models, and the use of e-commerce and information technologies significantly increases their competitiveness in the market.”

Maria Nemciuc, entrepreneurial program manager, TEKWILL, stated that: “the development of the IT sector is very important, but it cannot grow without synergy with companies in other fields of activity, which are consumers of IT products”.

The beneficiaries of the courses were distributed, based on a self-assessment questionnaire, in 3 levels, depending on the degree of business digitization. They will go through 5 specific modules for business digitization: online presence; e-commerce planning; customer service; process digitization and transport and logistics in the context of e-commerce.

The SME Digitization Support Tool was launched in June 2020 to support the digital transformation and development of small and medium-sized enterprises to harness the innovative potential and facilitate companies’ access to internal and external markets. To date, 466 companies have been trained and 180 have been financially supported through Grants and Business Vouchers. Another 99 businesses were submitted for funding under the 2nd Call for Projects. The program is funded from the state budget, supplemented by European Union funds and GIZ Moldova with financial support from the German Government, being implemented by ODIMM in partnership with GoOnline of COR Association, Startup Academy Program developed by TEKWILL project, with support from USAID, Sweden and UK aid.