Strengthening the National Bank of Moldova’s capacities to align with EU standards in central banking and support Moldova’s EU integration

Twinning call to strengthen the National Bank of Moldova's institutional, operational and supervisory capacities to align with EU central banking and supervisory standards. Maximum EU budget €1,500,000, overall execution period 27 months (24 months implementation) and submission deadline 28 October 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time via EU Member State National Contact Points for Twinning. Only public administrations and mandated bodies from EU Member States may apply and proposals must follow the Twinning Manual template and include CVs for the Project Leader, Resident Twinning Adviser and Component Leaders.

What the grant funds

Scope and objectives

Twinning action to reinforce the National Bank of Moldova’s institutional, operational and supervisory capacities so it can implement EU-aligned central banking, banking supervision, insurance (Solvency II preparedness), credit bureau reform, hybrid bank liquidation procedures, and MiCA-aligned supervision of e-money tokens. Activities include peer-to-peer transfer from EU Member State administrations, a resident adviser, short-term experts, trainings, manuals and procedural development.

Budget:€1,500,000 (total EU contribution) ¹

1. 1Who can apply: Only public administrations and mandated bodies from EU Member States, applying via their National Contact Points for Twinning.
2. 2Deadline for submission to the Contracting Authority: 28 October 2026, 12:00 Brussels time.
3. 3Project duration: maximum execution period 27 months (24 months implementation + 3 months closure).

Selection is restricted to Member State administrations acting as Twinning partners; proposals must follow the Twinning Manual templates and include CVs for the Project Leader, Resident Twinning Adviser and Component Leaders. Submission by Member State National Contact Points only. More details and documents available on the official call page Opportunity Details. ¹

Footnotes

1. 1Full call documentation (Publication, Twinning Fiche, Evaluation and Eligibility grids) is published on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and linked from the opportunity page.

Opportunity summary

Call identifier:EuropeAid. Title: Strengthening the National Bank of Moldova’s capacities to align with EU standards in central banking and support Moldova’s EU integration. Instrument: Twinning action under NDICI-GE / Reform and Growth Facility for the Republic of Moldova. Beneficiary administration: National Bank of Moldova (NBM). Implementing agency: European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova. Budget available: €1,500,000. Maximum project duration: 27 months (24 months implementation + 3 months closure). Publication date: 13 August 2026. Deadline for submission by Member State National Contact Points to Contracting Authority: 28 October 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Provisional notification of results: December 2026 ¹.

Primary objectives:Overall objective: reinforce and harmonize institutional, operational, and supervisory capacities of the NBM to ensure delivery of its responsibilities in full alignment with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the ESCB/ECB Statute, supporting Moldova’s progressive EU integration. Specific objective: strengthen and streamline core functions of the NBM in line with EU central banking and supervisory standards.

Eligibility and who may apply

This is a Twinning call. Eligible applicants:only Public Administrations and mandated bodies of EU Member States, as defined in the Twinning Manual, may apply. Applications must be submitted through the EU Member States National Contact Points (NCPs) for Twinning. Only one Twinning proposal per Member State NCP can be submitted to the Contracting Authority. The lead applicant must be a Member State public administration or a mandated body; junior partner Member State administrations or mandated bodies may be included. The proposal must be sent from the NCP email address of the lead Member State. The beneficiary is the National Bank of Moldova; geographic area of action: Republic of Moldova.

Eligible applicant types:Public administration (Member State national administration) and mandated bodies (Member State institutions formally mandated to participate in Twinning). EU Member State institutions only.

Financial and contractual information

Funding type:Action Grant implemented as a Twinning contract. Funding amount: €1,500,000 maximum available for the Twinning contract. Contracting and financial management will be done by the EU Delegation to the Republic of Moldova. Contract language and project official language: English.

Consortium and partnership requirements

Consortium requirement:single lead Member State applicant is required (a lead MS public administration or mandated body). Junior Member State partners may be included (Applicant 2 and Applicant 3) but all participating entities must be public administrations or mandated bodies from EU Member States. The proposal must include the MS Project Leader (PL), Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) and Component Leaders (CLs) profiles and CVs.

Consortium requirement:Consortium type: single lead Member State public administration or mandated body; optional junior Member State partners may be included.

