The Loden Foundation is delighted to announce a call for business proposals from aspiring and established Bhutanese entrepreneurs in collaboration with Boiling Point and Society Switzerland Bhutan. The program will support a diverse variety of entrepreneurial ventures that are innovative, viable, and scalable. The proposals must be in line with national priorities such as employment creation, import substitution, retaining Bhutanese who are leaving overseas, and improving the economy’s resilience. However, because the two districts received most of the prior support, we are not accepting any business proposals from Thimphu or Paro (Spring Call only).
Please read thoroughly, as all the instructions on how to apply have been mentioned in detail below.
Standard Selection Process: The business proposals and applicants will be evaluated by an independent panel of judges composed of both national and international business specialists. Shortlisted candidates will be invited to an interview in April 2023 at the Loden office in Thimphu, or virtually. Changes in scheduling will be announced on the website in advance.
Standard Loan Scheme and Repayment Procedure: Selected applicants will be given a four-year, interest-free loan of up to BTN 1.5 million. The loan will be disbursed within two months of the final results being announced and all necessary prerequisites being fulfilled. The Loden Foundation will require the selected applicants to sign a loan agreement along with a guarantor. The loan is divided into two installments. The second tranche of the loan will be made following verification of the proper use of the funds received in the first tranche and a favorable recommendation from Loden’s project monitoring team.
Mentoring Support: Mentoring support will be provided to the selected entrepreneurs to help them advance their businesses and provide guidance in business-related areas. Once the business is up and running, the entrepreneurs must send a detailed bi-annual written report to the Loden office. Entrepreneurs are usually granted a grace period of up to six months before being required to repay the entire loan amount within four years.
What types of business ideas are eligible to apply?
The Loden Entrepreneurship Programme (LEP) was established to assist young Bhutanese who have the vision, drive, and idea to start or grow a company that is economically beneficial, socially responsible, culturally sensitive, and environmentally friendly.
The proposal will be evaluated based on the following priority criteria:
- Financial viability (able to repay the loan)
- Cultural, social and ecological sensitivity (e.g. not a slaughterhouse, fishery, logging, bar etc.)
- Clear and realistic
- Social impact such as employment generation, community benefit, etc.
- Geographic suitability or regional balance
- Non-duplication of LEP funded project or projects (should not be something which is already in the market and where there is no requirement for such projects)
- Entrepreneurial drive and motivation (good business is not sufficient; we need real entrepreneurs)
- Personal commitment (teamwork and personal investment are a plus)
- Skills (understanding competition and key business indicators)
Application Process:
There are TWO application processes, please choose any ONE of the following:
Process A: Applicants must submit the business proposal template developed by Loden Foundation, which is available (HERE). If you are following process A, you do not have to submit the documents listed in process B, because those documents need to be attached in the same template.
Process B: Applicants who are submitting your own business proposal must submit the following documents:
- Business proposal (not exceeding 15 pages) GUIDELINE
- Curriculum Vitae (CV)
- Personal statement explaining why you are interested in the chosen business
- Duly filled ‘Business Plan Submission form available HERE
- Latest CIB report of the applicant. If you are married, you also need to submit your spouse’s CIB report from the Credit Information Bureau of Bhutan. Find the Report Form HERE
- CID or Permit Card copy
Note 1: We also encourage you to submit supporting documents (if applicable) such as lease approvals for land, proforma invoices of machinery & equipment and applicable recommendation letters proving proficiency or recognitions etc.
Note 2: If you are a returning applicant applying with the same idea, you must explicitly mention what is new in your business plan. You must also indicate if you have received or applied for funding for the same business from other funding sources.
Applicants must submit the complete set of documents and information to the Google Form.
Submission of applicants through email and hardcopy will not be accepted unless informed to the Focal Person.
Applications submitted after 5 PM, 3rd April 2023 will not be considered. Only shortlisted candidates will be contacted for the interview rounds. For any further information, you may contact Mr. Lhakpa, Assistant Programme Manager, at office phone 77195599 or email at lhakpa@loden.org during office hours.
Click Frequently Asked Questions for additional information.
Documents to Download