An entrepreneur may have a promising business idea but still struggle to find the right support to develop it. Where can they test a product, seek technical advice, understand certification requirements or prepare to approach an investor? When these services are scattered across institutions, finding a way forward can be difficult.
This is one of the challenges Sri Lanka’s draft National Incubation Facilitation Strategic Framework seeks to address. The Ministry of Industry and Entrepreneurship Development, through the National Enterprise Development Authority (NEDA), is working towards a more coordinated national approach that connects existing institutions, incubators and enterprise support partners.
DVV International supported the Authority through a consultancy focused on preparing the framework for implementation and its initial operationalisation. The support was directed towards the institutional and practical arrangements needed to translate the draft framework into a functioning national system.
The work builds on Pillar 04 of Sri Lanka’s SME Strategy Framework, which emphasises an organised approach to incubation, greater awareness of available services, and simpler processes for business registration, certification and approvals. Putting this direction into practice requires clarity about who provides which services, how partners work together and how entrepreneurs access support.
The consultancy was designed to help clarify institutional roles and responsibilities, establish governance arrangements and develop mechanisms for accrediting incubation partners. Its scope also included operational tools, stakeholder mobilisation, pilot implementation arrangements and results-based monitoring to assess how the system works and where improvements are needed.
The intention is to connect the expertise and services already available within a clearer support pathway. This could help aspiring entrepreneurs move from developing and testing an idea to establishing a business, entering a market and managing growth. Better coordination also aims to address uneven access to mentorship, technical expertise, finance and market connections.
For DVV International, this work connects enterprise development with lifelong learning. Starting and growing a business involves continually acquiring knowledge, applying new skills and learning from experience. Bringing relevant learning opportunities together with practical business support can help entrepreneurs make informed decisions at each stage.
The initiative aims to lay the institutional and operational foundations for a more accessible and responsive national incubation system, with clearer responsibilities among service providers and stronger connections between the support available and the people who need it.