Application and selection procedure

Application type and route:open Twinning call; Twinning proposals must be submitted by the Lead Member State Administration to the EU Member States National Contact Points for Twinning and the NCP must forward the single Member State proposal to the Contracting Authority by email following Twinning Manual instructions and using the Twinning proposal template. Only proposals received by the Contracting Authority before the stated deadline will be considered. The proposal must follow the Twinning Manual and use the provided template; CVs for PL, RTA and Component Leaders are mandatory. The Member State delegation to the selection meeting must include the proposed PL and the RTA(s).

Application stages and timeline:Number of stages: 2 main stages. Stage 1: submission of Twinning proposal via NCP to Contracting Authority by deadline. Stage 2: evaluation (written proposal assessment and presentation by Member State delegation including PL and RTA). Provisional start of evaluation committee meetings envisaged from 30 October 2026. Provisional notification of results: December 2026. Project implementation expected to follow contracting and mobilisation phases after award.

Selection and evaluation criteria

Selection and award are guided by the Twinning Manual using administrative compliance and eligibility grids (Annex C6) and an evaluation grid (Annex C7). Selection criteria focus on operational capacity of Component leaders: Member State Project Leader (PL), Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) and Component Leaders; assessment is expressed on a Yes/No basis and a single negative evaluation of one required selection criterion disqualifies the proposal. Award criteria are scored 1 to 5 across operational capacity, relevance, methodology and sustainability. Minimum thresholds: Section 1 operational capacity must reach at least adequate (27/45); section 2 relevance must reach at least good (16/20) or proposal is eliminated.

1. 1Operational capacity (PL, RTA, Component Leaders and availability) scored and may eliminate proposals that do not meet minimum thresholds.
2. 2Relevance: alignment with Twinning fiche, workplan and communication/visibility plans; proposals below threshold eliminated.
3. 3Methodology: coherence, adequacy, measurability of results, coverage of all component areas.
4. 4Sustainability: tangible impact, multiplier effects, realistic sustaining strategies.

Detailed project components and mandatory results

The Twinning fiche sets three components with mandatory results and sub-results to be achieved during implementation. Activities will include training, development of internal procedures and manuals, provision of Resident Twinning Adviser full-time, short-term expert inputs, study visits and peer-to-peer exchanges with EU Member State institutions.

1. 1Component 1: Regulatory and supervisory capacities in the financial sector strengthened. Results include: (1.1) Banking supervisory capacities reinforced in line with EU standards and supervisory practices (IFRS 9 credit risk supervision, IRB and ICAAP, SREP, Pillar 2 requirements, supervisory stress testing); (1.2) Insurance supervisory capacity strengthened for implementation of Solvency II quantitative requirements (technical provisions, SCR, MCR, internal supervisory procedures).
2. 2Component 2: Credit information infrastructure and bank liquidation framework strengthened. Results include: (2.1) Assessment and improvement of credit history bureaus operating model (data quality, interoperability, governance, technical standards). (2.2) Operational framework and procedural manuals for a hybrid bank liquidation model including liquidator selection, supervision of liquidation processes and interaction with courts and authorities.
3. 3Component 3: Institutional capacities for implementation of the MiCA framework on e-money tokens (EMTs) improved. Results include: (3.1) Development of internal supervisory procedures, workflows, templates, checklists and enforcement tools for EMTs aligned with MiCA; (3.2) Strengthening NBM staff capacity for risk-based supervision of EMT issuers, including study visits and peer exchanges.

Technical, legal and standards references

The project references multiple EU acquis, regulations and EBA/EIOPA guidelines to be used as benchmarks and for capacity building. Key legal texts and standards listed in the Twinning fiche include: CRD/CRR framework (Directive 2013/36/EU and Regulation (EU) No 575/2013), Directive 2014/59/EU on recovery and resolution, Directive 2001/24/EC on winding up, Directive 2009/138/EC (Solvency II), MiCA Regulation (EU) 2023/1114 and related Level 2/3 measures, EBA and EIOPA guidelines and numerous Commission Delegated and Implementing Regulations listed in the Twinning fiche.

