Empowering Entrepreneurs and Investment through Incubation Model
Entrepreneurship in the Madhesh and Karnali region is gaining momentum, driven by young innovators, entrepreneurs, and community-based enterprises seeking new economic opportunities. Yet many promising ideas still struggle to move beyond the start-up stage due to limited access to structured business support, investment, and mentorship. Recognizing this, and the immense potential of Madhesh and Karnali’s entrepreneurial spirit, InElam Project of Helvetas Nepal, in collaboration with the Buddha Incubation Center, is organizing a flagship event designed to bridge these barriers and strengthen the local startup ecosystem.
Scheduled for 22nd November 2025 in Birgunj, the Empowering Entrepreneurs and Investment Event brings together 25 growth-ready entrepreneurs, selected by Enterprise Service Providers as well as Buddha Incubation Center of Birgunj Public College, based on enterprise assessments of their enterprises, their business plans, and Personal Entrepreneurial Competencies (PECs) analysis. The event serves as a culmination of months of mentoring provided to these entrepreneurs and acts as a launchpad where they can pitch their refined business models, engage with potential investors, and explore growth pathways. The initiative supports entrepreneurs who are ready to accelerate and scale, enabling them to access funding, SME financing, joint-venture partnerships, and long-term mentorship.
The current cohort of entrepreneurs participating in the event has undergone a six-month growth program co-designed with experts, practitioners, and academic partners. This program provided support in business modelling, market research, financial planning, legal compliance, and pitch preparation, ensuring that participants arrive at the event with their enterprise models, plan, and clear investment asks. They will attend a three-day residential bootcamp starting from 18th November 2025. Entrepreneurs will gain access to structured mentorship from seasoned business experts, industry champions, and trained resource persons on business strategy, market access, financial management, and strengthening partnership approaches – the key ingredients for sustainable growth and will finally present their ideas in the business canvas to the potential investors on 22nd November.
Over the past years, InElam/Helvetas Nepal has been working in close partnership with academic institutions, universities, private sector actors, local business service providers, and government partners to embed entrepreneurial learning into broader context. For this, the project collaborated with academia to establish incubation models and integrated practical business development tools into university curricula in its last phase. This partnership-led approach ensures that incubation services are not standalone interventions, but part of a sustainable, locally anchored ecosystem. Now, the same incubation center in partnership is organizing this event to turn ideas into enterprises and connect them with opportunities for expansion with InElam’s support. It also contributes to Helvetas Nepal’s broader vision of strengthening sustainable business ecosystems, building youth employment, and promoting entrepreneurship among disadvantaged groups.
Overall, Empowering Entrepreneurs and Investment initiative is not a mere one-day pitching event. The project has adopted this model and will run multiple cohorts where entrepreneurs with ideas will be groomed for start-up readiness, and existing start-ups will be supported for growth. This is the project’s approach to building a resilient, inclusive, and sustainable entrepreneurial ecosystem through close partnership with ecosystem actors, including investors, academic institutions, government, and the private sector.
Event At a Glance:
Event Name: Empowering Entrepreneurs and Investment
Building Ideas. Accelerating Growth. Connecting Investments
Organized by: Buddha Incubation Center, Birgunj Public College with Strategic Partnership with InElam Project of Helvetas Nepal
Residential Bootcamp: 19th – 21st November 2025
Pitch Presentation Date: 22nd November 2025
Location: Birgunj