Octavian Zelinski

EU Project Expert · Republic of Moldova

Octavian
Zelinski

Project Manager & EU Funding Specialist

€7M+
Funds secured
20+
Years experience
4
Languages
Get in touch

With over 20 years of experience across public administration, EU-funded projects, media, and economic development, I help institutions unlock European and international funding — from proposal writing to full project management.

Based in Chișinău, Moldova, I have successfully won and managed projects funded by the EU Interreg Next Black Sea programme, BMZ Germany, and multiple national donors — delivering measurable impact across the region.

EU Grant Writing Project Management Cross-Border Programs Public Administration Business Incubation Feasibility Studies Partnership Building Media & Communications
01

Areas of Expertise

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EU Project Applications

Extensive experience writing successful applications for Interreg Next Black Sea, Interreg RO-MD, EU Cohesion programmes, and national funding calls in Moldova and Romania.

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Project Management

End-to-end project management: staffing, procurement, contracts, invoicing, reporting, and donor relations. Track record of delivering complex multi-partner projects on time and on budget.

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Partnership & Stakeholder Management

Building and managing cross-border partnerships with public authorities, NGOs, and EU institutions across Moldova, Romania, Ukraine, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Germany.

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Public Administration

Deep knowledge of local public administration reform, district governance, budget analysis, and citizen participation mechanisms from hands-on leadership roles in Moldova.

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Business Support & Incubation

Leading the Municipal Business Incubator in Chișinău; designing programs to support SMEs, entrepreneurs, and startup ecosystems at the local government level.

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Media & Communication

Former editor-in-chief and journalist with a decade of experience in print media, TV reporting, and digital communications. Skilled at translating complex issues for broad audiences.

02

Selected Projects

€2.33M

DARE-EU — Disaster Assistance and Response in Moldova, Bulgaria and Turkey

EU Interreg Next Black Sea programme. Developing an effective cross-border system for responding to and preventing natural disasters in vulnerable regions, including innovative equipment, related works, and cross-border training activities.

Website: dare-eu.net

EU Funded Project Manager 2025–2027
€2.0M

EUroBRIDGE_UA_MD — Building Collaborative Pathways for Regional Development

EU-funded project improving administrative capacity for EU Cohesion Policy adoption in Ukraine and Moldova. Part of the EU Support to Ukraine and Moldova border regions programme (ERDFTA-2024-SUPPORTUMBR).

EU Funded Project Manager 2025–2029
€300K

Sustainable Waste Management and Recycling in Anenii Noi District

Full project cycle from proposal to execution: waste collection for ~2,000 households using 2 Mercedes Econic trucks, sorting (plastic, paper, glass, metal), and composting of organic waste. Additional 500,000 MDL secured from ODA Moldova.

Funded by BMZ Germany · Website: anintercom.org

BMZ Germany Project Manager 2022–2025
25M MDL

Creation of Multifunctional Industrial Platform in Chișinău Municipality

Secured on behalf of Chișinău City Hall through the Ministry of Infrastructure and Regional Development of the Republic of Moldova. A 3-year capital investment project to establish a new industrial platform in the capital.

National Funding Author 2025–2028
03

EU Projects Portfolio

A selection of European Union-funded projects I have authored, submitted, and managed — spanning cross-border cooperation, disaster response, regional development, and environmental sustainability across Moldova, Romania, Bulgaria, Turkey, and Ukraine.

5+
EU Projects Won
€7M+
Total EU Funds Secured
6
Countries Involved
Interreg Next Black Sea · 2nd Call
DARE-EU — Disaster Assistance and Response in Moldova, Bulgaria and Turkey
Develops an effective cross-border system for responding to and preventing natural disasters. Includes acquisition of innovative response equipment, related infrastructure works, cross-border coordination, and training activities in vulnerable regions of Moldova, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
This project is the result of a merger with another project we won: "EU-CARES — EU Cross-Border Assistance and Response for Emergencies in the western Black Sea region" (Budget: €1,361,410.12). The result is the project in its current form, including the budget, which is a record for the Interreg Next Black Sea program.
↗ dare-eu.net
€2,333,646 2025–2027 Project Manager
EU ERDFTA-2024-SUPPORTUMBR
EUroBRIDGE_UA_MD — Building Collaborative Pathways for Regional Development
Improves administrative capacity for EU Cohesion Policy adoption in Ukraine and Moldova through cross-border collaborative pathways and regional development frameworks. Submitted and designated winner in 2025.
€1,999,678 2025–2029 Project Manager
Interreg Next Black Sea · 2nd Call
EU-CARES — Cross-Border Assistance and Response for Emergencies
Originally submitted as a standalone project alongside DARE-EU; subsequently merged into the DARE-EU project. Focused on emergency response infrastructure in the western Black Sea region — Moldova, Bulgaria, and Turkey.
€1,361,410 2025 Author
BMZ Germany · Federal Ministry
Sustainable Waste Management and Recycling — Anenii Noi District
Full project cycle: waste collection for ~2,000 households (2 Mercedes Econic trucks), sorting of plastic, paper, glass and metal, and organic composting. A separate project management company was established. Additional 500,000 MDL secured from ODA Moldova within the project.
↗ anintercom.org
€300,000 2022–2025 Project Manager
Konrad Adenauer Foundation
Promotion of the European Union in the Republic of Moldova and Transnistria
Project promoting EU values and integration across Moldova and the Transnistrian region, implemented by ASTRA-Anenii Noi NGO. Included public awareness events, publications, and civil society engagement activities.
280,000 MDL 2019 NGO Chairman
04