Profiles and required experts

Key profiles required in the Member State proposal:Project Leader (PL), Resident Twinning Adviser (RTA) full-time based in Chisinau, Component Leaders for each component, short-term experts (STEs) and a full-time RTA assistant funded by the project. Minimum profile requirements are specified for education, professional experience, sectoral experience in supervisory/regulatory bodies, language skills (English C1), and contractual relation with a public administration or mandated body. CVs of the PL, RTA and Component Leaders must be included in the proposal.

Implementation, management and reporting

The project will be governed by a Project Steering Committee (PSC) meeting every three months. Reporting: quarterly interim reports (narrative and financial) and a final report in English. The RTA and assistant will be provided an office in NBM headquarters with IT equipment. Work plans are rolling and updated every three months. Visibility and communication obligations follow Twinning Manual rules.

Sustainability and cross-cutting issues:Sustainability is sought through capacity building, knowledge transfer, development of practical tools and procedures that can be maintained and revised by the beneficiary after project completion, HR measures to retain trained staff and institutionalised cooperation with EU partners. Cross-cutting issues include equal opportunities and limiting environmental impact (minimising printed materials).

Risk, assumptions and conditionality

Key risks and assumptions identified include political stability and commitment of Moldovan authorities, availability and retention of qualified NBM staff to absorb training, timely adoption of draft national laws (credit bureau reform, crypto-asset market law, liquidation model), and coordination with other donors. Conditionality elements include active beneficiary involvement, appointment of staff to participate in activities, and complementarity with ongoing EU-funded projects.

Practical application templates and formalities

Proposals must strictly follow the Twinning Manual template and submission rules. Required annexes and documentation include: completed Twinning proposal template, CVs of PL, RTA and Component Leaders, full contact details for the NCP and lead MS applicant, evidence that applicant bodies are public administrations or mandated bodies, and confirmation that the application is sent from the NCP email address. Compliance and eligibility will be checked against the Annex C6 checklist and assessed with the Annex C7 evaluation grid.

• Twinning proposal template (use Twinning Manual prescribed format).
• CVs for Project Leader, Resident Twinning Adviser, Component Leaders (mandatory).
• Contact details for NCP and lead MS applicant.
• Proof of status as public administration or mandated body.
• One proposal per Member State NCP; proposal must be sent by NCP email.

Categorisation and structured answers

Eligible Applicant Types:Public administration, mandated body (Member State public administrations or bodies mandated by them).

Funding Type:Grant implemented via a Twinning contract (Action Grant under NDICI-GE / Reform and Growth Facility).

Consortium Requirement:Single lead Member State public administration or mandated body is required; optional junior Member State partners allowed.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility):EU Member State administrations may apply; the action takes place in the Republic of Moldova (beneficiary country).

Target Sector:Finance, internal market and economic criteria; central banking, banking supervision, insurance supervision, credit information systems, crypto-assets/e-money supervision, resolution and bank liquidation frameworks.

Mentioned Countries:Republic of Moldova (beneficiary); EU Member States (applicants) implicitly referenced; specific Member States not named in the call text.

Project Stage:Implementation readiness for institutional capacity building and operationalisation of EU-aligned frameworks (maturity: development, validation and demonstration of procedures and supervisory practices; capacity building for practical implementation).

Funding Amount:€1,500,000 total available for the Twinning contract.

Application Type:Open Twinning call; applications must be submitted via Member State National Contact Points for Twinning (one proposal per Member State). Submission to Contracting Authority by email from NCP.

Nature of Support:Financial grant (contract) to fund Twinning implementation including full-time Resident Twinning Adviser, RTA assistant, short-term experts, study visits, trainings and related project activities; non-financial: intensive knowledge transfer, peer-to-peer exchanges, capacity building and technical assistance.

Application Stages:Two main stages — submission and evaluation/presentation (written proposal review and Member State presentation to evaluators).

Success Rates:Not specified in call documents. Selection is competitive and based on compliance with Twinning Manual eligibility and the detailed qualitative scoring in Annex C7. Proposals failing mandatory formal or threshold criteria are eliminated.

Co-funding Requirement:No explicit co-funding requirement indicated for Member State applicants; however resources in-kind (staff time, seconded experts from MS administrations) and adherence to Twinning Manual requirements (public administration staff participation) are expected. The Twinning approach presumes public administrations provide experts under conditions described (PL, Component Leaders, and RTA contractual relation to public administration or mandated body).

