An initiative of the Kingdom of the Netherlands, Orange Corners Bangladesh taps into the potential of Bangladeshi youth, equipping them with skills, finances and resources to enable them to turn their smart ideas into sustainable businesses. The Orange Corners programme in Bangladesh is divided into three phases: Pre-Incubation, Incubation and Post-Incubation.
The Pre-Incubation phase engages Bangladeshi youth to participate in solving local challenges and is designed to raise awareness of entrepreneurship among students through the campus coordinator programme, university-based events, and Ideation Challenges. Any Bangladeshi aged between 18-25 years is eligible to participate in different programmes of this phase.
The Incubation phase is designed to attract, select and train early-stage entrepreneurs through intense capacity-building and mentorship sessions. The 6-month long Incubation programme equips young entrepreneurs, aged 18-35 years, with skills, funding and resources to start and grow sustainable businesses – specifically ones that contribute to the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals and address the local challenges of Bangladesh. Selected teams in the Incubation programme will receive world-class training, one-on-one coaching, masterclasses, mentorship and networking. Successful graduates can unlock funding opportunities of up to 50,000 euros in post-incubation.
The Post-Incubation phase is designed to enable the top graduates of the Incubation programme to become eligible to access grants and soft loans up to 50,000 euros, along with business development support, and take their enterprises to the next level so that they can raise funding from VCs and other investors.
What Orange Corners can offer you
- Skills development
Orange Corners Bangladesh offers both collective and individual workshops on the different stages of creating a social enterprise
- Coaching and mentoring
The programme provides a personal development week, collective workshops in soft skills, and mentoring for young entrepreneurs
- Personalised follow-up
There is an advisory board (strategic committee) and collective support available to help entrepreneurs as they develop their businesses
- Events and networking
Participants can attend professional meetings and events organised by the incubators to help them connect with other entrepreneurs and potential investors
- Co-working space
The cohort companies can avail the co-working spaces in Mirpur and Mohakhali
- Funding
Successful entrepreneurs in the programme will have the opportunity to access funding up to 50,000 euros and take their enterprises to the next level so that they can raise funding from VCs and other investors
Pre-Incubation
Through the pre-incubation phase, we support students who aspire to become entrepreneurs by providing capacity-building and awareness events at different universities. The Ideation Challenge, a signature event of this phase, focuses on an SDG-themed competition aimed at solving local challenges and building skills to create social businesses through 2-day bootcamps facilitated by entrepreneurs and experts. Later, participants present their business concepts to judges, and the top 3 winners are awarded a total of BDT 1,75,000 to turn their business ideas into Minimum Viable Products (MVPs).
Incubation
Our Incubation programme is for young Bangladeshi entrepreneurs – with a key focus on female founders – aged under 35 years, who are solving local challenges that contribute towards the Sustainable Development Goals. We support startups and SMEs with capacity-building through training sessions, masterclasses and mentorship, pro-bono office space, and opportunities for networking and funding for up to 5,000 euros during this phase.
Post-Incubation
Upon successful completion of the Incubation programme, the top graduates who meet all eligibility criteria will have the opportunity to apply for funding up to 50,000 euros and take their enterprises to the next level so that they can raise funding from VCs and other investors.
FAQ
What does the Incubation programme offer?
- Skills development: Collective and individual workshops on the stages of the creation of social enterprises
- Coaching and mentoring: Personal development week, collective workshops in soft skills and mentoring
- Personalised follow-up: Advisory board (strategic committee), collective creativity workshops (hold-up), bi-monthly monitoring, etc
- Events and networking: Regular events for networking and relationship building
- Access to co-working space: In Mirpur and Mohakhali
- Funding: Opportunity to access funding up to 50,000 euros and take their enterprises to the next level so that they can raise funding from VCs and other investors
When can I apply?
- Campus Coordinator Programme open annually, with the next cohort starting in early 2025.
- The Ideation Challenge accepts applications twice a year. Next application will open in October 2024
- The Incubation Programme accepts applications twice a year. Next applications will open in October 2024.
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How can I apply?
The application link to apply to our different programme is located at the top of this page
What are the eligibility criteria for applying to the Ideation Challenge?
- Anyone aged between 18 to 25 years
- Teams of 2-3 members, with at least one female
- Must submit the application form in a team
- Solution must focus on SDG
Am I eligible to apply to the incubation programme?
The Incubation programme is open to young entrepreneurs aged between 18 – 35 years.
The Incubation programme is open to:
- Early-stage enterprises that have not received significant funding or traction till date, and invites for-profit businesses, not-for-profit businesses, registered and unregistered businesses to apply.
- Successful applicants have a strong founding team with the necessary skills and expertise to execute the business plan, with at least one female member as a co-founder or in a leadership position.
- The programme is open to both startups with scalable business models and small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) from all business sectors.
- Applicants must be fully committed to the 6-month long Incubation programme, and should attend all training sessions, masterclasses, workshops, meetings, etc. Inability to participate in mandatory sessions for any reason will prevent teams from meeting eligibility criteria for funding support or graduating from the programme.
Is the programme open to other cities outside of Dhaka?
Yes, the Incubation programme invites entrepreneurs from all over Bangladesh to apply; however, the Selection Boot Camps and Incubation programme activities will be held in Dhaka which all selected teams will be expected to attend.
Are there any registration fees for the programme?
No, there are no application fees for any of our programmes.
How will I know if I am selected?
Applicants will be contacted via e-mail after the application review process.
Do you take equity for the funding opportunities?
We do not take any equity from the entrepreneurs. Our funding opportunities are a combination of grants and soft-loan only!
Can someone outside the age range of 18-35 apply to the programme?
For the Ideation Challenge and Campus Coordinator Programme, participants need to be between 18 and 35 years old. However, for the Incubation programme, primary applicants must be under 35, while co-founders may be older/younger.
Can individuals of a different nationality apply to the programme?
For the Ideation Challenge, participants are eligible as long as they are enrolled in a university in Bangladesh. However, for the Incubation programme, founders regardless of nationalities are eligible to apply.
What are the benefits of applying to the programme?
The Orange Corners Bangladesh programme offers numerous benefits, including skill development, financial support and access to resources to help turn ideas into sustainable businesses. The programme has three phases: Pre-Incubation, which raises entrepreneurship awareness through Campus Coordinator programs, events and Ideation Challenges; Incubation, which provides intense training, mentorship and funding opportunities up to 5,000 euros for early-stage entrepreneurs; and Post-Incubation, which offers top graduates access to funding up to 50,000 euros to scale their enterprises. Participants also benefit from training, coaching and networking opportunities.
Do I need to ensure at least one female team member/co-founder to apply?
Yes, it is required to have at least one female member in a leadership role.
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Where to find us
Orange Corners Bangladesh Mohakhali Bangladesh Youth Leadership Center (BYLC) Medona Tower, 28 Mohakhali, Dhaka 1212 Orange Corners Bangladesh Mirpur Impact Hub Dhaka Level 9, Grameen Telecom Bhaban, Mirpur Zoo Road, Dhaka 1216 [email protected]
