26 municipalities selected for the project to strengthen the resilience of local public authorities

Selection criteria were locality size, geographical distribution, local tax base and the relevance of proposed project ideas. The selected places include Ialoveni, Singera, Soroca, Ungheni, Hincesti, Balti, Cahul and Ceadir-Lunga. The programme aims to improve local authorities' ability to access and manage funding, and to strengthen local resilience against anti-EU and anti-democratic propaganda and other malign influence backed by the Russian Federation. It has three objectives: supporting municipal bond issues and access to EU funding, improving local financial management, and raising awareness of European integration opportunities.

Six workshops with experienced mentors will cover funding opportunities, application procedures, financial and budget management, public procurement and municipal bonds. A study visit to the Netherlands will follow, then mentoring on funding opportunities and budget management, with support for bond issues, funding applications and action plans aligning financial, budgetary and procurement practice with European standards.