Application form structure and templates guidance

The Twinning Manual prescribes the exact proposal template and required annexes. The Member State proposal must be concise, focused on strategy and methodology, indicate sequencing and key activities, administrative model, quality of expertise to be mobilised and show administrative structure and capacity. Mandatory attachments: CVs of PL, RTA and Component Leaders; proposed activities and indicative timetable; contact information; proof of status as public administration or mandated body. Use Annex C6 checklist for administrative compliance and Annex C7 evaluation grid to ensure scoring criteria are addressed.

1. 1Cover sheet with publication reference EuropeAid and Twinning reference MD 25 NDICI FI 01 26.
2. 2Concise Project Description and Methodology mapped against the Twinning Fiche mandatory results (Components 1–3).
3. 3Indicative workplan and timetable (rolling work plans every 3 months).
4. 4Administrative model describing lead administration structure and capacity to implement.
5. 5CVs of PL, RTA and Component Leaders (minimum requirements as per Twinning fiche).
6. 6Evidence of NCP submission (email from NCP) and lead MS public administration status.

Contact details and implementation arrangements

Implementing agency:European Union Delegation to the Republic of Moldova, 10 Str. Mitropolit Petru Movilă, MD-2004, Chișinău, Republic of Moldova. Beneficiary contact person (NBM): Ms Aliona Străjescu, Director of International Relations and European Integration Department, National Bank of Moldova, 1 Grigore Vieru ave, MD-2005, Chișinău, Moldova. PL counterpart: Mr Mihnea Constantinescu, Deputy Governor, National Bank of Moldova.

Summary: What this opportunity is about and how to approach it

This Twinning call funds an institutional capacity-building partnership between one or more EU Member State public administrations (lead MS and optional junior MS partners) and the National Bank of Moldova. Its aim is to move the NBM beyond legal approximation towards practical, operational implementation of EU-aligned central banking, supervisory and regulatory functions across banking supervision, insurance (Solvency II quantitative requirements), credit information infrastructure, bank recovery/ liquidation (hybrid model) and crypto-assets/e-money token supervision aligned with MiCA. The Twinning action will deploy a Resident Twinning Adviser based full-time in Chisinau, Component Leaders and short-term experts, deliver trainings, develop internal procedures and supervisory tools, support legal and operational implementation steps and facilitate peer-to-peer exchanges and study visits. The call requires adherence to Twinning Manual templates and submission rules, inclusion of specified expert CVs and formal compliance checks. The total available budget is €1.5 million and the project duration is 27 months. Member State public administrations interested in applying must prepare a focused methodology addressing the mandatory results and demonstrate the operational capacity of their proposed PL, RTA and Component Leaders, submit via their National Contact Point before 28 October 2026, and be ready to present the proposal in evaluation meetings.

For full call documentation, templates, evaluation grid and administrative compliance checklist see the Publication document and annexes available on the EU Funding & Tenders Portal and the specific Twinning Fiche Call Publication ¹.

Footnotes

1. 1Source documents: Twinning Call for Proposals Publication (13 August 2026), Twinning Fiche (Annex C1), Annex C6 Administrative compliance and eligibility grid, Annex C7 Evaluation Grid. Full call information and downloadable annexes available at the EU Funding & Tenders Portal: ec.europa.eu

This opportunity is a Twinning call designed to help the National Bank of Moldova align its central banking, supervisory and operational functions with EU standards. It has a maximum EU budget of €1,500,000, an overall execution period of 27 months, and a submission deadline of 28 October 2026 at 12:00 Brussels time. Official portal record: EU Funding and Tenders Portal.

Opportunity at a glance

What the funding is about

The project aims to reinforce and harmonise the institutional, operational and supervisory capacities of the National Bank of Moldova so that it can perform its responsibilities in line with the Treaty on the Functioning of the European Union and the ESCB and ECB Statute. The fiche links the action to Moldova’s EU accession process, the Association Agreement, the Growth Plan for Moldova 2025 to 2027 and the 2025 Enlargement Package recommendations.

The action is practical and capacity building oriented. It is intended to move the National Bank of Moldova beyond legal approximation and into implementation, supervision, procedures, methodologies and day to day institutional practice.