Professional Experience

June 2024 — Present
Head of Business Support Infrastructure Department
Municipal Centre for the Development of Entrepreneurship, Chișinău City Hall
Managing business support infrastructure including the Municipal Business Incubator. Writing project applications for national and international funding. Managing partnerships with public and associative entities from Moldova and abroad.
March 2022 — Present
Project Expert (EU Funded Projects)
Various consulting companies: Suport Invest LTD, BEAUTY PRIME LTD, Anintercom LTD (Chișinău & Bucharest)
Writing project applications for national and international calls (AIPA, European Village, LAGs, Interreg Black Sea, Interreg RO-MD, DRRM Romania). Developing feasibility studies for capital investment projects. Managing project staffing, contracts, procurement, and reporting.
November 2019 — March 2022
Vice-President in charge of Social Affairs
Anenii Noi District Council
Coordinated 30 pre-university and 27 pre-school institutions (1,800+ employees, 10,000+ students). Chairman of boards of 11 medical institutions (786 employees). Authored the District Local Economic Development Plan 2020–2022. Won MDL 4.9 million in external projects from Romanian county councils.
November 2022 — April 2023
Project Expert
IDIS "VIITORUL", Chișinău
Analysis of district administration budgets and staffing. Assessment of citizen participation in LPA decision-making. Recommendations for LPA Level II reform toward municipalization.
April 2022 — November 2022
Analyst — Client Support
Energymarketprice LTD (affiliated with Market Intelligence Group SA, Switzerland)
Producing daily, weekly, and monthly reports on energy and Forex market trends for clients including Toyota, Electric Ireland, and SirEnergies (France). Markets covered: gas, oil, electricity, carbon certificates, coal. Working languages: English, French.
December 2017 — March 2019
Senior Investment Specialist
Anenii Noi District Council
Attracting EU-funded projects for the district (RO-MD cross-border axis). Coordinated twinning with 4 Romanian counties and 10 village pairs. Won investment projects totaling ~2.63 million MDL from Romanian county councils.
September 2011 — November 2020
Editor-in-Chief
Independent Newspaper "Adevărul de Anenii Noi"
Financial and creative leadership of the publication. Writing articles, filming TV reports in collaboration with Elita TV and TVR Moldova. Managed the newspaper's digital presence (5,400+ followers). Combined with role as NGO Chairman of ASTRA-Anenii Noi (2007–present).
05

Education & Training

2004 – 2008
Bachelor of Arts in Economics (Strategic Management)
Rhodes University, South Africa — e-learning mode
2005 – 2010
Ph.D. Studies in History (without doctoral thesis)
State University of Moldova & Université d'Avignon et des Pays de Vaucluse, France (co-tutelle)
2005
Master in History
State University of Moldova
2004
Bachelor of History
State University of Moldova

International Experiences

2023
Coalition Building & Strategic Partnership
International Academy for Leadership, Gummersbach, Germany
2013
Exchange Program — US Congress Open World Programme
United States of America · Public policy & youth participation
Romanian
Mother tongue
Russian
C2 — Mastery
French
C2 — Mastery
English
C1 — Advanced

Let's work
together

Whether you need an experienced project manager, a skilled EU grant writer, or an advisor on cross-border partnerships in Moldova and the region — I'd be glad to hear from you.

✉
octavian.zelinski@gmail.com
☏
+373 67 594 545
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2B Ioan Botezătorul str., Chișinău, Republic of Moldova

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