The purposes of the Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (ACED) are to develop and expand markets for Moldovan high value agriculture and to provide training to upgrade production and the ability to meet buyer requirements.

The Regional Mission for Ukraine, Moldova and Belarus (hereinafter referred to as USAID) intends to issue a request for proposal (RFP) for the Agricultural Competitiveness and Enterprise Development Project (ACED) to develop and expand markets for Moldovan high value agriculture and to provide training to upgrade production and the ability to meet buyer requirements. ACED will provide technical assistance and training to HVA value chain entities, including farmers in the irrigation systems targeted for rehabilitation under the separate MCC funded project, through a set of integrated and demand-driven activities focusing on 1) developing and expanding market opportunities for the Moldovan HVA sector; 2) upgrading production and the ability of the value chain to meet buyer requirements; 3) providing demand-driven technical assistance to upgrade the HVA value chain; 4) implementing recommendations for an improved enabling environment. In Transnistria, ACED shall assist SMEs in the HVA and other sectors to grow their businesses. The RFP will be issued/posted on USAID's agency website: www.fedbizops.gov under the section on business and procurement. Background information follows: The first purpose is to increase incomes and generate jobs in rural Moldova, by addressing the most critical impediments to the development of a competitive High Value Agricultural (HVA) sector, including development of related non-agribusiness enterprises in the value chain. The focus will be on improving the competitiveness of fresh fruit and vegetable value chains by addressing binding constraints in the value chain at the production, marketing, policy and access to credit levels. Complementing the upcoming MCC investment in irrigation system rehabilitation, ACED will provide critical market development and technical assistance support that will be needed by the beneficiaries as they transition to irrigated HVA production. The second purpose of ACED is to help small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) in the Transnistrian region to grow and become more sustainable. This will represent USAID's first substantial enterprise development effort in Transnistria and shall include but is not limited to the HVA sector. Additional reference materials can be found at http://moldova.usaid.gov/arc.shtml