Main thematic components

• Banking supervision, including IFRS 9 credit risk supervision, IRB methodologies, ICAAP, SREP, Pillar 2 requirements and supervisory stress testing.
• Insurance supervision, especially preparation for Solvency II quantitative requirements, including technical provisions, SCR, MCR and related risk mitigation techniques.
• Credit history bureaus, with a focus on data quality, interoperability, governance, information security and regulatory improvements.
• Bank recovery, resolution and liquidation, including operationalisation of a hybrid liquidation model and related procedures.
• Crypto assets and e-money tokens, with emphasis on MiCA aligned supervisory tools and internal framework for EMT issuers.

The fiches indicate that the project will deliver trainings, internal procedures, supervisory manuals, methodologies, templates, checklists, study visits and peer to peer exchanges, all tailored to the National Bank of Moldova’s needs.

Who can apply

This is a Twinning call, so it is not open to companies, NGOs or individual consultants. Only public administrations and mandated bodies from EU Member States may apply, and applications must be channelled through the relevant EU Member State National Contact Points for Twinning.

1. 1The lead applicant must be a public administration or a registered mandated body from an EU Member State.
2. 2A maximum of one Twinning proposal per Member State may be submitted by the National Contact Point to the Contracting Authority.
3. 3The proposal must come from the Lead Member State Administration and be sent through the National Contact Point route specified in the Twinning Manual.
4. 4The Member State team must be able to cover the full scope of the fiche with a Project Leader, a Resident Twinning Adviser and suitable Component Leaders.

Key eligibility and implementation requirements

1. 1The proposal must include the CVs of the Project Leader, the Resident Twinning Adviser and the Component Leaders.
2. 2The Project Leader must have a relevant university degree or equivalent experience, at least 3 years of high level financial sector experience, good project management capacity and English at minimum C1 level.
3. 3The Resident Twinning Adviser must have a relevant degree or equivalent experience, at least 3 years of financial sector experience, project management experience as an asset and English at minimum C1 level.
4. 4Component Leaders must be civil servants or staff of a Member State public administration or mandated body, with at least 3 years of relevant experience in the field covered by their component.
5. 5The Resident Twinning Adviser must be based in the Republic of Moldova full time for the duration of the project and will be supported by a full time assistant funded by the project.
6. 6Component Leaders are expected to travel to Chisinau at least 3 times per working year.
7. 7The project language is English and all formal reports must be produced in English.
8. 8The project will operate through quarterly Project Steering Committee meetings and quarterly interim reports, plus a final report.

Selection and award approach

Selection begins with formal compliance and eligibility checks. Operational capacity is assessed on a yes or no basis for the key roles, and a single negative assessment of one criterion can disqualify a proposal. The evaluation grid states that if section 1 scores below 27 points the proposal is eliminated, and if relevance scores below 16 points the proposal is also eliminated.

• Operational capacity is assessed for the Project Leader, Resident Twinning Adviser, Component Leaders and any junior partner arrangement.
• Relevance is scored against the needs of the beneficiary administration and the Twinning Fiche.
• Methodology is assessed on coherence, adequacy, measurability of results and coverage of all component areas.
• Sustainability is assessed on likely impact, multiplier effects and durability of results.

Practical matters applicants should know

The project is tightly focused on implementation capacity and institutional practice, not on drafting legislation alone. Applicants should therefore present a strong methodology, a realistic work plan, clear sequencing of activities and credible practical experience in financial sector supervision, central banking, resolution or related regulatory work.

The fiche also expects the Member State proposal to be concise but sufficiently detailed, with a clear administrative model, well matched expertise and evidence of prior project coordination or knowledge transfer. Sustainability is expected to come from internal procedures, staff training, updateable guidance and long term institutional embedding.

Likely applicant profile and strategic fit

The strongest candidates are likely to be EU central banks, financial supervisory authorities, resolution authorities, ministries of finance or other public bodies with direct hands on experience in banking supervision, insurance supervision, financial stability, bank resolution, payment services or MiCA related supervision. Consortia may be used, but the lead Member State and the internal roles must be able to cover all components.

For applicants, the main opportunity is to transfer real supervisory know how to a central bank that sits at the heart of Moldova’s EU integration process. For the beneficiary, the expected value is stronger EU aligned supervision, improved procedures and better institutional readiness for future accession related reforms.